THE FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT TIMARU.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 530, 29 February 1876, Page 3

THE FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT TIMARU.

The Timaru Herald of yesterday gives the following particulars of the boat accident at Timaru on Saturday :

The adage to the effect that misfortunes seldom come alone has been forcibly illustrated lately, a greater number of serious accidents having taken place within the last fortnight than during any period of a similar duration previously. The most serious of the list of accidents which we have had to record during that time occurred in the roadstead on Saturday morning last. To commence at the beginning of the sad tale we should state there was a ketch lying in the roadstead, named the Sarah and Mary, heavily laden with sawn timber, a portion of which was on deck. As there was a heavy sea running on Friday, the master considered that his vessel would ride safer and easier if she were relieved of the timber on deck, and he therefore obtained a promise from the proprietors of the George street Landing Service that they would take off that portion of the cargo on the first opportunity. The manager of the service, Mr Jacob Hill, accordingly sent a cargo boat off early on Saturday morning to the ketch, manned by Daniel Anderson and James Bain, who had been in employment at boating for a considerable time, and who were well up to their work. We are informed by several people connected with business in the roadstead, that the sea at the time that the boat was launched was not so rough as to lead any one to suppose that it was dangerous for a surf boat, but that the waves increased considerably in volume while the boat was taking in her load. After taking in the timber from the deck of the ketch the boat, which was about half loaded, started for the shore. Everything went well until the boat reached the inner buoy in the channel, when a heavy roller caught her broadside on and partly swamped her. It seemed after this that one of the men endeavoured to shift the tow line to let the boat get head on to the sea. Through some cause, probably through the rope having fouled, the boat remained broadside on, and several more seas broke over her. Seeing that the boat was sinking deeper and deeper as each wave rolled over her, and as there seemed a probability of her going down altogether, Mr Hill called for assistance to launch the whale boat in order to rescue the men. He says that although there were plenty of boatmen on the beach only two from his service and two from the Timaru Landing and Shipping Company’s Service answered his appeal, but that several landsmen volunteered their assistance. The boat was immediately launched, there being on board in addition to the boatmen, Mr Hill and three landsmen. When the boat got into the water, about six inches of the cargo boat was visible, but just after this a wave broke over her and she sank. The men, neither of whom it is believed could swim, struggled for a few seconds, and it then appeared to the people on shore that they got hold of each other. They then struggled together, but when the boat gbt within three lengths of them they sank. The boat continued to cruise about for some time, but neither of the bodies rose to the surface. There were several different versions of the accident. Some persons said that the tow line was broken from the fact that when the boat was in difficulties one of the boatmen exhibited to those on shore the broken end of a rope. Mr Hill, however, said that the rope was not broken. Some said that the sea was not too rough for a cargo boat properly manned, but that it was dangerous for a boat that only had two men in it. Some taid that the whaleboat might have been

launched sooner, while others said that every expedition was used. It would, however, be verywrong for us to attach any blame to anybody from rumors that were flying about. It is almost certain that the bodies will be found, and if they are there will be an enquiry into the accident, and facts elicited that will no doubt enable a conclusion to be formed as to whether blame really attaches to any person or not. We should state the present is the first accident attended with fatal results that ever occurred to a proper cargo boat. Some men were drowned, about twelve years ago, by the swamping of a boat that was conveying goods, but the boat was of a very inferior description. Cargo boats have repeatedly been worked in much rougher seas than that which prevailed on Saturday, and, owing to the absence of accidents in connection with them hitherto, people had such confidence in them as regarded their safety, that the disaster which we have just related occasioned great surprise. It seems to be a a very general opinion that if the tow-rope had not broken or not fouled the boat would have swung head to sea and prevented the accident. As showing that there were others who considered that the sea was not too rough to work boats on Saturday, we should mention that a cargo boat from the Timaru Landing Service, owing to their tow-rope having broken, went out to the steamer Taiaroa on the George Street Landing Service tow-rope, and returned to shore with a considerable load and several passengers just before the accident Another attempt to land passengers was, however, not so successful. The steamer Wanganui came in to the roadstead later in the morning, and a cargo boat from the Government Landing Service went off to get the passengers by her. The boat brought the passengers to the inner buoy, but the rollers were so heavy at this part that it was considered unsafe to proceed further. A return was therefore made to the Wanganui, where the boat bung at the steamer’s stern for two hours, till the tide flowed and rendered landing feasible. Most of the sleepers washed out of the boat that was swamped, and ultimately the boat with the remaining timber washed to a shallow place, and was hauled ashore at low water. We should state that the two men who were drowned were single. Daniel Anderson was a Swede, and James Bain a Scotchman. Up to last night ce ther of the bodies had been recovered.