Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
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and was rescued by q Coast Guard
patrol boat, suffering from severe shock.
He said he never saw Freitag after their
boat, the Miss Philadelphia, entered by
John Shibe, owner Of the Philadelphia
Athletics, struck the wash of another
racer and catapulated into the air.
Dozen Boats TO Rescue.
A dozen rescue boats immediately
put out toward the overturned Miss
Philadelphia, crossing and recrossing the
churning paths of the remaining racers,
which continued their perilous course
through the rescue feet at speeds of
more than so miles per hour.
While silent crowds watched for
nearly an hour, the combined rescue
forces of the Coast Guard, Red Cross,
Navy and District harbor police re-
sorted to every known method to locate
Freitag's body.
Life savers in bathing suits dived
repeatedly, police boats dragged with
graphing irons, the navy yard sent
diving crew. Finally, SO minutes after
the accident, a graphing hook caught
in Freitags clothing and he was dragged
to the surface and taken in a speed
boat to the Navy Yard. Here exanina-
ton showed he had died instantly. His
skull was fractured and his shoulder
dislocated, probably by the gunwale of
the boat as it turned over on him. There
was no water in his lungs, indicating
that he had not drawn a single breath
after the boat leaped clear Of the
churning water.
So great was the force of the impact
that Freitag's life jacket was torn off
his body in three pieces and most of
his coveralls were torn away.
Accident After Wide Turn.
The accident occurred in the second
lap of the race as Miss PHILADELPHIA
rounded the northern end of the course
below the Navy Yard and was coming
into the straightaway for the judges
boat after wide turn. Observers near
est the scene said the speeding racer,
timed at AZ miles per hour on the first
lap. struck the wake of the Louisa, en-
! tered by John Wannamaker jr., of New
| York. leaped clear Of the water, rolled
over in the air and landed upside down,
stern first.
Wagner was hurled clear, but Freitag
disappeared under the boat and was
not seen by any of the witnesses until
his lifeless body was raised nearly an
hour later.
Wsgner's comment to his rescuers
was: Just the luck of the game.
was stunned for moment by the force
of the impact I didn't see anything
of Freitag. We just Topped over; that's
ALL"
If the Freitag Boat 81 Motor Co., Phil
adelphia, and lived at Westville, N. j.
Wagner was employed in his plant and
both were engaged to pilot Shioe's boat
in the cup race.
Freitag's body was taken from the
Navy Yard to the funeral parlors OF
william H. Sardo, 412 H street north
east, where services will be held today,
after which the body will be sent to
Philadelphia for burial.
Narrow Escape Recently.
F'reitag and Wagner, it was recalled,
escaned from a similar fate during trials
q few DAYS ago on the Delaware River
near PHILADELPHIA. At that time bus
ties" were constructed on the sides Of
the boat to give 1t greater stability IN
an effort to prevent just the sort OF
accident which killed Freitag yesterday.
Freitag this year drove Miss Pnlla-
delphia in the Gold Cup races at Mon
tauk Point, N. Y, and Red Bank, N. j..
He was widely known among followers
of motor boat racing as heady and
skillful pilot John Shibe. witnessing
the crash from a stand at the Anacostia
| Naval Air Station, was picked up in q
speed boat and taken to the scene Of
the crash few minutes after the acci-
dent.
After the roaring of Miss PhiIadel-
phia' competitors had finished their
requiem over Freitag's resting place %