New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-31
Crowds See 7 Saved
at Finish of Har-
lem River Race.
ROWERS CLAMPED
TO WRECkAGE
Too Weary to Free Them
seIves-Family Near as
Youth browns.

Melvin McKenna, at stroke, and his
rowing mates dropped forward from
exhaustion as the Wahnetah Boat
Clubs four-oared she'll crossed the
Harlem River finish lire yesterday af-
ternoon in the annual Memorial Day
regatta of the New York Rowing Asso-
citation. 1t had been a Ions pull of a
mile and a quarter through food tide
Of choppy water. They had been beaten
by the University Barge Club Of Phils-
delphid, after a nose to nose race for
more than a mile.
Bowed in defeat and fatigue, the
Wahnetah rowers did not notice that
their shell was drifting toward a
treacherous whirlpool formed by Sc;
ries of mud jetties running out from
the Manhattan bank. Spectators on
Washington Bridge and the Highbridge
aqueduct, knowing that another boat
had been wrecked in the same spot
earlier in the afternoon, shouted warn
ings 10 McKenna.
Shells Split in Whirlpool.
Before he could find out what they
meant the frail craft was caught by the
current, twisted sideways and thrown
under the stern of the United States
Coast Guard tug Manhattan, which was
tied up to a coal dock near 178th
Street.
A few seconds later the shell of the
St. Alphonse's Boat Club, Of Boston,
slipped into the whirlpool and was
smashed up against the Wahnetah
shell with such impact that both split.
All eight of the oarsmen, too exhaust
cd TO release their feet from the shoes
nailed to the bottom of the shells,
were struggling in the tangled debris.
Several of them were saved by the
ropes thrown out by the crew of the
Manhattan. Two clung TO the side of
the tug until assistance came. By the
time the crowd had climbed down from
the bridges and reached the dock seven
Of the eight we're regaining conscious
ness.
Where's Mel McKenna?" asked
Warren S>bin, No. in the Wahnetah
shell, as soon as he came TO.
No one could answer his question.
Tho etroke uae n,issinC
Parents Seek Oarsman Son.
The crowd separated grudgingly TO
permit a white-faccd man and woman
and two other women to approach the
men who were working over the oars
man. They were Mr.. and Mrs. George
McKenna, Of IS Monroe Street. Flush
ing, Long Island, and the young
strokes two sisters, Evelyn and Vir-
ginia. No questions were asked. Cap
tain Gabbot Of the Manhattan pointed
to the rowboats which were circling
slowly around the eddying whirlpool
where young McKenna was last seen.
"lf he's gone, it's Gods will" said
the father. in an effort to cheer the
weeping mother. Goods will be done.
"Where there's life there is hope"
said Evelyn McKenna. twenty, and two
years her brothers senior. Several
girls in the crowd prayed with cruel
fixes in their hanos.
For half an hour the search con-
tinued under the direction of A. Noel
Ter, president of the Wahnetah Club.
Then the grief-stricken family started
for home.
"Melvin was one Of the best known
oarsmen on Flushing Bay" his father
said. "He was a true sportsman. and
he died following his favorite sport" b"
The young man would have been grad
uated from the Flushing High School
next month.
Gig Racers in Wreck.
i'm the she'll with Mckenna were
Raymond Mendenhall at bow, Albert
Stapleton at No. ard Sabin at No.
3. The members OF the st. Alphonse's
Boat Club. of Boston crew. were Har-
old X. Blackman at bow, Thomas Sui
livan at No. ?, Dr. James keenan, al
Keenan, failed to respond 70 artificial
respiration treatment for twenty min
utes.
An nOUr DtlOTt kNF senior lOuf-
cared race started. at $3.50 p. m, the
Metropolitan Rowing Club won the
four-oar gig race. As they waited
near the finish mark 10 see one of tho
High School contests, their she'll was
caught in the whirlpools edge. driven
near a rock, and then shot out into
the river. The she'll collapsed after
hitting a submerged tree. Herber,
Martin, Joseph Mack. Charles Froelich
and +. Farnan, the rowers. and Joseph
Cloonan. coxswain, were able to swim
ashore. assisted by ropes thrown from
the Manhattan. Two one-oar SOULS
had been overturned by the choppy
waves further up the river and the
Stuyvessnt High Schools eight-oared
she'll sank. while the crew was padding
10 the Lone Star Boat Club. at l5Sth
Street.
In view Of the previous accident in
the whirlpool. veteran followers OF
rowing criticised the regatta manage
ment for not roping of the river near
that spot