AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 14229, 1 December 1909, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

A double drowning fatality occurred at Cronulla Beach, near Sydnij\ tho other clay. Two broth ere, Sydney and Hubert James Ba&s, recent arrivals from Buckinghamshire, England, proceeded for a bathe from the. shore at The Oaks Point. Hubert, tho younger, aged twenty-three years, had swum out some distance, awl was apparently in difficulties. Tho elder brother, Sydney, aged thirty yearn, noticing his brother's plight, am'l being a strong swimmer, went to his assistance. Tho occurrence so often happening in such cases was the Tesnlb in this. The rescuer was grasped by the drowning man, and both sank. An alarm' was at oneo raised by the few persons about this spot, and two members of the Cronulla Surf Glub, whose central quarters are. fully a mile away—at the beach where most of the surf-bathing takes place—hastened in a boat to the spot, and the position of the bodies having been located, Frank Giddinge dived in, and after some difficulty succeeded in releasing one of the bodies, and brought it to the surface. All efforts at resuscitation proved futile. One of tho most destructive hailstorms that have visited south-eastern Queensland foi« many yearn passed over a large area of country on Sunday, 14th insl. It ■came from tho south, an 'unusual ouartev, and apparently travelled over a" fairlv wide strip of country, extending from Harrisvillo and Ipswich to the western suburbs of Brisbane, and circling out to sea. In many places hailstones, which were as big as hens' eggs, fell thicklv and continuously for half an hour. Iron roofs were pierced, and thousands of windowpanes were broken, and standing crop, orchards, and gardens were destroyed. The damage at" Brisbane alone probably amounts to some thousands of pounds. Information from Bendemeor. near Tamworth (N.S.W.). states that Mr T. 0. Smith and his nine-year-old son lost their lives. It appears that both went to look at a well, and Smith lowered his sou down, but the latter on Hearing the bottom fell out of liu> bucket. His father then wont down the well. Both succumbed, the supposed cause of death being foul gas. Constable Rapkins narrowlv escaped being shot while making his 'round of inspection of business premises at Echuea, .Victoria, during the earlv hours of Monday morning, the 15th inst. At the corner of High and Parkenham streets he surprised a burglar at the Federal Groccrv Stores. Tho man sped off, but, after going about fifty yards, turned suddenly and tired at the constable. He ran across the street towards the Masonic Hall, fired a second shot, and disappeared in a right of way. Fortunately, none of tho shots took effect. Constable Rapkins subsequently arrested a man on suspicion. Mr D. J. Cooper, principal senior inspector of the Department of Public Instruction of New South Wales, died suddenly while in the act of addressing the boys of Fort Street School. Mr Cooper was apparently in the best of health. As he entered the boys gave him a rousing welcome, and clamored for a speech. Ho prophesied success lor tho boys at their examination. " 1 would say to you in the words of a great educationalist.'' ho went on, but tho words remained unsaid. He. stopped, breathed heavily for a moment, and fell back into the arms of ex-Senior Inspector and Inspector S. H. Smith. Dr Storie Dixson, who was present, hurried forward, but nothing could bo done, and in a few moments Mr Cooper was dead. The boys filed out noiselessly, and immediately cancelled tho annual dinnc, which was* to have been held that night. It is a remarkable coincidence that exactly twelve niontlw a"o, after delivering an address at Fort street', Mr Cooper had a seizure. ;ui:l for some weeks was in a critical state.