The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-26
HIS FATAL SWIMMING LESSON.
YOUNG GILMARTIN OWED INTO
WATER go FEET DEEP.

Owed From boat Far From Shore
Crazed with Terror-He Nearly
Drowned Companions whe Swan TO
Ills Aid-Trasetiy on Cissons Point.
John Gilmartin, 81 years old, cashier in
a brokers' office at "a Broad street and
the son Of Policeman Thomas 0ilmartin
OF the Morrisania station. was drowned
In the Sound yesterday of Clasons Point.
With him were Charles Kennedy, "a years
old, Of 9A5 jackson avenue, and James Muir
ply, 10 years old son Of sergt. Murphy
Of the trafflo squad. Murphy lives at il2O
Boston road aud Gilmartin lived at st.
Johns place. The Bronx.
They hired q boat at Clason's Point
and started out for q row. Kennedy and
Murphy had their bathing suits. intending
to do their swimming from the rowboat.
Gilmartin did not know how to swim. but
he declared that he was going to learn.
Kennedy and Murphy are good swimmers
and they told Gilmartin they would take
care OF him in the water.
They thought the best way for Gilmartin
to learn to swim was to dive into the water
from the rowboat; they would stay near
In the boat to advise him and get him in case
of trouble. Gllmartin they say, fell In with
this suggestion and he donned Kennedys
bathing suit The boat at that time was
about one-quarter OF a mile OF the Clssons
Point beach and in sixty feet Of water.
Gilmartn WAS told to take a good deep
dive and when he came up his companions
would be near to help him. He followed
instructions. When he Owed he kicked the
rowboat away from him as he went under
water and came up twenty. or twenty-five
l,ln~ h<..
to the surface and he yelled for his friends.
They rowed az hard as they could to him.
but he went under the water again before
they got to hun.
Kennedy peeled Of his coat and shoes
In jiffy and went into the water. Gil.
Kennedy was soon at his side. But Gil
martin was so far gone that he grabbed
Kennedy around the neck with a wise like
grip SO that Kennedy could not swim.
Kennedy tried to break his hold, but failed
Kennedy was In trouble then and he called
Murphy went overheard and with the
aid OF Kennedy he succeeded In brea king
Gilmartin's hold around Kennedy's neck.
Gimartin was frantic with fear and owing
to his efforts to keep hold on some one
both his companions had to leave him. He
disappeared, and Kennedy and Murphy
dived after HIM, trying to get him again.
They dived repeatedly, according to the
people who watched them from the beach.
but finally gave up trying to recover Gil
martin to save themselves.
Both were pretty we'll exhausted by their
efforts and shore was a quarter of q mile
of. Their boat had drifted away. There
was nothing for them to do but to start for
shore. They had not travelled half the dis
lance when Kennedy said he was almost
done for and that he could swim no further
Murphy held him afoat until both young
men were dragged into a rowboat exhausted
They lay, in the bottom OF the boat until
it ran on the beach. The crowd that had
gathered there to watch the tusse in the
water cheered the two young men and said
they had done all they could to save their
companion Kennedy and Murphy cried
life. They told the police " no the drowned
man was and Gilmartin's father was notified
OF his death Policeman Gilmartin was on
post at Hunts Point when he heard how
his son had lost his life. The body was not
reCoyerel