SAD CASE OF DROWNING.

HEROIC ATTEMPT AT RESCUE. 

On Monday evening a melancholy case of drowning occurred at Newbury , the incident being the sadder from the fact that strenuous efforts to rescue the child were unsuccessful. It appears that about six o’clock, a small boy of eight summers named Frederick Smart was fishing from the wooden bridge which crosses the stream hard by the Conservative Club.

With a perversity that frequently attends the attempts of the juvenile angler, the line became detached from the rod and began floating away.  Getting another and longer rod from a companion, he clambered on the railings of the bridge and in his endeavour to reach his first disappearing line he toppled over. His companion who was 10 years of age very properly raised an alarm and ran to the cottage of the lock-keeper but he was not at home. 

Mr Munday, the Town Hall keeper,  hearing the cry of distress came up, and at once got down the drag which is placed on the east side of Newbury bridge.  Then the lock-keeper, who was at work in the adjoining house, came up and they both tried their hardest to reach the boy, but the drag was not long enough and was found too heavy for the quick manipulation. The body meanwhile had drifted over the other side of the river and was being carried by the current down the stream. The lock-keeper now went to fetch his long weed rake with which he was successful in reaching the body. 

Meanwhile Mr Herbert Comyns had pluckily jumped into the river below the bridge and was swimming upstream but the current at this part is very strong and when he arrived at the place the boy had sunk Mr Comyns made several attempts to dive but owing to the strength of the current and weighted by his clothes he was unsuccessful, and by the time the weed rake had secured the body he was quite exhausted. The body was brought to shore and laid on some straw at the back of Mr Hawkins’ shop and PC Jones resorted to artificial respiration. These measures were continued by Drs. Douglas and Wyllie who shortly arrived on the spot.  All these humane efforts were unfortunately without avail, the sp[ark of life was manifestly extinct and the dead body was taken to the mortuary on the police stretcher.

THE INQUEST

The inquest was held in the police court by the Borough Coroner, Dr Henry Watson JP, and jury of whom Mr Frederick Wise was chosen foreman. 

School

The first witness was the father Frederick Smart who identified the body. He last saw his son on Monday dinner time when the lad was going to school.

Reginald Bartlett said he was fishing with Smart on Monday evening between five and six on the bridge close to the Conservative club. Smart’s line fell off the rod and so he took witness’s rod and tried to reach it but in doing so fell over the bridge. There was only another boy near at the time.  Witness ran to the lock-keeper’s cottage but nobody was at home. Mr. Munday came up and got the drag and the lock-keeper also arrived.

John Ferris, the keeper at Newbury Lock, deposed that about five minutes to six on Monday evening he was working in the house formally occupied by the late Mr Osgood, and was told that there was somebody in the river. He ran out and saw Mr Munday the Town Hall keeper with the drag. This was not long enough so witness went for his weed rake but the body was still out of reach.  He handed the rake over the wall to Mr Hawkins’ back place and went through the house and got there. The body could be seen at the bottom of the river and after one or two tries they got it, Mr. Comyns had jumped into the river below the bridge and swam upstream but was unable to get to the body and was quite done up. The body was taken into the back of Mr Hawkins’ shop and a doctor sent for.

Dr. Wyllie said that on Monday evening just before six he was sent for, and when he got to the place PC Jones was trying artificial respiration which he took over and alternately with Dr Douglas continued for about 20 minutes, but life was quite extinct. Death was caused by suffocation through drowning.  A verdict to this effect was returned.

A USELESS DRAG

At the conclusion of the evidence the corner remarked that it was not a bit of good having a drag which was not long enough and the Lockkeeper said it was a very heavy and useless thing it was it wanted a longer pole and smaller irons that one would fetch a horse out of the river the corner said that the jury should make a representation to the council calling attention to the uselessness of the existing drag.

Mr. Munday, who was on the jury, said there ought to be a drag on the wall of the Conservative Club because that was the most awkward place. If the drag had been long enough he could have saved the boy.  Another juror said that the rails on the bridge were not high enough.

The Coroner spoke in very high terms of Mr Comyns’ act.  He thought it was a most plucky thing for him to jump into the river with his clothes on and they should command his conduct.  The Coroner further promised to write to the Town Council saying that in the opinion of the jury a drag should be kept on the Conservative Club and be longer and lighter than the existing one. 

The forman of the jury asked if they could inform the Royal Humane Society of Mr Comyns’ deed, and the Coroner said that the jury should write through the foreman, whereupon the inquest terminated.

