The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-09-12 00:00:00

THREE YOUNG MEN DROWNED.

A fatal accident occurred on Friday morning about
ten o'clock, on the Ulverston sands, by which three
young men lost their lives. It appeared from the
evidence given before the coroner, that John Fletcher,
a collier, aged twenty seven, in company with his
brothers, William. aged seventeen years, Joshua, aged
eleven years, and Jacob, aged nine years, were attempt-
ing to cross the Elverston sands on their way from
Widtehaven to Wigan, when they were caught with
tin" tide. John, the only one saved, in his evidence
said :
St e were on our way to Wigan. On Thursday night we
slept under a hedge, near Ilverston. and lii the morning
abut half-past five or six we crossed a COlllll,Oll Birkrigg
and came to a church near the shore, with a hall on the right
hand side of the road Aldingham church and flail when
we got to the sand we made for a point of land acro.s the
may ,Whinier Point`. We cressed a channel about thirty
yards wide, but only a few inches deep. tout a mile trom
that we came to another, my youngest brother rui Inn, hut I
got 1141 of him, awl we went more up the sand. After 1
guile abont a plotter of a mile, we canoe to more water,
aiM We saw the tide come running, up fast We ticin made
for some trees which we saw Chapel Island , lett ct odd not
reach them, the current ass 111fIltili, et strong. We tlo in
all took our clothe, nil. and, as my lir, dher William vial I
could swini, he tusk hold of Jroihun, .111,i I took ehorge of
Jacob. The tide was then running wry fast, on, that we
could not keep our feet. We each kepPour clothes. After
a while. I felt rny strength going, to I let the bundle go. and
I told Jacob if lie would stick to the bun to the tide would
carry him to the tin. tee. I placed him sin it, :did then tried
to save myself. I RAM nip Itrotlpr Willihnt at the rhtt.tt time,
unit Jt.shur nun nut it ink him. I called to 1.1. n to keep nun
his heart, at I could Fee sdme r.tt km. 1 got to t ..e totek an
fett to anther, !tut there was in elat eta b, twetto I
told hint to take hold of a post I ell dot he said ho
Could not reach it. I tnen told hint to try r the shore.
His last words v ere, " the Lord have nteto, on line." lie
then started off with the)!' le, and I saw him no more. Snam
after a boat came and took me off. I was tab--n to Devil
smith's, at the Sand Site, awl was given clothing and re-
freshments.
One of the bodies was found the same evening, and
the other two on Saturday morninti. A verdict of
accidental death was returned,—The scene of the
;drove accident is very vividly described by Mr. Edwin
Waugh, in his little sketch" An Adventureon Chapel
Island."

Arrests and dismissals of officers on suspicion of
being implicated in the late risings continue to take place hi
Spain, and Madrid is constantly patrolled by strong bodies
of the Garde chile.
At the meeting of the Electric and International
Telegraph Company on Tuesday, the arramgement entered into
by the directors with the l'ostmaster-General, for the transfer
of the undertaking to the Government, was unanimously
confirmed.