Fatal Accident at the Wanganui Heads

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 35, 25 March 1884, Page 2

Fatal Accident at the Wanganui Heads

Two fishermen named . G.mnp^Bnjtten and Robert Scotch mer, whose face* *nd forms were quite familiar to almost everybody in town, were drownect Outside^ the heads between 11 and 11 o'clbcU.o'h jSujjidaj morning. The sad )»e»rß, was broach t to town by two young men, meiubers f pf the Wanganui Bowing Clvb ' (Meswa Kruse and Jones*), who happened .tpjoe down the river at the time the accident happened. It appears that <th e.fuhermen had recently become a little reckless % going out over the bar in a small 1 boat ito filth, regardless of the weather. i' The mteri were seen to go outside the heads -pre. sumably with the object of fishing — about 7.30 o'clock yesterday morning and/they were not subsequently observed' Hm til about 11 .80, when a lad, a" sDn^ojr r iMCr Jerikinsj at the pilot station, Baw them trying to come in. Observing ; fjiat itHSyr were in great danger, heat. ence j^are, s£• alarm, and Mr Irrin^ the j)iio|, lost "no time in getting out the pilp^ljKjat; wh;ic|i, manned by somfe strong men (Pilot Irvine handling the steer oar), went rapidly out to attempt a rescue. Mr4ccine.rgot.half way over the bar, but coiild find no trace of either the boat or the men ;a>d afterwards returned, though bar was very rough, with a similar result., Shortly afterwards the Go-Ahead 'arrived" off (be bar, and Mr Irvine signaWed.iniFormmg ncr of the' accident. jT&e ffiapis:ijjyi crossed the bar twice," of either the boat, or its occupants found. A look-out was pu^.japvaj^ ihp masthead, but nothing could be seen nod the steamer soon afterwar^.oame up to town.' * TJjr to the 'time^-of "our to press no news^ad^ been, ed of the recovery of the bodies, which will probably be waßhed;ashore. ;f T ( hetbpatj9 said to, have caught the sea sidewajTS j on, agd j being swamped she; iimmediatelyi jbeehpl over. . The moo crossed the b*r oo tw*rd* •about 7.30 6'clook> and attempted to:<r«turn! 'about 1180 6'ctecfc, ihouffikhoj usually waited till the tide commeiie^dHb flow 1 inwards, which' yesterdmjylwoftM hkv« "been, about 1 2^.pjiri. r it^a*rt' first thought thata^ sbn.of'Britt^n'i ira^ihlj^e boat, but it is said that he was m .townit the time of th«. occurrence^ and fortunately was not one of the ill-fated occupants. Scotchmer was : a, itingle man but Britten leaves a wife and three children. The wife is in the Wellington Lunatict Asylum. ' AThe '< news :of ' the i accSlent^ caused considerable' excitement in foirn jesterdaf A-bhronicle: - F 'f V l