TERRIBLE BOATING FATALITY. SIX LIVES LOST. AUCKLAND GIRL DROWNED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 414, 26 October 1889, Page 6

TERRIBLE BOATING FATALITY. SIX LIVES LOST. AUCKLAND GIRL DROWNED.

Oirii Sydney files contain accounts of the yachting accident in Sydney Harbour by which six young people lost their lives. One of the number was an Auckland girl named Ada Gilberd. It appears that last Monday week a numerous party of young men and womon went out sailing in the twenty-two feet half-decker Irene, staiting from Press's shed, at WooUoomooloo Bay. There are suppoeed to ha\e been twentyone persons in the boat. When oil Bradley's, at about half-past 11 o'clock, th« mainsheet by some means got jammed, and failed to run. The boat heeled over and capsized, precipitating all its occupants into the water. Some vessels in the vicinity hastened to the rescue, the Port Jackson Comf any'e Manly steamer Brightside pickingupsevonofthestruggHngpeople. Of these three were ladies, three were men, and one was a boy. The sailing boat Edith also rescued a number of the party, and landed them at Bradley'a Head, where they were treated with the greatest consideration by the keeper of the quarantine station there. Two of the young women, named Nellie Thomp&on and Cislnman, were very much exhausted, the former dying shortly after being landed. Mies In man received erery attention, and after some time began to show pigns of improvement. From Bradley's the party returned to Sydnoy. Thoee who were rescued by the Brightside were treatod with great care, the ladies being supplied with dry clothing, and wore landed at Manly. They were then taken to one of the hotels, where they wore cared for till they had recovered sufficiently to return to Sydney. Information of the sad event was not received by the police until half- past 2 o'clock, when Horbert Croft, who wan sailing the boat, reported the matter to the water police. They proceeded witli their launch to Bradley*, and removed the body of the young woman to the North Sydney Morgue, where it was subsequently identified by her father. On an inquiry being instituted, it was found that the party consisted of the following :— Nellie Thompson, Tolly Fahey, Polly Stewart, Polly Jones, Kate Thompson, Ada Gilberd, Kitty Toope, May McCarthy, Cis Intnan, and Messrs W. (folding, S. Ford, C. Poplc, S. Kirkpatrick, G. Adman, J. Johnson, E. bearing, E. Croft, H. Jones, H. Kippax, P. Stewart, and Her bert Croft. It was not till nearly midnight that it was definitely known how many of these were safe, but it was then ascertained that all but six had returned. The names of the missing are Polly Fahey (residing at No. 42, Mary ■ street, Waterloo), Polly Stewart, Ada Gilberd, Kato Thompson, and Horace Kippax. Numerous boats were about at the time of the accident, and it was considered possible that those who wero not at Manly or Bradley's might have been rescued and taken somewhere else. Subsequently it transpired that they had i been drowned. Herbert Croft is said to be I competent and well accustomed to sail a [ boat. He rosides at Potts Point. He states that the mainsheet was not made fast, but on attempting to let it run tio found that the brace was jammed, thus preventing the sheet from running free. Three other capiizen occurred in the harbour about the same time. The Miss Maud, a 22ft. half-decker belonging to H. Messenger, of Double Bay, went over wibh nine or ten persons in her off Double Bay. AH of them were rescued. The Fairlie, another half-, decker, capsized near to the Irene, and at the same time. Her crew were rescuod without having sustained any injury. Mr J. Booth's yacht Portia also capsi/.ed between Watson and Chowder bays. She was towed into Taylor Bay by the steamer Birkonhead and all hands saved. On the day following the disaster the following notice appeared in the obituary columns of the Sydney papers :—": — " Gilberl). — October 7, by boat accident in Sydney Harbour, Ada, the beloved daughtet of Henry and Susan Gilbord, formerly' of Auckland, New Zealand, in her 23rd year."

Ihose follows who are always prating about tho virtue and windom of " our fathers " are confirmed believers in hereditary transmission. "Better late than never " Is a comforting refrain ; SftTc when you roach the station T#o late to catch the train. The ostrich-plume covered parasol is the very latest fieak in sunshades. Some are seen with plumes half a yard long, from the top to the edge of the canopy. _ The empire sleeve with a puff around the nrmholo, and like a coat-sleevo below, is favoured most by Worth, but Worth is not the leader now that he was in the past.