THE LATE BOAT ACCIDENT.

Evening Star, Issue 3518, 2 June 1874, Page 3

THE LATE BOAT ACCIDENT.

At the inquest at Port Chalmers yesterday on the bodies of Frank Cassells and A. Skene, who were drowmdby the upsetting of a boat in tho harbor on tbe 25th u.t., the following evidence was given :— ; John Strougbach, one of the survivors, said the boat capsized when opposite tbe black buoy, below Burke’s. An oar had been used to boom the sail out, aud happened to carry away, and two others of them reached over to catch it, and the boat capsized. The sail jibed at the time. The boat turned over several times. When she righted the first time Davis took a turn with the main sheet for some of them to hold on to. Cassells and Skene clung to him when the boat capsized. They all went down together. The capsize wai purely accidental. He could not say who was in charge of the boat, or who was steering. Gottfried and another cai or were aft. Did not think that the ah:ret was fast when the boat capsized. Had been out in a boat in worse weather than that on the day in question. Did not think that the boat would have capsized if the men had not tried to catch the oar. Ernest Gottfried, lighterman, steered the boat on the day in question. The sprit of the sail was taken down on the way, at.d an oar was used to boom the sail out. The oar broke just as the boat was near the black buoy, and two of the men tried to c itcb it. As they oid so the sail jibed and the boat capsized. All hands clung to V* e boat, but she turned over several times, and they were as often washed off. Witness and Leuton then started to swim for the, /shore. Lenton swam up the harbor, against the wind and tide, and very shortly wituess heard him scream, aud saty him go dowm Witness reached the shore. He only went in the boat to accommodate the others ; boat sailing was no pleasure to him. He believed if he had insisted on the sail being taken in the accident would have been avoided. Ho was nominally in charge of the boat, but then the owners of her were on ho ird and it was difficu t to have all done that he wanted. Home of them objected to taking the sail in, they thought the boat was going along so pleasantly, and a iked witness what he was frightened at. He was of opinion that the sail jjsnould not have been Si t. The sheet was not fa«t, but it had been knotted, and the knot jammed in the cleet. Ali han’s were sober ; there was nothing in way of liquor in the boat excepting a bottle of g nger wine. William MTntyre, who went to the rescue of the survivors, said ou going to the boat, he found that ihe main sheet was fast in the inner elect.

As stated in last night’s issue, a verdict of “accidentally drowned"’ was returned, the jury adding a rider to the effect that they thought it was an bisque act to attempt to sail about on such a day as the 25tb ult. either of the other two bodies had been recovered up to four o’clock this afternoon