THE FATAL COLLISION IN WELLINGTON HARBOR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 49, 26 February 1877, Page 2

THE FATAL COLLISION IN WELLINGTON HARBOR.

Our telegrams on Saturday evening announced the sinking of the coal hulk Eli Whitney and loss of two lives. Further particulars are to hand by the Kennedy, which arrived last night, bringing copies of the N. Z. Times containing a full account of the sad disaster, from which it appears that shortly before one o'clock on Saturday morning the watch on board the barque Adamant heard a female's cries from the water, .when he gave- the alarm, and the captain afc once lowered a boat and manned her, and, dark aud boisterous.as the night was, went oufc in search and in a short time discovered a boat floating bottom upwards. Captain Bowling and his crew then landed afc Clyde Quay and gave information.—" Further inquiry led to the knowledge that the circumstances were, if possible, more dreadful than we had anticipated. On our reporter going in the direction of the baths, a young man and a woman were met- with, who stated that a man and a woman had been washed ashore on the beach at Meech's baths, and they were going for Dr Doyle. This information was not only confirmed on arrival afc the place mentioned, but there we learnt the full force of the disaster which had occurred. It appeared that a. man named Edward Davey, with a wife and children, aged sixteen and four months respectively, was in charge of the hulk Eli Whitney, being on board last (Friday) night. At about 1 o'clock a.m., Davey was awakened by hearing the rushing of water beneath him in the hold of the vessel. To rouse his wife and get on deck with the children was fche work of a moment, no time being wasted by putting on clothing, for the sounds which they heard were ominous, and seemed to tell of a coming struggle for dear life. They were not a moment too soon. The man and his wife, with their two poor little infants, were scarcely on the deck before the Eli Whitney literally parted in twd, and rapidly sunk, and this terrifying scene occurred in the pitchy darkness of the night, with no one near to lend a helping hand. Davey saw that he had only one chance. Giving one child to his wife, he took the other himself, and getting hold of a large plank, he and his wife with their frail burdens got on to it and submitted themselves to fche mercy of the sea and their fate. The hulk disappeared from their sight entirely before the force of the wind had driven them away from the place which she had occupied. They then drifted away towards the shore, passing the , Adamant on their hazardous way, aud it was the voice of Mrs Davey that tlie watchman heard above the night wind. The cry for help brought willing hearts and hands to the assistance of the waifs, but, as we have already mentioned, the generous and courageous efforts of Captain Bowling and his crew were rendered useless by the tempestuous weather aud impenetrable darkness. So Davey and his wife were carried away, drifting in the direction of the baths, and on nearing the fence of them he and his wife parted — exhausted nature could no longer bear up against the fatigue, and all went into the sea together, father, mother, and children. Davey was thrown on shore on the east side of the baths, and he then went as fast as he was able to a house occupied, we believe, by a Mrs Davies, and knocked at the door." The body of Mrs Davey was shortly afterwards discovered on the beach, but no traces were found of the two infants . (not one as stated in our telegram.) From the above it will be seeu that nothing afc the time of the publication of the Wellington morning paper was known of fche Taupo having touched fche hulk, but it was later in the day that the possibility of such an occurrence suggested itself. On receiving the telegram on Saturday afternoon our reporter afc once went to the wharf, afc which the Taupo on her arrival from Picton was then being moored. On. going on board he met Captain Carey, and asked whether he had collided with any vessel in Wellington harbor, to which he replied that he had slightly touched a coal halk. The telegram was then placed in his hands, and the effect produced on him by its perusal was painful to witness, so surprised and shocked was he by the melancholy intelligence it contained, as he had no idea whatever that the collision had or could have been attended with any serious result, so slight had its appeared afc the time to him arid to all of those passengers to whom our reporter spoke oh the subject. Captain Carey's statement was that on casting off from the wharf. :he steamed ."easy ahead," it being .exceedingly; dark, and blowing furiously at the time. •■' The lights of a schooner lying in the fairway were seen, and he had just cleared hd.- when about fifty yards ahead a- black mass without any light was seen looming through the darkness. The engines were immediately reversed, but before the steamer's way could be stopped she was close on the hulk, which afc the time was swung by* the force of tbe gale towards the Taupo, which struck her stem on immediately amidships, but, as we stated before, so slightly that the shock was scarcely, perceptible to those on board. Captain Carey immediately called to the mate and carpenter, who were forward, to know if any damage was done, to which they replied thafc there was none except some slight injury to fche hulk's bulwarks. Captain Carey then waited about for afc least five minutes, he and his men calling ont the whole time afc the top of fcheir voices to _now whether there was anybody in fche hulk, at the stern of which a boat was seen hanging.. They received no reply, and eventually they steamed away, all hands being under the full impression that there was no damage done, aud thafc no one was on board. Such was the account given by Captain Carey, who, as we said before,' was almost stunned on hearing of the fatal results of what had appeared to him so trifling a collision. It is impossible to attach any blame whatever to him for the accident. The night was pitch dark, and would be even darker still in the land-locked harbor of Wellington than in fche open sea; and the hulk, in contravention of the harbor regulations, had no lights burning, although she was lying in the fairway in a harbor where steamers are constantly going in and oufc at all hours of fche night. Sad as the accident is, it might have peen attended with far worse results, fbr had not '? fche black mass looming through the darkness" been seen when it was, not only the hulk but the steamer itself might have gone down., It is altogether a most melancholy affair, and should have the effect of causing greater care to be taken ih showing lights', for had this been the case on board the hulk a collision with her could have been avoided quite as easily as with the schooner that lay . between her and the', wharf '.C ' •,.

