THE LATE GALE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3824, 13 February 1874, Page 3

THE LATE GALE

INQUEST ON MR. HASTTE. A COBONER's inquest was held before Dr. Prison and a jury of twelve, of whom Mr. E Matthews was chosen foreman, upon the body of William Hastie, yesterday afternoon. The jury having viewed the body, John McKay gave evidence of having discovered the body of the deceased floating near tho ferrv steamers' tee, Queen-street Wharf; at 2 p.m. on the 11th iust., nnd at once gave information to Sergeant B»ker. Witness could not identify the body, and did not remember having ever seen the deceased alive. —Sergeant Baker d.-posed to having conreved the body of deceased to the dead-house as"soon as possible af'er he bad received the information respecting its discovery. -lue features of the deceased were greatly decomposed. On searching tho clothing witness found 16s 3d in cash a double-cased silver lever watch, which had stopped at 10 minutes past 10, a clasp knife, a brass box containing matches, and also two letters addressed to Mr. Wm. Hastie, P. 0., Shortlflnd. The body has the appearance of bavins been eight or nine days in tho water, but this appearance may have been caused by the hi«h temperature of the water, which would also account for the body floating so quickly. William Hastio is eupposed lo have been on board the yacht Colombo, and has not been seen since Saturday afternoon. Du-ing that night a violent storm visited ■ the harbour, and sunk the yacht which | was lying on the cast side <.f tho breakwater, a little to the north of the baths. The yacht had since been raised, but no bodies found in it,—Henry Bush, a fqimtter at Manaia, near Coromandel, deposed that at 4.30 p.m. on Saturday last he saw deceased walking up Queen-street in company with Mr. Benjamin "vVortbineton. Witness had known deceased for nine months, and knew that lie was sailing the yacht Colombo with Mr. Worthington. On meeting them on Saturday afternoon witness bid them ae ho expected to leave in his cutter, tbe Volante, that evening. The storm wrecked his vessel, in oompaDV with many others. On Sunday inorniuo witness saw Worlhington's dingy Ivin? amongst the wreck at the southe'ast" corner' of the wharf. Tho yacht Colombo had sank during the night. Witness did not see either ILislie or Worthington Sunday, and on Monday reported them to the police as missing. Ho had examined the body, and identified it by its clothes as beiuc? that of Wm. Hastie. The deceased was abou' .10 years of age, and wns, witness believed, of sober habits. Witness fully believed that tbe body was the body of Mr. Hastie. The opinion formed by the witness as to how deceased came to his death'was, that he had, iu company with Mr. Worthington, quitted the yacht in tlie dingy, which had suuk with them before they could" reuch the shore. On board the vftchi two dogs were found drowned, neith'er of which had been fastened, so that the sinking of the yacht must have been very sudden.—Charles Kolton, 11 boy, deposed that he recognised the clothing on the deceased as that of Mr. Hastie. He had no doubt of the identity of "he body.—The jury returned a verdict of "!Found drowned."

TWO MOKE BODIES FOUND. Yesterday morning early one of the pilot's boatmen found a body floating in harbour near to the Korth Head. Hβ nt once took the body to the North Shore, and sent word to tbe police. Sergeant Baker, of the Water Police, being acquainted with the circumstances, proceeded to the 2forth Shore, and brought the body across :md deposited it in the dead-house, Official Bay. It was afterwards identified by Henry Bush as that of Mr. Benjamin Worthington, who was supposed to have been drowned in the yacht Colombo on Saturday night last during the late gale. Another body iras pii&ed up at 1 o'clock yesterday, by Frederick Peiley, of the cutter Waterlily, about a mile inside of Rangitoto reef, and towed over by him to Auckland, where the body was handed over to the charge of the water police, and also deposited in the dead-house. It was recognised as that of Peter Martin, one of the young men who accompanied Mr. Bernard "Waymouth in tbe yacht Pearl, on the disastrous night of Saturday last. Inquests will be held on the remains of both deceased this afternoon, at the Railway Terminus Hotel.