BOATING DISASTER AT BLENHEIM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13303, 9 October 1906, Page 5

BOATING DISASTER AT BLENHEIM.

NINE LIVES LOST. HEARTRENDING SCENES. » HEROIC CONDUCT OF i> RESCUERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION.] ! Blenheim, Monday. A boating disaster unprecedented in the. history of the province of Marlborough took place yesterday, resulting in the drowning of nine persons. The names of the victims are as follows: — EDWARD BALDWIN AND WIFE. The former was well known on the West Coast. He was a distant cousin of the late .Mr. Seddon. He contemplated going home to England soon, having had some property left him. HERBERT OSWALD BERRY, aged.32, wool scourer. He leaves a wife and three young, children. Ho had been employed in the Bohally wool works for about 17 wars. Deceased was a, vice-president of the Blenheim Working Men's Club. -' . HARRY BERRY, son of Herbert Berry. EDWARD NASH, labourer, aged 30, son ;of " Sergeant-Major Nash, of the Vic- ' torian police force, and formerly in the Johannesburg police force. - • j JOHN HI (Ml MAN, a- shearer, of New South Wales. He has relatives residing in Melbourne. MRS. JAS: JACKSON, aged 35. She ' • leaves a husband and three or four young children, in, Blenheim. WALTER JNO. PARKER-, aged 55, a cabinetmaker, of Blenheim. He leaves a wife and grown-up family, residing at Maryborough. WESTBY PATCHETT, about 10 years of age, son of Councillor George Patohett, Blenheim. HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. It appeal's that as the oil launch Marifcuw, was returning; from Wairau bar to Blenheim, she struck a willow stump on the south side of a curve in the river. This caused the vessel to lurch, a.nd the weight of the passengers on the port side caused , a railing, on which about 20 passengers were leaning, to give way, and a number of these were precipitated into the water. It is supposed that those in the river clutched one another, making it almost impossible to have them. , "| Three bystanders, Messrs. Hod son (2) and Gamble, went to the rescue, and picked up a number of boys, and about a dozen, passengers were saved by the prompt action of the rescuers. \ Those who were drowned were seen to rise only once. ' Many hundreds lined the banks of the river, and gave every assistance, and several of the rescued were taken to private houses and attended to. ! : Mr. McKinley, rescued two or three children, and was then seized with cramp, and had to be-rescued in turn. He and others were taken to the hospital. There were two women on board the launch. One of them (Mrs. Baldwin) was rescued alive, but expired within an hour. Heartrendering scenes were witnessed as the " bodies were recovered and brought u&ham at intervals. .... There was no register of the passengers taken, and great, confusion was the, result, far, in order to ascertain who had been drowned it was necessary to make a list of people who were known to have intended making the trip. The police and a party of residents dragged the river, recovering eight bodies I last flight? and the body of.a. child named ' Berry, whose father was also drowned, was recovered at one o'clock to-day. Th© scene of the calamity -is only aquarter of a mile'from the centre of the town. The river, is 25yds to 30yds wide and 10ft deep. s STATEMENTS BY PASSENGERS. Mr. Chants, who was steering, states that he had often made the trip. As he came round the bend in the river he did not observe the stump. Mr. Patchett, the owner, was at the' engines. Mr. Osgood, a passenger, says the whole thing was most sudden and unexpected. The boat ran on the stump, , wobbled, and then shot the passengers on the port side clean into the water. In a moment the river was alive with struggling people, and there was much confusion on board, caused by people clutching for a footing. He jumped into the water. - The first person who caught his eye was McKinley, who was drowning fast. ? He found then that someone had slipped a rope round him. ' He '-..'. caught hold of McKinley, and both were pulled on to the bank. Dr. Walker attended to McKinley, who had quite recovered this morning. Another passenger named Titley says the scene in the water was appalling. The people seemed to be dazed, and clung to : ; one another, struggling for life. They were simply shot out of the launch like a load ; ' shot out of a tip dray. There was no time tf t.> think. . One of the drowned, Herbert Berry, could swim well, but the shock must have killed ■■■: % " : him. * {: Mr. Highman lost his life in attempting to rescue a fellow passenger. His body was found without coat and boots. "Mr. Hodson, one of the rescuers, caught up a small boat, moored by means of a wire rope, and by sheer strength threw it into the water, breaking the rope. Messrs. Gamble and Newport jumped into the boat, and. rowed to the scene, 100 yds off, and rescued three boys, who were brought round [. at dwellings close by. Mrs. Baldwin was then brought out of the water, but expired immediately, restorative measures being unavailing. Death is supposed to have been due to shock rather than ','';, drowning. '■ '/■ NARROW ESCAPES. Miss Burton, a milliner, at the moment of the accident, attempted to jump overboard, but the movement was frustrated, and she fainted on deck. The news of the accident Las been withheld from her, as she is still suffering from shock. Mrs. Chant, wife of the steerer, had a narrow escape, being saved by Mr. Smith, of Ivaikoura, who had great difficulty in maintaining his position. His legs were touching the water, but with one arm he grabbed Mrs. Chant, and with the other ■' . held his grip on the launch. Tim scene of rescue last night was weiru and dramatic. It was a dark night, and kerosene lights and lurches were used ny the resells party. ; SEARCHING FOB THE BODIES. Tin- bodies were laid on the grassy banks and carried off by an ambulance. Five bodies were picked up in a heap as if they had been clutched together at the I moment ox drowning- The rescuers are terribly affected, and almost unable to relate their experiences. The police and party, after rescuing eight ■ , M4m, searched for the ninth till midnight.

They resumed at daybreak, four boats, fully manned, "being occupied dragging the river all the forenoon. The bodies of those drowned were taken to the Marlborough Hotel, and, after being i viewed by the Coroner and jury, were removed by relatives. The inquest was adjourned till to-morrow, to allow of complete evidence being taken. The launch (under five tons register) was not licensed. It does not como under the provisions of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1965. The extent of the disaster is worse than was at first supposed, and the. community is terribly shocked. The helpers showed won, derful nerve, and worked hard. • . A special meeting of the Borough Council, ; held this afternoon, passed a resolution of ! condolence with the bereaved. It was also i resolved that the funeral of the victims on ! Wednesday be'a public one. The Mayor of Picton telegraphed: — I " Please convey sincere sympathy.'; from the people-of Picton to those bereaved- by this i terrible accident." ! The buildings are flying flags at half- | itiast. ■ ■■ t ■ ■ The calamity is unprecedented in the his- ' tory of Marlborough, and is the general : topic of discussion in the district..