The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-05
2GIRLS DROWNED; 4 RESCUED.
TRAGIC END OF A CANOE FROLTC
ON THE SOUND.
Rollers From Steamer Made Boats Rock
and Frightened the Occupants--Upset
Launch Gives Assistanee-victims
Members of Little Mothers' Aid Society.

Charles Brooks and William Shaw, young
men who live in Main street. New Rochelle,
each hired canoe at Echo Bay yesterday
morning for a days cruise on Pelham Bay
and the Sound. They padded through
Echo Bay into Pelham Bay and then. about
1 o'clock In the afternoon, got into the
Sound.
They were of Hunters Island when they
were hailed by two dozen young girls who
were playing on the sandy beach OF the
island.
please come in and take us for ride,
boys, they called.
Brooks and Shaw went TO shore and in
vited all the girls they had room for in the
canoes to Join them Brooks's canoe was
big enough to hold four besides himself
Shaw's boat was a tiny craft and it took
some crowding to get two girls in with him.
The half-dozen In the canoes waved
farewell to their friends on the beach and
the boys padded away toward Pelham
Bay. They had got to passage OF water
known as the Middle Ground, between
Harris and David's Islands. a course taken
by all the Sound steamers, when the Glen
Island, one OF the Starin Line steamboats,,
passed them about 100 yards of.
The Glen Island was RUNNING at pretty
fast clip, and when the rollers came tum-
bling toward the canoes the girls got badly
scared. Brooks and Shaw told them to sit
still, that there was no danger II an even
keel was kept in the little boats, but the
rocking OF the canoes had frightened the
girls out Of their wits.
Two OF these in Brookss canoe stood up,
reeling from side to side in an unsteady
effort to preserve their balance. The
canoe turned over instantly. Shaw's little
boat was within fifteen feet OF Brooks's
when the occupants OF the larger boat were
spilled into the bay. Shaw padded still
closer, thinking that he could help the
girls keep their heads above water. The
four, struggling to cling to Brooks,s over
turned canoe, made grab Tor the port
side of Shaw's. He tried to keep them Cd,
but they pulled the tiny boat over and
Shaw and his two passengers were thrown
into the water.
Both young men are good swimmers, but
not one Of the girls could swim stroke.
Brooks and Shaw got the two canoes to-
Rether and then helped three OF the girls
hold to them. They were so excited and
already 80 exhausted by their efforts to
save the lives OF the girls that they did
| not notice that two Of the girls were missing.
The only craft in that part OF the bay at
that time yesterday afternoon, save the
canoes, was a naphtha launch owned by
| Jordan's Hotel on City Island, next the
| Pelham avenue bridge. Capt. Henry }.
| Castrofa OF tho Volunteer Life Saving Corps
at City Island, was in the launch with two
friends, Edward McClory Of "a East Eleventh
street, Manhattan, and James Fogarty OF
90 Prospect lace, Brooklyn.
| Capt. Cas,rop was the first to hear the
screams OF the girls half q mile OF. With
his glass he saw what had happened. The
little launch shot forward like an arrow.
| Castrop driving her toward the struggling
men and girls at top speed.
Twenty yards from the canoes mass OF
brilliant red hair floating in the water
| caught Castrop's eye. He leaned over the
launol's aide and wound his fin gers in 1t.
The captain, with the help Of McClory and
| Fosarty, pulled into the launch the I'M
conscious body OF Jennie Flynn, 10 years
| old, whose home Is at see East Fourteenth
| street.
| Then the rescuers quickly helped the three
| girls clinglng to the overturned canoes
| into the launch. They were Gertrude
Willis, Is years old, of 2ss High street, Brook
| Ign; Mamie Fish, 10 years old, Of s25 East
| Twenty-flfth street, and Grace Brown, II
| wears old, Of SIC East Sixteenth street. The
| Willis pirl and Mamie Fish we're insensible
! when Castrop and his friends hauled them
nto the launch. They had been supported
| by Brooks and Shaw for half an hour. The
arms of the young men were 70 stih when
the launch reached them that they coulo
| not use them and they had to be assisted
"a much as the girls Grace Brown wal
able to look out for herself and was In the
best condition Of any In the party.
Now said Capt. Castrop when they
were all In the launch. ARE you sure thai
you're all here7'
Brooks and Shaw were almost hysterica
from their exhaustion and excitement
Three Of the girls we're not able to talk at all
Miss Brown waa utterly unnerved. The
young men told the captain that they
guessed all had been accounted for. Then
the launch ran for City Island full speed.
The girls were taken TO Jordan's Hote
and Dr. Law renee, the only doctor at City
Island, was called. It took him half ar
hour to resueoitate Jennie Flynn. The
other girls we're revived quickly enough.
! When Gertrude Willis came back to life
abe looked about her and then said to the
! other girls:
where's Jeannette and Katie?'
Then, for the first time, the fact that two
OF the party, Jeanette Meehan and Katie
Collins, had not been accounted for, seemed
to be realized. The grief Of the rescued
girls Was pathetic, and Brooks and Shaw
were nearly crazy.
Capt Castrop got his volunteer life savers
together and the corps seached Pelham
Bay, but they had not found the bodies Of
the drowned girls at midnight
The drowned girls as we'll as the other
who were playing on the beach when Brooks
and Shaw padded up were members Of 4
party OF forty lone girls who went to Hunters
island on Saturday night in charge Of Miss
Julia Olmstead The girls belong to Enter
prise Chapter Of the Little Mothers Aic
Society, whose headquarters Ia at 2se Sec
ond avenue. At the end OF every week I
party Of young girls whose business it h
TO take care OF the small children Of mother
who work in factories or other places wher'
the care Of their own children Is impossible
are sent to Hunters Island to spend weel
by the society. Last Saturday night i
was the turn OF Enterprise Chapter.
Mrp. C. Dorsch, superintendent Of th'