FATALITY ON THE TAURANGA.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12015, 17 October 1904, Page 8

FATALITY ON THE TAURANGA.

■•"_ 0 TWO MEN WASHED OVERBOARD. LIEUTENANT PAYNE DROWNED. A SEAMAN SAVED. GALLANT ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE. (SrECIAJ, TO THE "rKESS.") WELLINGTON, October 15. The first intimation that Wellington had that a sad accident had occurred on the trip of H.M.S. Tauranga from Lyttelton to Wellington was this morning, when it was seen that the three warships in harbour were flying their flags at half-ma.it. The explanation came later, in the sad news that Lieut. Arthur J. Payne, First Lieutenant of H.M.S. Taurang.l, had been lost at sea in the Straits, at about 10 a.m. on Thursday. Captain Robinson, in giving an explanation of the accident to a "Post" reporter, stated that the Tauranga, left Lyttelton for Wellington at 10 o'clock last Wednesday morning, and arrived off the Heads at cix o'clock on Thursday morning. The weather was thick, and a strong southerly wind raised a heavy sea, which made it impossible for his vessel to come through the Heads, so ho put her head to sea to keep off until the weather cleared. It was after this that the accident occurred. The vessel was steaming along with just enough power on to keep her moving, and Lieut. Payne and some of the men «were engaged in Jit'curing the boats, when a heavy sea broke over one side of the ship and washed I tho lieutenant and another man, an A.B. qimed Ruff, overboard on the port side. It. was blowing a. heavy gale at tho time, and the big sea which was running made it impossible to lower boats. Ropes, were thrown to the men in tho water,, however, and everything possible was done, to save them. Lieut. Payne had apparently received severe injuries iv being washed off the vew*l, m> that he was unable to do anything, to help himself, and simply lay in tho water face downwards.- Ruff was hauled on board at the gangway, but Lieutenant Payne could not be got* hold of on account of tho heav sea and the wild tossing of the warship, although a plucky attempt to rescue him was made by on A.B. named Manscll, who .was lowerad over the side of tho ship •with a line round his waist. Ruff also did everything in his power to get the lieutenant on to a lifebuoy. Captain Robinson is of opinionfFnat had tho Lieutenant been conscious he- would have been saved," and he also thinks that the unfortunate officer was struck by the ship whilst she was rolling in the sea, which was running higher than the bridge. Other particulars go to show that the rescuers, who were out on the nete, were themselves in very great danger from the mountainous seas that swept high over the decks. The chip rolled so terribly that sometimes the . men in the water would aJmost come within arm's reach, then again their bodies would be lost to view, to reappear with the heave of the sea. The efforts at rescue with buoys and lines were persevered with until the-body of Lieutenant Payne finally sank. There seems to be little' doubt that but for the injury his head sustained as he was being washed off. Lieutenant Payne would have been rescued. (Ruff and Mansell, who both tried to secure him in the water, state that an ugly gash showed on the side of his head. If not dead, ho was certainly unconscious. Ho floated with his head under water, and it is thought that what kept him afloat so long was the air in his clothes, an oilskin, with an.overcoat on top. Ruff, though he,, had himself sustained nasty knocks on the head and had" a somewhat dim recollection of the whole affair, made plucky but ineffectual efforts to hold "the Lieutenant. After Ruff, by the aid -of a line, was hauled aboard via the gangway, Mansell, with a rope tied to him, made a further effort and got hold of the officer, but a jerk parted them and Mansell was hauled back to the deck with , a portion of tho Lieutenant's oilskin still clenched in his liand. After that tho body was lost sight of. It is thought by Captain Robinson that before sinking, it received another blow from the ship. From the wash overboard until the sinking of the body, the thne occupied was the bc3t part of ten minutes. Tho wave that carried the men overboard also burst op'en the iron gangway doors at the waist, of the ship. It is estimated that the Tauranga was about 20 miles off the head; at the. time. Ruff and Mansell Avere put into "sick bay"-and are still feeling tho effects of their experipiice, especially the formr, who besides the shock of the immersion, has injuries to his head. Captain Robinson speaks in the highest terms of the capacity of Lieutenant Payne and the esteem in which he Mas held. Deceased waa aged about thirty-two years and unmarried. He served on the .South African station during the war, on H.M-S. Monarch, and had a South 'African medal, His father is rector of a Cheshire parish, and was formerly a naval chaplain. Deceased has a brother who ia a lieutenant on H.M.S. Duncan. The late Lieutenant Payne, of the Tauntnpa. took a gwat iiitero.it in St. Michael'n Church, and attended the .services regularly while his rhip iv.-is in port. Archdeacon Averill, during tho fowne of his sermon last evening, mado reference to Lieutenant Payne, and .read an extract from the last letter received fmm him, in which he rtated that the services lrad Wn n ml delight to him. Chopin , * "Funeral March" was played hv the orpnni*t. Mr Hunt,-at the conclusion of tlw> ."orvicr.