Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-08-15
TWO DIE IN SURF
At ATLANTIC CITY.
QuarryViIIs, Pa, Girl and Wash
Instgn Man Drowned
CROWD OF 500 LOOKED ON.
Nsoro Almost Loses His Life In a
Vain Attempt to Save the Young
Woman.

Woman.
While a crowd looked on without
making the least effort TO rescue them,
Miss Edith Rockey, aged twenty-one
years, Of Quarryville. Pa, town
twclve miles outside OF Lancaster, anu
William Lewis. OF Washington, were
drowned Of States avenue, at AtlGns!"
City, n. J., while bathing in the ocean
before the guards went on duty.
Ii remained Tor a colored man, VINO
came on the scene just before the giri
SANK ont OF sight, to risk his life III a
vain effort 10 save her.
This aero, Rufus Bradley, Is in the
City hospital recovering from the Ell
fccts cf his brave effort to save The
girl lis condition is serious and ne
has only fighting chance for recOV-
cry.
Both bodies were recovered several
hours later. Strenuous efforts were
made to resuEctate the victims by
mechanical meEns, but these failed.
The tragedy was enacted before the
eyes Of 500 people, VINO congregated
On the beach and boardwalk when the
girls screams suddenly pierced the
air. There was not one in the crowd
with the nerve to attack the high
seas and go to the rescue of the girl.
The thrCng stood as il aWed by her
death struggle, but none endeavored
to man the beach lifeboat, that lay on
the sand right at States avenue.
Tho waves rolled her over and over.
When she had been carried beyond
the first line Of breakers the young
woman seemed temporarily to recover
herself. Then came her screams for
help that attracted the crowd.
Rufus Bradley was one of the last
to reach the scene before the girl
went out OF sight. Ho came down
from the upper boardwalk and was in
the water within minute after he
had seen the girls predjcament.
Without removing his clothing
Bradley plunged into the combers and
tried to fight his way to the drowning
bather. She had been carried 200 feet
from the shore by this time, and it
was soon seen that Bradley's bravery
was futile. He could not combat the
strength OF the current and seas.
The girl sank, while Bradley, ex-
hausted, was still only half way to
her. The excited crowd saw that he
was in difficulty. The currents COM
menced to drag him up the beach.
Silently he fought, apparently believ-
ing that il he called for help, rescuers
would be attracted to him instead OF
to helping the girl.
At this point I.ippman, a policeman,
arrived. He took in the situation at a
glance The policeman saw the boat,
and calling for somebody to help him
hurried to the beach.
Some men in the crowd helped him
launch the boat. One youth, whose
name is unknown, leaped in with Lipp-
man, and they were soon battling
through the water By the time they
had negotiated the first line Of break
ers Bradley had gone down. The boat
put toward the spot where he had
been struggling. They succeeded In
getting Bradley as he came up the sec
ond time.
He was unconscious. While the
youth in the boat worked over Brad
ley, Lippman bent to his oars toward
The place where the girl had been last
s;en. He could find no trace Of her
The colored mans condition was seri-
Gus, and 1t was necessary to get him
ashore Immediately.
Lewis, bathing a half square above
the spot where the girl went down,
screamed for help just as the boat was
teached. He had been watching the
drowning girl and before he realized
1t had been swept into deep water
Eiis predicamcnt had gone unnoticed
while the crowd had its attention riv-
etad on the girl. Before the boat could
got to him Lewis sank.