FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

Evening Post, Volume XIV, Issue 45, 22 August 1876, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

During the last trip of the steamer Maori round the ."outh Island, a fatal boat accident happened on the treacherous bar at Martin's Bay. A<? described in the Otago Daily Times, the boat was lowered and manned by four men at the oara, with Mr. Henn'ch, the chief officer, at the tiller, and Mr. Mathias, the purser, in charge of the mail bag. The outer surf was crossed safely, but when the strong current from the river was met it caught the boat on the bow, and a sea at the same moment striking her aft, she broached to and capsized. Then ensued a struggle for life. The men instinctively clung to the boat, but were again and again washed from her. The purser despairing of holding on and thinking he <-ould fetch the shore, divested himself of hit coat and struck out for the rocks, but he was powerless to stem the current and so made for the boat again, and with the others dang to her as best he

*i&ould. One of the men, named William Baars, better known as " Peter," a native of Holland, was, holding on next to him. Just as Mr. Mathias regained the boat he heard a voice exclaim, "lam done." Presently the boat was drifted by the current clear of the surf, and then it was ascertained that " Peter " was missing. When the accident was observed from the Maori, the life boat was lowered and manned, and sent to the rescue, and succeeded in piekiner up the five men and recovering the boat.