The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1908-06-13

With every element of the weather IA
vorable, the stanch and commodious
pleasure motor-schooner "Mizpah" left
the St. Stanislaus College pier at an
early hour on Wednesday morning with
seventy-six collegians, three Brothers,
the owner of the boat, Mr.. Chas. Sanger,
and crew of several members, for
days outing at Cat Island, twelve miles
oyer the waters of the sound, across
from the college. The brothers were
Brother Lambert; vice president; Bro.
Joseph and Bro. Clement, prefect OF the
Junior boys. The collegians were mem
bers of the Sodality of the Blessed Vlr-
gin Mary, and the outing was the an
nual picnic the members of this organi-
zation are given every year, celebra-
ton looked forward to with much anti
cipation, since every recurrent occasion
a new place of excursion is sought, and
the event is always one of unusual
pleasure and enjoyment to one and all
alike.
But, as it seemed to have been de-
creed, the outing this year, started out IN
the morning SO auspiciously and with
every prospect of repetition OF the
pleasurable success Of former years,
terminated sadly, indeed; for when the
party returned the morning following,
delayed all night on the sand bars at
the island, there were two lives less, and
the tale of deplorable tragedy by
drowning was best told by the silent awe
written upon every countenance as the
boat neared the pier with its freight Of
mourners. The silence and the delay
over night told in terms stronger than
words that misfortune had befallen the
party, and since no one would volunteer
the information of what had occurred,
It became plain to those at the pier,
who all morning had anxiously scanned
the waters in hopes Of catching
glimpse of tardy sails, that death oy
disaster had invaded the ranks OF collie
gians and their superiors, and this I'M
preston was confirmed when Brother
Lambert, choked with emotion and with
vision tear -bedimmed, told the tale OF
an awful tragedy, in which Elmer Will
bert, junior student, had been drowned
and Brother Clement sacrificed his life
in attempting to rescue the boy.
Different stories are told Of the dou-
BILE accident, the one conflicting with
the other; but The Echo has secured
the details from parties present, the cor
rectness of which can be youched for.
It appears the Mizpah, with all aboard,
had made the trip up East Bayou in
the island, and, returning, at or near It's
mouth in the open struck sand bar.
The water was shallow and quite a num-
Der of the collegians, seeing the posi-
bility for much fun, to say nothing OF
the pleasure of a dip in the briny deep,
went overheard and rendered every
effort towards getting the vessel out OF
her critical plight, and the thought had
no sooner been suggested than the
Young athletes were in the water, and
the boat soon responded to their COM
bined strength, gliding off from where
il had been held fast. In so doing the
situation was changed. From shallow
water she was now in deep water, and
the momentum of the boats speed was
accelerated all the more by the depth OF
the water and freedom from the high
sands.
Some of the boys remained close to
the boat, some clinging to the side OF
the vessel, while others took hold OF the
rones. The Wilbert lad clung to the
rones. He had attempted to get aboard,
hut was exhausted and fell back. The
lad sank from sight, but Immediately
came to the surface. His screams at
tracted the attention of Brother Glenn
ont and he tried to shove the boat back
To the spot where the lad went down.
Failing, he dashed off his clothing and,
although not an expert swimmer, leaped
into the water and came to the surface
with the lad in his arms. The burden
was too heavy, and before he had made
many strokes he sank with the boy.
with Brother Clement large number
Of collegians jumped overheard to res
cue Wilbert and other boys who also
had been left or dragged into the deep
water. and a number were thus saved.
Young Songy, of the Senior class, saved
! number of the boys, and Ray Lyons
displayed such effectual heroism, hay-
inc the saving of no less than three
lives to his credit, that medal, it is un-
s5er.tood, will be given him as a mark OF
recognition for his heroism and unseiI-
;sb snirit. Other boys, who had also
summed overheard, accomplished splen-
did work, but their names could not be
secured.
Brother Lambert, vice president,
n,ainlv saw the situation and, although
not not knowing how TO swim, made eyer