The evening world., 1904-08-04
Thomas mocarty, Crippled Ex.
4 Foreman Of Fire Company,
Meets Probably Fatal Acct.
dent While Plunglna from Pier
FANCeE WITH HIM
SW00NS AT SIGHT.
Wan Dked Into Water Only Two
Feet Deep-Formery Noted
Athlete, and Won Many Med.
ais for Swimming.

b he Brooklyn Fire Headquarters, WA
taken dying to the Long Island College
Hospital. In Brooklyn, to-day as the
result Of . dive into two feet Of water
at sayvi1le, L. J., yesterday. McCarty
struck full on his head on the sand and
broke his neck.
NcCarty was made O cripple for life
in q frv that destroyed the Arbuckle
Coopcrage on the Brooklyn water front
near Jay street on Dec, 2s, 1902. He
had been appointed a fireman but three
months before, and was attached TO
HOOK and Ladder Company No. IS,
which has a water tower equipment
While working the water tower Nc
Carty. Battalion Chef Thomas Cop
pinger, Lieut.. William F. jeffrey and
Fireman Michael J, O'Toole were
crushed under a falling wall. McCarty
was tho only one ~ the four who 60.
capped with his HE. lie was so badly
injured, however. that when he left the
, hospital two months later he was Grip.
pie and no longer At for active duty.
Fiaeeee Mas bathing with Him.
After being discharged from the hos.
pital the crippled fireman was assigned
TO an easy berth at Fire Headquarters.
Thrso days ago he started on \ months
vacation and went to Sayville. where
his hnancee. Miss Addis Brandt. Is
spending the summer.
He and Miss Brandt went In bathing
Yesterday evening from pier that
runs out In Great South Bay, Though
cripple, McCarty was still able to
swim. He had once been a noted ath-
lete and won many medals In swim
ming races.
After swimming about In the bay with
Mss Brandt he returned 10 the pier. Inc
tide had been running out and the hre-
nan had not learned that on one side
OF the pier the water Is very shallow.
He told his hancee that before he was
injured IN the fire he had been a great
diver and thought he could still perform
a few feats OF that kind. The young
woman begged him not TO dive, as he
did not know the depth OF the water
Girl sees Him Break His Neck.
McCarty said that he could dive in al
most any depth Of water and. running
TO one side OF the pier. dvsd straight
into the water The water was barely
Two fee, deep though the color OF the
sand lsade II appear u great deal
deepe;
The fireman dlved straight and the fun
yelzht OF his body was on his head
wnen II struck the hard sand. Miss
Brandt. who had run over 10 watch him
dive, saw the shock his body received
and then saw II cur. W and iall over
limp In the shallow wafer.
Capt. Elmer Murdoch. Of Sayville,
had also seen the fireman dive, and
knowing the depth OF the water, ap-
:. .preciatsd what had happened 70 him
when ne saw the upper part OF the
body out OF the water after the head
had struck. He Jumped in and carried
the unconscious form Ji McCarty TO
shore. Miss Brandt swooned on The
pier and had to be carried TO her home.
The injured fireman was taken care
OF In the home OF sayville physician
and sent into Brooklyn TO be removed
10 the hospital on the hrst train that
left this morning
Back broken In Two Places.
The doctors OF the Long Island Hos
pital, after an examination. discovered
that McCarty's neck was broken In two
places and that he cannot recover.
McCarty Is one Uf family vi famous
athletes. His father, Charles McCarIy,
was noted golfer. hurier, swimmer
and football player III Ireland and Scot
land. HIS three brothers, Maurice. Eu.
gene and Patrick, are professional go,f
players, and his two other brothers,
WiilIam and Charles are amateur ath.
letes OF some note
Thoms, McCarty and his brother
Eugene enlisted IN the L. $. Navy when
the spanish-Amsrican war started and
served throughou. the conflict Thomas
vas a petty officer or board the Chi
eago, and Eugene vas one OF the Gin
cinnatfs crew.
saved Comrades Life nt Sea.
During the war. while the American
feet Was waiting for the Spaniards on
,4nttgA. Eugene McCartv stroked the
C,ncinnatrs crew to victory In a 800
inatcn race with the champion crew OF
the cruiser New orleans.
After the war when the Chicago was
cruising In the. Mediterranean, Thomas
McCarty saved the life OF a comrade
who fell overheard OF Gibraltar. The
,nan c,n'dn't swim dnd the Chicago
was going at high rate of speed
when he fell overheard, McCary
plunged In after him. got him and held
him up for half an hour. when a sma
boat put on from the cruiser and picked