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Tragedy of the River.

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Tragedy of the River. Fatal Boating Accident in the I Conway. Pleasure Party Capsized. Promising Young Student Loses His Life. All hearts go out in sympathy to Dr. R. W. Phillips, Professor of Botany at Bangor Uni- versity, and Mrs. Phillips in the sad bereave- ment which has befallen rthem with such tragic suddenness. Their son, Gerald, a promising student aged sixteen, was one of a merry party who went for a sail on the River Conway yesterday. A sud- den squall capsized the boat, but although all the party were got to shore by their rescuers, the young man died as a consequence of the long exposure. We desire to express our sincere sympathy with Dr. and Mrs. Phillips in their great loss, and with the relatives and friends at Cymryd who have had such a sorrowful experience. The circumstances under which 'the young life was lost are fully described by our reporter. Yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, a shocking boating accident occurred on the River Conway, at a poinrt. about a mile above Glan Conway railway station, by which a promising young student lost his life. Mr. Glynne Jones, the Registrar of the Bangor Bankruptcy and County Courts, resides with his family at Cymryd Ucha', near Conway, which is situated within a few hundred yards of the river's bank. For pleasure purposes, he keeps a rowing boat, and the young people staying at Cymryd Ucha' are frequently to be seen enjoying themselves on the river. Shortly after noon yesterday (Wednesday), Mr. Glynne Jones went out in the boat accom- panied by Eryl Glynne (his eldest daughter), Gwervyl P. Williams (daughter of Mr. W. P. "VViilliamSj Caeronen, Bangor), Lloyd Davies (a son of Mrs. Glynne Jones' brother, who is in this country from Australia to complete his education), and Gerald Phillips, the only son of Professor Phillips, Professor of Botany at Bangor University. From all accounts, an ex- cellent start was made, and a somewhat large sail was hoisted. When some distance from land, a sudden squall caught the sail, and just as the boat was capsizing, Mr. Glynne Jones called out to the young people to jump into the water clear of the boat. This they gallantly did, and afterwards the order was given to cling to the upturned boat. This was also obeyed, and, taking into consideration their perilous position, the young people are to be highly complimented for their plucky conduct. On the bank of the river near Cymryd were Mrs. Glynne Jones and Mrs. Gwynedd Roberts (who resides at Cymryd) and Miss Phillips (a sister of Master Gerald Phillips), who was spending a few days with the Rev. and Mrs. T. Gwynedd Roberts. They saw the perilous posi- tion of the boating party, but could do nothing to assist them. The driver of a goods train making his way to Llanrwst saw the upturned boat floating in the river as he was passing, and also saw the party clinging to the side of it. On his arrival at Talycafn he immediately reported the matter rto the stationmaster, who in turn. telegraphed, back to Glan Conway. Mr. Lane, the station. master, scanned the large stretch of water from the platform, and seeing an upturned boat and (two figures sitting on it, he immediately sent one of the porters to call John Hughes, a boat- man, and he, accompanied by a boatman named Enoch Hugihes, got to the shore in a very few minutes, and fortunately .their boat was not left dry by the tide, or very likely some precious minutes would have been wasted in carrying the boat to the water's edge. Both men pulled wilth all their might against a strong receding tide and a strong wind. In the meantime, Mr. Harold Rathbone, who is staying at Glan Conway, had witnessed the perilous position of the party, and with con- siderable pluck and daring he rushed for the shore, and, divesting himself of nearly the whole of his clothing, entered the water, despite its being bitterly cold, and swam out a long dis- tance to a small yacht which was anchored in the river. He got aboard, and with difficulty he drew up the anchor and set sail, but the boat was too difficult for him to manage alone, and it drifted considerably with the tide. Mr. Rathbone, however, got near the rescue party, and rendered all possible assistance, although he was suffering considerably from exposure. By this time the Glan. Conway rowing boat had reached the scene of the disaster. They found the whole party clinging to the upturned boat, and first of all they got Mr. Glynne Jones aboard. Next they hoisted Miss Eryl Glynne and Gwervyl P. Williams, who were followed by Master Lloyd Davies. Finding their small craft overloaded, the boatmen could not take in Master Gerald Phillips in case they might all be siwamped, and they instructed him to hold on to the upturned boat, which the party towed behind them. They pulled for the shore as quickly as pos- sible, but the tide was too strong, and they drifted to a point some hundred yards below Glan Conway station. By this time another boat, manned by Robert Hughes, of Glan Conway, stood by to render assistance, and another boat had also come UD from Conway. On the Glan Conway shore a large crowd of villagers had gathered round to render all possi- ble assistance. Mr. Glynne Jones and the three rescued who were in the boat with him, were saifely landed and carried to the Conway Vale Hotel, and Mr. Enoch Hughes waded waist deep to fetch Master Gerald, who was stiffened with the cold. They were all provided with rooms at the Hotel, but Master Gerald was in a serious state, and artificial