Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-27
DROWNED IN THE RIVER
MEMBER OF DISTRICT NAVAL
BATTALION LOSES HIs LIFE.
Was on Watch in Launch Being Tow
ed by q. s.. s. Oneida
Craft Upset.

ca by y. d. 5. One1oA-
Craft Upset.
| A trip Of the United States ship Oneida.
| the smaller of the two training ships Of the
| Naval Battalion. National Guard of the
District OF Columbia. to the mouth Of the
| river. was marred by the drowning of
! Melvin L. Cleveland. residing at AZ Florida
avenue. q member of the Naval Battalion.
| The young man fell overheard from a
gasoline power tender of the Oneida and
lost his life. The accident occurred about
| 8:46 o'clock yesterday morning. near Black
istone Island. and every effort was made to
recover the body. without success. The
| Oneida returned to this city shortly before
| noon today.
| The first Information regarding the drown
Ing OF the young man was received late yes
/ terday afternoon. It. being telephone mes.
/ sage from Rock Point to District militia
Robbins. custodian of public property.
| The message was to the effect that Cieve-
land was In launch In tow OF the Oneida
and the boat was upset by the heavy seas
The Information was conveyed to Lieut..
| Col. L. N. Brett, adjutant general. District
of Columbia militia. who at the time was
| comforting with Commander Stratton OF the
Naval Battalion. Col. Brett proceeded to
| the home Of the boys parents. Mr. and Mrs.
William g. Cleveland. 48 Florida avenue.
and made known to them the sad tidings OF
| the death Of their son.
| Mr.. Cleveland. while fearing the worst.
hoped against hope that his boy might have
escaped death; that the arrival OF tho
Oneida here would bring him good news.
He spent the greater part of last night on
the wharf Of the naval battalion at the
| foot Of N street, awaiting the arrival Of
the vessel. and was again on hand at an
early hour this morning. When the yacht
| reached here this morning about 11:30
o'clock Gen. Harries confirmed the sad
news to the sorrowing father. As soon as
| the Oneida was made fast at her wharf
Gen. Harries invited Mr.. Cleveland, who
had been pacing VI and down the wharf.
| to board the ship and In the cabin OF the
Oneida supplied the details OF the accident
in connection with which the boy lost his
the story. Mr.. Cleveland broke down. To
| Star reporter after the interview he re-
marked that his boy was dead and he had
| nothin: to say.
according to the talk Of the men who
| made the trip. There had been trouble
with the boat from which Cleveland lost
| his life early In the morning. it Is stated.
A cleat or something to which the tow line
| was made fast had broken and had been
replaced in a new position. 1t was also
stated by the men that the boat turned over
| and Cleveland was thrown out; that the
/ was SO badly damaged that 1t could not be
(, brought home This Is denied, however by
| the officers.
General Harries' Account.
According to the account of the accident.
as given by General Harr,es. young Cleve-
land went on watch in the power launch
of the Oneida. which was being towed be-
hind the ship with fifteen-fathom line at
O'Clock am. yesterday.
l. In the stern Of the Oneida another man
was stationed. whose sole duty was to-
watch the tow line, to give prompt notice
| in case Of accident. At $40 O'Clock, when
the yacht was a short distance above the
| wharf at Colton's Point. the tow line man
! noticed that there was something wrong In
| the boat. 1t was just before dawn and too
dark to see clearly. The launch took a sud
| den move to starboard and Cleveland gave
| a cry. The man on watch in an instant ran
| to the engine room door and yelled to stop
the engine. that there was a man over
| board: The engine was stopped in few
| seconds. 81:
Fhes Hfeboat was. In the water and AWAY
/ from the ship In a. minute after the alarm
was given. and IT was followed at once by
the wherry and nther boats. The Oneida
] and the small boats crused about the scene
| Of the accident for two or three hours. but
| no trace was found OF the missing man.
When the. launch was examined it was
| found right side up, but partially full of
water. 1t could have f1Oated half dozen
| men, as it was an unsuitable boat, being
provided with air tanks to keep 1t afloat.
| How the young man got overheard, Gen
| eral Harries stated. he could not under
| stand, and 1t is probable 1t will never be
known. When he went into the boat his
| shipmates say he had on a pair of new rub
Der boots, two sweaters and a pea jacket
| over his regular uniform, and had a SOU
| wester tied under his chin Though he Is
said to have been an expert swimmer. it is
| not probable that he was able to stay long
| on the surface of the water burdened as he
| was with heavy clothing.
Help Secured.
| AS soon as 1t was ascertained for GER
tainty that Cleveland had been drowned
| help was secured from the large feet Of
fishing vessels anchored at Colton's, and
though a dozen vessels spent the greater
part of the day yesterday dragging for the
| body. 1t was not found. and the Oneida was
| forced to sail for home without it.
/ Mr. Harry Love, the manager of the Col
/ toms Point Hotel, has taken charge Of tie
| search for the body for the Naval Battalion
| authorities. and today he has a number Of
! fishermen and others making further eff
/ fort to find 1t. Quartermaster Sheetz of
| this city, member Of the Naval Battalion,
| was left at Colton's to represent the bat
talon. and 1t is stated that Maj. New
meyer has offered a reward for the reCoY-
cry of the body.
| 1t is thought probable that there will be
| some tidings regarding the finding Of the
! body within the next twenty-four hours.
1
man Of the National Guard of the District
| to lose his life in time CT peace while on
duty. The launch from which the young
] man was drowned was not brought back by
| the Oneida, but was left, 1t is said. at Col
toms In charge OF Mr.. Love. Gen. Harries
theory of the drowning Of young Cleveland
4 Is that for some reason his attention was
| distracted from the steering of the launch,
! and that when she took the sheer he was
| thrown into the water and was drowned.
| Young Cleveland was only eighteen years
of age and was very popular with his ship
| mates of the Naval Battalion.
He was square, honest fellow" one
| of his comrades said to Star reporter to-
| day. in speaking Of the accident 'tHe
| was the only child of his parents, and his
| mother Is Frustrated by the sudden death
Of the boy"
Cleveland was employed in the docu-
ment room Of the bureau Of publications of
! the Agricultural Department, and was very
| popular with his fellow clerks. Although
| he had been In the bureau only short
time he was regarded by his official SUI
1 peri0rs as very capable young man. and
one who would have advanced rapidly