BOATING DISASTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1900, 9 October 1906, Page 3

BOATING DISASTER.

There is a body still unrccovered. There was no register of the passengers taken, and jrcat confusion was the result It had

to bo ascertained who were known to have mado the trip. Following is u list of tho persons drowned: -Edward Nash, laborer, single, aged tiy, au ex-member of a Victorian contingent, and afterwards n member of tho Johannesburg police; his father believed to be sergeant of polieo in Melbourne district, Victoria. Nash was late of l’rahran, a suburb of Molbourno. John Hinghman, a shearer, single, agod about 40. Ho had been about tho district off and on for ton years. He has sisters in Now South Wales; it is bolioved at Wavorloy, a suburb of Sydney. W. J. Barker, married, his family residing at Martinborough, Wairarapa, recently from Buckingham, London, aged about GO.

Herbert Osgood Berry, married, aged about 30, a native of Blenheim, leaves a wife and four young children, exclusive of one missing. Berry had been employed in the Bohally woolworks for about 17 years. Deceased was a vice-president I of tho Blenheim Working Men’s Club. I Edward Baldwin, aged about 45, husband of Mrs Baldwin, already mentioned. Ho had been in the colony about twenty [ years, and was well-known in Eangiora district. He recently came into a big property at Home, and was just about to return to claim it. Mrs Baldwin, aged about 50, wifo of Edward Baldwin, above mentioned. There arc no children-

Mrs Jackson, wife of Jas Jackson (absent in tho country). Her three young children were saved.

Westley Batchott, aged nine, son of George Batchott, proprietor of the launch (who was driving the engine). There is still missing a young son of H. Lorry, already mentioned. A public funeral will be held on Wed nesday afternoon. The body of the boy Harry Berry, aged 8, son of tho man drowned, was recovered early this afternoon. Dragging has now been suspended, no others being reported missing. The coroner’s jury held a preliminary enquiry this morning, and adjourned till to-morrow morning McKiuley, who is in the hospital, is rapidly recovering.

HOW TEE DISASTER OOOURREI.

PRESS ASSOCIATION

Blenheim. laet night, Passengers leaning on tha rail, whioh gave way, preeipiiat.d about a dozen into the water. The suddenness of the disaster oaused a panic. Those thrown into the wivier clutched a; each other, making rescue impossible. About six, mostly boys, were rescued, aud tiino lives less. E-ght bodies wore rescued et 10 30 pm. On Sunday. The body of the boy Berry was discovered at 1 o’clock to day, Tbe community is . greatly sheckod at the terrible oaiamity, which is unprecedented in the history of Marlborough. The police and helpers are indefatigable in the work oi resous. Everything possible was dona to save life, and no blame ie attachable So anyone. A public funeral will be hold on Wednesday,

OPENING GE HEW SCHOOL

SUCCESSFUL OEREMONY,

A large and representative gathering asecmblcd at the now Gisborne school yesterday morning for tho official opening. In addition to tbo Parliamentary party, there were also presont- his Worship the Mayor, members of tho Gisborne School Committee, and several gentlemen from the Hawke’s Bay Education Board. Toe sohool children were mar* shelled in front of the building, while the City Oisdsts, about 60 etrong, were drawn up outside the railings. Tho City Band was also in attendance, and played a selection before the proceedings earnmenoed. The bright, young face3'of the children and the spick and span appearanoe of tha cadets gave tbe gathering a bright aspect, and tho funotion passod off very successfully, Tbe proceedings were opened by Mr John Somervell, chairman of tbe Gisborne Sohool Ccmmittre, who said they had gathered there to-day to open their new school. He would like to refer back soma years ago when the school was very small, and the cumber of ohildren attending was very few, and when tha schoolmaster allowed the childron to do has much as they liked. It was found that this sort of thing would not do, and they obtained a master who brought the school to the forofroot in Hew Zealand, so that they now held the premier place in the colony, This success was attribu* table to the schoolmaster, his assistant toaehors, and tho Committee, who would not put up with half measure?. Gisborne now rejoiced in tho finest building in this education district, and having got to the front they intended to stick there. No oountry could advance unless the children were properly educated. Ho.(tho speaker) had grown old enough to know childron from thoir infancy, and to see them holding tbo highest positions in tho land. He would only point to Mr Greanslado, M.EI.R., whom ho hud nursed when a child. Mr Greenalads was now a member of tho House, and this oxamplo was before thorn all, fceforo every boy present. A boy had only ta put hia shoulder to the wheel and push' forward. No one would got behind him and push him along, and tho man who sat on a wheelbarrow made no progress. Boys should go forward with thoir own efforts, and if laggards held sho way thoy should be pushed out. In 1893 tho number attending the school stood at 703, and for a while this total fell back ; while to-day the roll stood et 982, in spite of the fact that another school had opened at Maogapapa, tbe attendance at whioh was 138. As these latter ohildren would have been otherwise attending tho Gisborne sohool, it could be said that tho number of ohildren ia Gisborne had reached a grand total of 1120. That was ample evidence of tho great progress wb’oh had been made.

