The Washington times., 1905-05-28

Two men In the service of the United
| States We're swallowed up by the East
ern Branch yesterday
As yet neither of the bodies has been
recovered, although several hours were
spent near the scenes OF the catastrophe
by the crew of the police boat Vigilant
The first victim was Private Wilburn
Enoch. thirty years old, a member of
Company z, of the Hospital Corps, ana
stationed a the Washington Barrac cks
He was rowing near the outlet of the
James Creek canal when his boat cap
sized and he was drowned before he
could swim TO shore.
The Second Victim.
Frank J. Massino. an italian, enlisted
as coal passer on the United States
steamship Dolphin, was the second man
TO go TO a watery grave. He was bath
| ing near the Navy Yard bridge about
o'c1ock yesterday afternoon when the
| United States tug Triton steamed up
| the Eastern Branch. Before he could
reach the Dolphin. toward which he
swan, he was carried beneath the sur
| face by the swells from the tug and
| drowned before the eyes of several COM
rades and fellow-bathers.
! Although Enoch was drowned before
| 8 O'Clock, the police were not told of
! the affair until nearly o'clock The
police boat Vigilant was hastily dis
! patched to the scene Of the accident,
and dragged the river for several hours
! without success.
At dark the search was given up for
! the night. 1t will be resumed this
morning.
| Enoch had been q member of the
! Company E Hospital Corps for eight
| years, and was serving his third en-
| Hstment. Recently he came to the
! Washington Barracks, from the Phil
! ippine Islands.
Upset by Wash,
Yesterday afternoon he obtained leave
for several hours. Upon informing the
! boat keeper that he could row he was
given one of the small batteaus He
| started off down the channel, and turned
! into the Eastern Branch. When he
reached point opposite the arsenal
wharf near the outlet Of the James
| Creek canal. his boat began to rock to
and fro because of the swells from a
| passing tug boat.
Enoch pulled hard on his oars to pre-
vent the boat from upsetting, bat threw
too much OF his weight to one side. The
boat turned turtle.
He was a good swimmer and had often
bathed in water much deeper than that
into which he fell when the boat cap
sized He Immediately struck out to-
ward the arsenal wall and SWAN more
than half way across the river
Attempts at Rescue Fail
Several men standing on the Anacos-
tia side of the river saw him. one got
| a boat and rowed to the scene of the
accident Before he could reach the
soldiers side, the latter sank beneath
the surface and did not rise the GUS
tomary three times.
This is attributed to the fact that
Enoch had on his Kahki uniform and
shoes. His hat was found floating past
the arsenal some time after the acci-
dent
As Enoch was swimming to the shore
/ ne realized that the wet clothes would
bear him under before he could reach
! land. He yelled Justify but no one
seemed To hear him
Those who witnessed the oyerturning
of the boat endeavored to trescue the
soldier When all attempts failed they
communicated with the police,
Massino Goes Swimming.
Several sailors on the Dolphin sug-
gested TO Massino that he take a swim
IN the river about clock He had been
in the sitting hot Hold OF the boat all
day, and agreed TO join them shortly
after the evening mess. Donning n suit
he plunged overboard and swan out in
the direction OF the Navy Yard bridge
When he reachest the farthest point
east he turned around and started
toward the Dolphin About the time
he was thirty yards from the boat the
Triton steamed up the Eeastern brench
having tugged several barges to In
dian Head earlier in the afternoon.
Realizing that he was in periIous