Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1914-05-27
HAROLD STEVENS DROWNEDIN YADKIN.

HAROLD STEVENS DROWNED IN YADKIN
Boat Overturned in AarroWs Last Saturda
and the Body Lost
Yesterdays Charlotte Observe
gives the following account Of th'
drowning Of Harold Stevens, al
employee Of the Sothern Alumni
um Company on the. work neal
Whitney:
Mt yet have the Yadkin rapids
yielded up the body of Harolc
Stevens of this city, who met hit
death in their tumultuous waters
last Saturday, bus large number
of the most prominent citizens ot
Albemarle will go to the scene
this morning in automobiles and
it is expected in Albemarle that
the body will be recovered by
noon.
The body of the unknown negro
man who entered the search for
Mr.. Stevens only to meet a SINH
lar fate was recovered yesterday
by Rev. Aiexal der Miller, pastor
of the First Baptist Church Of
Albemarle, and Charles Helms.
They found the negro's body il
water four feet deep, A short
distance above where the accident
occurred she water is 18 or 20 feet
deep or more, and the charming
rapids rise constantly to heigh'
of eight or ten feet.
The scene Of the accident is F.
mile and quarter above the site
where the Southern Aluminium
Company is preparing to erect q
mamoth dam.
1t is about three miles below
the old Whitney dam, which has
now been abandoned.
Brent s. Drane, of Drane &
Blair, in whose Office Mr.. Stevens
was first assistant engineer, re-
turned late last night from Whit.
ney where he has summoned Sat.
urday afternoon by a telegram
from Mr.. Smith and where he
spent the ensuing days in prose.
outing the search. From him was
obtained for the the first time an
authentic account of the sad oc-
currauee. concerning which the
facts are as follows:
Mr. Stevens and Wilbur Smith
for the past year nave been
much interested in canoeing.
They had done much of this on
the Cata Wba and had become raal-
ly expert oarsmen and we're splen-
did swimmers. Six weeks ago
they conceived desire to take q
trip throgh the Ysdkin narrows
and made special visit to the
scene, where they made q careful
investigation. Or this basis, al
ter mature consideration they de-
clded that they could make the
venture safely. They returned
there last Friday intending to
spend Saturday and Sunday in a
boating trip from Whitney
through the rapids to the Blewitt
Falls development 40 miles away.
Saturday morning they made a
safe start but in some way, which
has not been explained, in going
through particularly large rapid
the boat was cspsized in rough
water. When Mr.. Smith came to
the surface he found himself
clinging to the boat with one
hand and to the paddle with the
other. Raising himself above the
water he saw his comrade appar.
emily floating on his back some
distance below the boat. The
canoe aud Mr.. Smith were sweps
into an eddy of quiet backwater
and he swan TO the shore without
difficulty, his friend still being
visible down stream apparently
floating on his back. On account
of the dense underground which
he encountered IN his dash for aid,
Mr., Smith fnally lost sight OF
Mr.. Stevens about 400 yards from
the point where the boat capsized.
He continued to search 70: him
uotll finally it dawned on him fol
the first time that Mr.. Stevens
had not been swim ming, but was
insensible, probably stunned, and
was drowned.
The aid of John Tolbert, sub
contractor on the works, was &C.
cured and plans were begun for g
search. Messrs. Smith and Tol
bert borrowed a river boat at 9
ferry mile distant and found two
negroes who volunteered to take
it down stream. They were warn
cd to | Q sure to leave the boat al
the head of the rapids to make itt
way through them and then catof
it below the falls. Messrs. Spitt
and Tolbert then pursued shors'
or route back to the scence of ths
tragedy, arriving before the
negroes and just in time to se'
them disregardlng instructions
undertaking gleefully to conn
through the rapids. The secont
boat oapsiz I'd at almost the sam
spot as the other. One of the oo
cnnants sank inst below the fall