The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-12
WALTER SMITH DIES IN WATEP, Well Known Printer st
 on Alabama.s HIS TWO COMPANIONS ESCAPED Caught in Swift Current, Boat
 Was Swamped. One Mile Below Scene of Tragedy in Which Daniels Lost Life
 Brothers Barely Saved
 Themselves.
HIS TWO COMPANIONS ESCAPED

 While the searchers were at work in the Alabama River with dynamite and grappling hook to find the body of Il. e. Daniels. Walter Smith, q well Known printer of Montgomery, was thrown from an overturned skin mile below the scene of the earlier trag- edy. and sank to rise no more. His brother. Joe Smith. and his brother-in-law. Charlie Munch. who were in the skin with him, had the narrowest possible escape from death and both dragged themselves exnansted from the water after swimming for 1 their lives. Walter Smith drowned within call. but not within reach of Lis brother. As Joe Smith, weighed down with his heavy clothing. strug- gled with the swift current. he heard his brother call out:
 Joe. it's too much for me: be- lieve I am going to drown"
 Joe turned at the call and swan a few strokes towards the call. 1t was dark and he could sec nothing. His brother had probably gone down as he made the despairing cry.
 sThe three men were on their way to favorite fishing ground down tho the river. They had not even heard of the earlier tragedy at the foot of Commerce Street. They had skirted Chappeil's Point below West End and were passing the Jetties. a point known to all river men, where the current runs dangerously and treacherously
 The survivors of the tragedy can not tell how the skin was overturned. They know 1t was drawn in some sort of a whirlpool of the current, but in the darkness they could soc nothing The skin was whirled rapidly around far a brief moment and one end was drawn suddenly hsneath the water, II | men were thrown. away from each other, Munchs and Joe Smith we're on one side of the overturned boat and Walter Smith was on the other.
 Little Chance for Men.
 All were heavily dressed. for they expected to spend the night on the river. The current was running strong clothed, in such a current was a task that might thwart the expert swimmer. The three men were all good swimmers. All were familiar with the river and they knew the peril they were in fin that swift current. Each man for himself. the three men started the swim for the Montgomery side Of the river. It was not known that Wal ter Smith was in danger until he raiA- ed the cry that he believed he was drowninE Joe Smith started back to him and Munch waited to render what assistance he could to the two men But Walter Smith had been carried farther away from the other two men by the strong current and even If he had been afloat when Joe Smith start ed back he could not have been seen in the darkness. Being himself a good swimmer and knowing the peril of anybody who should come to his assistance, 1t is believed that Walter Smith did not raise the call for help fnlf ha ha
 The Alabama river has had many tragedies played out upon t-each spring and summer it's claims its year ly toll of victims-but 1t never had two tragedies so close together. so similar in details and yet so separate For the Smith boys and Munch did no know that H. Q. Daniels had gor his death in the yellow waters Alabama only a short dists
 and a short time before
 made the plans for t' earlier in the day.
 sport with them night fishing nosed to d~ t' .+''
 les ar
 n ght
 -- .- a. !.- C-
 D.. .te ..- .sibIe .r -ies Is q
 orc fkness the ,.,,-s -,-.. caught by a
 about. The sur
 mat in its whirl the
 sg or snag. It was all
 terrible that they have no
 r memory of the tragic
 IS. but they were inclined to
 we that they felt a jar as the boat ,,as turned under the water.
 Walter Smith himself was padding. The others were busy with their fish ing tackle. Walter had his coat off for
 (Continued on Page Nine3