New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-03
SW|MS MILE TO GET HELP
Man Braves Death for Three
Comrades on Crippled Boat.
FISHING PARTY IN STORM
One of Them Makes Rockaway
Point After Hard Struggle
and Tells Lifesavers. a

In seas that ran mountain high. Thomas
Cummings a member Of the Delca ssian
Fishing Club. OF Rockaway Beach, swan
a mile 20 shore yesterday when the motor
boat in which he and three companions
were fishing became helpless in the heavy
swell off Rockaway Point After hard
battle with the adverse tide and the pound
ing breakers. Cummings friends on the
boat saw their companion stagger Up the
beach and get help from the United states
Iifesaving Corps.
Those In the boat besides Cummings were
Thomas Carey and his son. Charles. and
Edward McAvoy. all OF whom live in Man
haitian They started from the fishing club
float. which lies in Janeica Bay, about
noon and made their way down through
the bay. past Rockaway Point and into the
ocean. After fishing for about three hours
they decided to start back FOR the club
house After going a hundred yards on
their return trip they discovered that
something was wrong with the motor.
Efforts to repair the engine We're futile
and as the sea had begun to rise and me
tide to carry them further from shore every
minute they began TO worry Being unable
TO get steerageway the thirty-fOot boat
became unmanageahle. and every heavy sea
that struck the craft raked it fore and AT
The boats soon began 10 wallOW In the
trough of the waves. threatening every mo-
ment 10 capsize Cummings and his friends
realized that their danger was mOuentarny
increasing. and as the boat drifted further
from the shore they became desperate
IN this crisis Cummings. who is a power
full swimmer. called to his friends above
the roaring Of the waters that be would
attempt to swim to shore and bring help
swim would he a perilous one. and they
tried to persuade Cummings not TO make
the attempt The latter. however. was de
termfned and after shaking hands with
each of his companions stood in the stern
of the boat and dove into the sea
After what seemed like many minutes
Cummings head appeared again on the
surface. fifty yards distant. and ne struck
out with powerful strokes for the shore
Every wave huffeted him about like cork.
and time and again he was buried be-
meath tons Of water, only 70 arise each
time on the crest Of the next sea. still max
ing for the beach
When half the distance had been covered,
Cummings was caught by a cross current
and swept along parallel with the shore
His friends thought he had become eX-
hausted and would be drowned. but once
again they were relieved to see bis arms
flashing above the water as he again struck
out for Rockaway Point.
After a logged battle with the waves.
during which several times he was about
to give up. Cummings reached the beach
and staggered few feet before he fell
When he could regain his strength ne ran
to the Iifesaving station and called out
Captain Abrams and his crew Tie life
savers put out in another motor boat end
rescued the shipwreCked fishermen and
took them 70 the beach, where a large
crowd of summer visitors was gathered 70
welcome them.
Cummings was so weak after his long
swim that it was some time before he was
able to leave the lifesaving station