Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-07-17
HAD BORROWED BATHING SUIT

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four parents are undergoing the suffer
ing that only a mother or a father can
understand and realize, as a result of
the drowning of two little youngsters,
who had gone bathing in the channel
without the permission of their par
ernts, who knew the danger of the
point which they chose for recreation.
Yesterday morning, shortly after s
o'clock, Francis Shivers, son of Cap
tain Joshua Shivers, of the Nauti-
lus, Raymond Moelett, son of the
hardware and novelty store owner,
aud Gussie Mack decided to spend the
morning in the water. Little Shivers
was warned not to swim in the chan
mel and he was without a bathing suit.
One of the other youngsters borrowed
one for him and together they set out.
They had been bathing about al hour
when young Shivers and his compan-
ions thought they would venture fur
ther out into the water. They did SO
and neither boy being able to swim,
they were soon over their heads. The
Mack boy, IL years old, the only one of
the trio able to swim, made a gallant
effort to bring his companions back to
shore, but the under current was SO
strong that he was forced to leave go
of them to save himself. He immedi-
ately raced in to the wharves aud told
the fishermen. About forty minutes
after he had told the men of the
drowning, an object was seen floating
on the water by Fred Miller in the
vicinity of the inlet. Oscar'O Olson put
out his boat and the body, which vas
that of Frances Shivers, was brought
to shore. DR.. Cohen, the coroner, was
summoned and had the body removed
to Shivers' home. The body of the
other boy was recovered last night by
the life savers.
Mack was all broken up as a result
of the death of his little friends.
He gasped his story to the men on the
beach and walked up and down the
wharves calling for France and Ray.
Frances, who was between 8 and I
years of age, was one of the best
thought of youngsters in the vicinity.
He made many friends aud the news
of his death wa rnceived with genuine
regret. Raymond was about 10 years
of age and a general favorite too. The
Mack boy is II years of age.
There is much that Is pathetic about
the drowning of the boys. Captain
Shivers was out in his boat at the
time and did not learn of his sons
death until he reached the wharves
in the evening. Mr.. Moelett was also
away yesterday, he having taken a
large party fishing. Young Shiv-
ers was the only child, while the other
boy was n of several children.
A large crowd assembled at the
wharves when the news Of the drown
ing was reported and there were quite
a few by-standers present when Shiv-
ers' body was brought ashore.
The Mack boy told the coroner and
other officials of the circumstances of
the drowning as best he could. In his
childish way he said: 1--WE had been
in bathing, when Ray and Frances
wanted to go out further in the water.
They thought it was not SO deep, and
it would be great fun to try and swim
in. The boys got out too far and 1
went after them. / got both of them
by their suits and tried to bring them
back to land, but l felt the three of US
going out further, and thinking that
the only thing 1 could do was to swim
to shore and save myself, I did SO. 4
did all / could to save them and /
would rather have drowned myself If
I could have changed places with
them. The current was very strong
and I barely managed to get back my
self.u
When asked where young Shivers
got the bathing, suit, he replied:
"Why, we borrowed it, The boys
have apparently been taking these
trips without the knowledge of their
parents. The current is quite strong
and it is said that more than one man
found the tide too much for him at the
point where the boys were swimming.
A party of thirty from the German
National Security Building Associa-
ton of Philadelphia, including many
of the directors and their wives, passed
an enjoyable Sunday here. Charles J.
Miller got to gether among the men
folk a big party and went fishing.
They reported excellent catches. Not
to be outdone, the folks formed
a motor party and iourneyed to Cape
May. In the evening a banquet took
place in the dining room at the Ger
mantown Hotel. The members of the