AUCKLAND HARBOR FATALITY

Evening Star, Issue 15908, 14 September 1915, Page 5

AUCKLAND HARBOR FATALITY

CORONER'S INQUIRY. [Pes United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, September 14. The fatality which occurred in Auckland "Harbor on August 21, when a man named George Whisker was -drowned from the powder cutter Rosalie, and the master of that craft, William Robert Huff, was fatally burned, was the subject of an inquiry to-day bv the coroner, Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M. John Coutts, a fisherman, who > was on the Rosalie, said the captain of the vessel invited him to have a drink of whisky with two other men, Taylor and Whisker. They were all drunk, though the captain was not so drunk as Taylor or Whisker. The cutter had dropped anchor owing to the tide. This was done by the captain while Taylor lay in the explosives' hold and Whisker sat in the cockpit. There were 16 or 17 kegs of powder in the hold. Witness went into the forecastle, from whence he heard somebody calling out from another boat. He went' on deck, and saw Whisker in the water. He gat out the dinghy. Whisker sank' just as witness reached him. Witness informed Huffff of what had occurred. He then rowed ashore and informed the police. Meantime an explosion occurred on the Rosalie, and Huff and Taylor were found badly burned. Under cross-examination, witness admitted that all on board the cutter were smoking. The inquiry is proceeding.