Alexandria Gazette

A FATAL LEAP.--Yesterday morning, about half past eight o'clock, when the steamer Lady of the Lake, from Norfolk for Washington, was off Georgetown Point, a man sprang from her quarter and was drowned. All that could be learned of him was that his name was Peters. He boarded the steamer at Norfolk, and, taking passage for Washington, engaged a state-room. During the passage his strange conduct attracted considerable notice. He appeared to have a large sum of money with him. Instead of occupying the state room he walked about the boat all night. Yesterday morning he took a stool and seated himself on the quarter. He took the key of his state-room from his pocket and laid it on the stool, where it could be found. One of the colored hands heard him scream and saw him struggling in the water, and the steamer was immediately stopped. Boats were lowered and every effort made by the crew and passengers to save him, but they succeeded only in recovering his hat, which was the only thing in sight. Some efforts were made yesterday to recover the body, but they were unsuccessful. The drowned man gave his name as Peters when he engaged the state-room. He was about fifty years of age, five feet nine inches in height, dark in complexion, and wore a full beard, in color black, mixed with gray, and a dark suit of clothes. He had inquired about the departure of the New York trains.