Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20
SEARCH KEPT UP TILL DARK
Gray's Death Due to Accident, Cor
oner Decides.
WRECKED LAUNCH IS FLOATED
Alger Directs Search in Eastern
Branch for Bodies Of His
Companions.

William S. Rule. one of the victims of the
accident to the gasoline boat Zulu. The
crew of the police boat and Mounted Po-
liceman Philip Browne left the river
shortly after shutdown.
1t was practically impossible for them
to work in the darkness. They will return
to the river and renew the search this
morning.
1t was about $50 O'Clock when the crew
of the police boat reached the morgue
from the scene of the drowning and
turned over the remains. which had been
recovered. of William n. Gray. to be
cared for until an undertaken. represent
ing the family. could call there and take
them in charge. Coroner hewitt made d
partial investigation Of the accident last
evening He said there was question
that the death of Gray was the result OF
accident 1t was such an accident, he
said. that did not necessitate an inquest
Permission was given for the removal OF
the body from the morgue.
Corpse Floating in Channel.
William E. Alger. owner of the damaged
craft. remained on the river near Devils
Elbow" the scene of the fatality Until
afternoon He had taken his departure
only a short while before the body OF
Gray was recovered.
The corpse was floating in the channel
on the side of the flats opposite where
Rule said he had left him in water up to
his waist before he returned to the boat
to go to the assistance Of Rule. How he
got across the channel could only be con-
jectured.
Those who engaged in the search sug-
gest that Gray was probably so bewildereo
1l4 ,A1 iy,
stead of turning in the direction of the
flats.
1t is certain, however, that Gray went
beneath the surface of the water shortly
after Alger released his hold upon him.
Alger called to him as soon as he was
able to locate the other man and received
no response.
During the search for the bodies yester-
day the police did not find a coat. hat or
other article Of wearing apparel, nor did
they find any piece of the boat adrift.
The fact that the watch of the dead
man had stopped at $50 o'clock caused
the police to believe that the accident
occurred about that time.
Alger Shows Anxiety.
Alger. who had spent a night of hor-
ror on the marsh displayed considerable
anxiety about the safety of his COM
pan:ons yesterday morning. Although
apprehendirg that both were lost. after
he had visited their homes, he Still en-
tertained a faint hope that they had
made their way to some place on the
big marsh where they would be round
alive.
He remained about the scene Of the ac-
cident during the morning hours, but MS
search was in vain.
II don't want to be here to see Tt
bodies taken from the water" he repeat
ed a number Of times, although he found
1t difficult task to leave, so great was
his anxiety.
The chief clerk in the division of the
bureau of navigation in which Alger was
emp,oyed was upon the eastern branch
during the early morning hours. He hao
hurried there as soon as he heard of the
accident.
He knew all three men we'll. 1t had
been only a few days since he had been
ont on the river in the Zulu. when the
boat had 10 be padded ashore because
Of trouble with the machinery.
Alger entered a boat with his chief
clerk and remained with him until the
two decided to leave the river and re-
turn to the city.
The only one of the trio of government
clerks to survive the disaster repeated
the story of the affair many times while
he was on the river, assisting the police
in their efforts to locate the sunken boat
and the two bodies. He was able to give
the accident.
Rested on Log Through Night.
After his companions and the boat had
disappeared, he had stumbled over log
and had rested upon it during part of the
long hours of the night. While seated
upon the log Alger watched for the .ap-
proach of a boat. hoping some belateo
parties would come along to go to the
boathouse at Benning bridge. But nc
boat appeared.
Across the flats he could see the trains
moving about in the -Anacostia freight
yard. Lights from the ears and Ian
terms were his only guides. He knew
about their location and thought he would
be able to reach them. Before reaching
the east shore of the branch he came to
deep water He was afraid to venture
swimming.
Several times during The weary hours
of the night Alger felt he must close his
eyes. He was sick and exhausted. Al
times he was scarcely able to realize what
had happened or where he was.
IT started to lie down. he said last
evening. But each time ! made the star,
the tide was coming up l found myself
getting in deeper water. Most OF the
night / was in water over my shoes
Alger does not understand how he
managed to get his sweater off,. nor does
he know what became of it. All the time
he was on the marsh he was almost in
sound of the camp where the leper, Early
is isolated, although darkness and fog
prevented him from seeing the light there
At the first dawn of day, Alger thinks,
he made the successful effort to get out OF
the marsh. He is unable to recall just
how he reached safety.
The first fact he recalls about ms
whereabout after daybreak was when
he reached the boathouse OF Joe o. Miller
and made inquiries about his two COM
panions He then learned that nothing
had been seen of either of them.
Alger Calls at Gray's Home.
Alger called at the home of the Gray
family, Mount Rainier. yesterday morning
to see Mrs Gray. Mrs. Gray would not
entertain the idea that her husband had
been drowned. although informed of the
destruction of the launch
1t was not until after . O'Clock last
night. that Mr.. Jones, brother-in-law OF
the dead man. informed her that Gray
body had been found. Then hopes were
destroyed.
Jones called at the morgue last night
and saw the body of his brother-in-l law
He said he would not complete the ar
rangements for the funera! until today.
He also said he would not have the body
removed from the morgue until Mrs. Gray
RECEIVERS from the shock and makes
known her wishes.
Mounted Policeman Philip Browne. who
took so active a part with the crew OF
the harbor boat in the search for the
sunken boat and missing men, partly
stripped himself and went to the bottom
of the branch. He remained with the
crew of the police boat until dark al.