Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-20
Los Angeles Man Is
Carried Away
by Tide
Wife Witnesses Struggle
for Life Amid the
Breakers
Long Beach Is Scene of Second Trad
edy Within Twenty-Four Hours.
Efforts Of Guards to Recover
Body Are Futile

The surf at Long Beach claimed its
second victim in less than twenty-four
houre, when about 1:3O yesterday after
noon Henry Newington Of 1895 East
Twenty-fifth street, Los Angeles, was
drowned near the foot Of Golden ave-
nue.
Overcome by the undertow and per-
haps seized with a sudden cramp, he
was struck by a heavy brec :er and dis
appeared from view. He was not seen
again and after working for several
hours the life saving crew gave up the
search for his body.
Watching the weakened mans strug-
final disappearance were his wife, his
brother-in-law, A. T. Gidday, also of
Los Angeles, his niece, Miss Marguerite
Hits of 1911 East Twentieth street, this
city, Gidday's two little sons, Scripps
and orman, and Miss Bertha Johnson,
friend, of SS7 East Forty-second
street, Los Angeles.
Mrs. Newington became hysterical
and almost swooned. She shrieked and
screamed in her wild terror and was
wellnigh insane from grief the rest of
the day.
Mrs. Newington went down from Los
Angeles August 8 to visit her sister,
Mrs. Fred Marsh of S05 West Second
street, during Mr.. Marsh's absence in
Arizona on a business trip.
Her husband went down Saturday
night to spend Sunday with her and
they had both planned returning to
Los Angeles last night
Struck by Big Breaker
Yesterday Mr.. Gidday and sons
and Miss Johnson and Miss Hits went
down also to spend the day. After
eating dinner together at the Marsh
home the whole party, with the excep-
tion of Mrs. Marsh, went down to the
beach two blocks away
Mr.. Newington, Mr.. Gidday and the
two little boys went in the surf, Mr..
Gidday having been rugged up for
joke in Mrs. Marsh's bathing suit.
The women of the party sat on the
sands talking and laughing.
Gidday noted the condition of the surf
and the presence of strong lateral cur
rents and ordered his sons to stay close
to shore. He and Newington went out
to where the breakers were rolling in.
After putting more and more distance
between them and the beach Gidday
realized that he was becoming very
weak and started to the shore. He
called to Newington to follow him.
Newington, who was then about fifty
feet from his brother-in-law, replied:
IT don't believe I can get in, Art"
Gidday, who was in bad way, strug-
gled to shore where he gave the alarm
At about that moment Newington was
struck by a big breaker. His face was
turned seaward and the breaker beat
him down and swept two feet over his
head. That was the last seen of him.
The lifeboat was quickly run out
from the station, quarter of mile be-
low. and with George Hewston, Hans
Vockeroh, E. b. Reymus and a young
fellow named Scott aboard was rowed
swiftly to the scene.
Nothing was to be seen of the miss
ing Newington, however. The crew in
the boat then began diving In search of
the body. The boat was rowed up and
down from the pier to Tent City, but
the hunt was fruitless and after two
hours was abandoned. The accident
caused great excitement among the
crowd on the beach, but after a short
time the surf was thronged with as
many bathers as before.
Owing to the lateral currents in the
water yesterday it was difficult to tell
which way the body had been carried.
Newington and Gidday have both
been employed by the commission
hOuoC VI OllilOll Levy Ol C6IllEdl dNt-
nue., Newington in the store and Gidday
as salesman in the surrounding
towns.
Newington came to Los Angeles three |
years ago from Detroit, Mich. and was
married a year later He would have
been 81 years old today. His wife
was formerly Miss Hannah Metner, |
also of Detroit. Miss L. B. Chapman of
1911 East Twentieth street, Los An
geles is another sister of the hereaved |
woman. Newington's mott. :, woman
more than 80 years old, lives in Mt. |
Jewett, Pa.
The surf at the point where Newing-
ton was drowned is not protected by
lifelines. The lifeboat, manned by
men In the employ of the bath house
company. is stationed in front OF the
bath house several hundred yards be-
loY where the crowds of bathers are
the largest.
Cal IEnRNIANS IN MEM YnPk