PRIEST'S HEROISM

Early on Saturday morning (says the "Freeman" of December 18th, an act- of splendid heroism was performed by a Redemptorist Priest. Father Lowham, in Clonard Monastery, was awakened by piteous cries from a large pond adjoining the Monastery. The night was stormy and the brave Redemptorist was unable to locate the cries. Shouting out "What's wrong?" an appealing voice came from the water—"Quick; I'm drowning."

Father Lowham immediately threw on some outer garments, rushed down to the edge of the water, there heard a faint sigh in the distance, and in a twinkling the priest had off his outer robe, plunged into the water, about ten feet deep and foul with the accumulation of mechanical works refuse. After swimming about some time a few powerful strokes brought him near a drowning woman who caught him by the throat-band of the shirt. Both went down, but being an expert swimmer, Father Lowham succeeded in bringing the drowning being to the bank, where, with the help of other members of the community, she was drawn out of the water.

After restoration had revived the half-famished woman she was conveyed in an ambulance to the Royal Hospital. The rescued woman, a spinner, arrived in Belfast from Lurgan in search of work and stumbled in the darkness into the water by the mill. A number of large mills are in the neighborhood of the Monastery.

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