The Marlborough Express of Wednesday says •: — The examination *of boys for the vacant scholarship at Nelson College takes place on Monday and Tuesday next, afc the Literary Institute, Blenheim, and from what we hear there is likely to be a considerable number of competitors. A Dnnedin telegram says :-Guy Fawkes who was second in favor, has receded to 100 to 3 since incurring his heavy penalties. We understand thafc his owner has placed him in the market for sale. A fatal boat accident happened on Thursday afc Napier. A pleasure party were out in a flat-bottomed boat, with sail set. It was blowing at the time fairly strong. A strong puff of wind came unexpectedly, and upsefc the boat. The pilot boat went to the rescue, and succeeded in saving the lives of all but ore married man and two children. David Murray, a blacksmith, died at the Hospital, Lawrence, on Saturday last, frora injuries received by being pitched out, of a buggy while driving in company with his wife aloug the road leading to the Bluespur. The evidence contributed at the inquest held on the body showed thafc the accident was due to reckless driving on the part of the accused while undet the influence of drink.— Dunedin News.An Auckland telegram to the Post, dated 22nd instant, says:— The township of-Wark-worfch ahd the surrounding districts have been cast into a state of sorrow by a sad accident which has happened to a respectable settler named James Rose, a Scotchman. He had long been affianced to a young lady, and the pair were on their way to Auckland to be married. They were riding over the Aotea bridge, when he endeavored to light his pipe. The horse took fright afc a spark, and began to plunge violently. Rose endeavored to •manage the animal, which threw him against one of the rails of the bridge. The young lady, whe was terribly alarmed as he lay insensible, managed to dismount, and examine as to fche young man's injuries. She was horrified to find that he had been killed. The body was removed for an inquest. The sanitary condition of Wellington must be disgraceful in fche extreme if fche following from the Argus is correct:— The fearful odours which arise from the gratings, and which have earned for Wellington an unsavory reputation almost equal to Cologne, are very easily accounted for. It is a notorious fact that in the vicinity of ||several of the main drains, the hotels, workshops, and private buildings have their waterclosets constructed so as to discharge into the dra'n. When it is remembered that these drains are merely wooden boxes, with very little fall, and seldom or ever flushed with water during the summer/the smells which arise from them are afc once accounted for. It is monstrous that for the sake of nighfcmen's fees certaiu favored people should thus be allowed to convert the public drains for a purpose for which they are quite unfitted, were never intended, and can only be used at tbe risk of the public health and to the great annoyance of all living near fcheir course, or having to pass by them. Mr William Davenport; (one of the noted Davenport Bros.) was married a few days since by the Registrar at InvercargiU to Miss Eva Nora Davies, «' the charming piauiste." {For continuation of New* see fourth page)