Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-12-09
Tom Evans Statement.

Tom Evans Statement.
Tom Evans, sole survivor of the
rescue party composed of Howard r.
Cavitt, Asa John Robbins, Clifton v.
Ellzey and himself, gave to an Eagle
reporter the following graphic account
of the terrible disaster:
1--WE were about one mile from the
Little Brazos bridge when the boat
capsized on account of the wind blow
ing with such a velocity of speed. We
were about one mile from land. l was
sitting in the front of the boat and |
had three life preservers under the
seat on which l was sitting. There
were four of us in the boat. | gave
each of the other three one of the life
preservers, and left myself without.
This was when the boat first started
to dipping water and water went TO
rushing in. Very soon after this the
boat turned over. We floated the boat
for about half mile with all Of us
clinging on it up to tree and tied the
boat to the tree. Three of us went up
the tree, Robbins, Cavitt and |. Ellzey
swan to a tree thirty or forty yards
from where wewere and got in the
tree. That was about l: 80 or o'clock
Saturday. We decided that we would
wait about two hours and If we saw
no one passing that some of us would
venture down and try to right our
boat. In about an hour and half we
saw DR.. Oliver, T. X. Lawrence and
their party going back toward the LIZ
tie Brazos bridge, about one-fourth of
a mile to the north of us. We hol
looed and halooed and whooped all
we could but on account of the strong
wind from the north and the fact that
DR.. Oliver and their party were going
north we were unable to make them
hear us.
Then Robbins, who had told us that
he could not swim a lick, went down
to try to right the boat. That was late
Saturday evening, after DR.. Oliver and
his party had passed Robbins GOT
down in the water and worked for per
haps an hour, but was unable to right
the boat. He became exhausted and
was never able to climb back up the
tree. | climbed down and tied a rope
beneath his arms, and Cavitt and
endeavored to pull him back up the
tree, but he died before we had accom-
plished this. This was Saturday night
or early Sunday morning When he
died we had to leave him hanging
where he was, as we could not get him
back up the tree. We had to tie him.
"ln the meanwhile Ellzey swan
over from his tree to ours and he at
tempted to right the boat, but was un.
able to do so, and finally got up in the
tree with Cavitt and |. He was so cold
from the cold water and exposure and
high north wind after he had clmbe-
up the tree that Cavitt and | took him
in our arms and wrapped ourselves
about him and tried to warm him.
After about an hour and before his
death he was still in our arms, where
he died in commissions. That was
about noon on Sunday. He died up in
the tree and after his death Cavitt and
| tied him up in the tree so he could
not fall down. Sunday night Cavitt
and | hallooed and hallooed all night
long. About o'clock on Monday morn
ing, and about one hour before Cav
tits death, he also went into convul-
sions and he, too, died in my arms.
About IL or IL o'clock Monday
morning two negroes, who had heard
us hallooing during the night but were
unable to rescue us as they had no
boat, had hired one during the morn
ing and, knowing about where we were,
picked me up and brought me out to
land near the Little BRACES bridge.
when | had gone out of the water
and walked about $50 or 200 yards
met e. H. Astin and R. @. Astin, who,
after having listened to my terrible
story, sent their boats with the boat