New-York tribune., 1911-03-15
THEIR OWN
CANOES A BIT TOO SOON
Four Land in Icy Waters OF the
Bay and the Harlem as
Squalls Arise.
NOT MUCH HARM DONE
Young Men of Bayonne and New
York University Tempted by
Semblance of Spring
in the Air.

Although they will probably 20 on rec
ord as the first t. venture out In canoes
this year, four young men who did so
Yesterday had TO have their pleasure at
the feat cooled by plunges into the Icy
waters about New York. Two venture
some souls had padded from Bayonne
TO n point off staten Island when their
craft tu-aed turtle in the choppy
waters. and they were forced to take
! their first dip of TIE gear. Vt about the
same time two students from New YORK
University began to paddle up the Har-
lem River. At ..OJth street their frail
boat could no. stand the roughness of
the water and began to sink Then they
leaned from the canoe and swan three
hundred feet to shore. In neither accl-
dent did the victims suffer any serious
iniurv. bsyond the shock of so icy an
! immersion.
About . o'clock yesterda. afternoon
! William Pierson and T.. J. Purnell, both
of Bayonne. n. j., started from thelr
home TO cross the lower Jay for staten
Island. Everything went along SWIM
mingly until the two canoelsts were
about two hundred feet from the north
ern shore. when the boat BEGAN to wal
low in the trough of particularly
rough sea. Pierson and Purnel tried
their best to keep the boats head IN the
teeth of the sea. but the light cedar
canoe was buffeted about like { IN
the water. and finally capsized.
Despite their cries, il was fully fifteen
minutes before they were rescued from
the side of the canoe by the tug william
l.. Conway. They were taken to the
Battery. where they changed their
clothes. Two or three generous liba-
tions OF whiskey served to warm them
nicely.
William II. Hamilton. jr.. and Albert
J. Macdonald. both students at New
York University, decided that TN" bright
! weather was propitous for voyage of
| discovery along the Harlem River, and
for their vessel they selected light
canoe and started bravely forth from a
boathouse on the river front
II was fine sport. sending the graceful
craft fitting over the crest of the little
white capped waves. and the students
welded their shining paddles with
nowerful strokes. Just at the moment
when IL seemed that everything was
Going most promisingly trouble appeared
I'm the form of "A trea cherous little squall
that ruHied the waters darkiy and
sounded q warning moan as the canoe
shot forward into it's midst.
Hamilton and Macdonald found that
they could not weather the miniature
gale safely. for the canoe began to ship
water. Just when they had decided tc
iump. the canoe sank level with the
water and began To settle.
The students made their plunge. and
when they had recovered their breath
after the shock Of the icy dip. struck
ont manflllly for the shore, three hun
dred cold feet distant. How they ever
negotiated the final yards of that journey
they do not know, but at length they
vere grateful to feel the muddy bottom
.f the river beneath their feet.
once on dry land. they made cross
country race of il to the University
campus where they were not satisfied
until they had received n thorough mas
sacInp and kneading. The canoe was
licked up near 2OJth street. where tile
unset occurred.