THE LATE DEATHS BY DROWNING

New Zealander, Volume XIX, Issue 1764, 10 January 1863, Page 3

THE LATE DEATHS BY DROWNING

The bodies of the unfortunate gunner Green and his wife, who perished during the gale of Tuesday, were recovered yesterday morning, having been found by two seamen of the Tasmanian Maid, steamer, close by the outer steps to the eastward of the Queen-street Wharf; from whence they were conveyed to the dead-house in Official Bay. It was a touching sight to behold the corpses locked in each other's arms in the last and dread embrace of death. Decomposition had but partially taken place; and although part of the female's face was said to have been attacked by small fish, both had escaped the visitation of sharks, lately so numerous, one of which had so nearly destroyed a living prey. An inquest was held at the Royal Hotel yesterday afternoon before Dr. Philson, coroner ; and from the facts then elicited, it was conclusively shown that in the present unlicensed state, any persons —however juvenile—however tempestuous the weather—however fierce the sea—need only apply to those who have boats to letwithout question asked or without objection made.

Melancholy as the fate of gunner and Mrs. Green, there is a public interest in the matter which ought not to be lost sight of, until a law shall be passed in preservation of the lives of the community.

They who peruse the details of yesterday's inquest, however much they may be surprised, will still fail to understand the full force of the evil attendant upon the utter want of system in the letting out boats, under any circumstances, and. in any weather, for hire. Poor Mrs. Green', anxious to procure the washing of the ship Silver Eagle, ignorant of the dangers of the wind and weather, induces her husband (with a knowledge of the water apparently as circumscribed as her own) to hire a boat; and as competent conductors of that boat, two small boys, her brothers, the eldest about fifteen, the younger of a much more tender age, are entrusted with the lives of the party. The boat, according to the evidence, was of 23 feet in length, and 6j feet beam; she was furnished with but two oars, no rudder, one of the oars being the only steering gear, no ballast, and a spritsail in which there was no reef, notwithstanding it blew a hard gale, with furious puffs from the most dangerous point, about W.S.W. Despite all these untoward circumstances, the boat was launched, left the Wynyard Pier, flying before the gale, the sheet made fast, on the starboard tack. Having rounded Judges' Bay Point, the boy helmsman for the first time thought it would be better to reef the sail; and in order to do so, he gave Greex the steer oar, who, not understanding its management, brought the boat by the wind broached to, and as all were seated to windward, she capsized and filled. It is, however, just as likely that the boat was taken aback by the strong gusts that pour down through Judge's Bay, against which too much caution cannot be observed. Few harbours are better adapted for boat sailing than that of Auckland ; but to brave it in a gale, and especially a gale from the land, requires an amount of strength and skill far beyond that possessed by the boys McCormack, the elder of whom, under the most trying circumstances, exhibited a degree of constancy, courage, and fraternal affection deserving of the warmest commendation.

Accidents in our harbour have happily been few; but that they have been so is neither attributable to the skill manifested by water parties — to the boats and their furniture in which they have risked their lives, nor to the consideration of those who have boats to let on hire. It is to bu hoped that the present lamentable calamity will not be permitted to pass without causing steps to be taken to avert similar fatal misfortunes Boat

hirers, as well as watermen, ought to be specially licensed, and u;:der such a law as would put the lending of boats to children entirely out of the question. That the entire-party did not perish on Tuesday is solely attrib it b'e to the courage and humanity of Mr. Swain-ox who, in a small shallop, aided by a boy of thirteen, in a wild sea and howling gale, risked their own lives in rescue of those of others. This was true heroism : and it is most gratifying to find that it was acknowledged, as it deserved to be, by the jury of yesterdav.