The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1946-09-12
Boat Capsizes In Glendale Area
Apparently From Waves Gre
ated By Two Passing Power
Craft

Three persons, father, his son and
brother-in-law, all of Swissvalc,
Pittsburgh, Pa, were drowned in
Deep Creek Lake just south of Glen
dale bridge, late Sunday afternoon,
when their rented flat-bottom metal
rowboat was upset and capsized by
passing power craft.
The dead were George H. Talr, 40,
of 5000 Moreland street; his 9-year-
old son Franklin Tarr; and Harold
Rabatin, 30, Of 1912 Monroe street,
brother of Tarr's wife, all of Swiss
vale.
According to eye-witnesscs who
saw the mishap from the bridge
about 300 yards away, the small boat
from which the three persons were
fishing was capsized or swampcd
when two inboard motor launches
moving in opposite directions, passed
on either side of them Large waves
kicked up by the speed boats turned
the little craft over, threw the vic
TINS overheard and they drowned be-
fore help could reach them.
Neil c. Fralcy, states attorney,
!; who assisted in the investigation,
said there is a law governing the
operation of boats on the lake and
that power craft are required to give
other boats 1870 feet clearance where
possible.
Grand Jury Hears Evidence
He presented evidence in conncc-
ton with the drowning to the grand
jury on Tuesday prior to adjourn
ment, with the possibility that
charges of criminal negligence may
be filed against the operators Of the
two power launches.
Several eye-witnesses have been
rather vehement in their comments
upon the tragedy and there has been
considerable criticism from fisher
men and sportsmen on and around
! the lake about the operation Of power
craft and speed boats.
The accident occurred about $50
! p. m. 1t was thought at first that an
other person had accompanied the
/ victims from Swissvale. The owner of
the boat at Will O. The Wisp said
/ only three persons rented the boat
and acquired fishing licenses, and
Mrs. Tarr notified Fralcy that the
fourth person, identified as Buzz"
| Unich, had decided at the last mo-
ment not to accompany her husband,
brother and son on the fishing trip.
When the accident occurred resi-
dents, vacationers and others began
searching for the victims. George
Kerins, Oakland, who was fishing
there, spotted the exact place and
anchored his boat there. An alarm
was sounded and firemen from the
Oakland Volunteer Fire Department
rushed rescue equipment to the scene.
Equipment from the Red Cross first
aid station at Cabin Lodge was also
dispatched. The bodies of the two
men were taken from the lake about
As minutes after the accident by
Dick Hoffman, lake resident. The
body Of the boy was found about an
hour after the accident by John
Sharps, of the Oakland Fire Depart
ment, and Thur Tower, Of Oakland.
Witnesses said the two men had their
arms and legs locked as if they had
been struggling. The boys body was
only a short distance away from the
men.
Persons standing on the bridge
said there was no indication that any
of the victims did any swimming and
seemed to go down Immediately. The
boat, a metal craft, with no known
life preservers aboard, turned over
and sank Immediately.
Tarr was described as large man
weighing about 230 pounds. He was
a telephone company employee. Raba-
tin was a recently discharged soldier.
The bodies of all three were taken to
their homes at Swissvale on Monday.
The drownings brought the total
for this season at Deep Greek to five,
the same as last year. Hal Draper, 46,
photographer, drowned July 26, and
Reynold Ruff, 2S, of Dayton, Ohio,
pilot of plane which hit high
tension line, drowned when the plane
sank in the lake July "a. Last year
there were also two single drownings
and a similar case of three persons
drowning when small boat capsized.