New Britain herald., 1926-08-09
TEN ARE SWEPT ID
 DEATH IN CURRENT
UndertoW on Lake Erie SWirls
 BatherS Away From Shore
MANY HEROIC RESCUES
Human Chain Reaching Out More Than 50 Feet From Shore Saves Lives of Five Persons - Victims Had Little Chance to Escape.

Lives of Five Persons - Victim.
 Had Little Chance to Escape.
 Buffalo, N. Y, Aug. g P-The lisi of drownings at Brant beach and Farnham, where scores of bathers were suddenly swept out into Lake Erie by an undertow from a hugt swell last evening, stood today al ten. Five others who had been re- ported missing were located. All ex- cept one of the dead, a woman, has been identified.
 The known dead are: Elmer and Yvette Henry Kenmore, John Au- gustine of Buffalo, Heine Carstens, Hilda Zimmerman and Howard Tim merman of Farnham, brother and sister, Anna Lange of Silver Creek Glenna and Gladys Bronson of Brant, sisters.
 Wave Came Swiftly
 The suddeuuess of the sweep of the incoming wave and the rush or receding water caught up the bath CTS and carried them out into deep water almost before they realized what was happening. Many of them could not swim.
 There were numerous heroic res cues. At least one of the bathers, Heinie Carstens, lost his life in an effort to save others. He was seen bringing one girl ashore and swim ming out into the lake. His body was brought in by the waves an hour later.
 Like Mill Race
 Blaine Nichols, IS years old, of Buffalo, who was caught in the sweep of the undertow at Brant, said it seemed as though he had suddenly stepped off ledge into deep water, that, he realized later, was when the big swell came in. The rush of water back from the beach was like a mill race, he said, and although he is a good swim mer he could no more than hold his own against it.
 He swan shorewards for nearly fifteen minutes before he could touch bottom again.
 Brant is at the mouth of Cater augus creek and conditions there were the worst because of the vol ume of water that rushed up into the creek and swept back into the lake again.
 Some of the bathers described the swell as tidal wave" but the more experienced said it was swell of unusual size, probably caused by the recent storms on the lake.
 Saved By Human Chain
 Five of those rescued were haul ed to shore by means of a human chain reaching out 50 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. Pplmotors were used on those who showed signs of distress.
 Mostly Church Picnicers
 Seven bodies had been recovered this morning and efforts were be- ing made to locate others by grap- bling. Most of those who lost their lives were members of a party from the congregation of the Lafayette Avenue Baptist chruch, this city.
 The beach where the tragedy oc- cured is about seven miles west or the Buffalo municipal bathing beach at Angola where more than 10000 persons gathered Sunday afternoon and evening. Fewer than 130 were in the water at Bryant beach when the solid wall of water came in, sucking back the shoal waters of the beaches.
 Fathers Dragged Under
 The bathers. instead of being lifted by the great wave, were dragged under it as if by ropes about their ankles. Some of the victims never came to the surface after disappearing in the wave. Even the strongest swimmers had difficulty in releasing themselves rom the grip of the undercurrent.
 Weather conditions yesterday were ideal for the formation of ;trong undertow such as caused the leaths of ten persons at Brant and Tarnham on Lake Erie, yesterday. bureau said today. he declared that iuch undertows are common oc- ,urances. A steady 25 mile an hour north vest wind was probably the cause If the undertow yesterday, he said