Evening journal., 1921-09-12

Mrs. Knopf tore from her shoul-
ders a long shawl. Lying nat upon
the bridge and holding one end Of
the shawl, she dangled the other end
over the water. hoping that her hus-
band could grasp it. There was a
tug and she drew in upon the shawl
She was unable to raise it. She was
aided by others. 1t was found that
an unidentified man was at the other
end. To him were clinging two lit
tie children and a woman All four
were saved because of Mrs. Knopfs
shawl. But her husband was among
those drowned.
Mrs. Knopf collapsed when she
learned her husband was dead and
is now in a serious condition.
Soap" George Pierce, a Chester
river boatman. was nearby in his
skin. He drove the boat into the
midst of the drowning mass and
brought to safety eleven persons.
Returning, he dove and recovered
i've bodies before he was forced to
quit from sheer exhaustion.
A negro standing on the verge OF
the opening saved Laura DAILY, OF
.101S West Seventh street, from hurl-
ing into the falling jam. As the
planks gave way beneath her the
negro, standing nearby on solid
section. grabbed her by the hair and
lifted her from eternity.
Young Woman Describes Experience
Miss Mary Meehan. 10, was one of
those who was dragged from the
river unconscious and sent to the
Chester Hospital There she gave
vivid account OF her experiences.
'I was on my way home" she
said. when a woman ran past me
crying a poor little boy is drowning
I had to cross the bridge but had
gone only a few feet upon it when
the crowd became so thick I could
not move. An instant later I felt just
like I was going down in an ele-
vator. There was no noise; just a
sickening. sinking sensation and a
minute later I found myself in the
water. A wild-eyed woman looked at
me and screamed for Gods sake
save me- Then I sank. sank once
more and remember that a man,
whom 1 could not recognize to save
my life, grabbed me around the
neck. The next thing I remember l
was being carried from the am
bulance to this bed and here I am"
Beside Miss Meehan's bed was one
containing Mrs. Roy S. Hawkins She
had been standing on the bridge
with her two little children, Roy.
Jr., 4. and Ruth, 3. The mother was
saved, but the children were drown
ed.
They just seemed to drown each
other" said Ralph Thomas, a fire.
man, who was on the bridge but
saved himself by clinging to a water
main. at was impossible to swim in
that mess. Men women and children
were fghting each other like man
iacs, trying to vainiy keep ahoat
The water was thrashed almost into
foam by their wild struggles"
Swimmer Saves Girl.
Abraham Asnis who conducts a
clothing store at 11s West Third
street, near one end OF the bridge
was swimming under the bridge
when the crowd was hurled into the
water. He rescued Ida Sharov. thir-
teen years old. OF 224 Market street
In telling OF her rescue, Miss Sharoy
said:
Il don't remember anything about
how / got into the water. When
came up / saw a canoe beside me
and It was overturned. I seized this
and attempted to climb on the bot
tom OF the boat. j was climbing ur
when hand reached out Of the wa.
ter and seized me by the hair.
tried to hold on to the boat, but II
was so slippery had to let go. The
person who had me by the hair was
/ pulling il out by handfuls."
Il was swimming toward Miss
Sharov," Asnis said. Il know hei
very well. / saw her get hold OF the
canoe and swan toward her wher
] saw the hand reach up out of the
water and then the girl disappear
beneath the water with the hand
still clasping her hair. I dove ans
grabbed her by the skirt and started
swimming with her. and when.
reached the bank the girl was un
conscious. but the man held hei
hair apparently was dead and haC
let 60"
Woman Saves Herself.
Mrs. Fannie Shapiro. 144 Yves
Third street, was on the bridge wher
the accident occurred.
''I started sliding down the in
cline formed when the bridge wen
in" Mrs. Shapiro said when
reached out and seized the railing
One Of my feet was in the water.
lifted myself up back on the inclin'
again, and I had to fight my wa.
back to the top OF the bridge tlra
was level with the street.
'As I held on to the railing severa
women. screaming frightfully. rolle'
past men and splashed into tn
water. Several men struck me a
they rolled down the incline. witt
arms outstretched. in an effort 4
grasp something to save their lives
could hear the bodies as they KEEP
hitting the water when they role
of the incline"
j James Silverman seized Mrs. Sha
y piro by the arm and helped her figf
her way back to safety. Then Silver
man plunged into the river an
t dragged out three persons, but the
? were dead.
When the floor OF the bridge wer
out from under the feet OF Mrs. Har
nah Bellar. she grasped the railinl
as did Milton, her ten-year-old sol
and they clambered back to wher
b other persons pulled them to safet'