LOOKING BACK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 25, 9 November 1934, Page 4

LOOKING BACK

FIFTY YEARS SYNE. (From the "Guardian," Nov. 9, 1884.) Terrible Wreck at Akaroa—Eighteen Lives Lost: Once more it is our melancholy duty to record a terrible disaster to a ship, and the subsequent loss of • the passengers and' crew, with the exception oi one, a boy named Gibson, A message has Deen received as follows:—"x'he barque Jessie Alice Clyde is ashore at, Jtl'orseshoe .bay, this side of J/eraki. JNineteen souls are, on board. Only the apprentice is ashore " as yet. Kather a heavy sea is oh, and assistance is waited at once." The s.s. Akaroa was lying at Akaroa at the time, and within half an hour she was on her way to the scene of the wreck. Unfortunately, she was too late to render, any assistance, and on her return it was learned that all hands, except the boy alluded to, had perished. The boy, George Gibson, states that the barque (Captain Colmar) was laden with sugar from Mauritius to Dunedin. 'There were on board the captain, the captain's wife, their ~iive-year-old son and two daughters, one nine years old and the other 18 months, and also ' thirteen others, including an apprentice aged 14, who was on his first voyjage. ; The barque struck during the night. A boat was lowered and into it were put Gibson and the three children. The captain's wife was preparing to get in when the boat got under the ke rail and went down. Gibson swam ashore, was. washed off the rocks, clung to a spar and carried back to the barque. He was thrice washed, off the barque and twice caught hold of one of the girls, but was compelled by the waves to release her. When he got ashore finally he could not see anyone alive. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. (From the "Guardian," Nov. 9,1909.) The Borough School—The committee met last .evening, when there were' present the Rev. H. E. Messrs W. Craighead, A. rlewson, T. Hayes, B. T.. Missen, R. - McCallum, T. H.Undrill, and J., 1\ MPriest. The chairman reported a,credit balance of £5 9s 6d. The headmaster reported a roll number of 413, with an average attendance of 365.8 (highest 384). The Alknton roll was 106 (average attendance 99.3, highest 105). Don Smith had been first in class under 13 years and Don Hayes second in the class over 13 years, for the Navy League's essay on "The Meaning and Use of Empire Day." :*•'•*•'> St. Mary's Tennis Club.—The St. Mary's Tennis Club opened its season on the asphalt' courts,in the Domain 1 to-day. The courts were* opened by the president (Mr M. J. Burgess), who 'expressed pleasure: at the fact that the first season's rent had been, paid. He believed that tennis would yet super-; sede cricket. : ;.:*.„ WC.T.U.—The following officers of the Ashburton branch of the W.'C.T.U. ha,ve been elected:— Mrs W T. Lill (re-elected) • vice-presidents, Mesdames J. -McLeod, F. Fernman, R. J. Liddell, W. E. Lambert, and F. Greenwood; secretary, Miss C. Thomas (re-elected); treasurer, Miss A. . 0.Watson (re-elected). Superintendents of departments have been appointed as follows: Evangelistic, Mrs B T Missen; legal and parliamentary, Mrs W. T. Lill; press, Miss E. Trevurza; Ribbon, Miss Butterick; social Mrs Smith ; flower, . Miss A. C. Watson; literature, Miss E. Trevurza. Mrs A. Andrews and'Miss Askin were appointed a visiting committee. . : ;