THE S.S. PATEA-LOSS OF THE MATE

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 404, 1 March 1879, Page 2

THE S.S. PATEA-LOSS OF THE MATE

It is our painful duty to have to record the loss of George Chant, mate of the Paten, on her tripffromAVellington to-this port. The Patea left Wellington at 5 o'clock" on Monday ' afternoon,- with a' heavy N.E. breeze, and a beam sea. At 2.30 a.in. on Tuesday. ■ when, about 15 miles north of Kapiti, the mate accidentally fell overboard from off the quailer-deck. The poor •fellow was talking to Captain Gibbons and .the engineer just a .moment before, and was in good spirits, but he disappeared so suddenly that neither of them, .can .say exactly*how the ; ,sad affair happened. It, is supposed, however, that he was about to look over the side of the steamer to see if there were any lights from other vessels visible, when he- missed his grip of the rail—there beingHa heavy sea running, which- caused the steamer to-roll a groat deal —mid was sent clean overbornd. The night was veiy dark, but Captain Gibbons managed 16 get a glimpse of the mate just under the stem, and- threw a life-buoy right alongside of him ; however, death seemed to- have already claimed the unfortunate man, for he made no attempt to seize it. He must have been sucked under the vessel, and struck-by the screw as he passed, which) if it did not kill him instantly, rendered him powerless to do anything for himself. Everything possible was done by Captain Gibbons to save the poor fellow—the steamer was kept going round in a circle for some considerable time, whilst those on deck repeatedly shouted, but could hoar no answer in return. It was too rough to lower a boat, otherwise a more minute search- would have been made. The buoy was picked up again, and the Palea proceeded on her journey, with many sad hearts on board! The mate was well liked by all who knew him, more especially by the sailors, with whom he was a general favorite. Ho was a thorough good seaman, and Lad only just passed a successful examination ns master, in Wellington. The Sad news cast quite a gloom over Carlyle, for Chant had been trading here for years, and was known by almost everyone. George Chant, we believe, was born in Motnoka, and gained his first experience in seamanship trading bet ween that p'ace and Nelson in a ciitter. He afterwords shipped in a homeward-bound vessel, and remained in English waters for some years, till he got married, when he came out again to New Zealand as an immigrant. He leaves a wife and three children, now in Wanganui, to mourn his loss, as well as a large number of fellow-seamen and others.

The Palea arrived off the bar at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, just too late for the tide, and entered the river next day, with the ensign half-mast.