The New York herald., 1921-04-06
DIVER SAVES PAIR
TRAPPED IN MOTOR
| ON THE BEDOF BAY
He Unlocks Car Door and
Carries Drowning COu-
pie to Surface.
HOLDS THEM ON ROOF
Victims Plunged in Sedan
Over Ten Foot Wall at
Sheepshead.
SAW FISHES AT WINDOW
Water Finally Invaded Prison
From Which They Could
Not Force Way.
SAW FISHES AT WINDOW

Benjamin Letter, of 1928 Delamere
place, Sheepshead Bay. drove his new
sedan automobile up to his house for
the first time yesterday afternoon and
invited his aunt. Mrs. Annie Lazarus,
TO go riding with him. Mrs. Lazarus.
who is sixty years old and not very
strong. demurred at first but finally
consented to go after Leffler had as
sured her the machine could not turn
over and that nothing could possibly
happen.
LETTER drove about the streets near
the house for time and then turned
into Emmons avenue, which skirts the
north shore of Sheepshead Bay. He
was not going unusually fast. but
something went wrong with the ma
sixth street and he lost control of the
steering gear. The car skidded to the
eGge of the bay. tottered for a mo-
meI.t on the bank. and then plunged
over the stone wall and turned end
over end for ten feet. splashing into
the waters of the bay and finally
stopping in the sand at the bottom,
six feet under water and within a
short distance OF a bulkhead.
Car Water Tight.
Fortunately LefIIer had closed the
door of the sedan tightly when he and
bis aunt started for their drive, and
n lNta tn1. a..
emnankment had not broken the glass
N the windows and door The car lay
on its side in the sand. with the door
urpermost. Letter and Mrs Lazarus
lad been hurled from their seats and
were jannled into corner. Neither of
them. Il developed later. was hurt but
they Were dazed and shocked. 50 that
Tor few moments Leffier was not able
&c try to reach the door and open it,
For a few seconds being in the car
underneath six feet OF water appeared
to be no different from being IN the ma
cline on the ground. but soon small
stream OF water began to tricl1le in.
Then came other streams and Leffier had
to stand up as best he could in the car
and hold his aunt in his arms to pre-
vent her being drowned. He tried time
anu again W optlI LlI NuOT ITCNl tle IN
side. but he was not able to because he
was afraid to let Mrs. Lazarus fall into
the water that by this time almost filed
The body Of the car.
lie pressed as close 10 the glass OF
the door as he could. lie thought OF
smashing the glass, but feared that the
water would come in faster and that he
and his aunt would not be able to get
through the opening he might make. So
lie just stood there, watching the water
aS Ii triclSled into the submerged car
and watching the fish that rubbed
against the glass door and stared at the
imprisoned humans. II seemed 10 Lef-
fer and Mrs. Lazarus that il was ages
before there was a great commotion in
the water that washed over the car. the
fishes hurried away and the face OF
man was pressed against the glass.
The man was William Fowler OF 2T93
East Twenty-third street, Sheepshead
Bay. Lcffier could see his hand rubbing
over the glass and the woodwork Of the
automobile door, he could hear the splash
II the water as Fowler moved about
and disturbed II. and then Fowler's face
vanished from the window and he saw
the mans body rising to the surface.
water Fills the Car.
BY this time the water had almost
filed the compartment Of the sedan.
Letter again tried to smash the glass.
hut he Ind become very weak and
couldn't do IL without dropping his aunt.
lie was about 10 give up hope when
Fowlcr's face rcappeared at the glass
door, and his eyes stared into those Of
Lefiier and Mrs Lazarus. Leffier could
see Fowlers hand searching again for
the knob OF the sedan door. and this
time he found L.
The door opened suddenly. Fowler's
hand reached in ami Mrs. Lazarus was
lifted bodily from her nephew's arms
and dragged out Of the car The water
rushed into the compartment. but Fow
Ter came down again almost imme-
diately. reached In, and Letter felt him
self pulled by the hand through the
water. The next thing he knew he was
standing on the top Of the submerged
car, with his head two feet oSt Of the
water. Alongside Of him was Mrs.
Lazarus unharmed and between them
and steadylng them was Fowler. The
three stood there on top OF the car un-
IN a rowboat which Fowler had hailed
came along and took them to shore.
Fowler changed into dry pair of
oyeralls and went back TO a small motor
boat about which he had been working
when he saw LETTERS automobile plunge
over the embankment.
Last night there was no sign OF the
automobile but this morning az low tide
there win be only two or three feet Of
water over II, and Lcfier will try TO re-
cover IL.