The Tragic Disappearance of the Hamilton Brothers

Last Sunday about noon John and Andrew Hamilton, sons of Colin Hamilton, were drowned while bathing in the ocean half a mile below Walshe's addition to Peterson's. John was engineer and Andrew fireman of the steamer Favorite which carried down a number of excursionists to Peterson's Sunday and laid over there until evening. Both young men went over to the beach to enjoy the surf bathing and being without bathing suits, they and Jno. Dodridge went down below where the crowd was bathing and stripped off everything but their drawers and undershirts and swam out beyond the breakers. The Hamiltons were in advance of Dodridge and after getting out several hundred yards he felt tired and turned to swim back when he heard a shout and on looking around neither of his companions were to be seen; nor did he afterwards catch a glimpse of either. It being flood tide and a strong wind blowing in shore, Doderidge easily swam in. Both young men were good swimmers and it will never be known definitely how they happened to drown. Some think one became exhausted, or was seized with cramps and his brother in attempting to rescue him was clutched and both went down together; others are of the opinion that they swam out too far and were seized by the undertow and carried away. A watch was kept up all night and during the next day, but the bodies were not washed ashore.