FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT THE MOHIKINUI.

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 3099, 22 July 1878, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT THE MOHIKINUI.

(Westport Times.) News was brought down on Wednesday evening of a boat accident at the Mohikinui, resulting in the drowning of a well-known resident in the district, Geo. Nicolas. Our informant states that four men — Frank Spence, George Nicolas, J. M'Meegan, and George Perotti— had gone up stream with a cargo of stores. Owing to the heavy fresh, they could make but little headway, and on Tuesday had got no further than Welcome Bay. At the falls there, M'Meegan and Perotti were towing the boat with a line, Nicolas was standing in the bow of the boat, and Frank Spence was steering. The boat took a sudden sheer and dipped bows under, quickly filling with water. Spence and deceased were at o'/ice in the deep current. The former, who could swim well, says he saw Nicolas struggling in the water just about twenty feet from him, and he cried out, " For God's sake help me, Frank." He struck out to help him, but the current carried Nicolas beyond his reach, and he saw no more of; him. This melancholy event happened just about the place where Peter Seaton' lost his life some three years since. Up to Wednesday morning the body had not; been recovered. The deceased was well-, known throughout the district, as a steady, industrious man. He was at one timeproprietor of the Boatman's Arms, in ; Gladstone street (house and street long: • since numbered among the past), and con- ■ ducted his business there with good re- j pute. He was a native of Athens, inGreece, and 43 years of age. Though i known as George Nicolas, we understand ; his real name was a somewhat imprac- ■ ticable one for others than his own ] countrymen to pronounce, and hence pro- 1 bably his reason for adopting another. He : was for a long time mate with his country- j man, Alex. Constantine, who is at present ' teaming on the Grey and Reef ton Road. . The wife of deceased is a resident at Reefton.