BOATING FATALITY IN WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4356, 28 February 1893, Page 3

BOATING FATALITY IN WELLINGTON.

Three Persons Drowned.

There is now no doubt that Messrs Howard Osborne, William Burgess, and William Bertaud, whoso boat was capsized in Wellington Harbour on Sunday mornine last, have been drowned. Tho body of Burgess was discovered^ Petono lying beside tho upttise.d'ffißwith his foot entangled in tho gearTsiie thought, says the Post, thatßurgffli was alive when the boat struck the bench, and died after reaching the shore through exposure, or that his foot caught in the gear when ho was making an effort to reach land, Tlwt ho was in the bout till sho struck is almost certain from the fact or his hat and coat being so close to tho body when found. It is thought, however, that when llio accident occurred, Messrs Osborne and Bertaud wero sitting on tho weather side, so iliey would be at onco thrown backwards into tho Water. The carrying away of the stay no doubt caused the mast to go by the board. I', is the opinion of many thai it was when she went on the TCoh that Burgess met wi'li th? injury to bis face, by being thrown against tho boat as she was overturned, as there are some bloodstains on one of the sails. SEARCH l'«R THE MISSING MEN, On tho news becoming known in the oity, Constable Cameron was despatched by tho 10.20 o'clock train to assist Constfiblo Lystor in his search for the missing men. A large number of volunteers in Petone also rendered every assistance in this direotion, but no trace of the missing men could bo found, A party drovo round to the Ilutt side of the river to search the beach, and on an island in the vicinity of tho racecourso they found a brown felt hat and an oar belonging to the boat. The hat was afterwards identified by Mr Henry Osborne as belonging to his brother. An uncle of Bertaud was also on the Petono Beach during the day, and entertained hopes that his nephew might still be alive, knowing him to be a magnificent swimtuef. He thought his nephew might have swum ashore to some point, and said that bo had on one occasion swum from a wreck to (lie shore, a distance of three miles, through a much heavier sea than he thought was running off Petone on Saturday night, The steam launch Olga was despatched yesterday afternoon to search thelhoro, but returned without finding any trace of Messrs Osborne and Bertaud, and there is now no doubt that both havo perished. Mr Oaborne was about 30 years of age, and was in business for himself opposito the Exchango Hall, Ho was a married man, but had no family, He was a great dog fancier, and was a prominent member of the Wellington Kennel Club, Mr Burgess was about 26 years oi ago, and was we believe, a native of Australia, He came over from Melbourne a few months ago, and as Mr Osborne gave him a two years' engagement, he Eent for his wife and four children, who are now left unprovided for. Mr Bertaud had been a resident oi Wellington for many years, In his youth he was engaged on vessels trading out of Hobart. When he Bottled down here be learned tho bat-making business, and was for a long time omployed by Messrs Hill and Sons, of Lambton-Quay, About two years ago he entered the service of Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen, and he will be well known to theatre-goers as the ticket taker most frequently employed at the dress circle entrance to the Opera House. He was 42 years of age, and leaves an invalid wife and four children quite unprovided for, For many years be was a member of the Wellington Navals, but for some time before his death he was on the reserve list. Mr Osborne, it transpires, was anxious to take his wife out in tho boat, but was persuaded by Mr , Bowie to go without her, as tho feather looked threatening.