Reading Mercury - Saturday 24 June 1899

SAD CASE OF DROWNING AT NEWBURY. On Tuesday evening the Newbury Borough Coroner (Dr. Henry Watson) held inquest at the Police court on the body of a child named Frederick Smart, aged eight years, the son of a labourer employed by the Newbury Corporation, who was drowned in the Canal, close to Newbury Bridge, while fishing, on the previous evening Frederick Smart, labourer, living in Union-court, identified the body of his son, whom he last saw alive at about half-past one on Monday afternoon, when was going to school. Reginald Bartlett, living in New-square, Bartholomew-street, stated that about five o'clock Monday afternoon he was fishing with deceased, when his (deceased's) line fell from his rod into the river near Conservative Club, and he got on the railings of the bridge to reach it and fell in. There were no people about at the time. Witness ran for tho lock-keeper, but could not make him hear. The deceased had been in the water about five minutes when a man came with a drag and tried to find the body. John Ferris, lock-keeper, deposed that between five and six o'clock en Monday evening lady came to him to say there was Utile boy in the water. Witness ran to the spot and saw that Mr. Munday, the Town Hall keeper, had got a drag. Witness saw the boy in the water, but he was unable to reach him with the drag, he procured a long-handled weed-rake, with which he succeeded in getting body out. Mr

 Herbert Comyns (of Church Brothers) jumped into the Canal, but the water was too deep to allow him to dive to the bottom. The body was taken out and the doctor sent for. Mr. R. G. Wyllie, surgeon, said that just before six o'clock Monday afternoon ho was called to see a child who had been recovered from the river. P.c. Jones was trying artificial resniration. Witness for 20 minutes tried to bring the boy round, but there were no signs of life. Death was due to suffocation, caused by drowning. 

The Coroner, in summing up, commented strongly the fact that the drag was useless, inasmuch as was not long enough to stretch halfway the river, and too heavy for ono man use. That part of the river was very dangerous, and the current was strong, and the present arrangements for life-saving seemed totally inadequate. The thanks of the jury must be presented to Mr. Comyns for his heroic attempt to save the child's life, with all his clothes on. The Coroner said he would make an application the Town Council for the proper provision of life-saving appliances. 

The jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally Drowned," and fully concurred with the Coroner's observations. 

A Child Drowned. —On Tuesday evening Dr. H. Watson, Borough Coroner, held an inquest in the Borough Magistrates’ room on the body of Frederick Smart, aged 7, who was drowned the previous evening about six o'clock falling into the Kennet and Avon Canal at the rear of the Working Men’s Conservative Club. 

The following depositions were taken after the jury had viewed the body at the mortuary: 

—Frederick Smart identified the body as that of his son. (Witness is a labourer in the employ of the Corporation).

—Reginald Bartlett, aged 10. said he was out fishing with the deceased last evening between five and six. He got over the railings at the bridge, close to the Conservative Club house. The line fell off his rod, and deceased took witness’s rod to endeavour to get it out. fell into the water. There was only another boy by his side at the time. He ran for Mr. Ferris, lock-keeper. There was no one in at the time. Deceased was in the water about five minutes before any assistance arrived. Then Mr. Munday came with the drag. The body had by this time floated down Newbury Bridge. 

- John Ferris, lock-keeper, in the employ of the Canal Company, said the previous day about a few minutes to six he was informed that a boy was in the water. Ho ran out, and saw Munday there with drag. The drag was not long enough. He saw the body in the water. He then fetched his long handle weed rake. Then they could not reach the body from the bank. Thev got at the body with the rake from the cellar of Mr. Hawkings. From that point they got the body out. Mr. H. Comyns jumped into the water and handed the body to them from the rake. He was spent with his endeavours in diving for the body, but he could not reach it.

—Dr. Wiley saw the body just before six Mr. Hawkins’ cellars, which is level with the river.— P.C. Jones was trying artificial respiration, and he took the case over and did the same. There were never any signs of life. He persevered for about twenty minutes alternately with Dr. Douglas, who was also present. Death was caused drowning.

—A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical testimony.

— From a remark of the Coroner, with reference to rescue, the lock-keeper said the drag at the old rectoy was too heavy: the irons on it were heavy enough drag a horse out of the water. The handle was not light enough. The handle might 20 feet long with light iron work.

—The jury desired the Coroner write to the Council embodying these recommendations.— Mr. said he could have rescued the body had the drag been long enough.

—The Coroner also said the conduct of Mr. Comyns was most heroic, and deserved the highest praise, and he would convey the thanks the jury to Mr. Comyns.

—lt was considered necessary that a proper drag should be kept on either side the bridge.