His Worship tho Mayor said it was his privilsgo to welcome Ministers, members of Parliament, and other visitors. Thev wore assembled to open tho finest baildiog in the Hawke’s Bay Educational District, and this district was tho finest in New Zealand. (No. No,) Having lived a fairly long lifo, he felt ho could advise boys and g’rls to got all tho knowledge hey oould, and remember all they could. That day they woro celebrating an annis versary of Captain Cook’s landing in New

1 TEN L'EOBLE PEli-ISII. i’UKSS ASSOCIATION Blonhcdm, last night. Tho most shocking boating disasto in Ihe records of the province occurred about five o'clock yesterday afternoon. An oil launch excursion was returning from the bur, and had arrived within 100 yards of the landing place, a stone’s throw from the centre of the (own, when tho I launch struck a submerged stump and heeled over. About twenty passengers were precipitated backwards into deep ( water The river is only about three chains wide, yet ten persons woro I

drowned Valiant rescue work was done by somo of the passengers, and also by a party of three men who were lounging on tho bank lower down the river. About a dozen children were rescued. Ono pas- , senger, A. McKinley, rescued two or three and then took cramp and had to be I rescued in turn. ILe and others were taken to tho hospital. Two women on I board, one a Mrs Baldwin, were rescued I alive, but expired within an hour. An immense crowd congregated, and I heartrending scenes were witnessed as tho I bodies were recovered and brought ashore at intervals. Dragging operations were I carried on until midnight, at which hour I seven bodies lmd been recovered and identified besides Mrs Baldwin. Search was resumed at daylight this morning.

Zralnnd, iuul bay < should to mrtnhov tWi Of.pt un Qcok HWti-d lifo in n very bumblo way, uxlhud ini li ;iit ni-i tv»y up, iwid if •’io h,\:l wiv (• I 'i i; iih they would rot now b i <on uiouiGrating tho ilisoovory of 'lio ou'.ony, H. uili it r ti thr ro to mnlco tbn best of tho it (inyf, i.: if, in contlution, bo ‘‘•k ii tin 10 to piv'ti 'I mo io.ity cliotra for <b(* iiicuibo'i) if tho llouuo one. \ißi(ors (in r ’ni.

'Mu- chilihrr gu\t> tkion bnuty ohooi'P, I “fit !- v, !,:cl> Mr B. MoLirr>on. si imtnbor of tho U'.luo :-tii n Ikmril, ;Jliid 1)0 hud grout V “otuivti !,i t! o i peril g of bo ' 'Plpudiil [\ Hchout, Ti>o Movor hud told ,' e "> 't Kai tu. brut hc’iool in tho ■' i4 > cliKUir l, in tho colony. Well, i* wuii 0 1 oi tho H.iiuti to niiiko the school !. i , * or| o and o urn] it, nciS only to tho Int to Now Z.uhrnd. 110 was 'I ’V Rratittcil dt tho coniplo'onrsfl of tbo new Jmi,li ugi at)l j trusted that tho sanitary iiondu ana 0 [ tho eobool and tho largo amount u( upoco V vould onahlo tho young proplo D attend in comfort, ai d grow into proper oit'ss.-na. Ho hoped tho

