HARBOUR TRAGEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18630, 11 February 1924, Page 6

HARBOUR TRAGEDY.

TWO GIRLS DROWNED, — A FERRY BOAT AND LAUNCH,^ COLLISION IN WELLINGTOK, [by telegraph.—own corresfoxbest* WELLINGTON, Saturday.' ."' A pleasure trip on the harbour Igjrf night, when the water was smooth i«£j|P the air beautifully cool, ended tragic ally. The Eastbourne ferry boat Oobtdl collided with the launch Mavis, whiciSpl was in charge of Mr. Williams, of Barker Street, and carried 13 passengers— __«| men and seven women. Four of the me* ' were stokers from H.M.S. Chatham. ,■-■■.{■•■ MOLLIE McARTHUR, aged about j|W years, who was on the launch, »£..-. thrown overboard, with others. She w_| struck by the propeller of the Cobar' ". and when picked up was dead. DAPHNE TYREE also went ten*. ' board and was drowned. Her body i__ not been recovered. She, too, was abotrfj ; •.- 16 years of age. , ; The Cobar was almost off the Oriental Bay kiosk, between eleven and jni&. night, when the passengers on board were startled by the sudden ringing of the engine-room tel-sgraph and the inn > mediate stoppage of the boat,, while from - the harbour came cries of distress. Thera was ■ a rush on deck, and at tin same time a slight bump was felt. ' . ;' 1 Though the night was very darJr, those on board the Cobar *.ould see tha\' .1 white hull of a launch, "which by this •] time had drifted astern, while cries indi, - j cated that some people had been thrown' "; into the water . ,? The Cobar circled round the scene of lithe mishap, and it was short!/ seefl *= that a dinghy from the launch, row*'tl - -''" by two of the navy men, was cruisinj; about looking for the missing. Mrs. Day and Miss Mavis Day, two of those on the launch who were thrown I into the water with the two deceased, were picked up, after having been in ' :;t r the water several minutes, and thrt ■ dinghy then returned to the launch after.", : those on board had called out to ths captain of the Cobar that everything was all right. It was only after tha'' return to the launch that, the loss ot Vhel other two girls was revealed, and a hope* less search began. .•'•;;•£ One Body Recovered. By a fortunate chance the watch oH the Japanese cruiser Yakumo saw thai;something was amiss in the harbour, :-"._;•, promptly a welcome beam from the* warship's searchlights swept the har-4 " hour and settled steadily upon the scene. It was about this time that somtona on the upper deck of the Cobar suddenly perceived something in the water close! ; ; f under the starboard quarter. Thn launch's dinghy, then only* a few yards ; distant, was pulled quickly over, and f; the body of Miss McArthur was lifted :# carefully out and handed up to tha , lower deck of the Cobar, where willing , hands carried her inboard. It was 86t>5 very soon that her case was beyond hope*:-, There was a deep wound along one Bida( of the skull, evidently the result 'of the} impact of the ferry coat's propeller. , By this time three whaleboats mid a - steam pinnance from the Yakumo hai] been rushed to the spot, and, assisted by-' a searchlight ray from the Asama, fora long time afterwards cruised about: in the hope of finding the body ot Mua Tyree. \ T • i The launch in the meantime was towed; to the cruiser Yakumo, and the whole i;: party received great kindness from the v Japanese. Some ■of the women wera hysterical. and all were suffering . from;/ shock. The ship's doctors were placed] £ at their disposal and did all they could for them. A Very Dark Night. : In the course of an interview Mr. AV, F. Marychurch said that the launch left. the boat harbour about 9.30 p.m. It piw ; ceeded out to the Hinemoa in the stream* - and on rounding the vessel was headed for the boat harbour. The "night was very dark, but the launch carried , a lighted hurricane lamp visible from all -;. sides, besides which there wps an electric light in the cabin. When half" way between the Hinemoa buoy and tha boat harbour the Cobar was seen conrng - toward the launch. The launch was , turned to port to avoid the Cobar. The g| ferry steamer still continued toward the '; launch, and-warnings were called onfc, from the Mavis when the Cobar was suit fully a hundred yard's away. The speed -. of the ferry boat rendered escape from her impossible, and she struck the launch a severe bump, 'which caused the smaller craft to give such a lurch that four & the occupants were pitched overboard. The Cobar struck the launch anothef blow and then eased up. Stokers Shan rock and Bailey, of H.M.S. Chatham* members of the launch party, quickly leapt into the dinghy, which was being towed behind the launch, and picked tip Mrs. and Miss Day. Shut Off His Engine. Williams, in charge of the launch* in making a statement to the. policy said that he saw the Cobar clearly coming from the ferry-boat wharf. W could give no explanation of the colhsoiv but said that directly he heard of tha women being overboard he shut off t hit engine in order that the propeller mw;h» not strike them. In addition to the -two deceased the launch party comprised AIA Day and her children—Doris aged 22. Sydney aged 18, Rita aged . 17, ana Mavis aged 11, Miss Violet Morgan*.' » Stokers Smiles, Bailey, McEUigott, aofl V, Sharrock of the Chatham, and Mr. ."Williams. As soon as they had recovered from the shock the civilian members, of the party were motored to. their homes, while the four stokers rejoined then? vessel. /,