THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT IN THE MANUKAU.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1742, 18 February 1863, Page 4

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT IN THE MANUKAU.

Dr. Philson, coroner, held an inquest yesterday, at the Eoyal Hotel, Onehunga, on the body of Daniel Mead, one of the men who were drowned l>y the upsetting of a boat in Manukau on Saturday evening la&t. The following evidence was taken at the enquiry : — Thomas Collings, deposed: lam a bushfarmer, and reside at Davis's Bay, on the Manukau, about ten miles distant from Onehunga. I knew deceased, Daniel Mead. He was a carter, residing in Onehunga, about 50 years of age ; married. I last saw him alive on Saturday, February 14th, inst. When having occasion to go home from Onehunga by water, I took him in a borrowed boat as a passenger along with another man, John Porter. I managed the boat, and the men above mentioned were on their way to their families, who were staying at Little Muddy Creek. The boat was a small pulling boat, with a small lugsail, without rudder. I had two oars. The wind was blowing fresh from the south-east, tide flowing, water rather rough. Deceased had been drinking, but was not incapable of taking care of himself. He sat still in the middle of the boat near the mast. The other man, who also is lost, had no signs of drinking about him that I could detect. I was per- I fectly sober myself, having drunk merely a pint of ale before leaving Onehunga. I had two bottles of rum in the boat, and deceased had a bottle of sherry, none of which was ta»tedin the boat. The bottle of sherry wine was afterwards ( washed on shore. We left the Onehunga pier at three o'clock in the afternoon, under sail, with a leading wind. I" # steered with one of the oars, and •ailed across the bay, but being unable to weather the "White Bluff." I took down the sail and rowed. I pulled one of the oar», and deceased took the other ; but, finding | that he was incapable from the effects of what he had drunk to liandl© the oar, I took it from mm, and pulled both myself, I pulled round the Bluff, and then hoisted the iau. I passed

the steamer • Avon,' on her way to Onehunga, , About four o'clock in the afternoon, and subsequently passed the brig ' Most,' lying at anchor at Niger Bay. When about 200 yards boyond tho 'Moa,' a puff of wind capsized the boat. The wind had treshened, and the sea was high. The sail was made fast to one of tho thwarts, and deceased held the halyards. Everything was managed properly, and this accident might have occurred evon without sails. The boat was crank, and had no ballast : to this I attribute tho preservation of my life. We, all three, were thrown into the water. I clung to the keel of tho capsized boat. I saw deceased in the water clinging to some part of the wreck, I cannot say whothor ho was able to swim or not. I did not hoar deceased say anything. I saw John Porter also, at the top of the water. I may have kept Mead in view about five minutes. I only saw Porter once. Ho must have sunk very soon. I clung "on firmly to the boat, which rolled over various times. I ultimately succeeded in getting her righted, but she. was still full of water. 1 held on by each side of tho gunwale. I remained in this condition about two hours. I could not see any boat in the water. I drifted up the harbour inside tho ' Moa,' and providentially was observed by some person on shore who made signals to a boat belonging to the ' Moa, 1 in which two seamen of H.M. s.s. ' Harrier ' wore returning to tho ' Moa,' \ised as a government tender. I shouted as loud as I could, and was rescued by these two men, who brought mo up to the Itoyal Hotel, Onehunga, about seven o'clock in the evening. Ido not know anything further relating to deceased and Porter. I told the ' Moa's ' men that I felt certain they were drunk. To a Juror : I do not believe that drink had anything to do with the upsetting of the boat — I think it was puroly accidental. I have seen a dead body in one of the outhouses of tho Inn this morning, which I identify as the body of deceased Daniel Mead. George Brown deposed •• I am a sailor, and belong to the brig ' Moa.' On Saturday evening last, February 14th instant, about two hours bctore sunset, I and another sailor named James Butcher, who has charge of the ' Moa,' were returning in our boat to the ' Moa,' from Onehunga, we saw a man on this side of the Blull' hailing us. It was about ten minutes before we could get up to him. He said " there's a man on his boat," poiuting in the direction. I could not see from tho wotor the object ho was pointing at ; but we pullod in the direction, and heard a man " singiug out," who proved to bo the last witness, Thomas Collings. As wo were pulling towards Collings, who was sitting in a boat full of water, I saw about a dozen yards astern of our boat, the top of a man's head, and said to Butcher, " there's a man drowned. He said, " let us pull to the living man first, and we can pick up the other as we come back." We accordingly went and took Collings out of his boat. He said he had been in the water about two hours ; and that two others were in the water. We now rowed towards where we had seen the man's head, a distance of about fifty yards. We searched for five minutes, but were unable to find the body. We then brought Collings up to Onehunga. Willliam Champion, being sworn, said : — I am a mariner, residing in Onolmnga. 1 knew deceased, and last saw him alive about two hours after noon of Saturday, February 14. He was then pulling in a boat in tho Onehunga harbour. Thero were two others in the boat ; — Thomas Collings and John Porter. Late the same evening, hearing that they wore drowned, I came down to tho beach to know tho truth. I saw Collings on the beach, and heard that Mead and Porter were drowned. I made up my mind to search for the missing men as early as possible next morning, I started about 5 o'clock on Sunday morning, February 15th, in company with two others to the White Bluff, We went in a boat and saw a man on tho slioro who said that he had picked up several articles on the beach, near where the boat had been overset on the previous evening. We took this man into our boat and after searching an hour we discovered the body of deceased floating about 10 yards from the shore. We pulled the body into the boat and made further search for the other body but did not succeed in finding it. We then brought deceased's body to Onehunga, and handed it over to Corporal Hastie. I have seen the body this day, as it lies in the outhouse of the Royal Hotel. Joseph Hastie deposed — I am a corporal of the Auckland armed police, and am stationed at Onehunga. I knew deceased. I always considered him to be a quiet industrious man. I have never seen him helplessly drunk. I last saw him alive in one of tho public houses in Onehunga on Saturday last, February 14th inst. I do not know whether lie was sober at that time or not. When Collings reached Onehunga on Saturday evening after his rescue from drowning by the ' Moa's' men, I heard that two men, one of whom was deceased, were missing. It was quite dark then and too late to make search for the bodies. Next morning, February 15th, Sunday, the last witness brought up a dead body to Onehunga, which I deposited in an outhouse of the Royal Hotel. This body is that of Daniel Mead. It is no part of my duty to make search for dead bodies. No moans are furnished to me for such purposes. Ido not know whether the harbour has been dragged for the missing body of Porter or not. The jury returned the following verdict : — We found that Daniel Mead, the deceased, came to his death on Saturday, February 14th, in consequence of the accidental upsetting of a sailing boat in the waters of tho Manukau, by which he became drowned and suffocated. The jury, by way of rider, recommended that a drag or grapnels be provided at the public expense for the harbour of Onehunga.