Evening star., 1909-06-28
FIVE PERISH IN RIVER
Three Men and Two Boys Lose
Lives While Bathing.
FATHER AND SONS DROWN
Thomas H. Perry Was Teaching His
Boys How to Swim.
DIVERS HEAD STRIKES A ROCK
Lloyd Cross Was q Good Swimmer
and So Was Henry Smith, Who
Had Cramps.

Five bathers lost their lives in the
| waters of the Potomac river and the
Eastern branch yesterday. Three of them
were members of one famly-a father
and his two sons. Three of the victims
were good swimmers and the other two
were boys who had gone to the river with
their father to learn to swim. A third
son was rescued. Those who lost their
lives were:
Lloyd Cross. white, thirty-six years,
1889 23d street.
Thomas H. Perry, coored thirty-eight
years of age, 912 Nichols avenue, Ana
costa.
Thomas III. Perry. jr., colored. eleven
years of age.
Joseph Perry. colored. fifteen years of
age. brother of Thomas Perry.
Henry Smith, colored. twenty-one years
of age, 1924 Church street.
James Perry, brother of the two Perry
boys who were drowned was in the
water with the latter at the time they
were drowned, but was rescued. Four
of the bodies We're recovered and taken
to the morgue and this morning the har-
Dor police renewed the search for the
body of Joseph Perry.
Cross Was a Good Swimmer.
Lloyd Cross. who was the eldest son OF
Mrs. Mary and the late Pinkney Cross
was a popular young man in Georgetown
and the western section Of the city. l,
was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon wher
he went to Lock Cove. a short distance
above the Aqueduct bridge. with three
friends. Lewis Hoover. George Thomas
and James West, intending to enjoy a DIP
In the water. He was a splendid swim
mer and there was no reason for his
friends to display any uneasiness wher
he dived into what was thought to be
deep water
1t is believed that his head struck
against rock and so completely stunned
him that he was unable to make an out
cry when he rose to the surface. When
1t was seen that he sank and remained
beneath the surface his friends went te
his assistance but were unable to rescue
him. The harbor police were appealed tc
for assistance and friends and boatmer
searched for the body. which was finally
recovered by James West and E. L. Ken
dig. :.
The drowned man formerly kept cigar
store at Pennsylvania avenue and 22d
street and had recently been employed ir
q Georgetown restaurant. His mother
two brothers and sister survive him. His
sister is Mrs. George Goodacre of Georgia
avenue. Pinkney Cross, one of his
brothers. is member of the fire depart
ment. while Hayward Cross is in the au:
tomobile business. Arrangements have
been made for the funeral to take place
at 3 O'Clock tomorrow afternoon. The
interment will be at Congressional GENE
terry.
Got Beyond Their Depth.
Thomas Perry was whitewasher and
earned good living for his wife and
nine children. The family had lived In
Anacostia only a short while. but Perry
had gained many friends there. Last
evening about 8 o'clock William Pruitt,
jr, white neighbor, walked to the asy-
ium wall with Perry and his three sons.
remaining on the wall with Perry while
the children went in bathing. They were
unable to swim and 1t was their inten-
tion to paddle about in the water to. re
duce the temperature of their bodies
while waiting for their father to get
ready to teach them how to swim. Perry
he thought the boys would remain near
the wall. where 1t was shallow and where
there would be no danger.
The boys had been in the water but a
few minutes before they went beyond
their depth. and their father jumped over
board and went to their rescue, the father
not having finished putting on his trunks.
Getting in the water with his clothing on
and being unable to swim, the father did
not have the slightest opportunity Of saw
Ing HIS cn1luTen OF himself, anu was SOOIl
drowned. Pruitt. the only one in the
party who could swim, was able to save
James Perry. thirteen years of age. but
when he reached the shore with him the
father and two other boys were beneath
the surface of the water.
A message sent to the Anacostia police
brought officers to the scene of the triple
drowning, and it was not long before
members of the crew of the police boat
were dragging for the bodies. About II 80
o'clock they succeeded in recovering the
bodies of the father and one boy, and
reached the morgue with them shortly
after | o'clock in the morning. Mrs.
Perry was prostrated over the drowning,
and neighbors remained at her home with
her all night trying to console her.
Bather Seized With Cramps.
Henry Smith was drowned In the tidal
basin about O'Clock In the afternoon.
He was in the water not far from the
bandstand and a number of persons We're
where they could see him. Several friends
of the young man were near the scene OF
the drowning, but were unable to save
him. 1t is believed that Smith was seized
with cramp. which rendered him unable
to battle against the current.
His body was recovered In a short While
and taken to the morgue.