The New York herald., 1922-08-21
DONALD PHIPPS LOST
WHEN WAVE HURLS
HIM Off SPEED BOAT
Oyster Bay Friend of Roose-
velts, Good Swimmer,
browns.
CRAWLING ON RAIL
Victim Before He Sinks
Shouts Instructions to
Friend on Board.
so BOATS OUT IN SEARCH
Yale Graduate and Former
Airman Was on Trip to
East Hampton.
so BOATS OUT IN SEARCH

More than fifty motor boats and an
airplane searched the waters of Long
Island Sound yesterday for the body
Of Donald A. Phipps Of Oyster Bay, son
of A. J. Phipps. lumberman and a
friend of the late Col Theodore Roose-
welt, who was drowned off Port Jeffer-
son late Saturday afternoon when a
wave knocked him from the rail of his
power boat. In addition, more than
zoo friends and acquaintance of young
Phipps searched the beaches and the
woods along the Sound. hoping. that
he might have been able to swim to
shore and was lying there exhausted
But no trace was found of the body.
Young Phipps, who served for two
years in France as an aviator with the
American army, and who was gradu-
atetd from Yale in 1921, left Oyster
Bay Saturday afternoon TO go to East
Hampton in his boat. craft about
thirty-five feet long with a five foot
beam
With him was william Lyons OF East
Hampton, who had roomed with Phipps
at Yale and who had served with him in
the army. They got out about two miles
from shore. and Phipps drove his boat a;
about twenty to twenty-five miles an
hour. The seas were running high and
the spray soon covered the glass shield
before the driving seat.
CrawIs Along Rail OF Boat.
or Port Jefferson young Ph:pps
| thought he detected something Swrone
with the engine. Turning the steering
! wheel over to Lyons who was not ia
miliar with the craft. Phipps crawled
along the rail to the engine. He re-
paired the trouble and started back, but
before he could regain the driving pit a
| big wave struck the boat and knocked
him into the water. Lyons. his entire
attention centered on driving the boat
did not know that Phipps had gone ova'-
board until he heard his friend yell for
help. Then he looked back and saw
Phipps struggling in the waves.
Phipps, strong swimmer. treaded
water and shouted instructions to Lyons
regarding the handling of the boat
Lyons tried first to bring the craft about
in a sweeping circle and stop the engine
at q point where Phirsps could get aboard
He failed because OF his unfamiliarity
with the boat. Then Phipps shouted to
him to stop the engine. and to get out
the oars and row back. Meantime he
would try to keep afoat.
Lyons had no doubt at that time re-
garding his friends ability to keep above
the surface until he could get back
nevertheless. he stopped the engine, got
out the oars and rowed back 10 where
he had seen Phipps.
No Sign Of Missing Man.
But when Lyons reached the spot from
which Phipps had been shouting there
was no sign OF the missing man. Shout
ing. Lyons rowed about for half an hour
or more. hoping that Phipps would be
found. But Phipps did not reappear
When II was evident that Phipps had
been drowned Lyons managed u start
the engine, and the speed boat imped
into Port Jefferson Saturday night.
When the alarm was spread. and de-
spite the lareness or the hour, many
friends of young Phipps went to sea II
motorboats in a search FOR the body
But they were unsuccessful. although
many remained out In the bay all nigh.
Phpps, who was 20 years o.d. lived
with his parents in Florence Park. Oys.
ter Bay. He was friend OF Kermit
and Quentin Roosevelt. and was mem.
Der of the Oyster Bay Post Of he Ameri.
can Legion. One of the first callers yes.
terday at the Phipps home was Mrs
Roosevelt, widow OF ,he former Presi-
dent