Evening star., 1924-06-23
FIVE BARELY SAVED
IN POTOMAC RAPIDS
Men Battered on Jagged Rocks,
Dragged to Shore by Des-
( perate Efforts.
EARLIER ATTEMPTS FAIL
Four in Predicament Due to Trying
to Rescue Other.

Swept over the sharp rocks of the
Potomac River dam which shunts
water off into the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal near Sycamore Island. five men
hattled against the strong current and
dangerous rocky rapids for more than
two hours yesterday afternoon be-
fore they were finally rescued-bat-
lered, cut, bleeding and sore-by the
ioint efforts, of the fire department
Md a huge crowd which had gathered
D. witness their fight for life.
The rescued men were: Dr. L.
William Fred. dentist. of 1924 X
street northwest; Ensign Anthony l..
Danis of the U. s. S. Putnam; Nor
man Danis, his brother. of Pioneer
Lodge, Conduit road: T.. L. Tarwater
of Clarendon, Va, and E. c. Wood OF
Station A. Conduit road, Md.
DIR. Fred in bed.
DR. Fred, the last to be rescued
by the rope and life preserver which
had dragged to shore the previous
four, was confined to his bed today
under the care of physician. He
was badly cut and bruised, from the
current having battered him against
the jagged rocks of the dam, and
he had suffered so from shock, and
perhaps from water on the lungs
and stomach, it was thought. that
he was painfully i'll most OF the night
reports from the other four were
not available early this morning, but
last night it was known they were
suffering from cuts and bruises, and
that Tarwater, especially, had suf-
fered from shock.
over. the dam. He had been swim
ming nearby and becoming exhausted
he was swept over and onto the
rocks In efforts to reach him, DIR.
Fred and Ensign Danis took rope
out in a canoe. They pitched the
and began dragging with all his
might. This upset DR.. Fred, and the
naval officer. who had expected to be
able to return to shore before be-
dentist hung onto his canoe for a
while for support, but. this TAX
ing too much of his strength. he was
forced to abandon it and attempt
10 hold on to the rocks.
Others Swept Over.
The second rescue party went out,
consisting of Norman Danis and Wood,
but they also were swept over the
dam. The fire and police departments
were then called upon for help, and
No. engine company, from George
town. was dispatched to the scene. The
first two men were being taken from
the water when the fremen reached
the scene with additional parapher-
MALTA
The third and fourth rescue parties
which went out into the river in
canoes finally succeeded with the
help of more ropes, life preServers
and assistance from the shore, in
dragging back all five of the ma
rooned men. In the last parties were
John Nokes. Samuel Bass. w. H.
Decker and Richard Lungenbell.
Rescue Seemed Hopeless.
The rescue of DR.. Fred, the last
man, seemed almost to be hopeless
for a time. With his wife watching
from the shore and with those hold
ing the ropes saying II don't believe
we shall be able to save him. It's too
late for Dr. Fred" the dentist battled
with the current and held onto the
rock while he vainly tried two or
three times to grasp the life pre-
life preserver and was dragged over
the dam he sank out of sight, and
those on shore, dragging frantically
on the rope. feared he had lost his
grip. He had not. however. and came
TO the surface short distance from
the shore line.
large crowd gathered and cheered
heartily each time a life was saved.
Several persons have been drowned
at or near the spot, by going over
the dam in high waters. The foods
this spring SO damaged the dam that
it has been turned into a pile of
sharp and jagged rocks. with a pow
crful current flowing over. Previous
ly during low water it was not dan
gerous.
Sergt. T. H. Green was in charge
of the fire engine company which re-
sponded to the call. He was ac-
companied by Privates Daniel 0'Con-
nor, NJ. Stein, H. Smith, H. H Har-
rison. W. w. Imboden and S. NJ. But
Ter.