The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-06-23

Within $50 yards of shore and In
slght OF over hundred OF their
friends, who heard their screams and
| cries for help, Miss Kathleen Suggs
! and Mr.. w. B. Wallace, of this city,
were drowned in the gulf yesterday af-
afternoon, while Miss Mary Wolfe and
Miss Sallie McLane were rescued un-
conscious and after hours of work were
| resuscitated. A. d. Morrison, who was
nearest the group of young ladies and
who had a hard struggle for his life,
tainted upon reaching shore, but soon
revived. They were caught by q strong
undertow and carried into deep water.
The tragedy, one of the worst in the
history Of surf bathing in the gulf, oc-
CURED about $3.50 o'clock in the after
noon, but it was nearly O'Clock last
night before the boat bearing the life
less bodies reached the city, for hours
had been spent in resuscitating the two
young ladies who finally responded to
treatment. The body Of Miss Suggs
was taken to her late home at the cor
ner of Tenth avenue and DeSoto street
and that of Mr.. Wallace, who recently
became a resident was taken to an un-
dertaking parlor. Misses Wolfe and
McLane were pronounced out OF dan
ger at 10 o'clock last night, though
both were very painfully bruised in the
treatment to save their lives.
JOLLY PARTY LEFT THE CITY.
1t was a jolly party which left the
city early in the afternoon on the
steamer Beaver for the gulf beach.
The excursion was under the auspices
of the Knox Presbyterian Sunday
school, and when the boat cast her
lines off at Palafox wharf there were
more than 125 persons aboard, little
dreaming OF the tragedy which would
| occur before their return home.
When the island was reached a ma
| jority of the party donned bathing
suits and were soon enjoying the surf.
which was running high. For a long
| time they remained near shore, but
| finally they worked their way out into
| deeper water, unconscious of q very
| strong undertow which was then run
| ming out. A. ID. Morrison was leading
the group Of four young ladies, or
rather was in advance Of them. There
were no ropes or life lines out and the
young ladies ventured out into dan
| gerous ground, and were caught by the
undertow. Mr.. Morrison made heroic
| efforts to save all Of them, and in his
efforts came near losing his life.
GAVE UP HIS LIFE.
It was then that Mr.. Wallace, an ex-
pert swimmer, who was further in
shore, grasped the seriousness of the
situation, and swan hastily to the res
cue. Miss Suggs had been carried out
somewhat further than the others by
the undertow and to her assistance he
went. The drowning girl grasped him,
and being unable to swim with her,
both succumbed and their lifeless
bodies were later recovered.
Mr.. Morrison had been struggling
with the other two young ladies, and
was practically exhausted when Chas
| Dillon, Frank Dunham, Sam Bosso
Attorney Morey, e. A. Radcliffe, OF
Chipley, and others went to the
rescue. Dillon who had heard the
| screams from his boat, ran at full speed
to the gulf and grasping the situation
in an insant, plunged into the water
with his clothing on. He carried with
him line, but the parties holding the
shore end released it in the e7ite-
ment that prevailed.
Mr. Dillon, however, continued on
and seizing one of the young ladies'
who was then unconscious carried her
into shallow water, returning imme-
diately for another. Frank Dunham
recovered the body Of Mr.. Wallace,
while some of the others, who worked
so heroiCally, recovered the body OF
| Miss Suggs. Mr.. Morrison reached
| shore without assistance, but fell ex-
hausted on the beach as soon as he
reached IL. He revived later.
EFFORTS AT REsUscITATIoN
AS soon as the bodies could be got
ten ashore everyone assisted IN an ef-
fort to revive them At first II was
thought that Mr.. Wallace showed some
signs, but as the workers continued he
! failed to respond to the treatment.
Neither did Miss Suggs, but within
half an hour or so Miss Wolfe and
| Miss McLane began to revive and
within an hour were able to sit up. As
soon as possible the motor boat Edna
G. was secured, which was in charge
of Frank Dillon and the young ladies,
accompanied by some OF their friends,
returned to the city. Both were very
badly bruised from the severe treat
ICnntInrAd On pnrn Eco,,-A