FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT THE MOKIHINUI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 18, 21 January 1875, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT THE MOKIHINUI.

(Westport Star, January 19.) The melancholy hews was brought in from the Mokibinui by Edward Fletcher on Monday night that a boat accident had happened on the previous afternoon, resulting in the drowning of five well-known men. It appears that Mr Montgomery, who has taken the contract for boating the Halcyon Company's machinery up the Mokihinui river to th? machine site, had Bent up the first cargo in charge of six men, and they having delivered it safely were on the return trip. The passage down the river under any circumstances is somewhat risky, as the current is rapid, and there are many rocks, eddies, and shoots where danger is always lurking. The rainfall on Sunday caused a fresh in the river, but not sufficient to deter the men from their fated journey. They left the Halcyon claim early in the afternoon, and come along all right until reaching the Long Fall, about half-way between the mine and the Mokihinui township. There the boat capsized, and five men out of the six on board were almost instantly drowned. Their names are Peter Seaton, William Miller, Wiliiam Hall, Benjamin Rundlett, and Nicolas, a Dalmatian, better known as Teremakau. The sixth man, named Carson, by good fortune contrived to cliog to the floating mast and saved his life. Since the foregoing was in type, Carson has arrived in Westport and gives further particulars. He says the boat left Snag Fall about noon, there then being a slight fresh in the river sufficient in the opinion of the men to allow the boat to clear all obstructions. They got safe. to the bottom of the Long Fall, and suddenly the boat went bow under, and immediately following took another dip und filled in twenty feet of water. Carson was washed out of the boat and sank, but on coming to the surface got hold of the boat mast and floated on it down stream. He then saw the boat 200 yards ahead of him, aud four of the men on it, Hall being the missing one. Soon after that the boat turned over, and then Carson saw Seaton and Nicholas cling to it, the I other men having disappeared. At the ' next fall he saw Seaton only sitting on ; the bottom of the' boat. Carson got safely, past the fall, still clinging to the mast, but saw no more of Seaton, and, after floating half a mile or so further down, he contrived to land on the north bank of the river. After getting ashore and gaining strength a little, he travelled along the bank up stream and caw the boat bottom up, but no trace of any of tie men.