New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-28
GIRL BROWNS WHEN
CANOE CAPS|ZES
Brother Pulled from Hudson Al.
most LifeIess After Failing
to Save Her Life.
FIRST TRIP IN NEW CRAFT
Tips Over Off Fort Washington
Point When Treacherous Cur
rents Are Reinforced by
SWells from Steamboats,.

victim Of the treacherous currents
which races past Fort Washington Point,
on the Hudson, River Sadie Gray. a
former student in the Normal College.
at Park avenue and 6Sth street, who
lived at the Nathan Hale apartments.
No. 454 Fort Washington avenue, was
drowned yesterday afternoon, when the
frail canoe in which she and her brother,
Louis, were padding was overturned
by the swell Of a passing steamboat.
The brother had so exhausted himself in
his attempts 10 save his sisters life that
he was almost lifeless when finally
rescued by the captain of a passing tug.
The girl who was only seventeen years
old, had been forced TO abandon her
studies some weeks ago, owing to iii
health, and was convalescent. Her
mother objected seriously to her going
out on the river but the girl soon won
her over by coaxing.
After padding out into the stream to
al
shaped his course down the river, and
the little craft was soon dancing over
the waves with unusual speed owing to
the swiftness OF the tide, which was
flowing out.
All went we'll until the canoe was Op-
rosite Fort Washington Point, near 17Sth
street.
At this point the tide acquires added
swiftness from the fact that there is Il
deep channel just off the rocky head
It was whirled ana tossed about like a
cork, but would undoubtedly have sur
vived this ordeal had it not been for the
large swell cast up by two small river
river for Yonkers, and the Sarah jerks,
a freight boat, also bound upstream.
These beats were passing close in
shore to escape the tide and were within
a stones throw of the canoe as 1t
rounded the face of Fort Washington
Point When Gray's canoe was buffeted
by the succeeding swels from the two
steamboats, it careened dizzily two or
three times, and then capsized.
Sadie was thrown into the water, be-
tween the canoe and the eastern shore
Of the river. The current Immediately
took her and carried her at racing speed
downstream. Her brother, who had been
cast from his seat in the stern into the
water on the other side OF the canoe
struck ont in her direction. Several
times he almost had his hand on her
clothing, but each time she was whirled
beneath the surface, to reappear many
yards distant.
In his extremity Louis tried TO shove
the canoe toward his sister, thinking she
might be able to grasp it, and thus save
herself. She was either too frightened
or too exhausted by her struggles, how
ever, and the canoe drifted past her
Then the brother threw the light boats
cushion at his sister. This she clutched
desperately as though she would bear
her weight on it, but in another mo-
ment, still grasping the cushion In a
death grip, she was drawn beneath the
water, and did not rise again.
BY this time, helpless through weak
ness nd incapacitated by a cramp.
Gray managed to seize the canoe, and
clung to the boat until Captain Cyrus
Tiff, Of the tug General f. NJ. Sorrell,
which was near by, threw him a rope
and drew him aboard.