A SPEEDY BURIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 948, 21 May 1883, Page 2

A SPEEDY BURIAL.

Reference was made in our telegraphic columns the other day to an event which happened on the last voyage of the Manapouri from New Zealand to Hobart, when one of the passengers died and was buried at sea within a few hours’ steaming of Hobart. “The Hobart Mercuty states that much astonishment and indignation was expressed at this hasty burial. The name of the passenger was John McKay, by trade a compositor, who joined the Manapouri at Lyttelton as a steerage passenger to Hobart. He had been drinking heavily for some time, and the cessation of drinking resulted in McKay going into delirium tremens. On Sunday, the day after the vessel took her departure from the Bluff, he broke out. Captain Logan told off a man to keepastrict look-out upon McKay, as it was thought that he might at any moment make an attempt to jump overboard in his delirium. At length he

found necessary' to put a straightjacket upon him. As night came on he grew worse kn’d worse, and becoming very weak the straight-jacket was removed. .He kept on sinking, and it sas /patent that- the man was dying. Death took place about half an hoift after . nftdnigkt-' -on Tuesday,' - with in three hours^ ; ot Tasmania. The death was’ Reported by the officer of. theJUMddwlb, Captain --Logan,-- who replied that. he : would bury the body when he- came on watch at 4 o’clock. When that event occurred the steamer was in sight of Cape Pillar. Captain Logan states that the corpse was then ■ becoming black rapidly, and was causing a very offensive smell. The body was committed to the deep about midway between the Pillar and Cape Raoul, the Church of England burial service for persons dying at sea having been read by Captain Logan. Upon arrival Captain Logan reported the death to the Police Department, as well as that of an infant which was buried almost simultaneously with McKay at the request of its parents, who were passengers to Melbourne, and registered the two deaths as by law required. But there was one thing he did not do, and which may yet have to be explained t)y him to the port authorities. In making his official report of the passage to Captain Riddle, the harbormaster for this port, no mention whatever was made of the two deaths which occurred on the trip, and which, it would seem, is demanded by a section of the Quaran-: tine Act, In the column bearing the, head ‘ Remarks ’ Captain Logan wrote: in * Nil.’ With the exception just referred to it seems that Captain Logan did all he was required to by the strict! letter of the law of the land. Amongst, McKay’s property were several * letters from his mother, bearing the postmark of Wick, Scotland, the latest date being March, 1882. Deceased, who was about 35 years old, is believed to have been a single man, as his mother in her letters made no reference to a wife or children. Just before joining the Mana- ! ppuri at Lyttelton the deceased was seen to take his farewell of a female friend who had accompanied him to to the ship.” The Marine Board at Hobart have since exonerated: Captain Logan from blame in the affair.