Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-15
HORRIFY|NG SCENE
Continued from Seventh Page.)

by Clarence H. Osterman of G33 y street
northwest, recovered four bodies: also ran
the bow of his boat under the bow or the
launch and held 1t in position until II was
made secure with a rope.
Robert Golden, jr., of BIO street
northwest also claims to have rescued one
body in his boat. He found Shriner
button in his boat. evidently belonging to
the body rescued. George Morton. colored.
of Essex court northwest, helped to attach
rope to the launch and assisted in hauiing
it ashore. John Veitch. who lives corner
Warehouse alley and M street northwest
| also helped to bring the launch ashore
| Robert Barr, 1911 35th street. helped put
| rope boat and pull it ashore he aiso
procured a span of horses, belonging "
| Thomas Myers, and hooked them to the
| rope attached to the launch and tried 10
| pull it over to land. but could not move IT,
| Buck Elliott, Canal road, assisted IN haui-
| ing launch ashore. Charles Simmons ana
| John Welsh of NJ street claim to nave
| prevented Stewart, Wagner, Lederer and
Woulfe from drowning by throwing poaros
| into the river to enable them to keep tneiI
| heads above the water after they reacheo
! the stone wall. as the point where Tic oo''
| sunk is very steep.
| There were a number of others VINO
| rendered valuable assistance, put am uh-
! able to learn their names.
Three sailors from the torpedo boat raj
bot are Included in the list of those who
performed heroic service in resculng the
| victims aboard the naphtha iauncn hecrea.
| ton. which sank at the FOOT OF o4.I ssreS'
Saturday afternoon. Their names are "A. 8
Phren, L. Draper and B. Brown. one OF
them 1t is said by an eye witness. ain 1s
lost his life while the Inflated launch was
being drawn out of the water
Wi1,iam Dolman of truck is another
who did heroic work He assisted In throw
ing ont boards and ropes to the victims.
which some of them grao9eo, Dui "e'e %
weak lost their hold and drowned.
Statements by Rescued Parties.
DR.. Wagner, one of the owners OF the
boat. said soon after the accident that lie
and Mr. J. Allan Woulfe went to the Ioo'
of 18th street and took the launch up the
river They entered the Georgetown chah-
neil and at the foot of 32d street took on
six men. little farther up two more men
were taken aboard DR.. Blumer and young
Waldman. AS they proceeded up the cham
/ mel, DR.. Wagner at the engine ana "ou.ho
steering. some one aboard recognized ING
marty of four women along the shore ana
asked Dr. Wagner if there was room Iof
them in the boat. Consent was given u
bring them aboard, and the launch "as
sent over to the stone wall
The seats run along the side OF the
launch and after room had been made ZOE
the four women the boat was allowed TO
drift in the current The engine was smut
off and no power was being eXerteo- AS
the water from the fiume was struck the
boat lurched and either some of the party
lost their balance or rushed to the oppo-
site side of their free VIII, but In their
fright. and upset the craft. The engine,
Dr. Wagner said, was in perfect cond1-
ton. Dr. Wagner added the water must
have been thirty feet deep at that point.
He was carried by the current down the
channel and out to calmer and shalloWer
water.
Mr. j. A. Woulfe said he jumped from
the boat the moment he saw the water
flow over the side and was the first into
the water. The current was Juggling at
hfr,o hut a a m
saved him. He swan fifteen or twenty
feet to the end of the stone wall and got
ashore without assistance.
Says No One Was to Blame.
This statement was made by VIII Lederer
a member Of the party:
ut was nobodys fault: no one is to
blame. It was just Gods will that those
should die who went down: no one is to
blame" Lederer is yet in his teens and IS
employed by the B. H. Warner, Company.
Il was going down the third time when
got hold of some rocks. Some one hit me
on the head as 1 was struggling for my
life. 1 think it was some ones heel
hardly know how l got ashore or how any
one else did. don't remember that L saw
any of them struggling in the water. How
was the boat upset? he said to companions
who gathered at his home In the evening
to congratulate him over his escape. Il
don't know. / don't think We hit anything.
That current comes out there mighty
strong, and then there was counter wave
from a torpedo boat passing. The nrst l
knew we were In the water We mad haro-
ly arranged ourselves after the girls had
been taken aboard before the accident hap
pened.' ..
A Jolly, Happy Party.
Probably no party on the river was jol-
lier or happier than the one on the Recre-
alton It was composed for the most part
of young people who had cast dull care
aside and were determined to spend the
afternoon In pleasure. All was happy
as the marriage bell but few minutes be-
fore the launch was caught in the frightful
current at the mouth of the mill race. when
the bright afternoon sunlight was quickly
turned into the blackness Of night and
death for the merrymakers aboard the
launch.
There was a scare as the danger was re-
allied, whirl and a whirr, and a turning
of the boat, which threw all save one into
the water Of the river, which had thereto
fore seemed so calm and placid struggle
in the face of death and a succeeding calm
that was sickening. All was over in
minute and 1T was hard to realize, even by
those who followed every movement of
the launch from the time it struck the ia
tai current until 1t was lost to sight, that
ten human beings had gone to their death
in the face Of hundreds who were abso-
lutely unable to lend a hand to save them.
Only one who witnessed the horrible ca
tastrophe can realize the absolutely futile
hope of swimmer. no matter how strong,
going In to the surging current.
Frantic Efforts Of the Drowning Men.
Those In the boat were young, vivacious
and happy They wanted to live. and made
every effort to do SO. The gallantry OF
the men who remained in the water was re-
marked. They did their duty and as long
as life remained they were at the side OF the
struggling women. hoping that they might
be able to hold them up until help In some
shape could be given to them.
On the other hand the women appeared to
feel that their one hope of rescue was IN
the men, They chung to them Those That
were not able to gain hold on passing OBJ
jects grabbed for the men, and, in conse-
quence. all went to the bottom of the river
There was not cry. the victims were too
far gone for that. but the evidence of fright
in the face of each was one that Will not
soon be forgotten by those who were
within viewing distance.
When the women of the party left their
homes it was with the intention to watch
the races from the banks of. the Potomac.
Such good luck getting into launch
and floating up and down the river had not
been anticipated. The trip on board the
launch was but the result of circumstances
to which none had looked forward and
which none exDected The launch came by