MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT NEAR TARARU-THREE LIVES LUST BY DROWNING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 247, 24 July 1872, Page 2

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT NEAR TARARU-THREE LIVES LUST BY DROWNING.

One of the saddest accidents which it has been our lut ever to chronicle took place ycsleiday afternoon, by winch a woman u.uned airs Hy ams and two of tier children, a boy about tour years of age aim a girt ten months old, lost their lives. It seems that yesterd ,y atlernoon, about 2 o erode or so, Mr Ujams, with Ins wife aud three children, one a growu-up lad, lett Tapit m a small boat winch is said to nave been fiat bottomed, they reached to witlnn a mile oi the Tararu whan or so in surety, but when there it seems that there was a slight sea oh. The woman and the two children were silling hi tue sicrn or luo boat, Uic Ulan was pulling Uiu alter oar aud Uie lad ilie uuw oar. A sea came up uud washed tue woman slid Luo two enndreu out ot the uout, widen nearly filled. Hie two oars were lost, and there the father and son were left sitting, whilst their companions were floating close by. Shortly alter the accident happened one of the men working near tue hoiel at Tararu gave tue alarm. There being no boat there, word was sent down to the Holden Crown, which lay at the end of the wharf. Immediately a boat was manned, and put off to the rescue. Uu reaching the boat the two men were found sitting ou their seats. The young one was first taken off, aud then the boat capsized, the elder man being saved from beiug carried under by being caught bold of by one of the men in the Golden Crown boat. From the shore the boat was then observed to be stv ering round about the scene of the disaster, and those who were watcliing could not understand the cause of it. This was, however, soon made apparent on the arrival of the boat with its terrible burden. All the sufferers were immediately taken on board the steamer, and taken down below, where the greatest attention was paid them, aud everything done that was possible. Mr Cook having a horse at baud, rode off, aud sent Dr Croft back ou the animal. On his arrival he brought every appliance to bear that he could Jo iu the hope of bringing the woman and the two children to life, but all without avail, they had all breathed their last. The father was iu a very exhausted state indeed, and the sou was also very bad, but recovered much quicker. The steamer waited uutii five o’clock, at which time the dead bodies were brought on shore, aud placed in a room in the Imperial Crown Hotel. The Dr considered that it would not be safe to move the two sufferers, who were accordingly left on board the steamer, and proceeded to Auckland, and we feel sure that every kindness was shown to them by those on board the steamer. The father was hardly quite conscious when the boat left. An request will be held to-day on the bodies. The bodies must have been floating in the seaway for over a quarter of au hour before they were picked up, aud the only wonder to us is that they floated so loug as they did. Had not tho assistance arrived wlieu it did, iu all probability the two survivors would also have been lost, as they were very much exhausted.