THE FATAL ICE ACCIDENT.

Tauranga Argus and Opotiki Reporter, Volume 1, Issue 20, 6 April 1867, Page 3

THE FATAL ICE ACCIDENT.

The oban'je, as bv majjic, from jii^h s; ir ts, Iwaliliy exercise, and heart y enj >yiU'Mit, to disaster nn 1 death vvas too horrible, ! too erashiiig for the mimi to take in at once. It was «i t iili the wiid crv for ' Help ! .' rose from tliose w o were s'ip;>in^ incli by incli ro tha jrrave, tlnt men r Misetl themselves to the exeriio s wlrch the cxtremity dernanded. The first sh ck over, men rushe-1 wildlv ahout, scizinif np »n e^tTvt d iof in the shape ofa iopeor spiir to t'lrow to the stru^liiioan I drowniog ; but by this time all diVect cojin nnnicatioii with t!mrn was cut off by t.n; ^oiie al bre ki up >f t ieice. and ver.y few were reached for a lo:it* time.. A cry was r.used of 4i Ihe boats. tjre bo its ! '' ani hnn ired- of willinof worke s rau off io rellirn with tbe bo its 011 ih ir sliouhlers, but when ihev jjot t'nem into the water, the grea'est « 1 i f ii . 1 1 1 r y wa,s t xp rienced i i forciug them through tlie itre. Well (lressed me 1 and I vely-«.lresse 1 wom n vi.-d nicheacbo her in acts if hei'oisn. Wnile m mi shonted and vvejit, ti 1 ! women wrung; their handsas they joined 111 the •general b 'W iilfng, 1 ->z:mis of siient. p- r-ons were p!u lging im > the water and bri ging the helpless to tlie shore. Tlios ■ of tlie spec ators who I i » 1 not ventur - iui''. tiie vrtrtei' t it! h; rd io the main to ent;ouragi d.ose who lid, offerin^ in one tw nv i t-a-e-s a. large reward for the safety of a rehitive or iVuvii i. Ar ihe same time the | eit'n'ts p.f scone that, without paynitnt or i euconraoem.eut wouhl have been given t > 1 succo ir vhe immersed wero of en impe led by tiie terror stiicken -an l unm inagu'iie sp.'fta- : tots. I- is stitel ii one account, that a youth stoo'bon a solitary piec.1 of ice in the : ('cntre of the l ike, for an hour atnl a lialf, I and was at la-t fetched off bv a m 111 who I rekched him in a hoat. Mr. J. Dunton of Fiedt'piek street, Hampstea 1 road, writ'-s : — | ".I wasjust nialcing niv 7\vav L) sii.u'e.' hnlding 111 v twt» children by the h ui 1. wli.-a idc icc broke. Oue oi the 11 was a littie girl seveii yea'> oi' age, and the other a bov of ti even. We were t lien ahyiit seventy yards from ihe bank. Without a .-ecoinrs w irning, the ic seemed to glMe froin uader 11 Id.iving us in water qnite iive f'eet deep. The two. litrje ones stink to tlie ' bottom, but- rose again liirectlv. I .mafle a grasp at 1 eaeli oi them, and was ahle io se'ue them bvr thc shcultlers, at tlie s.-jnie dime hol ing on to the ice with , niy left hand. When 1 hud tbein tluis 'ar sa;e 1 had j time to look niuii'l. Such a .-iglit I hope never to see again. Qnite 150 persons were slruggling- for lif ■« II .'.i !$ and inns were to he seen all round amongst the brokcn .nasses of-ice. Twb yafds from me a li tio boy was drowning, au 1 I conld not render him any' help, , presenfly nothing but liisttap was visible above water. Ile tio ..ted in this way for some time. I stood in tliis postiion for for uearly half an hour, sinkingdowu in Ihe m id decpei evcrv miiiure uutil ihe water reached my cl,iT. 1 i oi iluldicii ashigh n$ posMhlc abt'Ve tfc w icer.until ricii my legs being ct .iiiijied with the coltl. I sai-l io ihe cbicsi,.*' is llier; any help..couiing, Fred? Wave my walkiug-ssii k, for £ a n sinkin^ davvii iu the ma i." IVeaintly the biy sai l, '• Fatlier, a inan i swimming to us and we sh all bp saved." On looking rouiid I stiw a brave yorug lellow swinujii g towardme. The voung. st ciiil l would not. le« g . her hoid oi ' me at first, but ultimatfely i got h r ou this youiig maivs back. Ile swain o ft' with her to a boai that wa I now making it - way towards us. 'When the boat cairn near enoug I liolped tlie bpy in, aud scized hold of th | siiiff, teariug if I got in 'th.it it migbt go over with^ne. I held\on in this manuer till we gpt on to the bank.' Nuinbers of them had sun k out of sieli' long imfo/p '*