TRAGEDY AT CHATHAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20970, 5 September 1931, Page 10

TRAGEDY AT CHATHAMS.

THE LOSS OF ELEVEN MEN, COMMUNITY IN MOURNING. THREE MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.! WELLINGTON. Friday. The tragic bereavement of families on the Chatham Islands when the fishing launch Te Aroha, with 11 men on board, was lost on July 17, is revealed by the story told by Captain Andrew Dowell, of the steame> Tees, which arrived at Wellington last night. The names of the men, who were all fishermen of Kaingaroa, were William Paynter, Ririmu Wiki, Joseph Paynter, Edward Thompson, Michael Thompson, Waiti Thompson, Bishop Ashton, James Whaitiri, B. Remi, H. Stone and Taaka Ngaia. "It is the biggest disaster withip the memory of white men at the Chatham Islands," said Captain Dowell. "The whole community is in mourning. It is terrible that such a fine lot of men should be lost. They were the pick of the islands. The three Thompsons were brothers, and so were the two Paynters. William Paynter .leaves a widow and a little boy and infant daughter, the latter having been born three weeks after the father was drowned. "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Paynter, very old residents of the Chathams, have now lost six of their nine children, the survivors being two daughters and a boy of seven years. For days after the disaster the boy was continually asking when his two brothers were coming back, and at last the broken-hearted parents had to tell him they would never come back. Ririmu Wiki, the other married man of the party, was a Maori with a large family, which included several foster children, he being a big-hearted man. Ashton and Stone were near relatives. Taaka Ngaia belonged to Taranaki, but had lived at the Chathams for some years." The party left Kaingaroa on Friday, July 17, for Owenga, 24 miles distant, to play in an annual football match. Two hours after they left a heavy gale sprang up and continued with unabated force for several days. Until the remainder of the team arrived overland at Owenga on the Saturday it was not known that the launch was overdue. _ The launch was a good stout fishing vessel, 56ft. in length, and all on board were experienced fishermen. When the storm burst those at Kaingaroa felt no undue anxiety as it was thought that by that time the launch would be well round under the lee of the land. , . When it was finally learned that the launch had not reached Owenga and had not been seen anywhere along the coast there was naturally very grave anxiety. For several days it was impossible for any of the willing volunteers to put to sea in search of the missing boat. Wreckage found showed that the launch had foundered.