Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-18

S1tlon to be seen by capt. James L. barker
of the steamer Harry Randall, whose boat
came up behind them. The light from the
city showed against the sails of the yacht
and attracted the attention Of Capt.
Barker
Capt. Bankers Statement.
GAS soon as 1 saw the sails" said Capt.
Barker to Star reporter this morning, Il
gave the engineer the signal to stop. All I
could see was the yacht, and seeing that
my boat had cleared the craft l proceeded
to the dock under one bell
The captain said he heard the noise caus-
ed by the wheel of his boat striking against
something and it was his opinion that a
board or log had been struck. He was sur
prised when he heard later that a boat
had been struck and it's occupants thrown
overheard. In converse ton with Star re-
porter the captain stated that he did not
see the signal light on the bow of the naph-
tina launch, although he understood there
was there. In his report to the local
steamboat inspectors, Messrs. White and
Wright. the captain stated: "On my return
from Colonial Beach, July II, at about II %
o'clock, the steamer Harry Randall is said
to have small naphtha launch.
l saw boat or light, but heard a crash
under the wheel. The accident happened
while making the turn to go into the slip
at the River View wharf, Washington,
D. c.
How Accident Happened.
The steamer Samuel ]. Pentz from River
View came up the river a short distance
ahead of the Harry Randall, and 1t is
thought by many boatmen along the river
front, the swells from this boat caused the
breaking of the line connecting the launch
and the yacht This probably threw the
launch toward the path of the Harry Ran
dali and the wheel of the latter boat put
the launch out of service and threw the two
maj tIa ard 81 I,
buoy and carried it overheard with him. He
saw his companion in the water and was
within few feet of him when the paddle
struck him G-ee) and so seriously wounded
him that there was no hope of saving his
life. Mr.. Bright realized the perilous posi-
ton in which he had been placed and made
his way from the swells from the steamer
as fast as he could Not far from the
scene of the fatal accident was the steamer
1. V. Arrowsmith coming up the river and
those who We're on the water realized thai
there might be danger of a repetition of
the fatal accident Lights were shown and
they We're promptly needed. All this time
Mr.. Bright was exerting every effort to
keep himself from going down. Finally he
was rescued by A. II. Gregory who was re-
turning from the lower Potomac in his
yacht Louise Mr. Bright was about ex-
hausted when he was pulled aboard and
couId hardly speak He was afterWard
transferred to the clubs yacht and was
able to go home later. Mr.. Bright said
'iIdt Lee WIS cInBlnS TO q piece of the
boat when he last him and the wound
over his right eye was visible.
Capt E. S. Randall was in his office at
the Sth street wharf when the steamer
reached there, and was told of the accident
shortly after its arrival He sent ont
some of his employees to make an inves-
tigation and render what assistance they
could. By this time Harbornaster sutton
had been told of the accident and had
summoned the members Of his crew to
search for the body. The men worsed oil
night long in small boats and were re-
warded for their labors this morning
about 10 o'clock when the body was found
near where 1t had gone down. The body
then removed to the morgue. where
it was found that the victim had received
severe cut over the right eye. No other
wound was found about his body The
body attired in undershirt trou-
sers and shoes 4 large crowd of curious
people gathered about the morgue after
the body vas take,. there and remained
some time.
Eyewitness Story.