THE SCOW WHAKAPA CAPSIZES
Captain Bonner and Four Men,
Drowned.
(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)
Gisborne, September 29.
A telephone message received from the coast to-day says that the scow Whakapa, having been temporarily repaired, was floated off the beach yesterday and set sail for Auckland. The wind not being favourable, she did not make much headway. At 1.80 p.m. she was off Tuparoa showing signals of distress. The To Anau had passed the scow half an hour before, but no signals were hoisted then. The only boat at Tuparoa would bo unable to live in the sea.
Gisborne. This Day. News has been received from Awanui that the scow Whakapa floated off, but capsized between East Island and the mainland. The crew clung to her for two hours and were washed off. Four, including Captain Benner, were drowned and one got ashore safely. A native, who brought the information, forgot to enquire the name. The Maoris are now searching for the bodies.
Captain Bonner was well-kown in Gisborne and was for some time second officer of the Union Company’s Kiaora. By a strange coincidence his father who was _ master of the scow Oban and lost her in Pelorus Sound a week or two ago, with another son had cling to the capsized vessel for several hours before being rescued,
There are no Europeans living in the vicinity, and the bodies will probably be buried where they are found without an inquest. It is impossible to ascertain the names of the crew here, for though they spent several weeks at Tokomaru and became well-known, nobody seems to have enquired their names. A blacksmith named Double joined the vessel at Tokomaru with the intention of working his passage to Auckland, and is believed to have been drowned.
The passage between East Island and the Cape is narrow and dangerous, and it is thought that Bonner lost control of the vessel and was driven in there.
The accident took place within sight of the lighthouse, but the keepers would be unable to render any assistance. Bonner was only married five months ago, flis ■yyifp resides at Nelson,
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Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 30 September 1901, Page 3
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353THE SCOW WHAKAPA CAPSIZES Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 30 September 1901, Page 3
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