Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07
GIRL WAR WORKER
IS SWEPT TO death
OVER GREAT FALLS
Miss Selma Margaretten
Makes Thrilling Fight
in Swift Current.
APPARENTLY INJURED
BY ROCK IN RAPIDS
After Posing for Picture on Rock
Above Water, Plunges Over
Edge n Attempt to Return.

~ >~~s s>> -
Swept over the rapids at Great
Falls, in full sight Of several hun.
dred men and women, Miss Selma
Margaretten, young woman war
worker employed in the adjutant gem
erals office, War Department, was
drowned yesterday afternoon, after
she had made a thrilling AMI almost
successful fight against the heavy
currents that finally dragged her un-
der. -
Up TO a late hour last night the
body had not been recovered. Miss
Margaretten, who was twenty-three
years old. lived at 215 Rock Creek
Church road. and her parents are in
Los Angeles.
With Miss Clara Larson Of $50 U
street northeast, Miss Margaretten
had gone to Great Falls for a holiday.
and the two were on the rocks above
the falls when Miss Larson asked
her companion to pose for a picture.
Fails to Land Squarely.
Spying a large rock on the edge of
the swift current. Miss Margaretteh
sprang on it SO that she might be
photographed in the picturesque sur
roundings. but in attempting to get
back she failed to land squarely on
the treacherous stone. and q moment
later was being carried to her death
in the rapids below.
DR.. Josephine Baird. president OF
the Illinois State Girls Club. who
witnessed the tragedy, spent several
hours last night in attempting to get
in communication with Miss Marga;
retten's parents and with an uncle,
DR.. Isadore Margaretten. who lives
in New York. ;E
BY what seemed to be a miracle the
young war worker apparently was
unhurt after being carried over the
main falls and was seen to be maxi
ing valiant efforts to reach the shore.
| using a side-arm swimming stroke
that bespoke familiarity with the
water But Just below the main faiis
is a row of sharp rocks very near the
surface when the river is low, ana
she was apparently injured by one
of them.
After passing over these rocks her
eff3rts to swim were seen to become
feeble. and when abreast of the big
eddy lust below the falls on the vir-
einia side she disappeared in the cur
ient.
Heard Screams of Girls
with thirty members of the IL
Iinois Girls Club I had gone to Great
Falls, on the Virginia SIDE" said DR..
Baird last night, land was standing
on the observation platform where
the searchlight is. when heard some
of the girls scream, and saw them
point up the river.
"Ouite a distance above the main
falls 1 could see some one struggling
in the water. and judged at once that
the person had slipped into the stream
from one of the small islands near
the shore. We could see the young
woman quite plainly as she was swepe
nearer the falls, and it was beyond
belief that she should live Through
those terribly swift rapids. But by
some miracle she survived after being
carried over. and as she was swept
by the foot of the big rock on which
we stood. we could see her swimming
with strong. competent strokes in an
effort to reach the rocky shore.
lust below where we stood were
the smaller rapids. and fear the giH
was injured by some of the rocks
there, for her strokes seemed feebler
after that. Just below the rapiqs
there were a score or more persons
fishing in the big eddy, and the girl
passed within a few feet of them be-
fore disappearing. but they seemed to
feel there was nothing they could do
for her."
From Miss Larson DR.. Baird learned
the local address Of Miss Margaretten
and Immediately began efforts TO
notify her relatives of her tragic
death.
Another witness to the drowning
was Capt. Walter M. Purvis, on duty
in the Office of the director of finance
in the War Department. Capt. Puryis
was standing at the foot Of the ciin
lust below the whirlpool and caught
sight of the girls form after she had
come over the big fall. He said he
did not think she was conscious at :
that time. and suggested that the
movement of her arms, which so many
noticed, was due to the many cross
currents in the swift waters.
Miss Larson, however, insisted that
Ter friend was swimming after being
swept over the large falls.
The two war workers learned to
swim at the municipal bathing pool
last summer. and Miss Larson said
while Miss Margaretten was not an ak
pert swimmer she had learned to handle.
herself confidently in water beyond her
depth.
The Potomac river is swift for more
than a mile below Great Falls and
there will be small chance of recover
ing the body until 1t reaches Quieter
waters near Washington, river men
said last night.
The local police were notified by tele-
phone Of the drowning of Miss MarEa-
retten and were keeping a lookout I'm
the hope Of recovering her body. 1t b
expected that search will be made along
the river today to see whether the body
has been washed up in ono OF the
many eddies that mark both side q
the stream between Little Falls en-
Great Falls. z,s,ls