Evening star., 1926-08-09
L BATHERS DROWN
IN MYSTERY WAVE
Comber Pulls Strongest
Swimmers Far Beyond
Depths at Buffalo.


BUFFALO, n. Y. August g.
Eleven persons are known to have
been drowned by the mystery wave"
which swept Brant and Farnham
beaches yesterday.
Five other bathers at first reported
missing were located later.
No plausible theory OF the visitation
has been advanced, other than it may
have been the aftermath of some re-
cent lake storm. Some of the bathers
caught in its grip described it as a
tidal wave against which the
strongest swimmers were powerless,
and many of those who had taken
advantage of the warm holiday to
seek the beaches, could not swim
stroke.
Almost unnoticed the great: wall of
water Surged forward through the
ranks of the batherS and, then back
again in n resistless undertow which
carried dozens beyond their depths.
Lost i'm Rescue Attempt
There were numerous rescues and
numerous unsuccessful attempts to
answer screams for help or to reach
the wildly thrashing arm of helpless
victim. At least one man, Heinie Car
stems. lost his life when he returned
to the lake after bringing one girl
ashore. He disappeared. far out, and
hours later his body was washed in.
Other known dead are: Eva Was
ner of Buffalo. Elmer and Yvette
Henry of Kenmore, John Augustine
of Buffalo, Hlda and Howard Tim
norman of Farnham. brother and
sister: Anna Lange of Silver Creek.
Glenna and Gladys Bronson of Brant
and Anna Hartmann of Buffalo.
Blaine Nichols, Is years old, of Buf.
falo, who was caught in the sweep at
Brant, said it seemed as though he
had suddenly stepped off a ledge into
deep water. Then came the rush of
water back from the beach like a mill
race. he said. Although Nichols is a
good swimmer. he could no more than
hold his own against it, and once re-
leased from the grip, swan * minutes
before he could touch bottom again.
Creek Adds to Volume.
Brant. at the mouth of Catta-
rauguS Creek. bore the brunt of the
waves impact because of the volume
of water that :ushed up into the
creek and swept back into. the lake
again.
were members of party from the
Lafayette Avenue Baptist Church of
this city.
The beach where the tragedy oc-
Cured is about miles west of the
Buffalo municipal bathing beach at
Angola, where more than 0,000 per-
sons gathered Sunday afternoon and
evening. Fewer than 1870 were in the
water at Brant Beach when the wall
of water came in. The bathers. in
stead of being lifted by the great wave
were dra agged under it as if by ropes
about their ankles. Some of the vic
Tins never came to the surface again.
Even the strongest swimmers had
difficulty in releasing themselves
from the grip of the undercurrent.
Other Beaches Not Swept.
Five of those rescued were hauled
to shore by means of a human chain
reaching out so feet from the shore
Francis Ulrich. farthest out in the
water at the end of the chain would
grasp the nearest struggling FORM
give the signal and all would pull
away. PulmotorS were used to re-
ViVe several
The phenomenon occurred only at
Rrant Beach Park. according to re-
ports along Lake Erie. Scientifically
it was said to be difficult of eXplana-
ton.
one theory was that a slide of sand
at the beach had occurred beneath
the surface or that there had been a
slight earth tremor somewhere be-
meath the lake.
Weather conditions yesterday were
ideal for the formation of a strong
undertow such as caused the death
of IL persons at Brant and Farnham
beaches. Meteorologist Spencer of the
Weather Bureau said today
A steady 25-mile northwest wind
was probably the cause. he believes.