SINGULAR ACCIDENT.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2787, 19 January 1878, Page 2

SINGULAR ACCIDENT.

The sinking of the floating baths in the Murray at Echuca is thus described by the Riverine Herald :—" About half-post 6 o'clock on Sunday morning, several gentlemen,regular attendants at the baths, were enjoying their morning ablutionary exercises, in the course of which they swam out as far as the pontoon bridge. Returning, one of them (Mr Crabb, of Hare street) had succeeded in reaching the itiside" of the framework, when he suddenly felt something hard touch his neck. Thinking the circumstance rather strange, he looked up, and, to his astonishment, found the whole structure sinking, and pressing him down. With a desperate effort he flung himself clear, and swimming out of the bath, raised the alarm. It was known that Mrs Godegast (the owner of the baths) and her children resided on the baths, and were in their private rooms. Tho first duty was, of course, to lave them, but the difficulty was how to do it, as the gentlemen being inpttris naturalibus, realised the delicacy of their position. However, it had to be done, and that quickly, ai by the time the alarm was giveu the baths had iunk some seven or eight feet, and the water was within three or Jour feet of the rooms. By ao effort clothes were obtained by one and another and at length the lady and her girls .were rescued, much to the satisfaction &f all parties concerned. A rush was 'then made by the bathers to secure if possible their clothes from the dressing rooms, but in this they only partially succeeded. The best.was made of the circumstances and of the early hour—few being about at the time—to reach their respective homes with as little ostentation as possible. It has been ascertained that the immediate cause of the accident was the opening of the scams on the northern end through the heat of the sun', added to which.the structure was insufficiently calked, and could not withstand*the influ^Hr water. It therefore sank with all on board."