DEATH BY DROWNING.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1705, 9 June 1883, Page 2

DEATH BY DROWNING.

A MKLANCHOLY-iatal, accident happened at the railway bridge* shortly before five o'clock J yesterday af ternoou. A party pi men were engaged in the work of raising the old tiiiiber piles at the East" end of the bridge, <with aview'to erecting new staging for the Eastern span. One of the gang, a young man named James limiey, was standing on the stays of the piles holding the slack of the ropo used in raising the pile. The stay springing upwards, Tierney lost his balance; and, relinquishing the rope, fell into the tiver. The current swept him round the pile, and under a raft of floating timber, and none of his fellow workmen were ;ible to render him any assistance. When the unfortunate man, who, by thr way, was unable to swim, came to the surface, he was some distance aM'ay. Mr Marshall, the contractor, at once got into his boat, accompanied by one of his men, and pulled after the drowning man, but, when they were within a couple of strokes of him, he sank, and was not seen again. The police were communicated with, and a search for the body will no doubt be prosecuted to-day. Tierney was a young man about 23 years of age, a good workman, and belonged either to Mauku or Waiuku.