respiration was resorted to by a number of ambulance men. Doctors were immedliately telegraphed for, the first to arrive on the scene being Dr. Neville V. Williams, who is acting locum for Dr. R. Arthur-Prichard, Conway. He was followed by Dr. Jones, Llandudno Junction, and afterwards came Dr. J. R. Williams, Conway. All the medical gentlemen gave their whole hearted attention to the party, but the only cases to give any anxiety were those of Mr. Glynne Jones and Master Gerald Phillips, the latter being in the more serious state. The others, however, had fairly well recovered from the shock of the im- mersion. Later, Mr. Glynne Jones came round' and was able to recognise his friend, Mr. David Owen, Bangor, who had heard of the disaster whilst on his way to recuperate his health at Llandudno. Not so with Master Gerald. The doctors and ambulance men spent some hours with ham, and all hopes were given up about four o'clock, the medical gentlemen pronouncing life to be extinct. A gun metal watch found on the body of the youth had stopped at seven minutes past one. P.O. Williams (48) who is stationed at Glan Conway rendered valuable service before the arrival of the doctors. Superintendent Beres- ford, Colwyn Bay, who was travelling by the 2.1Q p.m. train, alighted, and also rendered all possible assistance. THE STATIONMASTER'S STORY. Mr. Lane, gtatiommiaster at Glan Conway, who first heard of the catastrophe, told a Weekly News representative that about one o'clock he received a telegraph message from Talycafn that there was a boat in distress, they having received the news from the driver of a goods train, who saw the upturned boat and the party clinging to it. He immediately sent a porter in search of John Hughes, and in a very few minutes Hughes, together with Enoch Hughes, appeared on the beach, and had got off their small boat to the rescue. They were the two best boatmen in the village, and they soon made headway against the strong receding tide. He saw the boat with the keel up, and he could see two. figures only, and they must have been the two young ladiies, who were sitting on the upturned boat. The boatmen were exceedingly smart in the way they turned out, and but for them there must have been a more serious tale to' tell. He saw the rescue party returning with the rescued, and the last of these was got ashore as the 2.19 train was leaving Glan Conway station. The boat- men. must have had to pull a good mile up the river to the scene of the accident. In an interview shortly after the rescue party and rescued came ashore, Mr. Enoch Hughes, one of the boatmen, said that a railway porter informed him and John Hughes that there was a boat in distress off the Black Point. Thev immediately ran to the shore, and fortunately the tide had not receded so far as to necessitate thedr carrying their boat to the. water. Against a strong receding tide, they pulled for the up- turned boat which they could see in the dis- tance. When they got there, they found an elderly gentleman, two young ladies, and two young men clinging to the side of the boat. The two young ladies were on the keel of the up- turned boat. They fir,st got Mr. Glynne Jones into their craft, and then safely got the two young ladies, and Master Lloyd Davies. As it was, there were too many in their boat already, and they were compelled to leave the other young gentleman clinging to the boat in z, the water, for if they took him also on board, they would undoubtedly have siwamped their own boat, owing to it being overloaded. They, however, took the upturned boat in tow with young Phillips clinging to it, and with difficulty they landed just below Glan Coniway railway station, with the assistance of another boat brought out by Robert Hughes, and also a boat from Conway, which had come to the rescue. The young man Phillips was still in the water, and it could be seen that he was stiff with the cold. He (the speaker) waded waist deep, and managed to bring him safely ashore. The party wanted to go to the other side of the river after they had been rescued, but he shouted out Any port. Never mind where we land, so long as we get ashore," and they pulled with all their might for the Gian Conway shore. Their boat was fourteen feet in length, and they were afraid of the young man, who was being towed, jumping into it and causing a terrible catas- trophe. The boat was only capable of accom- modating four persons, and there were six in it at the time. The weather was very rough and squally and the water was bitterly cold. The upturned boat carried a very big sail for its size, and it was all intact at the present time as it lay on the beach, after having been left high and dry by the receding tide. If they had been a quarter of an hour Later, the whole party must either have been drowned or have died from exposure. The Rev. T. Gwynedd Roberts, Cymryd, pro- ceeded post haste to Bangor to inform the parents of the sad fate of their promising young son. Professor Phillips, however, had already heard of the accident, and he, accompanied by Mr. Thornton Jones, Bangor, visited the Con- way Vale Hotel, where the body of his son lay. The upturned boat, together with the yacht in which Mr. Rathbone attempted the rescue, are to be seen lying together on a mud bank some distance from the shore. It is probable that an inquest on the body of Master Gerald Phillips will be held on FrÏdlay next. On going to press, we learni that Mr. Glynne Jones, and the three other rescued members of the party are making very satisfactory progress after their terrible experience.

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