A SHOCKING THAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 16911, 7 December 1918, Page 5

A SHOCKING THAGEDY

MOTHER AND THREE CHILDREN PERIBII. DROWNED IN A WATER HOLE. One of the saddest tragedies recorded in Victoria occurred on Tue-cliy, November 12. when the wife and three children of Mr Walter Pratt, farmer and grazier, Pranj'p. about eight miles from Eurca. wore drowned iu a dam on the property. The only witness of the tragedy was a seven-year-old boy. and bis account is very incoherent. It appears that tills child and his sister Susie, aged about 10 years, were playing near tho dam, .and tho girl decided to have a ride in an old tub which was floating in the dam. She undressed nrd sat on the frail boat, which overturned, and she was thrown into the water. The boy summoned an older gut Mary, aged 12, who v/au near by The dam has very steer) sides nea where tho tub drifted and there ar also a number of deep holes. XT. girl Mary soon gob into difficulties and fein With this second tragedy happening br fore his eyes, the little hoy was quite ditracted. Re ran to the homestead and acquainted his mother, who apparently rushed to tho dam -and met. the same fate as her two girls Ttie eldest boy shortly afterwardarrived homo fixm Longwood Station, to which he had driven his father, who was gchig to Melbourne on business. He was attracted to the clam by tho shrieks of hie mother, and immediately tried io render assistance, but, nnfoilnnately, ho was unable to swim, and, gelling into one of the holes, was also drowned. Sobbing pitifully, the little boy' then went for assistance to tho residence of Mr R. CuUcn, distant about two miles. Mr and Mrs Cuilrn immediately went to the scene of the tragedy, and Mr Cullen’.; son, with the assistance of Mr Gres ven op ami Mr J. Hogan, other neighbors, dragged the hole in the moonlight and recovered all the bodies.

Mr Pratt same to tho district only a few months ago from the vicinity of Dollar, near Foster, on the South Gippsland line. H" is now left with four young children, the baby being 20 morAlw old and the eldest the seven-year-old boy.