Evening star., 1938-07-18
F0URARE VICTIMS
OF TRAGEDIES IN
NEARBY WATERS
Harbor Police Drag River
Near Chain Bridge for
Body of Girl, II.
CURRENT SWEEPS AWAY
CENTRAL HIGH STUDENT
Baltimore Woman Loses Life in
Leap From Flaming Boat.
Two Others Die.

Swift waters Of the Potomac River
near Chain Bridge were being dragged
by harbor police today in an effort to
locate the body Of a 17-year-old Gen.
trail High School student, swept to her
death yesterday through the rapids at
Little Falls. Two other persons were
drowned in nearby Maryland waters
on Sunday outings, and a third died
Of heart attack while in swimming.
Frances Vaughan of 1918 Tenth
street NV. was wading in the Up
per Potomac when she was carried
of her feet by heavy under current
and dragged over the treacherous
falls. Efforts Of canoeist, Ernst
Winter. to pull her from the stream
near Chain Bridge were futile.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence Haywood.
companions of Miss Vaughan, cried
for aid when the girl was swept to the
center Of the river. Mr.. Winters, a
police school attendant, heard the
cries and turned his canoe about when
he saw the girls form bobbing in the
water. He was able to tie a rope to
the girls swim suit and made for the
shore.
The strand snapped, however, as he
ttruggled with his light craft and the
girl was carried once more to mid
stream. Mr.. Winters then dived sew
eral times for her, but was unable to
locate the body. Other persons joined
in the search while police were sum-
moned to the scene.
Miss Vaughan was an excellent
swimmer, according to her father,
Fred Vaughan, but apparently was
knocked unconscious or was disabled
. as she was swept over the jagged rocks
of the falls. Survivors include her
mother Mrs. Suzie Vaughan; brother,
Daniel, IA, and a sister. Janice, II.
A young Baltimore woman was be-
lieved swept to her death by strong
ebb tide in the Severn River near
Annapolis yesterday after she and
three other persons were forced to
leap into the water when their boat
caught fire. The girl was Miss Virgie
SVEN, 10. She could not swim. Her
companions we're rescued by the crew
of Navy patrol boat on routine guard
duty.
Those rescued were Kenneth Keeney.
q, Baltimore Post Office employe;
Walter P. Tydings, distant relative OF
the Maryland Senator and also
post office employe, and Mr.. Tyding's
wife.
Fumes of Gasoline.
The boat caught fire short dis
tance from the Reina Mercedes, Naval
Academy station ship, the Associated
Press reported. Mr.. Tydings said
fumes from a 5-gallon can of gasoline
which Mr.. Keeney was pouring into
smaller container became ignited from
contact with running light.
The flames spread to the open cans
and the entire boat soon was ablaZe.
The Navy patrol boat, manned by
Radioman B. B. Thomas and Aviation
Machinist's Mate w. McGlasson. sped
through a film of burning gasoline
to the rescue.
MI. KeeLey, his companion said,
jumped with the group into the water,
holding the flaming gasoline can. He
then returned to the blazing craft.
threw out life preServers and eXtln-
guished the fire with water.
"Virgie jumped overheard on the
port side" Mr.. Tydings related, while
we jumped to the starboard. We
didn't see her again. She couldn't
swim"
Search is Fruitless.
The patrol boat searched fruitlessly
for Miss Sven, under orders OF Capt.
H. H. j. Benson, commander of the
Reina Mercedes.
; In the second Maryland tragedy,
Henry Theil, 16, of Waldorf, was
drowned while swimming in Chesa-
peake Bay at Port Tobacco Greek near
Chapel Point He was with a friend,
Carroll Simpson, IA. of Bel Alton, Md,
when he was sucked under by swift
current
His body was recovered more than
an hour later by Carroll Morgan OF
Port Tobacco, one of several persons
who attempted to rescue the youth.
John Ware, SO, colored, of the 600
block of Second street NE, died of a
heart attack while swimming in the
,Patuxent River near Eagle Harbor,
Md. Investigation revealed no water
in the mans lungs.