THE FATAL ACCIDENT IN THE HARBOR.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5299, 20 March 1878, Page 2

THE FATAL ACCIDENT IN THE HARBOR.

CORONER'S INQDEfT. An inquest was held yesterday at the Albion Hotel, before Dr. Johnston (coroner) and a jury, of whom Mr. Arthur Brown was foreman, touching the death of Herbert Astridge. The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken : The Coroner observed that this was one of the many cases which occurred here of death by drowning. The accident occurred in the middle of the day, when the weather was very fine, and in the sight of many people, and it was a matter of regret that a life should have been lost under the circumstances. Several boats put off to the rescue, but it was too late to save the deceased, who appeared to have fallen overboard from the boat In which he was sculling, and being unable to swim, was drowned very quickly. • George Astridge deposed : I am a laborer, residing in Courtenay-place. The deceased was my brother. He was apprenticed to the wood carving trade. He was 14 years of age last July. He lived with his parents in Cour-tenay-place. I lived in the same house. I last saw him alive on Sunday evening last. He waa then in his usual health and spirits. On Monday afternoon, about 3. o’clock, I heard from my mother that an accident had occurred, and that some one had been drowned in the harbor. I went to “ Rhodes’ wharf,” where a number of people were assembled. I saw boats out, and parties apparently dragging for a body. I went away, and returned again

about 6 o’clock, when I saw a boat returning towards the wharf. I ran to the spot, and found that tbe boat contained the body of my brother. I had been told previously that the person who was drowned was my brother. I cannot say who was in the boat when it came ashore, except the body of deceased. I have no idea how the accident happened. I was not present at the time of the occurrence, and cannot say how my brother was drowned. He was not accustomed to boating, but he had been out boating with others sometimes. He was not in the habit of going out in a boat bv himself.

Joseph Anuensen, cook on board the whaling brigantine Isabella, now lying in Wellington harbor, deposed : I was on Rhodes’ wharf on Monday afternoon, when I saw a youth sculling a boat some distance off. The water was smooth, and the weather calm. He called outsuddenly for a sistance, and on looking round I saw that he was in the water. I did not see him fall out of the boat. The boat was not upset. When I saw him sculling he was standing on the side seat of the boat. I should consider this a dangerous position, because if the oar slipped he would be sure togo overboard. In my opinion that is the way in which this accident happened, judging from, ttie position in which I last saw the deceased. He did nut seem to me as if he kuew how toscull very well. He was in a heavy boat. He kept shifting his arms about. There appeared to be no one else in the boat with him. I ran to the end of the wharf and got into a boat lying there. In this boat was another young man, a stranger to me. He was fishing. I took up the sculls in order to pull out to the drowning boy, but was stopped by- the young man, who told me to go aft and steer, and that be would pull. There was some delay in getting away, about a minute and a half perhaps in getting the paiu’er loose. We then got away and pulled over in the direction of deceased as fast as we could. On getting up to him he suddenly sank. If we had had a boat-hook we probably could have saved him. He looked up, just before he sank, towards tbe boat, and apparently recognised me, whom he kuew. He was struggling in the water. There was no altercation between the young man in the boat and myself as to who should pull. When he asked me to go aft I did so, and steered. He sculled the boat. As soon after deceased sink as possible, I called out to the people on board the whaler to bring a grap-pling-iron. They did so and dragged for the body. Two or three other boats dragged for the body during the afternoon, but it was not found until about 6 o’clock. I recognised the body when it came on shore as that of Herbert Astridge, whom I had known for three years. I took off my clothes and tried to dive for deceased, but although I can swim I cannot dive well, and so was unable to bring the body up. Charles F. Winstanley deposed : I was the person referred to by the last witness as being in the boat that put off to the rescue. I have heard his evidence, which is correct. The painter was untied as quickly as possible, and there was no unnecessary delay in getting the boat off. I saw deceased sink. We were about a boat’s length from him at the time. Thomas Miller deposed; I am a wood carver, carrying on business in Brandon-streat. Deceased was my apprentice. I last saw him in the shop between 1 aiid 2 o’clock on Monday. I sent him on an errand, and expected him back in about three-quarters of an hour, but he did not return. About an hour after he had gone away two boys came to the shop and asked me some questions about deceased ; one of them said, “That must be the boy that’s been drowned.” I thiuk deceased had taken the boat with the idea he could deliver his message and parcel, and come back again as quickly as by another means, He was a steady boy. He was generally about the wharf during the dinner hour. I afterwards went to see the men dragging for the body, and recognised it when found as that of Herbert Astridge. The Coroner having briefly, summed up, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.