The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-19
Lone Survivor of Tragedy
Tells Story After Night
in SwampS.
LAUNCH GOES DOWN
IN EASTERN BRANCH
William Gray and William Rule,
immigration Employees, Meet
Death-Wm. Alger Escapes.

William H Cray, Of Mt Rainier, Nd,
and William Rule, Of S24 D street south
east. Washington, clerks in the Bureau
Of Navigation, of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor. were drowned,
and William E. Alger, Of 647 F street
northeast. escaped a similar fate only
after a terrible struggle. when motor
boat on the Eastern branch caught
fire yesterday and sank.
The fate of the two men was not
known until this morning, when Alger,
haggard and weak from the effects
Of spending the night in the swamps,
finally found his way out and reported
the death Of his companions. He was
almost crazed from the effects Of the
night IN the swamp.
Bodies Not Found.
The bodies Of Gray and Rule have not
been found, although a force OF police
men are searching the swamps OF the
Eastern Branch in half a dozen boats.
According to the story told by AlSer.
a backfire in the carburetor tgnited some
gasolene in the bottom of the boat In
an instant the boat was mass Of flames
and the three youths plunged overheard
and made for the shore. Gray and Rule
were poor swimmers, and Alger made
an effort 10 save them,
Alger Tells Story.
Il tried 10 get Gray out and had him
into the shallow water, where It was
not more than three feet deep" said
-Alger. Then I tried TO get Rule. who
had been 6oundering about and crying
for help I could not get to him in
time. and he went down. When I at
last got back TO the shallow water,
nearly exhausted, Gray was gone
don't know how he could have drowned
unless he lost his head or was too
weak to stand up In the water
ne Lnre6 young men went out in
Ayers seventeen-toot motor boat Zulu
Yesterday afternoon, leaving Benning
brlCSe about . o'clock. They had reach
ed a point near the District jail on the
return trip when the spark from tie
carburetor SCI IRE TO the gasoleue, and
the thee plunged inJo the muddy
waters Of the Eastern Branch
He Caught Gray.
When the three men plunged into the
water, Gray grasped the bow of the
boat and Rule the stern, while Alger
swan around it. being unable to go
near the center because Of the flames.
II was evident that the boat would
sink in a few minutes.
';Save Gray" shouted Rule to Alger.
Il can swim little better than he
can, and may have a chance"
Alger then took Il firm grasp on
GTays coat, and bidding him release
his hold on the bow, struck out for the
swamp with him. After struggling
through the water with his burden, they
struck shallow water, and, leaving Gray
standing there Alger went back for
Rule Although he was utterly ex-
hausted he made a brave attemp- %
save Rule, but he had disappeared be-
meath the water by the time he reached
the spot wehre he was last seen.
AlSer spent the entire night in the
swamp, standing in water up 10 his
waist, unable TO see his way out in the
darkness, and not venturing 10 move
lest he step into deeper water Wien
daylight broke this morning AlSer was
stlll standing there in the swamp, so
exhausted that il was only by the great
est effort that he kept in an upright
position
When the first rays of dawn began to
appear he picked his way cautiously
out OF the swamp, and went to Joe Mil
When he walked into the 6oathoUse
Miller stepped back, as though he had
been confronted by an apparition. Al
gers face was gray and haggard, mis-
hair matted with mud, and his clothes
covered with slime.
Motor Acted Badly.
He said the motor Of his boat had
been acting badly for some weeks. A
week ago he went out with his sister
and the engine stopped, necessitating
the use of paddles to get back to the
boathouse. A few days later he went
out with the chief clerk of the Bureau
OF Navigation, and again the motor re-
fused to work, and they were Obliged
70 resort TO the paddles