Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-04-07
FIVE LIVES ARE LOST
IN GALE ON THE GULF
Terrible Disaster Happens to q
Pleasure Party.
cLuNe TO OVERTURNED BOAT
Only Two of Party Of Seven Man,
aged to Cling to the Boat the Others
Succumbina to Exhaustion and End
ing Watery Graves.

Tampa, Fla, April Give persons,
among them two Atlanta ladies', Miss
Ellen O'Connor and Miss Laurie Nc
Rae, all members of a pleasure party
from the Florida Methodist college at
Switzerland, Fla, near Tampa, were
drowned Monday night in the waters
of the gulf near Anclote lighthouse.
The drowned are:
Miss Ellen O'Connor, of Atlanta.
Miss Laura MRae, Atlanta, teach
er in Sutherland college.
Miss Slaughter, of Sutherland.
Mrs. Walker, wife of president OF
the college.
Mr.. Bouland, of Sutherland.
President Walker and Miss Newton
the remaining members of the party,
both reached the beach alive.
The bodies of Mrs. Walker and Miss
OConnor have not yet been recov
cred.
The bodies of Mss McRae, Miss
Slaughter and Mr.. Bouland were wash
ed ashore yesterday morning.
The story of the terrible suffering,
lasting for "a hours, is told by Presi
dent Walker and Miss Newton. ar1
teacher, the survivors OF sailing party
In a cat-boat they left Sutherland
Monday morning sailing to AnclOte,
resort on the coast about Is miles
distant They spent two hours al
Anclote and then set sail for home
In the meantime a strong gale had
arisen, which gradually grew, driv
ing the little craft off-shore. Bour
land, student, was acting as skipper,
but he lost control and q sudden gust
of wind overturned the fraii craft
spilling the occupants into the water.
In the driving wind the two men OF
the party had hard work in prevent
ing the drowning of all the women nj
once. Except Mrs. O'Connor, the old.
est of the party, all managed to catch
hold of the overturned craft. Mrs.
O'Connor was not seen again until her
body was found. All through the ar
ternoon and into the night the wind
still blowing gale and the tempera
this latitude, the chilled men and wO
| men held to the bottom OF the boat.
Mrs. Walker, the wife OF the presf
dent, was the first to succumb and
the others were too weak to save
| her. In fact, in the darkness they
scarcely knew when she released her
hold and sank. Shewas missed by
one of the women, and 1t was all they
could do to keep President Walker
from surrendering to what seemed ia
be inevitable and following her to
waterv prava
After two hours more young Bour
land, who had lost consciousness, also
sank. President Wa. exercised his
| little remaining strength to save the
| others, but just at daybreak Miss Nc
| Rae, who had been praying for several
hours, released her hold and also sank
From then until Tuesday noon Prest
dent Walker and Miss Newton held
| Miss Slaughter, who had lapsed inta
| Inconsistencies, above the water
They were aided by the calming oi
| the wind.
/ Miss Slaughter died at IL o'clock
and when one hour later, one of thu
searching parties sent out from Suth
erland and Oxona in naphtha launch
discovered the wreck they found the
| president and Miss Newton exertina
their remaining strength to keep the
body of their last companion from
! hpjnC lost