BOAT ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5395, 3 March 1879, Page 6

BOAT ACCIDENTS.

On Monday (Feb. 17th) the Customs launch brought to town a party Of gentlemen who had been staying at Motuihi, besides the crew of au opei boat that capsized off Brown's Island <5n Sunday afternoon. The yacht M'Lisa, belonging to Mr. Sharland, hail on board "Dr. Haines, Messrs. Flood, J. "Wrigley, J. Fairburn, E. E. Isaacs, and his Fijian servant, who had been spending Saturday on the island in question, and left Motuihi on the afternoon of Sunday, intending to befct up to Auckland. At the time of departure there was a fresh breeze from the west blowing with a heavy sea running, and it being ebb tide, the yacht stood over to the sonth shore, intending to proceed through the passage of Brown's Island. As the boat approached shore, about 3.30 p.m., a heavy squall came down the harbour, accompanied by rain, and so intense was tho force of the •wind, that it split the jib, although the vessel was double-reefed, and not properly working. Mr. Isaacs, who was in command, wore away for the lee of Brown's Island where smooth water would be found, and the vessel ride safely at auclior until the squall was expended. approaching the buoy, the Fijian espied a man struggling in the water, several hundred yards leeward of where they were about to anchor, and the yacht, although crippled by the damage doae to the sails, was put before the wind, and so admirably handled that she was brought up so close to the immersed individual that the gentlemen on board were able to reaoh him. On being hauled on deck, in an almost lifeless state, he faintly uttered, " Aly comrades," and indicated by a motion of his hand their position toward Rangitoto. The M'Liss was again put before the wind, and very shortly an upturned boat was seen, with two persons clinging thereto. All haste was made to the rescue, ! but the disable 1 condition of the yacht precluded her being brought sufficiently near as to reach them | from her deck. A line was thrown, but this tho unfortunate men were unable to grasp in their exhausted state, and as a heavy sea was running, the vessel was drifting further away. It was evident that if the lives of the unfortunate persons in the water were to be saved, it must be done promptly, or all chance of doing *o would be lost. At this moment Mr. Isaacs volunteered te swim off with a line, but his presence being of essential service in the management of the yacht, Dr. Haines came forward, and stated he would attempt their rescue in the jacht dingy. The attempt was a most hazardous one, and the progress of the dingy and its occupant was eagerly watched by all on board, as every now aud then it appeared as if it would be swamped. Dr. Haines, however, reached the two men safely, but to get them in the boat was simply impossible, and they were ultimately secured by lines, one on either side of the boat, and be commenced to pull back to the yacht, but, the sea being so high, this was out of the question, and Mr. Isaacs, seeing this, put the vessel before the wind, to enable the yacht to get way on and round her up. This proved successful, but with the loss of the boom, which carried away when jibbing, as a heavy squall struck her at the time ; but she mauaged to come near enough to the dingy to enable Dr. Haines to seize a Hue that was thrown to him. The M'Liss was then headed for Motuihi, and the whole party were safely landed, and the utmost attention received from Mr. Barnsley, Mrs. Flood, and the Misses Isaacs, who did everything possible to conduce to the restoration of Messrs. Slater, Graves, and Darrell from their long immersion in the water. Tho ■whole party remained at tho island for the night, and early on Mondaj 7 , Er. Haines and Messrs. Isaacs and \Vrigley came np to town in the boat of Mr. Walker, •who kindly offered them a passage. When abreast of the Bean Rock light, the Customs launch was seen, and being signalled she steamed alongside, ana Mr. Provis, the officer in charge, being made acquainted with the accident, very kindly offered the services of the launch, after he had lauded the officers of the German maa-of-war at Motutapu. Mr. Isaacs returned with the launch, and the whole were subsequently brought to town, with the yacht in tow, the rescued party being little the worse for the narrow escape from death they experienced the previous day. The accident to the open boat which contained Messrs. Graves, Darrell, and Slater, occurred between Rangitoto and Brown's Island, —the squall which struck the yacht proved too much for the open boat, and she filled and rolled bottom np. Messrs. Graves and Darrell heldonto the bottom of the boat, while Slater manfully struck ont for Brown's Island, fully 1J miles away, in hopes of gaining assistance for his comrades left behind. It is problematical if Slater would have reached the island, as the tide and a heavy sea were against him, but the timely arrival of the yacht was the means of saving not only himself, but those of his comrades. Great praise is due to all on board the yacht for the strenuous efforts they made to save life in the face of so many drawbacks which they had to contend against, and this is another instance of the manly feeling engendered in the breasts of our yachting community which has on several occasions of late being exemplified in a most striking manner. Hardly had the accident to the party ofl Brown's Island become known on Mondaj morning, than another was reported as having occurred off Kauri Point onSundaj morning, which also fortunately terminate? without any casualty beyond the immer sion of the occupants of the beat and the loss of a few trifling articles. On Sunday, short!} before 10 a.m., Messrs. M. Henderson, Joht Reid, George Fraser, and Isaac Goldwatei sailed from Freeman's Bay in the open boa' Meteor, intending to spend the day a' Ijucas's Creek. All went well until rounding Kauri Point, when one of those hard squall: which were so prevalent on Sunday strucl the boat, and Bhe heeled over, and took in i considerable quantity of water. The occu pants at once commenced to bail out, anc while so engaged, a second squall cam< down, struck her, and, shipping a furthe: quantity of water, she filled instantaneously and went down. The four young men wer< precipitated into the water. Fortunately they were all tolerable swimmers, and eact struck out for the shore, distant about < quarter of a-mile, which was reached safely. Un landing, they noticed a fishing partj well out in the river, and to thesi they signalled, .and their position wa observed, as the boat gradually workei towards them. It turned out to bo th Frolic, and the crew thereof offered thei assistance toward the recovery of thi Meteor. The shipwrecked crew went oi board the Frolic, and pulled in the direc tion of their own boat, but on the wa; the rescuing boat was struck by a squall and half-filled, and the whole were com pelled to return -to the shore. Fortunately at the time the Meteor was struck b; the first squall, the anchor was let go, am when the tide receded the boat was re covered. The sea was running very higl daring the remainder of the day, and also a night, and all attempts to proceed bome ward proved futile, and the two crews wer compelled to remain out for the night. £ hue-and-cry was raised on Monday about th absence of the two boats, and it was fearei that some melancholy disaster had occurred but about half-past 9 the whole of th missing party returned to their alarmei friends, quite satisfied with boating on Sunday.