A PICNIC TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 56, 7 March 1921, Page 2

A PICNIC TRAGEDY.

FLARE-UP ON A LAUNCH. I'DNSUXHV YACHTMAVS DKATII. Tin- Foresters' pii-iiic lipid ~n th.- hanki< nf ii lagoon .i] tin. iTii'k ut Henderson ' Hits invadud by Uie tracedv of :i fatal acid.-nt at tin- i-n.l of tin- afternoon on j Siitiirilay, v hen tin pil.it of tlic hum. ti | party . Mr. I-. \S Chalmers, of I "on- ' wmby. while preparing to ln.il watnr for j tea, canned a Ihire up that *-t fliv to his ' laun.-li and to his own ami wai< so Iw.lly ImriH'd that he ,1i,.,l in the Auckland Hospital tins iimniiiiL' Mr. thalm.TH is uwnor of th.- liiuncl, Cwen ('. un.l had piloted tin- launchct. of ! Hit- part\ comprisiiiK the picnic- assembly j Up thi' cn-.»k to tin- pirnic ffrunn<l on tli<- I hunks of thp i-rwk at .Sir. C. V. Hniokp - .-. farni. Iw-rythinj! went well till t*>n-tinit< arrived whoti th<> pirnickiTs w.-n- about to have v in.-Ml pr.-|>iir!ltor_v to wtting otr I for th.- rot urn trip. On* the liwcn I. wa- a primus stov.-, and Mr Chalm.-rs j "a- using it fnr Imiling water, when tinllari' up occurred. From tin- rirt-um- : RUnpcs it is presumed that in nilintr « | saucepan in which the «-iu<-r was buili-il ! for t4-a for-his iiiirncdiate party, .Mr. j (.'tialmc-ra mad.- an unfortunate -nistiikr ! and put, iknrosone into th.i <muccpan in- 1 stead of water. The result was a sudden [ outbreak of lire when the saucepan was | put on the stovp at tin- rrnr nf the ' launch, and in trying to In-at out the '■ (lam.-H. Mi. Chaluiers had his. clothos sot. i on lire, but poreisu-d in liis efTorts until ! entreated to jump into the wnter. This I lie did. and some of the party went to hi* personal assistance while others over i-ame the flames which had charred the timbers of the launch. j Mr. 11. Klltler. of llrnders.m, rendered | first aid, and soon Dr. Carew, of New ' Lynn and Or. I-'riedlandor arrived Tti.v | dr.-Hs.-d tiie hums while a motorcar was being procured t- take Mr. Chalmers to! the Auckland Hospital, but shortly after I it» departure the car was met "by an ainhulaiice and in it tho sufferer" was i brimght to the city, lip died at the! Auckland Hospital this uinrnin" at ! 10.43. Mr. Chalmers, who was n well-known yachtsman and nn otli.-.-r of the North Shore Yacht Club, resided at W Trinity Stroet, I'onsonby. lie was 40 years of "P , ' a, "i leaves a wife and six children. the eldest hemp a girl of nineteen and tho youngest a baby in arms. Ho was the owner nf the launch in which the accident happened.