The Fatal Accident at Sea.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1695, 24 July 1875, Page 2

The Fatal Accident at Sea.

FULL PARTICULAES

We are indebted to Captain H. F. Anderson for baing allowed to extract from a letter received from Mr John Darrach, of Mahurangi, the following full particulars of the fatal acccident on board the Eihel brigantine :—"lt appears that when handy or alongside the Hen and Chickens, off Wangarei, the weather almost a calm, the topgallant-sail furled, and all the other canvass set, the head of the fore-topmast broke short off, beginning on the after side at the shoulder under tho tresailtrees, and coming clean off at the lower part of the eheavc-holo on the for'ard side. The topgallant-mast and yard then hung on to the upper topsail-yard. The tie of that yard was stuck in the splinters of the sheave-bole and would not run, so they set to work to cut the shackle of the topsail tie, so as to lower the whole affair down on deck, having, before doing this, lashed one of the purchase blocks to the topmast below the sheave-hole to tike the weight off the tie. Moir, the second mate, and a man named Baker (who had been shipped in Auckland) were aloft cutting the hhackle, the captain at the wheel, the vessel going before a light breeze, Moir was straddle-legs across the upper topsail-yard, the other man standing outside of Moir on the foot-rope. As soon as Moir got the shackle cut, the hook of the purchase block (a 1-i-in. luff hook) broke Equare off, aud down came the whole fabric, and brought up on the top of the forecap. Moir, who had the hammer and chitel iv his hand, found himself holding on to the topmast rigging. The captain just got a glimpse of the other man just as he scruck the water. He says the falling man struck the water on all-fours or face lirst; he came to the surface at once on his back, paddling with his handy, but never spoke. The captain threw him the lifebuoy epiite close, but he made no effort to catch it. Of course the vessel was brought to the wind and a boat lowered, but there were no signs of either the drowning man or life-buoy. Both Moir and Hauley (our half-caste) went to the mast-head to look for the drowning man, but could not see him. It appeais singular that in a forenoon of a fine day, cilm weather and smooth sea, that neither the man or the boy could be found, but such appears to be the case, and it also appears mysterious tbut the mast should have withstood ail the rough stormy weather to Canterbury and back, and should give way, with no sail set above it, on a line day." It would appear from this that the topmast of the Ethel must have been sprung on her last voyage without Captain MoLeod being aware of it. The Eihel, afser having had a new topmast fitted by Messrs. Darrach and Son, left Mahurangi in prosecution of her voyage on Friday morning.