The sun., 1918-08-23
Survivors of ROckaway Mis-.
hap Tell Thrilling Stories
of Drownings.
SEVERAL HEROIC RESCUES
Scores of Lives Imperilled by
Wreck Of Two Strings Of
Frail Pleasure Craft.

their friends were being towed from
Sheepst cad Bay to Rockaway Point on
Wednesday night for a moonlight basket
party on the beach. The only body found
thus far Is that OF Mrs. Thomas j.
Corley Of 545 Putnam avenue. Brooklyn.
Her usband Is missing. but their son.
Thomas J. Corley. Jr.. was saved.
Nobody knows exactly how many are
missing o. who they all are. One reason
for this Is that nobody knows how large
the picnic party was or the names OF all
the excursionists. Some survivors swan
or were carried ashore on Rockaway
Beach. some on Manhattan Beach and
others were taken to Sheepshead Bay.
One youth in canoe drifted all the
way to a point near Sandy Hook before
Q United states patrol boat found him.
The canoes whose occupants managed
to cut tire two lines that bound them to
the other craft drifted. many Of them
bottom up. through the Inlet out 10 sea
and then down the Long Island coast
All Wednesday night the searchight Of
Fort Tilden, the new artillery and naval
air station on Rockaway Beach. moved
its rays over the ocean and Jamaica
Bay. helping tie moon to illumine the
waters for the rescuers.
AirpIanes Search for Victims.
All day yesterday low flying hydro
airplanes searched the coast but found
none Of the bodies that must be afioat.
according to the stories of surviyor
who saw exhausted girls and young
men slip from canoes or buoys to which
they had chung for hours and disappear.
Wilbur Gould, who owns the pier and
house OF the Sheepshead Bay Canoe Club
and who arranged the excursion. says
he thinks about 100 persons embarked
on the frolic. The list OF those known
to be safe numbers about fifty. This
admittedly Is not complete. Many went
to their homes and have not reported
since. Others were being cared for yes
terday by the cottagers of Rockaway
Point. few may have foated far, like
William Lee of 411A Prospect avenue.
the young man who drifted over toward
Sandy Hook.
Passing the Rockaway bell buoy, a
, mile outside Rockaway Inlet. at 6 80
yesterday morning Capt. Frank HAM
mer Of the fishing boat Whitby saw an
object clinging to the buoy. 1t proved
to be Vincent d. Russeau of 211 Taafe
place, Brooklyn. His face and hands
were blueish. He could not speak.
Might of Terror on a buoy.
Hot coffee aboard the Whitby enabled
Russeau to tell his story. He said that
the canoe in which he was riding over
turned in the Mill Race off Rockaway
Point, that the ebb tide swept him to
sea and swimming and floating he
reached the buoy There ne found three
girls and two men. Russeau did not
learn their names They were ex-
hausted when he got to the buoy and
one by one. as the hours wore on. they
lost their hold and slipped off.
Feeling that he was going. too. Rus
seau used what strength was left 10
crook one OF his arms around a support
Of the bell and tie his two hands to-
gether with his necktie. A man who
was the first of his maroone1 comrades
to go said; "Good-by. I can't keep II
up. You folk try and stick 1t out
Then he disappeared. The second man
was just barely able to say 'Good-by,'
as he, too, slid down the side of the slip.
perry buoy
The three girls and Russeau were left
In half an hour one OF the girls jumped
or. Another half hour and the second
girl disappeared In the ocean. Russeal
wanted to help the girls. especially the
enough to unite the knot in his neckti.
so he could get to her side.
In the moonlight he could see her face
plainly. She was so tired she could no,
move. Suddenly the buoy logged as 4
heavy wave hit 1t. the bell changed an
tho girl went down. She, too. SAID
Good by From that time until me
fishermen picked him up Russeau wa.
unconscious. He chung to the buoy
about eight hours
List of Victims Incomplete.
The Sheepshead Bay and Rockawa,
police tried. with the help of the Cane,
Club to prepare a list of the dead. save
and the missing, but the following 10 no
complete
Known to BE Drowned.
MRS. THOMAS ]. CoRLEY. ~ years old
OF 545 Putnam avenue. Her body wa,
on the ocean side. with a Iifebelt tossing
near by.
Reported Missing.
MISS OLGA BEST, 10 years old. 1855 Madi
son street. Brooklyn
THOMAS BRUCE, ol3 East sixteenth
street, Manhattan.
ROBERT BRocKMErER, 500 ouInc.
HENRY Ifs, J. 'S cGHiRsiHsroPHER, 81 Amersfor
place. Brooklyn.
THOMAS j. CoRLEY. $40 Putnam avenue
john j. MoNELEoNE, 4ss De Kalb ave
nue., Brooklyn.
EDWARD j. FITZGERALD. Ensign, U. S
y. r.. 81 johnson street, Brooklyn. for
merly assistant real estate editor OF tn
New York Herald"
MISS AGNES MCGOWAN. 10 years old. 10
Franklin avenue, Brooklyn.
MISS MARGARET McDONoUGH, a.
Third street, Brooklyn.
II. sAUTER.. 80 Boyd avenue. woodhaven
= sTEININGER.
JOHN f. TUFTS. col Franklin avenue
Brooklyn.
There were about forty canoes in tn,
fotilla that set forth from Sheepsheac
Bay at $3.50 =. NJ. on Wednesday 10,
the Ave mile run to Breezy Point, which
is the uttermost tip OF Rockaway Point
II was to be great party, 1t was ad
vertised Music Moon!! Novelt,
Races. Chow Prizes!.! Bring a TOW
rope for the canoe and lady or Iadie
with lunch. Older folks welcome. .(Car
ride in motor boats)"
The towing was to be done by thre,
motor boats One OF these boats, will
dozen canoes In its wake, was oper
ated by Mr.. Gould. This party go
safely to the Point and was maxim,
coffee at beach fire when youti
named Gallagher. chief petty office
in the navy, ran dripping out of tn
breakers and announced that the tw,
other strings of canoes had beef
wrecked
The second fleet. consisting Of III
motor boat Neruna. owned by q MI
Norris, met with a series of mishap
after leaving Sheepshead Bay. In add
ton to engine trouble, several of IN
tow lines which the canoeists ha,
brought along proved to be too films
for ~