Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-07
DRAGGING FOR BODIES
Man and Boy Probably Drown
ed in the Potomac.
|CANOE DASHED ON ROCKS
Found Floating Overturned Below
Stubblefield Falls.
HAT AND COAT ARE FOUND
Fate Of Joseph 81. Painter and
Robert S. Wallis Probably
Foretold in Dream.
HAT AND COAT ARE FOUND

pOSeu 10 nave Deen crowned III the uPPei
Potomac yesterday morning while out
canoeing. Painter, who was thirty years
old and resided at 753 Girard street. was
a botanist. connected with the National
Museum. Young Wallis, boy Of sixteen,
was student in the Bliss Electrical
School. which was recently burned at
Takoma, d. C..
For some time past the two have been
planning for the maiden trip in canoe
which Painter had purchased. but before
yesterday had not used. The little craft
was stored in the lodge belonging to the
Biological Field Club, an organization OF
professional and scientific men, of which
Painter was a member. Headquarters OF
the club, from where the start was made
yesterday. are on Plummer's Island. about
three miles above Cabin John bridge.
Foretold in Mothers Dream.
A weird coincidence in connection with
the supposed drowning is the dream and
premonitien which were experienced by
Mrs Antoinette Wallis, the widowed
mother of the boy. Mrs. Wallis. who Is
confined to her bed by Illness, says that
Saturday night she dreamed that her
son was drowned while canoeing on the
Potomac river. When her son left home
yesterday morning she says that she
thought of calling him back and beg
ging him not to go. but refrained when
thinking of the good that the outing
would 1--WE to him. She said that for
some time after the two had gone she
had a strange feeling Of an impending dis
.aSter
When Mrs Wallis was called upon the
telephone later in the day by DR.. David
White of the National Museum. a friend
of Painter and one of the first to discover
the drowning, she is said to have
screamed,
''Ob, 1 knew it would happen; knew
it,
Last Seen at the Falls.
Going to the clubs island early yester-
day morning Painter and Wallis are sup
posed to have put the frail boat into the
water and started to paddle down stream.
They passed Stubblefeld falls, a short
distance east OF the island. about 1890
o'clock in the morning. They were seen
at that time by several fishermen, who
say that the older man was padding the
canoe. This was the last time they were
seen by any one.
Not long after noon DR.. White, who is
a member Of the Biological Club, hap
pened along the shore on the Maryland
side of the river and was informed by
several fishermen that they had seen an
With the aid of these men DR.. White
was able to drag the boat ashore. Moth
ing remained in the craft to denote the
ownership, but he declared that 1t was
the one belonging to Painter.
With a couple of rowboats the men con-
tinued the search, and on a rocky ledge
in midstream coat and hat were found
which are believed to have belonged to
Painter. These articles were carried
ashore. and the search continued, but
without success.
The spot where the canoe is supposed
to have been overturned is one Of the
most dangerous in the upper Potomac.
Rocks protrude from the water at this
are said to have occurred in the vicinity.
The rapids are especially swift there, and
are known as the Stubblefield falls.
Nephew of Restaurant Man.
Wallis was nephew of Hugh Wallis.
restaurant proprietor of the city. When
the uncle learned of the accident last
night he hurried to the scene in an quito
mobile. With several friends he searched
fruitlessly until late into the night Again
at an early hour this morning, accompa-
MED by William Wallis, brother of the
lost boy. Wallis returned to renew the
quest, but no word has been received OF
the success or failure Of the effort The
police are lending every aid in their
power for the recovery of the bodies, but
owing to the shallow water are unable to
use the tug and apparatus of the harbor
precinct.
thorough canvass of all of the farm
houses on the Virginia and Maryland
shores has been made in the hope that
perhaps the pair escaped the river after
all, and sought refuge in nearby house.
No one, however. had seen a man and
boy answering the description of the miss
ing pair.
Dr. White said this morning:
1T does not seem possible that Painter
and Wallis could have survived. but then
there Is slight chance that they reached
the Virginia shore in safety. The water
above the rapids is not deep, and If they
were thrown from the canoe at this point
it is more than likely that they reached
shore all right. But I doubt that the &C
cident happened above the rapids, as the
condition of the boat would indicate that
it had been dashed against the rocks.
With the aid of the fishermen and hunts
recognized it. We made a thorough
search for the bodies, but found not a
trace
Painter Good Swimmer.
Friends of the lost man and boy say
that Painter was an expert swimmer, and
they believe that he lost his life possibly
in trying to save the life of his young
friend, who was not so we'll acquainted
with the water. The evidence of the coat
found in the river tends to strengthen this
view.
Young Wallis is survived by his mother.
William an older brother and Edward
and Rebecca, younger brother and sister.
Painter has no relatives in this city.
No Word From Searchers.
James Willard, keeper of Wizards lock
on the canal, about three miles below
Stubblefield falls, said this morning that
he had heard nothing from the section to-
day. He said a number Of fishermen
along the river are on the lookout for the
bodies, but he knew nothing of the search.
The scene of the drowning, according to
Mr.. Willard, is opposite the upper lock
of the seventh level of the canal and
about four miles below the Great Falls.
The water on the Stubblefeld falls, ac-
cording to Mr.. Willard. is but few
feet deep in places. The river takes
sharp curve about 200 feet below the
falls and runs into deep pools. Here the
water in some places, according to the
fishermen of the section who have made
soundings, is over 100 feet deep.
Policemen at the harbor precinct sta
the point, believe that the bodies are in
one of the deep pools below the falls
They say that there is hardly any prob
ability of the bodies being caught about
the rocks of the falls, as the water
though shallow is swift.
Railwav Men Meet in New OrIaaue