Evening star., 1935-02-18
Mrs. Eva Dell Myers and
WouId-Be Helper Cling
to Tree Hour.
SECOND CRAFT ROPED
AS TWO BRAVE CURRENT
Physical Culture Director Of
Shoreham and Van Buren Hewitt,
Glen Echo, Suffer Exposure.

The icy, swirling waters of the
upper Potomac we're robbed Of two
potential victims when Mrs. Eva Dell
Myers, physical culture instructor at
the Shoreham Hotel. and Van Buren
Hewitt. a Glen Echo carpenter, were
saved in daring river rescue yester-
day afternoon.
George E. Graham. an employe Of
the Bureau of Standards. and Fire
Chief Harry Kipps of Cabin John,
Md, braved the current of the swollen
stream and carried the pair to safety
after they had clung to a partially
submerged tree for more than an hour
while waiting for help
The woman was swept down stream
and lodged in a tree when a boat in
which Hewitt was bringing her to
the mainland from Myers Island,
near Glen Echo, was torn in half by
the raging waters. Hewitt made his
way ashore. but leaped back into the
river, when he discovered Mrs. Myers
plight. He was too weak to attempt
return trip after reaching her side.
Volunteers Use Ropes.
Volunteer firemen from Cabin John,
Bethesda and Glen Echo attached
heavy ropes to the boat used in the
rescue and prevented it from Deing
carried down the swiftly flowing river.
swollen by the thaw of recent SHOWS.
while Graham and Kipps made their
precarious journey.
Mrs. Myers, widow Of Lieut.. Carl
Myers. naval aviator killed in a
crash in Honolulu. was on the island
bearing her name when Hewitt no.
ticed the rapidly rising river. Recall
ing that Mrs. Myers had been ma
rooned there twice during floods, he
set out from shore in a Towboat at
tached to cable running from the
mainland to the island
The pair had started back TO shore
when the boat struck a whirlpool and
was torn in half. Mrs Myers was
thrown from the boat. A good
swimmer, she was not equal to the
unusually strong current and was
carried so yards downstream. where
! she grabbed the branch of a tree and
| hung on.
Fights Way TO Shore.
Hewitt, standing in the bow Of the
| wrecked boat. managed to reach
shore by clinging to the cable and
pulling the damaged craft along the
wire. He plunged back into the river
when he discovered Mrs. Myers hang
ing TO the tree and managed to reach
her side after several futile attempts
in which the current carried him
back to shore.
Meanwhile persons on the mainland
called for help, and firemen from the
three nearby departments responded,
located a boat on the canal and
carried it for more than half a mile to
the scene, where it was launched
after heavy ropes were attached to
prevent it being carried away.
Kipps and Graham, who has quite
reputation in rescue work, having
pulled 16 people from the debris of
the Knickerbocker Theater. saved a
motorist who was trapped in the cab
of blazing truck and affected num-
Der Of aquatic rescueS, volunteered for
the dangerous trip.
The current tore at the boat and
swept it off its course a number of
times. but they soon succeeded in
reaching the tree, where they found
Hewitt clinging to branch and hold
ing Mrs. Myers, who was fast weak
ening from exposure.
Ambulance on Scene.
The victims were carried ashore,
wrapped in warm blankets and taken
to the home of DR.. Beatrix Bickel, at
Glen Echo Heights, in the Bethesda
fire rescue squads ambulance. Mrs.
Myers was put to bed and was re-
covering from exposure, shock and
partially frozen feet today. Hewitt
was taken home after firSt-aid treat
ment and also was ordered to bed.
Mrs. Myers, who was connected with
the Columbia Country Club as phys
ical culture instructor before going to
the Shoreham, has lived on the island
six years. She was marooned there
for several days in flood in 1888 and
was marooned for eight days during
flood last year.