The Story Of A Youthful Hero And A Gallant Mother...Subiaco Boating Tragedy (1906).
This post is a continuation of the previous post about a boating tragedy on the Swan River where five young people from Subiaco tragically lost their lives in 1906.
In 1906, Western Australian local newspapers reported on a boating accident on the Swan River where five young people from Subiaco lost their lives. The boat named the "Sadie", was an eighteen foot yacht that left Crawley with sixteen passengers for a two day cruise on the Swan River.
The party left on a Sunday and sailed to Crawley where they camped for the night. The following morning on a Monday, the yacht capsized somewhere between Applecross and Crawley. There were attempts to rescue the passengers and crew by others on boats on the Swan River and by the water police at the time.
On the 27 October, 1906 the Express newspaper reported on the accident. Harry Chandler was aboard the yacht with his mother Ellen and sisters May and Rose. The family lived in Heytesbury-road, Subiaco. His sister Rose Chandler who was 15 years of age died in the tragedy. The article credited Harry with saving two lives.
The article also writes about the heroism of Mrs Elizabeth Gunning when trying to save her son Alfred. On the boat were Mrs Elizabeth Gunning and her children Alfred and Ethel. The family lived at the corner of Hensman Road and Onslow Road, Subiaco. Alfred who was 22 years of age also died in the tragedy.
In a search on Trove shows that a Harry Chandler of Subiaco enlisted in World War One. He died in 1918 as a result of his wounds gained in action. A post about Harry Chandler is coming up.
The articles is from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
The Express, 27 October, 1906.
5 Subiaco Residents Drowned.
LAMENTABLE RIVER FATALITY.
A YOUTHFUL HERO.
GALLENT MOTHER.
"...A HERO. A notable feature of the awful tragedy was a commendable act of bravery on the part of Harry Chandler. As soon as he was plunged with the rest into the water, he set about with a determined effort to assist his mother and two sisters, Rose and May. He is a fairly strong swimmer, and immediately made for his mother, who was struggling some distance away from him. He managed to secure and pilot her to the edge of the boat, where she grasped a convenient spar and held on till rescue came.
Then Henry Chandler directed his attention to his sister May, aged 9 years, and with a great effort managed also to convey her to a temporary place of safety. His sister Rose he observed to be in an exhausted state near the stern of the boat, and he made for her with all despatch. The force of the waves, however, in the meantime had moved the boat, hiding the girl from her brother's gaze, and there he had gained the spot, where he had last seen her, she had gone under and was seen no more. The young hero was terribly exhausted by this time and, being unable to find any trace of his doomed sister, was compelled to clutch the Sadie's gunwale to save himself...
Mrs Gunning performed an ACT OF HEROISM in what proved to a fruitless effort to save the life of her boy, Alfred. The young man was about to sink, when his mother swam to his assistance. For some time the brave and loving mother buoyed up her boy, but at length her strength gave out, and the waves closed over one for whom she had risked her life..."