members Present would taka particular no den * , the district wib ('rowing (iiear, beat) w tinn m i oy was ask'd from 1 ftiliament from titno to timo to meet tbe wtioti (1 ( growing rlis;tiiota, bo hoped thoy vvtuld u t ferg t what they hnd peon here. Without good sohoola thoro could bo no great nut'ooal progteßß, and it wrb tho duty of tho Govotnrnont to RBfist ns much as passible, Mr V. Buddo (M.H It., Kainpoi), ohairman of (fin North Canterbury Education Board, said it gave him much plrasuvo to ho present at the opening of auch a fine building cs Gisborne’ ll Urw school. Ho had felt when bo had listened to tbo enthusiasm of tlnir public men that tho p’aen had a great future befovo it. Ho bad lo lied carefully over tbo building and oould finJ nothing that could detruot from tho enooniums lavished upon it. Tbo building tvaa a credit to tbo Board and tbo architect. 110 hud discussed its construction with tbo Inspector, who ho would remind thorn oamo from Oanter--bury. Thoy had mon iu tbo district who could liosp them on tho straight path with referruoo to educational matters. Ho would adviso tho ohildron to do tboir very best to get to tho top ; thoro w«b plonty of room there for all. Ho was pleased to bog in tbo cadets go fino a body of youth, arid ho would ctk them to remember thoy had ,ho high tradition of a sturdy taoo to Jive up t l . Tbe Hon. A, J Millar apologised at the oui b t for ibr nhsenoo of Hod. G. Fuwldp, Mini-tor for Ed '0 .tii n. He (tho speaker) o n ra ulatod them on tho fine building •hey bad in their new seboc), and though Loopr. td perhaps tdia is was tbo fineßt school building in tio colony, bo wou’d uot go so far as to say tho distroi, beoau 0 be thought 0 ago was quito i qua! to it, if not Littrr. (Laughter) W' on thii district wnß traneferred from Auoklaud ii 1878 the Gisborm ichiol roll only stood at 361 pupi b, a foot whish wool 1 tomind tbrm oi tho groat progress that had been mado in the district. To-day, they were opening a school which would easily accommodate I'dOO pupils, lie understood that thoro were some members of tiro Committee and Board who were inclined to think tho school should bo a little larger, but lie pointed out after a school attained a c rtain size, it became too largo for proper supervision—when they got to a eortain size, be thought it advisable that smaller schools should be started, but lie did not think smaller schools should be started to take away from the schools already doing good work. (Hear, hear). Ho would urge the children, now they had a line school to work in, to take advantage of the opportunities thus afforded early in life. They must not hold to tho ideal of becoming members of Parliament as there wore many more useful positions than that. In scion co, in art, in literature Young Notv Zealanders liad plenty of opportunity; and there were plenty of their young men who wore carving out a name for themselves in these avenues. He trusted that the would boar this in min.d-SiTitthat at some future time thty-wiftal ho found occupying iiupSftoJj'’ positions in the State, Ho “wished them all a long and prosperous career. He had much pleasure in declaring the school open. Obeera were given by tie nsrombled ohiidrtn fur the visitors a- cl tho Chairmm, uftsr which those potent were conducted ever the sohool.budding. Bomo esoellcnt woik of tbo pupils cf tbo school was on exhibition, and was muoh admirod by tbe vieito p. The following telegram was received in the morning by Me Somervell from Sir J stph Ward : 11 I shall bo glad if you will recent and convey to your Committee my thunks for the r kind invitation ro bo present at the opening of your new school building to-day. Hod it been posaiblo for me to visit G sborno at the present time, I should have been huppy to have complied with tho request to come.''’