MRS NEHUA SWIMS TO SAVE FAMILY FROM STARVATION

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 5566, 3 February 1931, Page 6

MRS NEHUA SWIMS TO SAVE FAMILY FROM STARVATION

Receives £2OO For Second Place GREAT OVATION FOR MERCEDES United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Monday, 8.5 p.m. SYDNEY, Feb. 2. Fervent scenes marked the end of the endurance swim. Twice tho police had to intervene to stop tho community singing. The baths lessee dived in and kissed the hand of tho winner while four other men lowered a blanket beneath Miss Mercedes Glcitze and lifted her bodily from the water. Mrs Nehua, who ran Miss Glcitze so close, entered the contest in order to save her family from starvation.. Her husband is a motor mechanic and lias been out of work for nine months. They decided as a last desperate throw that, the baby should be weaned and the mother should try for the rich endurance prize. Unable to buy special grease the plucky wife entered the water coated in olive oil, glycerine and black axle grease and special nourishment was provided for her by the officials while she was competing. In addition to the £IOO out of tho prize money magnanimously offered her by Miss Glcitze Mrs Nehua received £IOO second money and to-day all is changed in the nehua family due to the mother’s grit. There arc four children and all reside in a small cottage at the seaside resort of Collaroy. Miss Glcitze received a tremendous ovation after which she took an ambulance to a leading city hotel and went to bed. The official times arc: Miss Glcitze. 4S hours 15 minutes; Mrs Nehua, 47 hours 524 minutes; Miss Lily Coppiostone, 40 hours. 74 minutes. Miss Glcitze interviewed said she could have gone on for a week, but the officials decided that no good purpose could be served and beckoned her to cease.