New-York tribune., 1911-04-18
R0WB0AT'S DEAD -FOUR
Small Craft UpsetS When Men
Grab for a Lost Oar.
WOMAN AND BOY DROWNED
Their Husband and Father To Be
Arraigned in Court To-day on
a Charge of Homicide.

small rowboat loaded to the gunwaies
with seven Italians from Long Island CITY
ca psized I'm a tide rip about midway be
tween Fort Tottcn and Fort Schuyler in
Long Island Sound yesterday afternoon and
four persons including woman and her
boy. 1--WE years old. were drowned.
baby. six months old. which the drowned
woman had been nursing, was picked up
alive by David s. Mould, ir.. Of Throg
Neck Swaddlng clothes kept the infant
a'ost
The drowned were Mrs. Rose Lebatto.
twenty-five years old her son, Vito. five
years old and her daughter. Rose. three
and a half years old. of No. l6 Marion
street and Luigi Dittolido. twenty-eight
wears old. Of No. 10 Marion street. Ions
Island City Nicholas Lcbatto. father OF
the children; Paul Scerno, forty years old,
and Julian Zllmo. thirty-1ve years old,
were saved The infant was hurried 10
Flushing Hospital and may live.
The Sound between Whitestone and Fort
Schuyler narrows down TO a mere channel.
Even In summer the tides and winds kick
No nasty seas there. Yesterday afternoon
a strong ebb tide rushing out against
Great Neck and TO make matters worse
the boisterous spring wind was coming ont
of black clouds In the West In big puffs.
Whitecaps were all around, and the April
sun was hidden behind dark. squally clouds.
II vas Easter Monday and the little
party had waited too long they thought
for q chance 10 go boating. SO the men
folk hired a boat from William Hopper.
boy. living in 18th street, Whitestone. They
offered him 20 cents for the use OF It. The
boy put the money In his pocket and
watched the party embark They carried
demiiohn that had In II either vine or
liquor.
The men tugsed at the oars and the 1T
tie craft headed out into the narrovs. II
hadn't gone more than two hundred feet
when suddenly one of the men lost an oar
and the boat pitched and whirled periously
II. the choppy tide rip. Two or three OF the
men grabbed for the lost oar At the same
time The boat careened, filed with water
and toppled over NonAot the party could
swim a stroke and their p'ild cries at
tracted the attention Of the soldiers az Fort
1ottsn
As soon as they we're able. pelbert 7
Clark and Henry Hanson. ouartermaster
and deckhand on the auartermsster's
launch Charles ". Rouell, launched a
boat and we're dipping over the choppy
waves in the direction Of the drowning
pcknickers David 6 Mould, ir.. son Of
the proprietor Of Mould's Hotel. on the op
posite shore. also saw the terrible predica-
ment OF the little psrty. and he too.
Jumped into boat, and piled the oars as
fast AS he could.
In a few minutes both rcscuing parties
had reached the overturned boat. 20 which
three of the men were clnging. The father
of the infant had swallowed so much water
trying TO save the lives OF his wife and
children he was ready 70 collapse. Young
Mould sent his boat spinning around on
her keel with such dexterity that he
reached the bundle OF blankets bobbing
around on tho waves, and. pulling II on
board. was amazed to find that it contained
a live baby. Clark and Hanson got the
bodies of Mrs Lebatto and the girl. Rose,
before they sank for the last time, but they
were beyond resuscitaton. The body OF
Dittolido was not found.
The rescued men were taken 10 Fort
Totten and stinulsnts were administered.
The news Of the disaster reached Marion
street about sundown and the Italian
quarter was sent into hystericsl mourning
when the bodies Of Mrs. Lebatto and tho
little girl. Rose. were brought IN. When
the neighbors heard that the little Lebatto
BOY was alive ana In the hospital they
dried their eyes and smiled for a little
while
Coroner Amber, of Long Island City, or
dered the arrest Of Lebatto. Scerno and
Zilmo. LeDatto was delirious during the
evening and is'in serious condition. The
other two are able TO talk. and II they show
no signs OF Illness from their immersion
they will be arraigned in court to-day as
material witnesses against Lebatto. who
wiu be charged with homicides