SAD FATALITY AT GISBORNE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2329, 14 June 1887, Page 2

SAD FATALITY AT GISBORNE.

fjiY TKLKGIIAPH. —PRESS ASSOCrATION.] GisiiOHNK, Monday. The Australia .arrived in the bay at 4 30: p.m. on Saturday. A boat put off from the land containing H. Glover, Ratiri Tautau, Rapana Hautata, and Henry Hautau arrived safely at the .steamer. .Four passengers, Mrs Kirk, Nellie Kirk, aged nine, Ralph, aged two, and an infant one month old got into the boat. When near the bar she was seen to founder, throwing the occupants into the ,water. Glover got safely ashore, followed by Rawenora and Tautau, both ■exhausted. Rapana disappeared. The accident was seen from the beach and Constable Stagpoole, Joseph James, bootmaker, and Sam Gil man, a Maori, went to the rescue but w;hile in the act of saving the occupants of the first boat their own boat sank. Giltnan got safely ashore. It is supposed Stagpool drifted to sea. James is supposed to have got out to tho steamer Australia which threw up two rockets and blew her horn. She remained in the bay till morning, hoisted two flags, and blowing her horn -after- sail-, ing up and down the bay as if anxious to' communicate with the land, went north about S a.m. It turned out that James was drowned, and it is supposed that Stagpooll and the native named Tautau are on board the steamer, but there is no certainty. The bar did not appear to be rough at the time x but there' was a fresh Ori. A search party was out all yesterday and the night before, aiid found five of the bodies. The following are the names of the bodies found ': —Joseph James (bootmaker), Ralph Kirk, Nellie Kirk, Rapena, Hautau, and K r.i's baby, one month old. Mr Gill arrived this morning to hold an inquest. Mrs Kirk's body has been found. ; Nothing definite will be known about Constable Stagpool's safety until the arrival of the Australia at Auckland.