TELEGRAMS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1051, 21 March 1882, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(from our own correspondents). Kaikoura, March 20. Early on Saturday morning three stacks of wheat and one of oats, the property of Parsons Bros., were destroyed by fire. They were uninsured, and £5O reward has been offered for discoveay of origin. At daybreak this morning four stacks of wheat, the property of Mr. J. Warren, were destroyed through the same agency. They were insured for £2lO. The fires are believed to bo the work of an incendiary. Auckland, March 20. The Royal Commission re Volunteer land claims commences its session here to morrow. A meeting of members of old Colonial Defence Force raised in Waikato, was held on Saturday evening, when it was decided to employ Mr. E. Hesketh, solicitor. Invercargill, March 20. News was received yesterday afternoon of an accident in the New River a few miles from town, resulting in the loss of three lives. A party consisting of a young man named Henry Ackers, his sister aged 14, his brother aged 7, and a young man named Wm. Smith, went out in a sailing boat with the intention of going to the ferry three miles distant, but had uot gone far when the boat was caught bj a gust of wind and turned over, going down in twenty feet of water. As soon as the boat rose, H. Ackers, who is a good swimmer; made for his sister and carried his sister to the boat, tolling her to cling to the mast. He then did the same with his brother. Smith had hold of the boom, and the weight of four people caused the boat to go under. At this point the accident was noticed from the shore, and a boat put out propelled by a boy named Cohn Brown. Ackers took his brother and sister under each arm, and endeavored to keep afloat by treading water, but the wind rising made the water rough, and the boat over-bal-anced and sank, the children going down under her, and although Ackers dived after them, he could not reach them. On regaining the surface, he observed Smith 20 yards away and told him to float on his back. Smith replied, I cant.” By this time young Brown’s boat had reached Ackers, who told him to go and save Smith. Brown managed to get the bow of the boat up to Smith when the latter sank and never rose again. Ackers w-as then persuaded with difficulty to enter the boat. The body of the girl and that of Smith were subsequently recovered.