The sun., 1912-07-08
THREE SISTERS DROWN
IN MERR|MAC RIVER
Two Bay state Girls Die in
Trying to Save the
Youngest.
ANOTHER NEAR DEATH
Rcscuer's Daughter Falls Into
Same Hole. but Is
Saved.
ANOTHER NEAR DEATI

SALISBURY POINT. Mass, July Three
sisters, between the ages of IL and Is
years, were drowned and fourth girl
was rescued with difficulty in the Merri-
mac opposite here this afternoon. Death
came upon the three after a lone swimmer
had made most heroic effort to save
them and was within IL feet of safety
when they loosed their grip on him and
sank rapidly to the bed Of the river, where
their bodies were found an hour later.
Those drowned were:
Christine McBeth. Is years
Virginia McBcth. l3 years.
Hazel McBeth. IL years
The child rescued was Ethel Fowlc,
II years. whose father. George Fowle.
made the heroic effort to save the McBeth
girls. abe being dragged from the death
grip by Elizabeth McBeth. an elder sister
Of the drowned trio.
Ordinarily the Merrimac River at the
point where the childre were drowned
is thronged with excellent swimmers.
but it so happened this afternoon that
there were but few on hand who were
capable Of rendering aid in time of need.
Early this afternoon the three girls.
with one or two others Of their family.
left their home during the intense heat
and rowed across the river from here
to the bathing point. Neithe rof the
three girls could swim. but they hoped
to get comfort out Of the wading and
ducking that is possible in shallow water.
The youngest of the trio wandered away
from ner sisters and headed straight for
the centre Of the river. They turned to
look for her and did so just in time to see
her step into spot where the ater was
well over her head. Unmindful of their
own danger. they ran through the water
in the direction she had taken and n
second or two later they too were in
difficult straits
The first cry brought Fowle to atten-
tion and in an instant he was swimming
toward the girls. Clutching at the three.
he bade them hold to different parts Of
his bathing suit while he struck out for
a sandbar. When but fifteen feet from
the spot the girls seemed to all lose their
grip at once and in another instant they
We're sinking and before the already tired
Fowle or any one else could reach them
they had gone down.
In the meantime his own daughter.
Ethel. started walking toward the spot
where he was swimming with the McBeth
girls She stepped into a hole and i'm
mediately sank. Cries were raised for her
help and without "A moments hesita ion
Elizabeth McBeth jumped in and swan
to her side. She pulled the little girl out
and took her to safety. After an hours
search the bodies of the three girls were
recovered.
Manus Doran, a clerk. OF Sas Macon
street. Brooklyn. was drowned Yesterday
in Gravosend Bay at the foot Of Thirty
seventh street. Brooklyn. He went in
bathing With two friends John McNally
and Peter Smith. wLo watched him from
the shore. Getting beyond his depth
Doran became exhausted and went down
before hell. could be summoned. His
body was not recovered.
Edward Peffer. 2s years old. Of 90 Com
mode street. Newark. and a party of
friends went sailing in the launch Lizzie o
OF Newark yesterday afternoon and when
the boat was of Fiftieth street. Bayonne
Perer put on bathing suit and went in
swimming. He was in the water a few
minutes when he was taken with cramp
and was drowned before his friends could
reach him. The body was not recovered
PHILADELPHIA July death by drown.
ing claimed two persons here to-day
A man whose identity has not bee.
established was bathing in the Pennypack
Creek. Leroy Voorhees,. a young busi-
ne,s man of Oak Lane. almost lost his life
in trying to save that of the stranger.
thariea Flov, 10 years old. of 27lO Seltzer
street. WAS drowned while swimming i'm
Manayunk Canal He sank before help
reached him
Two suicides wore also attributed to
the no; wave.