FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT THE MOHIKINUI.

Kumara Times, Issue 567, 22 July 1878, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT THE MOHIKINUI.

News was brought down on Wednesday evening of a boat accident at the Mohikinuij resulting in the drowning of a well-known resident in the district, George Nicolas. Our informant states that four men—Frank Spence, George Nicolas, J. M’Meegan, and George Peimti—had gone up stream with a cargo of stores. Owing to the heavy fresh, they could make but little headway, and on Tuesday had got no further than Welcome Bay. At the falls there, M‘Meegan and Perotti were towing the boat with a line, Nicholas was standing ,in the bow of the boat, and Frank Spence was steering. The boat took a sudden sheer and dipped bows under, quickly filling with water. Spence and deceased were at once in the deep current. The former, who could swim well, says he saw Nicolas struggling in the water just about twenty feet from him, and he cried out, “ For God’s sake help me, Frank,” He struck out to help him, but the current carried him beyond his reach, and he saw no more of him. This melancholy event happened jnst about the place where Peter Seaton lost his life some three years since. Tip to Wednesday morning the body had not been recoveied. The deceased was well-known throughout the district, as a steady, industrons man. He was at one time proprietor of the Boatman’s Arms, in Gladstone street (house and street long since numbered among the past), and conducted his business there with good repute. He was a native of Athens, in Greece, and 43 years of age. Though known as George Nicolas, we understand his real name was a somewhat impracticable one for others than his own countrymen to pronounce, and hence probably his reason for adopting another. He whs for a long time mate with his countryman, Alex. Constantine, who is at present teaming on the Grey and Reefton Road. The wife of deceased is a resident at Reefton.—Westport Times.