Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-06-25
ARLINGTON BOY
WHO COULD NOT
SWIM IS DROWNED
William Macintosh, IL Years
Old, Meets Death in Hacken-
sack River.

All night long a party of Arlington
residents dragged the Hackensack
river, opposite Snake Hill, and up to
noon today they kept up their per-
sistent search, but the water refused
to give up the body of William Mackin-
tosh, the 12-year-old son of Mr.. and
Mrs. William Macintosh, of 517 Devon
street, Arlington, a popular boy in that
section. With seven other boys he
went bathing yesterday afternoon and
was drowned despite a heroic effort on
the part of his companions to save
him.
In the party that went to the river,
walking for four-and-a-half miles along
the New York and Greenwood lake
branch of the Erie Railroad across the
Kearny meadows, were Leo Shields,
William Ryan, Anthony Schneider,
Clarence Reddington, Earle Downey,
George Shut and John Delaney. The
boys reached the river about 3 o'clock
and at once donned their bathing
trunks and got into the water under
meath the Erie bridge.
Willie Macintosh could not swim,
and he contented himself with wading
and stepping abou on the large stones.
While the other boys were disporting
themselves Willie stepped pom a. slip
perry stone, and was joking with the
other lads when he slid off into the
water. He had been in the water up to
his waist on the shore side of the piece
Of rock, but he went down at once
over his head on the other side of the
stone, and seemed to slip into a hole
in the bed of the river. AS he went
off the stone he threw up his hands
and shouted, but his companions
thought that he was only joking. When
he did not come III at once the other
lads thought he was in peril, and Will
lam Ryan dived into the water after
him. Ryan caught the arm of the
drowning boy as the latter was half
way to the bottom and brought him to
the surface.
Young Macintosh, who was gurgling
and half insensible, threw his free arm
about young Ryan. Ryan shouted for
help, feeling that the weight was too
much for him, and Earle Downey
plunged in to save the other two. He
managed to catch young Macintosh
by the leg as he was about to sink
again, but all three went down to-
getlher. Under the surface young Mack
.1IllOSH SllDpCu o"o
two. who came to the top together n
eagerly watched with their companions
for the temperance of the boy. In a
few moments, farther toward the mid
die of the river, the top of the un-
fortunte boys head showed above the
surface and a moment later part OF n
hand was seen above the water. Iheh
all trace was lost of the boy.
A workman on the bridge had hearo
the shouts of the almost panlc-str}cken
lads and, divesting himself OF his clotn-
ing. dived into the water, and SAID ne
went to the bottom, but could see noth-
ing of the boy. Soon another mar
with a rowboat lowered about the spot
where the lad went down, but he, TOO
found his quest fruitless. The men al
vised the BOYS to take the own
bov's clothes to his father, who Is an
old and trusted employee In the Ar
lington Company's pyralin or celluloio
works.
The drowned boy was the second eld-
est child in the family. He leaves a
sister, Marie, aged 16, and a brother,
Arthur. aged 10. He was a pupil of
st. Stephens's r. G. Parochial School.
and was noted for his clever
ness in his studies and his happy dis
position. He had been advised by his
parents not to go swimming, and
doubtless thought he was not dis
obedient in only wading close to the
shore. The river as it turns about
Snake Hill is deep, and not only Is the
tide swift, but the current Is particu-
larly t%reacherous at that place owing
to the many eddies.