SINGULAR SCENE AT A PUBLIC BAPTISM.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 45, 21 February 1880, Page 1

SINGULAR SCENE AT A PUBLIC BAPTISM.

' i I [« Sydney Evening News."] j The public announcement -: of j Mr Frank Warden's intention of administering the rite of baptism to a number of converts at Foley's Baths. Woolloomoloo Bay, caused upwards ot 1500 persons to assemble in the immediate

vicinity yea terday afternoon.. Admissin was by ticket, and the portion of the. assemblage were obliged to .view the ceremony at a considerable distance, while others were unable to , yijj.w/ it at all. Within, the enclosure there jwere altogether 500 persons, who stood and sat ou all sides, of the bathing place, the side facing the bay being reserved for intending iconverts, worshippers!,, and privileged personages. Mr. Warden was attired in a very long black oilskin gown, tied, and closing tightly 7at the waist, and flowing loosely downwards. Mr Warden having engaged in. prayer and given out the hymn " Praise ( God from whom all blessings flow," the candidates for baptism, consisting of three young women and 7 six ."men, '.".'were arranged in order, the females ..being attired in ordinary dresses,, most of the men in white duck trousers and, white shirts. Mr Warden, having partaken of a preliminary shower bath, descended tbe steps ; into the wa<er, which" was not, when troubled, of the purest* description, the tide being very low, and the sewerage inlets of the vicinity, giving unmistakeable evidences of impurity* 1 Mr Warden having transfixed ; himself firmly in several inches of mud and about three feet of water, prepared himself to receive the , ladies. ,. . They were led np one by one by a participating lady, who was very talkative, and told one interrupting personage if he thought he could . baptise, better he had better do it himself. As eaoh convert was taken hold of and thrown backwards into the water, bjj Mr Warden, in fully carrying put his theory of [total immersion, many! of the spectators manifested that they ; were being most intensely amused by most immoderate laughing. /The second lady gaye palpable signs of resistance to Mr Warden's renewed efforta to put her head under water, whereupon many made use of such expressions as. A'Grive it to her again;" "Let her bave it •gain/ and .*> That's not fair.!' "7 The first of the males was a very black man dressed in a very white suit, who took to the water without fear, and on whose head the water took tbe"fdrm of dew drops, with .glistening effect, 7 The facial contortions of the eaoond man evinced that be bad taken some/ of tbe water internally; while the 1 thirds/being a very short man compared with Mr Warden 'a tallness, got . nearly Beyond his depth in wading ■ his, way $> the latter. Nothing important transpired |n the dipping of the remaining three, exoepting that each. became 'impressed with the desire to get, out of the nicely r ihieseaed water 'as soon as possible. During the whole of the dipping business the coterie ' of ; worshippers mournfully sang the Doxblogy, although more than onc^, requested by Mr Warden to sing another hymn. Mr Warden baying extricated himself from the position iv which be had been almost a fixture for some while,' came out of the water ao.l 'disj»erae"il the people, a work in which he received the assistance of the police. From the outside of the enclosure those who were dissatisfied at not obtaining admission to something which the peals of laughter of those who had witnessed it manifested to be an unusual' treat, contented themselves with following Mr Warden and his followers, to whom they used remarks more pagan than parliamentary. It is said that the numerical and financial success of the ceromony has bean sufficient to determine those connected therewith^ to hold similar .flervices it mdutfaiy, J 7 and Already $5\ persons '^av;e. signified intention and ; perfect rwiliiiigness^to be -baptised ,'ai the ,n,ex^mfreting.'^^ !