Anglo-Colonial Notes.

Hastings Standard, Issue 441, 2 October 1897, Page 4

Anglo-Colonial Notes.

A WELLINGTONIAN DROWNED AT PORT BANNATYNE. [Post Correspondent.] London, August 20. Intelligence has just been received of a melancholy boating fatality which occurred in Port Bannatyne Bay, Bute, on Saturday last, and resulted in the death of Mr Charles Kelly, an engineer, who had but recently returned from Wellington, New Zealand, and two of his cousins. It seems that Charles Kelly, his uncle (Mr James Kelly, of the Glasgow Citizen), and his cousins, were spending their holidays at Port Bannatyne. At 10.80 on Saturday morning Charles hired the lugsail boat Bobbie Burns, with the intention of having a run up the Kyles. He took with him his four cousins, Mary (aged 18), Nellie (16), Maggie (12), and Janie (8). The morning was a trifle squally, and a bit out from land the sea was choppy, but there was nothing in the conditions above or below to render the expedition in the least dangerous, and moreover Charles Kelly had proved himself on previous excursions a capable seaman. For a time all went well, but anon the steamer Ivanhoe crossed the line of vision of those who were watching the boat, and when the steamer had cleared it was seen that the little craft had capsized and that its occupants were struggling in the water. Boats were put off without loss of time, and the rescuers picked Harry, Maggie, and Charles, but there was no trace of either little Janie x>r Nellie. All three rescued were unconscious when pulled aboard, Charles Kelly being in a stats of extreme exhaustion. They were rapidly conveyed ashore, and the girls were brought round, but poor Charles was too far gone for resuscitation. Meanwhile the search for the bodies of the missing girls had been proceeding,

but they have not yet been recovered. The cause of the accident is not clear, but probably when the boat was making a short gybe she was filled by the wash of the steamer, which passed very close to the ill-fnAed craft. Charles Kelly was but 26 years old when death overtook him. He came Home from New Zealand a few months ago, and since his return had been employed as an engineer in the Clan Line sheds.

DEATH IN FROZEN MUTTON. A case out of which the friends of the British farmers (including Mr Wingfield Digby, of " horrible diseases " fame) will make a good deal, occupied the attention of the Lichfield Coroner on Friday last, when he enquired into the deaths of Ethel and Nellie Baker, aged respectively nine and six, daughters of Mr William Baker, house - furnisher, who were alleged to have died as a result of poisoning from eating Australian mutton. Mr Baker, who appeared very weak and ill, said that on Saturday night he purchased a leg of mutton from a dealer in Australian meat, and that it was roasted for dinner on Sunday, when all the family, his wife, himself, and five children, partook of it. They suffered no ill effects on that day, and on Monday they dined off the same joint cold. At night all of them became ill. Mr H. M. Morgan, a surgeon, attended them, but the younger child died on Tuesday and her sister on the next day. Dr CJark, medical officer of health, was then called in, and took the remains of the meat to Dr Alfred Hilly, public analyst q| Birmingham. Medical evidence was to the effect that the deaths resulted from ptomaine poisoning. Mr Morgan said that ptomaines had developed in the meat after it was cooked on Sunday and before it was eaten cold on Monday. Ptomaines were a very serious form of poisoning, to which weak people and young children were peculiarly subject, but the knowledge as to them was as yet in its infancy. Fortunately such cases were of rare occurrence, but ptomaines might develop in meat sold by the most scrupulous and careful butcher in existence. The jury found a verdict in accordance with this evidence, and acquitted the butcher of blame. They recommended the doctor to make further analyses. Ptomaines, of course, may develop in any form of flesh diet, but it is distinctly unfortunate that the cases of ptomaine poisoning most recently brought before the public should have been traceable to Antipodean importations. In the former case frozen rabbits were found guilty, and now frozen mutton is held to blame. On the whole, it is well from the Australasian producers' point of view that the Agricultural Produce (Marks) Bill is not law.

SIR WILLIAM JERVOIS' DEATH The death of Sir William Jervois was the result of a carriage accident very similar to that which laid him up in South Australia some years ago. Sir William was staying with friends at Bitterne Court, Hants, and on Monday went out for a drive in a dogcart with a young lady, who acted as charioteer, the coachman occupying the back seat. The latter, whose name is Charles Earris, states that near Woolston some paper blowing about the road frightened the horse, which bolted. He snatched the reins from his seat behind, but could get no purchase, and soon found that the beast was beyond control. In Victoria-road they ran into the kerb, and Sir William was thrown out with considerable violence, his head striking against the stone. He was picked up unconscious, and removed to a neighboring house, where he was medically attended to, but died a few hours afterwards.