Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-25
HiIda Morrison, 10, Reaches
Virginia Shore After Battle
With Gale Swept River.
CANOE CAPSIZES WHILE
PAIR HANG TO FISH NET
No Trace of Alvin hewitt, 20,
Found After Ride Across Poto-
mac at Colonial Beach.

Battling hsr way through the chilly
waters Of the Potomac for eight hours
Miss Hida Morrison. 10 years old, of
Cherrydale, Va. reached the shore be-
low Colonial Beach after her companion
on a canoe trip, Alvin James hewitt,
20 years old, 1011 B street northeast,
is believed to have been drowned in
gale Saturday afternoon, 1t was dis
closed today.
Miss Morrison. daughter of Charles
w Morrison of Cherrydale. confined to
her bed at her parents Colonial Beach
cottage, today told the story how she
and hewitt, who had been visiting at
the ccttage, decided on Friday night to
paddle from the Virginia to the Mary
land shore They started at $50 o'clock
Saturday morning. The river is about
Z miles wide at this point.
Wind Springs Up.
The trip across. although tiresome.
was uneventful and the couple stayed
for several hours on the Maryland
Shore before attempting the return
trip.
During the time that they were on
shore, she said, a steady wind had
come up. but when they started back
It was not CT SUFFICIENT velocity to
alarm them. When they had got
long distance from shore, however,
q gale sprang up and both became
completely exhausted in their attempts
to hold the canoe to its course.
Finally, she said, they were unable
to paddle further and stopped beside
some poles supporting fish net. AS
they rested the wind increased in
volume until the canoe capsized. Both
until they decided that it was a case
of life or death and that each would
have to strike out on his own.
Removing their clothing in order to
swim better, they struck out in what
they believed was the direction of the
Virginia Shore. Miss Morrison was
leading and the last that she saw Of
hewitt he was following her at some
distance.
Lay Exhausted on Shore.
The rest of the swim, she said, was
a veritable nightmare, in which she
could remember little but her battle for
life. At some time during Saturday
night, she says, she reached shore. She
thinks she lay on the beach for some
time before attempting to walk. She
does remember. however, of seeing an
old barn near the shore and made her
way to that. Once inside the barn she
found some old life preServers with
which she attempted to cover herself
until daylight. At dawn she saw smoke
rising from over knoll and made her
way to the home of a family named
Bowman.
She discovered then that she was
about half way between Colonial Beach
and Wakefield. After making her as
comfortable as possible with food and
clothing, Bowman placed her in his
automobile and brought her to Colonial
Beach.
A search for Nevitt's body has been
under way since yesterday. but has been
unsuccessful. Searchers found a canoe
paddle to which vas tied Nevitt's trench
coat and shirt. This was tied to the
net and was apparently intended as a
signal.
It was said here that Miss Morrison,
q girl friend, who has been i'll, and an
aunt of the former, came to the cottage
several days ago SO the friend might
attempt to regain her health. hewitt,
1t was SAID, was 1rlen0 OF the SICK
girl, and when he came to see her was
invited by the aunt to spend several
days. 1t was during the course of this
stay that the trip was planned.
Was Good Swimmer.
hewitt left his home for Colonial
Beach Thursday for fishing trip and
outing, relatives said today.
The family had received no word of
young hewitt today. but last night got
word of the canoe being overturned
and with 1t the message that a mans
footprints had been found on the beach
nearby, but no one had seen hewitt.
The family expressed the hope that he
may have swum ashore or been picked
up by some boat.
hewitt was an excellent swimmer,
they say, and some years ago won a
big swimming event at Alexandria, Va,
where he lived before coming to this
city.
Nevitt's father, Leroy hewitt. and
brother, Otis Leroy hewitt, left for CO.
lonial Beach today to aid in the search
for him. Other relatives of the boy
are his mother and sister, Mrs. Gladys
Good. The parents and sister reside
at the B street address, while the
brother lives near Sixth street and Flor
ida avenue. The mother was suffering
from shock and grief today upon the re-
port of her son being lost, but had re-
fused doctors care, 1t was said.