The Washington herald., 1912-04-03
MOTHER HOPES
FOR LOST SON

Although the sturdy and fearless life
savers of the bleak and barren shores
OF the Great South Bay. Long Island,
have ceased their searching. and the pa
tient and untiring dredgers have turned
from their task disheartened. and the
seamen along the cold coast have utterly
given up hope, there still fingers with
Mrs. Frederick W. Clemons, of the Al
bemarle, Seventeenth and streets
northwest. a strange feeling that the
members of the little party Of three, con-
tanning her son, Dr. Carl Clemons, Of
New York, who set out on a hunting
trip in a launch on the afternoon OF jan
uary >, and were never seen again, are
still living and may yet be found.
Ever since the little party disappeared
In the fearful storm which swept the
Great South Bay on the night Of jan
uary 5, Mrs. Clemons has been comforted
by ray OF hope that the son whom she
loved had not passed out into the sea
to death. Every effort has been made to
locate the members of the party and the
little dory in which they buffeted the
wintry tempest on, the rough sea. but
nothing OF encouragement has resulted.
Not a sign Of the party of three has
been discovered; not trace Of the little
craft or its contents has been found.
No sign of Party.
The Great South Bay has been dredged.
but no sign of the Inflated party has
been discovered. Government life-savers
have travelled up and down the bleak
coasts and along the shifting sand dunes
with the hope OF finding some piece OF
board some article Of clothing or some
fragment which would tell mutely the
story of the ill-fated three. But the life
savers have found nothing. Vessels have
gan.. L.
have been carefully examined, and the
story of the hunting party still remains
Ia tragic mystery. The dredgers have re-
turned from the securing Of the deep.
The life-savers have ceased to look for
the lost The wives of those who went
out from Bayshore, Long Island. that
Friday afternoon, never to be heard Of
again. have left the seaside where they
fingered long weeks with the hope Of see
ing the lost brought back from the sea. to
return to the roar and hustle Of the
mighty city.
Mrs CIemons, the mother of one Of the
party, has been to the bay side. and she
has returned. But with her there is still
hope.
Il cannot give up hope utterly said
Mrs. Ciemons last night. when I was
in New York they told me that there was
one chance In a million. Yes l said.
with Him. There Is a feeling within me
that they must he alive. cannot give
up the last chance. They may have been
picked up during the storm by foreign
bound vessel. II Is strange that no trace
was found of them. They were certainly
swept out to sea But even so. something
within me keeps me from releasing all
hope"
Three in Motor Launch.
The party was composed of Dr.
Clemons. OF New York city: Edwin
Bailey, also OF New York. and Capt. Tom
Veltman. who was plotting the hunters
to a houseboat anchored at an island in
the bay. where the New Workers expected
TO spend the weekend hunting. The
party of three left Bay Shore Friday
afternoon, January 5, in a motor launch.
Nothing more was seen OF them. That
night a fierce storm swept the bay. sat
urday morning an unnamed boat was
seen far out In the bay foundering about
on the waves. Sunday the launch was
still tossing about. Monday morning II
was tossed into an inlet, where II was
discovered to be the power launch or the
party OF three.
The doTy which was trailing behind the
launch when II left Bay Shore was miss
ing. II has not been seen since. From
the condition Of the launch 1t was OBJ
vious that the craft had been abandoned
at the island. 1t is believed that the
three men went aboard the dory and
were swept by 1t far out into the sea
The Hfe-savers at the Fire Island sta
tion made no attempt TO search for the
lost party until the matter was called
to their attention by relatives or the
hunting party. notwithstanding the fact
that the launch was sighted by the gov
eminent employees the day following the
tragic Friday. AS a result of the al
legged remissness an investigation OF the
matter is now being held at Fire Island.
Lieut.. William +. Atlee, Of the United
States Revenue Cutter Service, is in
charge of the investigation.
Mrs. Clemons refused last night to criti- |
else the Fire Island nfe-sayers, although |
she was forced to admit that they were |
remlss. on the other hand. she had |
warm words OF praise for the men OF |
the Point o. Woods station who aided |
in the search for the party from the be- |
ginning of the tragic chapter.
DR.. Clemons was well known in WASH /