The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-09
Edward Barnes Swept to
Death in the Surging
Flood Of the James.
ROBERT BAUER'S
HEROIC EFFORT
Pulled Friend from Snag, Where
He Held on for Hours, Only
to Lose Him in Sink
Ing Boat-Baucr
Was Almost
Killed.

kllled.
Word came from the First Po-
lice station ut 2.30 O'Clock this
morning thnt the body of Barnes
had been found, near the scene OF
the drowning.
Clinging TO a snag In mtd.streanl.
drenched to the skin and chilled, with
the waves Of the swollen torrent lap
ping hungrily around his fet. Edward
Barnes hung for perhaps two hours
below the dam in James River near
the pumphouse yesterday afternoon,
only to be drowned after most heroic
attempt at rescue. A helpless, gaping
crowd stood on the Uank and groaned
at the horror OF IT. There were fe",
however. who took in the situation at
glance and with the Judgment that
makes men heroes In moment. made
preparations to save the man whose
life was In the balance. Robert Bauer.
who has so often won cheers on the
diamond, was the particular star OF the
tragedy. Taking boat he crossed the
Gam, reached Barnes and actually saved
him. only to be swamped by the rapids,
seeing his friend go to q watery grave.
to which he would soon have followed
but for his saving nerve and endure
ance, which enabled him to reach q
small island. where. wearing only his
underclothes. he was rescued, after
an effort hardly less dangerous and
spectacular than his own. by Lawrence
Crown and Edward Bowers. 1t would
be hard for one to say which OF the
three men deserve the most credit for
their bravery.
Their friends who watched eagerly
from 4 o'clock TO the gathering twi-
light We're as silent as only men who
are under tense nervous strain can be.
until they gave vent to their feelings
with mighty yell as the boat was
held firmly TO the bank.
Left On Island nt Night.
Milton Barnes. a brother of the man
who was drowned, former Policeman
william King and Charles Brown are
still on Barnes's Island, where the
party OF young men went yesterday
afternoon for picnic at small house
which the boys of the West End have
used for some time as a clubhouse.
There will be no difficulty in taking
them off this morning If the river does
not rise, and even If II does. they car
ried sufficient provisions to keep them
from want for at least two days. De-
spite the fact that the river was much
too high to venture upon 1t With any
degree OF safety, the four men, being
fairly good boatmen, determined to
take the trip.
They made the passage over with
out much difficulty and were walk
ing around near the waters edge when
the incident occurred that cost young
barnes his hfe.
Barnes Hurled Over Dam.
On tho south side OF the island the
river is exceedingly swift and rugged.
and. as the party was making It's way
along this point. Barness hat fell IN,
and In reaching for IT he lost his ball
ance and toppled into the stream |
Before any OF his friends could make
n move to rescue him he. was caught
4 In the fierce current and swept into
the midst OF the breakers. The next
instant he was reellng over the dam !
For a moment he disappeared. only. to |
come up few yards below. swimming |
strongly. As he passed down about !
100 yards below the dam. with mar
velous strength he caught a limb and |
drew HIMSELF to temporary safety.
Here he remained waving to his
friends on the island, who in turn.
waved and screamed to the crowd |
which had gathered on the railroad
track.
Bauer's Heroic Attempt.
In the meantime the Second Police
Station had been communicated with.
and the auto-patrol arrived with a |
long coil of fire rope. Bob Bauer had
volunteered to attempt the perilous
task of rescue, so with the rope
,coiled up In the bow of a fiat bottomed
skiff. he started for the island.
Even this was dangerous feat.
tut he reached the frantic men without
mishap. Then came the awful task OF
cropping below the dam and reaching
the shivering man. The fire rope was
made fast to the bow and without a
moments hesitation Bauer took his
seat In the stern. guiding the cumber-
snme craft with the skill and nerve
OF a practiced waterman. Yards be-
fore he reached the dam waves began
to break over the gunwales, and it
seemed that It would go under even
before It could be steered to the edge
OF the fall. The young hero. however,,
never wayered for a moment. and
never. once was the signal given to
those on the}island to stop3playing out
the rope. AS the skiff paused for
second on the crest OF the dam, Bauer
steadled himself, and the next frac-
tlon of second found him on his
knees bailing out the water which
poured In from both sides. Thus light
encd. the little boat raised and steadied
itself, and Bauer was In reaching dis
tance Of his man.
Perlshed After Being Saved.
With Infinite pains the boat was
brought alongside the snag and Barnes L
fell In. a moment later he was seated
IN the bow with a paddle in his hands.
. II was only too evident to all who
looked on that It would be worse than
folly for them to attempt to GROSS the
aana going UP stream. II did not take
them long to make up their minds,
and the rope was cut amidst a $deafen- N
ms shout OF mingled horror and ap- I:
rlause from the watching crowd On the /.
shore. "a u at9 l5 O. 5l II
Hardly had the boat, freed from its
archor gone twenty yards when It'll
steerers lost ull control OF 1t and It
bounded. sometimes entirely out Of the &
water into the deadly rocks below, Il
and was engulfed an the troug h of a
huge wave, a formed by one OF the many