The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-22 00:00:00

THREE CHILDREN DROWNED:

On Saturday afternoon Mr. Llanwarne, county
coroner, opened an inquest at Dulham Court, Madley,
near Hereford, in connection with one of the saddest
calamities that has had to be recorded in the neigh-
bourhood for some time, from which Harriet, aged 12
years, eh:lest child, Roger, 10, and Maud, 9, tbe chil-
dren of the Rev. Mr. Lucas, curate in charge of Mad-
lay, lost their lives, while Miss Wilkinson, their
governess, only escaped after a desperate struggle.
The River Wye, at Bridge Sollars, near Mr. Lucas's
residence, had been flooded, on account of the recent
rains, and the news reaching the children in the nur-
sery, nine in number, the elder ones clamoured to go
and see the swollen river. On the Friday afternoon,
the governess set out for a saunter with four of the
children to the river-side, accompanied by a dog.
They skipped about the meadows for a few minutes,
watching the onward rush of the waters, and then
ei-ey drew to the bank with the dog, urging him to
take a swim. Presently, so far as can be gathered,
they clustered together on the brink of a somewhat
overhanging bit of bank some feet above the level of
the water, when the earth suddenly gave way under
them, and three of the children and Miss Wilkinson
were precipitated into the flood. The governess was
carried a few yards in the overwhelming current to a
bush, and frantically seizing it with one hand she
stretched out the other to the help of the children.
Maud, the youngest child in the water, was instantly
carried out towards mid-stream, and never fairly rose
to the surface. The eldest girl and boy rose and
fell on the eddies of the torrent, and the governess
managed to reach the boy and grasp his clothes,
but so strong was the current that she
was forced to loose him again, and then to struggle
hard for her own life. From one jutting bough to
another she managed to float along on to some
stronger branches, and after being in the water
some two or three minutes she got carried by
the rapids against some stronger bushes close to the
bank, and mancged to scramble out of the river on to
the land. Meanwhile, the fourth little girl who
escaped the fall was shouting and screaming and
wringing her little hands in the wildest excitement
and fear. Having got out of the water the governess
hurried, as fast as her nearly exhausted strength
would allow her, towards Mr. Large's house, scream-
ing at the top of her vuice forbelp. Mr. Large, and
also some cottagers living near, all rushed to
meet her. Upon arriving at the bank of the river,
Mr. Large could see the body of one of the children
in a pool formed like a little bay between some bushes
and the bank, and with the aid of a pole he brought
it to the surface and out of the water. This proved
to be the body of the eldest girl, evidently quite dead.
Then, continuing the search, he found the lifeless
body of the little boy at the bottom of the same pool.
Every means was resorted to for recovering the body
of the third child, Maud. A boat from Bridge Sollars
Ferry was procured to continue the search, and
messages were sent to other points down the river as
far as Hereford. The two bodies which were re-
covered were carried home, and Mr. Atkinson,
surgem was fetched with all alacrity, but he could
do nothing. The inquiry was adjourned.