THE TE AROHA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 73 (Supplement)

THE TE AROHA.

FURTHER DETAILS OF THE DISASTER. THE YACHT WASHED UP AT PETONE. THE THIRD VICTIM MR HOBDAY. Further particulars of the loss of the yacht Te Arolia, which capsized at the entrance to Wellington Heads on the 3rd instant show that Mr Warwick Yv ilson was 110 c with the paivy or yuemsmen who lost their lives in the fatality, as was at first supposed. He was spending the holidays at Seatoun. The boating party comprised Mr Noel Wilson, Mr Hugh Rraniley, and Mr Horace W. Hobday, a law clerk, sen of Mr Arthm Hobday, organ-builder, of Taranaki street, and employed in the office oi Messrs Findlay, Dalziell and Co., barristers and solicitors.

All doubts as to the identity of the yacht which met with the accident were dispelled on the 3rd instant when the To Arena was louna warned u P m a battered condition on the Petone beach. It contained a haversack, recognised as having belonged to Mr i ramley, and in this were some camping necessities, cartridges, a piccolo, moiu.i; organ, and two- white handkerchiefs, one bearing the name “H. B. Bramley U The three young men drowned were ex-students of Wellington College, and members of the College Old Boys’ Association. Wilson and Hobday kept terms at Victoria College. *sta + e*last week, Mr Percy Noel Wilson was a law clerk in the office of Messrs Sker-ret-t, Wylie, and Weston for the past four years. Ho was about twenty-two years of age, and a young man of promise. Fie passed his final examination as a solicitor in the recent law examinations. He was a- sergeant in the Submarine Mining Corps. Warwick Wilson, his younger brother, had intended making the trip, but remained with his mother at Seatoun. His father, Mr A. L. Wilson, went to Hawera a few days ago on account of the illness of a relative, and was there at the time of the accident.

Mr Horace Hobday gained a partial pass as a solicitor recently. He kept terms for about- two years at Victoria College. His parents are on a holiday visit in Nelson.

Mr H. T. 13 ram ley, the third victim of the disaster- was stepson of the late Mr Janies Wilkie, for many years well known as a journalist in Wellington. He was a clerk in the office of Messrs Macdonald, Wilson, and Co., auctioneers. Bra.mley was an enthusiastic yachtsman. He held the rank of corporal in the Submarine Mining Corps. H]is mother (Mm Wilkie), who lives in W'llis street, was visiting friends in Feilding at the' time of the incident. The yacht Te droha was built by some amateur jmchtsmen in Martin square, and had been in use for about three or four years. One of her builders (Millman) was drowned off the Te Aroha near Petone some two years ago. The yacht came ashore on the 3rd inst. at Petone in. a badly smashed condition ; nearly all her decking had gone, the mast was hanging over the side, and the interior fittings had been ripped out by the furious seas. SEAWORTHINESS OF YACHTS. NECESSITY FOR INSPECTION. Tire frequency with which yachting accidents occur in Wellington harbour onoe more emphasises the necessity for the adoption of some system of inspection in connection with the yachts that sail in and about the harbour. At the present time there is no supervision whatever over these yachts by the Marine Department, and it is felt that the time has arrived when these crart should be periodically tested as to their seaworthiness, and their proper equ.pment in regard to life-saving apparatus.

Any party of yachtsmen, competent or incompetent to handle a boat, can row leave port at their own sweet will, vitlrout the slightest provision being made for life-belts or sea-anchors, should the emergency arise for their use. Some observations on this subjectwere made last week to a “Mail” representative by Mr James B. Speed, who for many years has been connected with the Port Nicholson Yacht. Club. He says that some years ago the club approached the Marine Department with a view to having the yachts to some extent officially supervised. It was felt that some of the boats were ill-equipped for sailing in the harbour, let alone for the passage of Cook Strait to the Marlborough Sounds. _ Few of them had sea-anchors. Nothing, however, came of the representations. “The Te Aroha,” says Mr Speed, “was not fit to come across from Day’s Bay even this morning, when the sea had considerably moderated; much less, then, was she sufficiently seaworthy to withstand the heavy seas of Monday. The Port Nicholson Y 7 acht Club some years ago passed a regulation insisting that all boats competing in races should be amply provided for in the matter of life-belts for the crews. Of course, the club has no control over yachting parties on pleasure bent. “At the time the club made the representations to the Marine Department several serious accidents had happened, and as a result the officials of ihe club were impressed with the necessity of some system of supervision being adopted in regard to the yachts. Lifebelts, or cork-jackets, should be on every yacht. Then, if an accident happened, the occupants of a boat could have at least some chance until help came. Now they go out absolutely without any safeguards whatever. It is all very well to say, ‘Oh, all the fun is in the risk,’ but the risk is too costly sometimes, and might be con-side* ably obviated if something ivere done in the j direction of inspection recommended by j the club some years ago.” The views expressed above are strengthened by the opinion of Mr Hansen, lighthouse-keeper at Pencarrow, who says that the two men he saw battling for such a long time in the sea might have been saved had they had life-belts. I