FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6362, 8 April 1882, Page 5

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

ONE MAN DROWNED. A boat accident took place yesterday afternoon, by which, we regret to say, Mr. Charles Lee, clerk in the employ of Messrs. Ireland Brothers, lost his life by drowning. The following arc the particulars so far as. they could be ascertained : — A party went out on .1 fishing excursion yesterday, consisting of Messrs. William Grosse (a commercial traveller), Peter birley (blacksmith), W. M. Davidson (landlord of the York Hotel, Newton), and Charles Lee, clerk in Ireland brothers. They procured a small open sadmg boat called the Pearl from Mr. Hild.tch, of the baths, about 10 o'clock, and pulleo. over to Calliope Point to fish. Being unsuccessful, they decided to go to Kauri Point ami try their luck there, and the wind being fair, they sailed up, and dropped anchor ofl the point between 12 and 1 o clock. As tin. water was too deep to anchor, they took the anchor up again, in order to stand in shore. Thev had "just got under weiuh—Grosso steering, and Lee holding the sheet—when a sudden gust of wind struck the sail, and over she went instantly, about half-a-mile from shore. From this point the narratiTe of the survirors is confused and contradictory, and we therefore cive the narrative of Messrs. Grosse and" Davidson, and that of Mr. hirley, separately. The former state that the whole parcy clung to the boat for a couple of minutes when Birley exclaimed, "I'm oil! , and letting go, struck out in the direction ot the Birl-cnhead wharf, shortly afterwards followed by Lee, who swam boldly in the direction of Kauri Point. Grosse and Davidson state that when within ."50 yards of the shore, Lee tank suddenly, and they saw him no more. They also lost sight of Birley, there beinc a jabble of a sea on. So tar as they eouhf judge the accident occurred about 1 o'clock, although Davidson's watch is stopped at seveu minutes past 2. After clingin" to the boat for an hour and a-half, thev <aw two boats, and eoocyea. inese two" boats were followed by a third — that of Mr. Joseph Cunningham, 01 1011sonby, who with Mr. Dowdcn, and several ladies and children (some 11 111 all) were returuiii" from a pleasure excursion to Hellyer's Creek. The two men clinging to the capsized boat were noticed simultaneously by the occupants of the other three boats Mr. Cunningham hailed one of the boats—the Gem, belonging to Mr. John Murphy, of Freeman's Bay—to lower the sail and pull to the men, as his own boat was full. Mr. Murphy was unable to do so, as he had neither rowlocks nor oara, and therefore could only work to windward sailing, which he did. " On uearing the men he was obliged to pay off, for fear of running down Mr.~Cumiingham's boat, the Ino, and before he could make the next board, the Ino had reached Grosse and Davidson and rescued them. Meanwhile the third boat, the Ped, belonging to Mr. Fernandez, had been working up, and she secured the submerged boat, while the luo stood over to Masefield's Point, Ponsonby, with the men, who were wrapped in great coats and given such restoratives as the party had at their command. On reaching Mr. Masefield's house, that gentleman did all iu his power for the half-drowned men, for which they desire to express, through our columns, their grateful acknowledgments. On coming to town they reported the accident, the drowning of Mr. Lee, and their fears that Mr. Birley had also gone, although there was just a hope, from his style of swimming, that he had reached some part of the North Shore. They had scarcely finished their narrative, when Constable Bernard, of Freeman's Bay, came into the Police Station, and to their great joy, announced that Mr. Birley had been subsequently found by Mr. Murphy on the run down the river, clinging to a board, and rescued. The statement of Mr. Murphy, who rescued Birley, is :—After the rescue of Grosse and Davidson had been effected, as "the weather appeared dirty, I decided to run back to Freeman's Bay from Kauri Point. There were in the boat with me, my sou Robert, Mr. John Wilson, and some others. We had been fishing. Fronl what we had heard we had given up all hopes of Birley, and were running on the wind home. About half a mile from the scene of the accident, and near the Watchman, I heard a cry as it proceeding out of the water, but, owing to the sea runniug, could perceive nothing. Called the attention of my friends in the boat to the circumstance, and listened, when the cry was repeated. On standing up, and looking in the direction from where the sound came, could sec the head of a man bobbing up and down, and then noticed that he was clinging to a board. Went about immediately, and, on coming up to the spot, found Birley in the last stage of exhaustion clinqiag to one of the covering boards of the capsized boat, Pearl. Assisted by Mr. Wilson, I succeeded in getting him into the Gem, and lie was taken ashore at Freeman's Bay, to the Freeman's Hotel, where every kindness was shown him. Subsequently, when sufficiently recovered, Birley went, accompanied by Mr. Murphy, to the Working Men's Club, where Mr. W. Wheeler, the manager, had him put to bed. In the evening Mr. Birley was sufficiently recovered, having received a fresh change of clothing, to return to his home in SeaSeld View.

Mr. Birley's statement, made to different persons, is to the following effect: —l am unable to say whether the jib was set or not at the time of the accident. The puff of wind came, and over the boat went. My impression is, that the sheet was fast. As we went down together Lee got hold of the tail of my waterproof coat, but I instinctively struggled clear of him. Never saw him rise again. Clung to ttie board, and floated about till rescued by the Gem. Could not have held out many momenta longer, being utterly exhausted. Mr. Wheeler, of the Working Men's Club, proceeded last evening to the residence of Mr. Lee (who was a member of the club), Symouds-street, to break the distressing tidings to the bereaved wife, and as may be expected the interview was a painful one. Mr. Lee leaves also two little children, and Mrs. Lee is in near prospect of her confinement. The deceased was much respected by his acquaintances and friends.

The boating party took with them four pint bottles of colonial beer and a flask of brandy. Two of the bottles were used at their lunch, off Calliope Point, but the other two and the flask of brandy were untouched when the accident took place. The parties were stated to have been perfectly sober.