DROWNED IN A DRAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 198, 19 August 1908, Page 7

DROWNED IN A DRAIN.

EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT. PLUGKT ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE. SYDNEY, August 11. Mrs. Margaret Brown, 69, wife of William Brown, engine fitter, residing, at 103, Phillip-street, Balmain,. met her death in an extraordinary manner on Saturday evening. She. left her home about 6 o'clock, and proceeded up Cameron-street, which is very steep at this part. The gutters, which are deep and wide, were practically raging torrents, and unable to carry off the water, which partly spread over the street. At the corner of Cameron and Phillip streets the drain falls into an underground tunnel, about 16in in diameter. The mouth of this tunnel was not properly protected, and by some means the unfortunate woman was swept into this and drowned. Nobody saw how the accident happened, but Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Prideaux, who keeps a shop at the corner of Cameron and Phillip streets, heard a piercing scream, amd on running to the door saw Mrs. Brown being carried swiftly down the gutter, with her feet towards the mouth of the drain. Mrs. Prideaux rushed over and seized the drowning woman by her cape, the water meantime pouring over both of them, and nearly carrying the rescuer off her feet. In vain she endeavoured to drag Mrs. Brown out, and finding her own strength leaving her, she was forced to relinquish her hold. The alarm being given, Sergeant Duncan and Constables Mitchell and Dunn, together with a number of civilians, dashed up, but by this time the woman had disappeared. At first an attempt was made to divert the stream by means of large stones; and this being partly successful, John Hill, one of the civilians, actually entered the drain, head' first, whilst two of his mates, Messrs. Terry and Phillips, held his heels, the arrangement being that if he succeeded in reaching . the woman they were both to be dragged out. Although almost smothered by mud and water, the plucly fellow crawled in, and contrived to get hold of the -woman, but could not shift her, a3 she appeared fco be jammed. He offered to make another attempt, but the police dissuaded him. It was then decided to open the drain, and after three-quarters of an hour the body was found about Four yards from the entrance to the drain. Mrs. Brown was a little woman, but even so, it' is considered remarkable that she should have been done to death in the manner described in a 16in drain pipe. The matter has been reported to the coroner, and an inquest will be held.