A SAD END.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLV, Issue 265, 24 December 1903, Page 2

A SAD END.

THE KIA ORA EXPEDITION DEATH OP CAFTAIV BUCKERIDUE. (Per Press Association.) GISBORNE, Dec: 23. The yacht Kia Or*, which hailed from here for London, returned tv port this morning in cha'ge o. young Snowden, who report* th»t Captain Buckeridge died on deck on the 7th, three hundred mile* beyond the Chathams. Sowden reports that BuiVoridgo fell on tho deck and injured hie chest. For two days he complained of pain and rapidly grew worse, dying on December s—seven day* after leaving Oisbonie. BowJi>a !» much exhausted from his trying experiences. Sowden was three weeks battiilng against adverse winds and rough weather on his thousand luilca journey back to Gisbo-me and «aa so distressed and emaciated that several times he was about to give, uf in despair. He kept Duckeridgo's body for throe du.vs and then threw it overboard. The latter being "a heavy man and Sowden only a slight youth, and being weak 'from a crack on the head he rec?ivod from a spar, he had to use a block and tackle to lift the remains out of tho boat and consign them to the deep. FURTHER DETAILS. A TRYING EXPERIENCE. Continuing Iris statement Sowden who is twenty years of orc, • stales 'that after the departure from Gisborne no log was kept, but a rough reckoning was scrrljlblod on the yacht's deck. A good run, averaging XOfJ miles a day, was made to the Chathams, which were parsed when four days out. The voyagers were then sanguine of reaching London, the craft having proved a dno seaboat in heavy weather. Three dayg" later Captain Buckeridge's accident happened at eight o'clock in the evening'. Sowden had bean struck on the head with a boom and was lying below in a weak state. A gain was blowing and the yacht was running before it. Captakw Iluckeridge commenced taking in sail, and was clearing the gear which got foul when ho fell from aloft. He went below and complained of it pain in the chest. As lie wan in great agony Sowden helped to take off his wet clothes. " The gale continued and we kept her head to It, and both lay down side by ride in the small cabin wedged togothe r in order to keep the boat steady, as she was lurching heavily with heavy seas sweeping over her. Next day Captain Bucket idgo complained that his ohest was painful, and that night I woke up and found him dead. Captain Buckeridge h«d no thought of dying. 1 old not dream his end was near." Row Jen said ho was almost inclined to give up hopes of reaching land. Even when he got to thfr. coast he wa» battling about for days trylruj to get into Gisborne. He had lived solely on biscuits, honey, ami limejuice. "It is wonderful to me," ho said, " how I got Lack. You might go fchero a million times and not return. No other ships come that way. The winds are always westerly, and I was right south of the Chathams, where it was bitterly cold." Sowden added that he had abandoned his intention of going to London in tho Kia Ora. "It is not to be so," he added sadly. Until the last inomont he and Buckeridge was as h«ppy ' egg larks.

AN ENQUIRY TO BE HELD. < An enqdtry into the Kfa Ore fatality will bo held early next week. Sowden is now fairly recovered. He states t/hat he will have no more of the sea, and will >not take the yacht on to Auckland. The yacht. looks none the worse Jor the trip. Buckeridgo was aged 28, and had had a life of adventure. He v.-cnt to sea in 1890, and having bean on the Tilikum his career is well known.