WHANGAPE BOATING DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 24, 23 October 1907, Page 7

WHANGAPE BOATING DISASTER.

LATEST PARTICULARS. LAUNCH, OVERTURNED BY A '' - BREAKER. "IT'S ALL RIGHT; LET HER GO." [BT TEIjEGRATII,—OTVii CORRESPONDENT.] ... ( Auckland, October 22.. .. Tho latest details to hand concerning Sunday's boating, disaster .at Whangapo show that Messrs. Wallace's fishing party left the •whirf-shortly' after dinner, and reached tb« bar a few minutes- Inter. Tho .boy, Arthur Popplewell, who waa amongst thoso afterwards drowned, became frightened, and cried to bo put ashore. He . was, however, reassured. , The bar was not very smooth, and some of'the party on the launch thought perhaps it would bo wiser not to go out. The :• others prevailed, however, and the , crossing was effected, .the .launch, being nearly, capsized by a' nasty " comber in the operation. On. getting about half.a mile outside the. hnr fishing was commenced, but with : indif. feront success, and all the excursionists displayed anxiety to get back, again. . ... The positron.was by this t;me so serious, the wind having" changed and caused a heavy . swell, that they even discussed'the-manner |. in which they might best reach shore should , tho launch overturn whilst recrossing thf * bar. • ' •HEAVILY. ' The bar was breaking heavily, and beitlj -.in doubt as ;to what to do about coming in, Mr. D.- Wallace asked Mr. Newell Irving for his advico. ; The latter counselled waiting until flood tide, as tho sea was going down fast. '_ After waiting half an hour, the launch, at - about 5 o'clock,, was headed, for the'bar. When nearly thero Mr. Allen suggested turning round to meet the seas that were coming bohind,■, and then ,to come, in after them. However, Mr. Wallace rcmarkod, " It's all " right; let hor go." ' ; - '. L TURNED RICHT OVER. : The launch successfully , rode, tho first ■brehker, but tho lloxt ono turned her right over.' ;; ~" .. '. . ■■' ■ Nothing more was seen of the boy Popplewell. ' Ho had hben very sick, and had been sitting in the bows. Apparently hp novar rose to the surfaco again. . V . The others made tho' best of .their; way • over the bar,' Mr. Harris and Mr. Hare were. side, by*,'sido .when a. wave, separated them, and Harris called out for help, : but :fco no purpose/ 1 v; . <■ Mr. Riciiard' Blundell; got hoid of a box, ! aud, boing carried up the harbour, \njs picked up by a „boat, in,tho nick . r, c fjime. He was . apparently-at, his last: breath, and fainted ■ whon pulled into tho . boat. He was cut about the head somewhat. v A .MARVELLOUS ESCAPE. ''Hi !'i ' ■' ' .' . ' i:.\. - Mr. Allan, had a marvollous escape by, . holding on to a plank thrown to him by one of tho natives. •■ Mr. ■ Adamson's caso : was especially sad. Ho only went to Whangapo a few days ago as clerk to tho Mitchelson Timber Company, ajid, as the work did hot suit him, 1 intended returning - to. Auckland by , to-night's Tboat. • Instoad, his dead body is. being brought, and his widow is left with one child. . Mr. Newell Irving, who' survived, was an exceptionally powerful, swimmer, and no sooner had ho reached the shore than ho ran ,all tho way to tho Coffee Palace,and obtained help for his companions. •'' ■. ~ . J i , .Mr;, Jillan'/;who"' also,- got ashore, did, the same. ■ Both wore nnhurt, and .seemed ''little tho.worso for fhb adventure. .No other bodies have been: found so far. The launch was fivo horse-power, and used for towing flax, and logs'. . , . ; ANOTHER ACCOUNT. ' Another account says that as the launch was coming in, a few chains south-west of the rock outside the entranco, three heavy rollers were seen coining up closp astern. The first of. these passed tinder tho boat, .but the second ono broke hoavily, as it cainc up, overturning the launch, carrying .away part, of tho deok< •house, l and : precipitating al! . hands into:'.tnfl ' water, 'J ho . third oho, also , breaking, scattered tho unfortunate stragglers, ajid \whon it passed on only four or five were able to get to the. launch, whiph.was floating liool up. Thi;so wore' Messrs'. Adamson,. Wj Wallaco, York, and Blundoll, •'; Theso started .to, strip; pff 'thoir clothej. Wi Haro soon afterwards sprang off and sivam towards the northern shore, which he reached, after a long swim. 1 Mi:, Allan, on coming to the surfaco after tho capsizo, found that he could not get bapk to tho launch. He called out, and Wi Haro throw him a couplo of hoards, which,' ho. ,says, wore, the moans of keeping him afloat, as ho was carried right across the I breakers on tlio outer sand spit. . Ho-gob. ashore inside -tho. south heads, well up tlio harbour. Ho ran at once to tho Whangapo ferry station, about- two miles' away, aijjd boats wero immediately manned and set off down tho harbour. ; t Thoso picked up young Blundell in a very exhausted condition, hanging on to a bonzino caso. Tlioy could find no traco of the ethers.The survivors- wero attended to at tho forry station by Mr.'.lrwin* and with the exception of To Pan, who is still:confiiicd to bed', aro progressing favourably. . Search parties have ; been out ever since the accident. Mr. Adamson's body was picked up > by them on Monday morning half-way down tho harbour. AN INQUEST. An inquest was'hold last night by Mr. A. J. Logan, J.P. : , Acting-Coroner, and a'jury of seven, and ,a vordict of 'accidentally drowned was , y ' Irving, who is a. good swimmer, whon he camo to tho surfaco after the capsizo, looked about for the boy Popplowoll, but was unable to SCO hill). Then he started for the north shore, followed by To Paa aud David Wallaco. Irving and To Paa reached land, tho, latter in a very exhausted condition, having to be -lifted-on to the rocks by Irving aud Wi Hare., Wallace was lost sight'of. Tho- launch Was seen drifting towards the 3outh sido of tho'ontranco. After waiting to seo'if any others, wero likoly to, require help,' they made for the settlement. ■ -, In 1878 Gvo peoplo were drownod at the same placo, when tho s.s. Lionel was wreeked ;here. . . The late Mr. Harold Wallace was at ono. iimo employed in tho Mastcrton Post-Office. '