1914-07-14ara

For young Hamiltonians in 1914, a swim in the bay was welcome when the heat of the summer arrived.

The quality of the water was not all that good in the parts of the bay close to the city proper, but a row across the bay to one of the north shore coves led to water perfect for a swim.

As the heat was intense on Juy 12, 1914, three men decided to head out for a swim, in a sheltered area where swim suits were optional.

The account of their strange experience follows, as published in the Spectator of July 14, 1914:

“Last Saturday afternoon, three young men rowed across the bay, intending to beach their boat and go in for a swim. They beached the boat just east of Carroll’s point, and while preparing for a swim, noticed a man walking toward them.

“The stranger spoke to one of the three saying they had better not go around the point to swim, as a party of women were bathing there.

“The three men folded their clothing and laid it in a neat pile on the stones of the beach, and then pushed out from shore, preparing to having their dip from the boat.

“When a few yards from shore, the young man at the tiller end of the boat noticed a little tongue of flame rising from the beach close to their clothes, and the strange man walking hastily to where a motor boat party of both men and women waited about a hundred and fifty yards to the east.

“The three in the boat pit to shore and found that the stranger had kindled a fire in some brush wood about a yard or so from the pile of clothing, his apparent intention being that the clothing of the three swimmers should be burned while they were away.

“But for the keen observation of one of the party, there would have been no clothing in which to return.”¹

 ¹ “Strange Action : Unknown Man Tried to Set Bathers’ Clothes on Fire.”

Hamilton Spectator.   July 15, 1914.