FATAL ACCIDENT ON BOARD H.M.S. BLANCHE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IX, Issue 2107, 22 October 1870, Page 2

FATAL ACCIDENT ON BOARD H.M.S. BLANCHE.

A SKiltiN named Albeit 3mitli, belon"ini» to H.M.3. Biancne, fell overboard fr .m that vessel about half-past four o clock on Tharsd ij afternoon last, and despite every exertion th.it. Wili made t.> sa/e him, was unfortunately drjwned. The circumstance! of the ac ident are as follow: For the last few rajs the Blanc e has been undergoing a thorough overhaul, previous to her departure from this port, and, am >ng other things that were beinir done, a good deal of the standing riggi n » wa J being set up," as it is teamed, amo'iir it bein< the whole of the ratlines. Smith Vas going up aloft shortly after four o'clock, a n( J whtn up on the fore topmast ringing, it i 3 supposed that lir pluct-d his haud above him thinking the ratlines there was not the case), and so fell off the shrouds. I n his descent he struck tlie lower ri™i n » ■which, to a certain extent, broke his fall!" He I then fell head foremost on to the lower boom about three feet from the ride of the vessel' I and from there into the water, lie must have I been perfectly senseless when he struck the : water, if not dead, fur on an examination of 1 the boom afterwards, where he had struck a I small piece of the skull wns found forced into ! the wood. When he reached the water he sank immediately. The boatswain llr i Williams (who has already saved four lives j since the Blanche lias been in commission) j and Arthur Davids, ciptain of the ion-top, at j once sprang overboard, bHt by this time the I body had sunk out of sight. Williairs dived | down several times unsuccessfully. The tide | -was Tunning out very strong y, and the bodv ! made its reappearance some distance below 1 the vessel for a few seconds only, -when it finally | disnppe .red. Several boats wi re out by this j time, but the body was not recovered, and was probably washed out to sea. Where it ' finally sank, the water was tinged with blood. ] U he doctor of tlie Hl inche, Dr. Slolby, state* ■th it it was impossible that the man's lift. ; could hare been saved even if he had been [ picked up, as the top of the .-bull must have j bern smashed in. Tlie deceased was a native : of Canterbury, in Kent, was Bged 24 Tear? j and had belonged to the vessel since she was I placed in commission, about two years ago. He was a v ry q iiet, iuolF.-n-ive man, and was much liked by all on board, from tlie captain doivnwirds—his conduct being y,-ry steady aid his disposition most obliging. The sad' accident ca<t an universal gloom ovsrthe shin As a somewhat remarkable fart, we mention the following incident:—On the voya?e out from England one of the men fell i from the same portion of the rinsing 011 to the deck, and sustained such injuries that he afterwards di. d. His hist words immediately before expiring were, " Poor, poor -miUi!" Jt is certainly very singular til it mitll shoaM have fail' i from the same rigging, a>id met. his death ill the manner described, so shortly afterwards.