A GIRL DROWNED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 68, 20 March 1916, Page 4

A GIRL DROWNED.

WHILE BATHING AT WAIPU. '■']%

WAIPU, 6aturdav;

A cloud of sadness was cast over the. district the other evening when Mona' McKenzie, aged 13 years, youn»est daughter of Mr. Dan H. McKenne, was accidentally drowned. Deceased and an- V other young girl friend were bathing or paddling in the river about three* chains . from the house, when deceased got'orcr" her depth. Her friend placidly went ' to her assistance, bnt was unable to do anything, as Mona McKenrie had soak. and didn't come to the surface again; ; The alarm was immediately given, and Mr. H. Addyman very soon arrived. Being a good swimmer, he proceeded to - dive, but was unable to recover the body. In a very short time a large muh-":'.; berof residents had gathered, and various means were adopted to recover thj body, which was done in about a cc-nplt' of hours. An inquest was held the davY following, before Mr. N. H. Campbell, : acting coroner, and a jury of six, of which Mr. J. V. McLean was foremin. After hearing the evidence the jury found that- "deceased was accidentailr drowned while bathing." ' :■ ;' Much sympathy is felt throughout th» district for the bereaved parent*, as wail evidenced by the large number of friends who attended the funeral, the eorteje lx'ing one of the largest ever-seen fieri Rev."" McDonald conducted all the burial':, services. r . . ,-: '" " , ■■ ~:./ : J;6. Chaplain-Captain Angus MaCdenall. J who has returned from the front, Air- • rates some pathetjc tales regarding New Zealand soldiers in the Egyptian hospitals. On one occasion, he said a New.Zealand lad asked for a scissors' and band mirror, so that he could trim his nails and tidy up a bit'to look presentable when his mother and sister came to see ■ him, and nothing would - satisfy him but these. They were purchased by the chaplain for him. His."." hair, was brushed and his nails trimmed, and when "next morning'-ilSe padre cams;' to see him. he lay in the silence-of .death,;■ with the scissors firmly clasped" jn one hand, his last thoughts having been of. the coming of his mother and- sister. T-i Another Dunedin boy; had a strong desire to send a cablegram, as he felt so much better, and was sure he would get;-"': away in the next transport leaving for ' New Zealand. He was very young, and he wished to cable his mother to expect -1 him home soon, and "to. bring little ;T Jacky with her to meet him when the transport came to Dunedin." Chaplain; Macdonald went out of the ward and ;■ soon returned with a sovereign which he;§| placed in his hand. In a Bhort,time_he ' had passed away, grasping the sovereip : g like some treasured possession. * I>*^ The Government promoted Mr. Campbell, orchard inspector it's Hastings, t0..;. Wellington six months ago, and failed w|| appoint a successor. The Hawke's Bay; - fruitgrowers, at a meeting, decided that the attention of the Government he drawn to the fact that the absence of an inspecor was a. serious 'menace to the-.-.' fruitgrowing industry. Codlih. moth aaiv other pests were becoming rampant in; . the district, and infected -fruit ▼« being offered for salei. The aasodatian also views with distrust the arrangement for the inspection of fruit for:■.? export, and urges local inspection in Hawke's Bay. A one-legged man, named Alexander-:; Eadie, who escaped from Rotoroa Isiad.vi on February 17, was arrested ui_B*nr3- ; ton on Saturday, and lemanded <•>:;; appear in Auckland on Tuesday. Eadie is supposed to have constructed a small:?;.: skiff in which he made his escape across •- the harbour to St. Heliei's Bay. - A "New Zealand Times" reporter wto , made inquiries on the-subject learned; that the temporary stoppage of the Petone mills, which have been engagedg ir the production of military equipment, will not embarrass the Defence Department. The output-of Vhald doth ana - other lines has kept well ahead of .i*- requirements during recent months, *** ' there in hand at the present - The United States* used to 'be lookei upon as the land whence emanated "tat stories," but evidently England! ■•«,: ' waking up, judging by a paragraph SISSS appeared in 'The People, 5 ' January 16th, which reads as follow*:— / "Complaining of the refuse at Gusto*., near Dover, a district councillor sap. | that the rats there grow nearly as largV," as rabbits. One lady found, to-herhorrw. m she had been stroking a large rat, in *** twilight, in mistake for a cat." An order was placed this week ft ;. Osaka for 10,000 thermometers of speoa!|| design for use in the dairy New Zealand, says the "Japan Times"* January 29. This is an interestM* transaction, as formerly these instruments were sent from Germany. / ] _'J Those engaged in the production of whale oil are requested to forward as early as possible to the Imperial Govera.ment Supply, Wellington, an estimsM of the number of barrels available for export to December 31, 1916. It is understood that & meeting of he woollen mil] employeers of the po-'i'r minion is to be held in Wellington early this week, to discuss the position froai T ; their point of view. Auckland public are cordially inrif^| ; j| to inspect our window display of RUBBING Laundry Help. 1/ pack** 9 sufficient for seven washings.—SmeetoaV i Ltd.-(Ad.)

Perkin's aucion sale of plants, «*f» "'. Wednesday.—(Ad^.