DEATH BY DROWNING IN THE BAY. INQUEST ON THE BODY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 88, 26 February 1862, Page 2

DEATH BY DROWNING IN THE BAY. INQUEST ON THE BODY.

The inquest on the body of Edward Hull, who was drowned when coming on shore in a small boat, from the steamer Sampson, was held at the Provincial Hotel yesterday, before the Coroner, Sir. Howorth.

Jolm Avery said he had been a fallow passenger with the deceased on board the Mary Scott, from Victoria to Otago, where they arrived on Tuesday last, and immediately proceeded to Dunedin on board fie steamer Sampson. It being low water atthe time, the steamer was not able to get to the jetty, and several Binall boats came off to tako the passengers on shore. The witness waited until the last boat, as the others were all so heavily laden, and then he with the deceased and seven other men got into the boat, taking with them thoir swags and several carpenters'toolchests. The boat was laden to the gunwale, and after leaving the steamer a heavy ground swell came on and the water rushed into her amidships. The boatmen tried to bale her out and threw the chests overboard, but she broached to and overturned. The deceased, who was sitting beside witness, fell on the lee side of the boat, and when in the water attempted to catch hold of a swag to support himself. Not being able to do this, he" sank. AVitness first supported himself by a swag and then got on to the boat. The boat contained 9 passengers, 2 boatmen, 18 swags, and 3 chests of tools, weighing about 3 cwt. She was about 16 feet long, 4 feet 3 incites in the beam, and witness who was a shipwright, did not consider her capable of carrying more than six passengers, without luggage. There wero over a hundred passengers on board the " Sampson," and the engineer of that vessel told witness that unless nineteen went on shore in the two boats, they would have to go back to Port Chalmers at their own risk on board the steamer. The same boat the previous trip took above eleven, and it was the luggage which caused her to be overloaded. There was about 12 cwt. on board —quite enough load without any passengers. She was about half full of water when she came alongside the steamer. The boatmen were not at all to blame, and they did all iv tlieir power to render assistance, and he had not objected to go in the boat, as he did not at the time think there was any danger. It was the engineer of the "Sampson" who directed the loading of the boats. The captain was on board, but he did not appear to -have charge of the vessel after she anchored. AVhen the witness was landed at the jetty, he beard several people say one of the passengers was missing. The accident happened about mid-day. Charles Thatcher, another of the passengers, said he had gone ashore from the " Sampson " in the fifth or sixth boat. There was quite a rush to the first boats and he warned a female who was getting into one of them not to do so, as she might be drowned. AVhen tliere were about twelve persons in one of the boats, he got into it tlnnking that no others would do so, but the engineer of the " Sampson " said there was plenty of room and put some heavy luggage and some more'passengers into it. AVitness said to the engineer " You dare not put any more people into this boat," to which he replied, " If you do not go in this boat, there will not be any more boats to take you ashore." AVitness also cautioned the boatmen, and endeavored to get out of the boat, but could not, as the boat was a little distance from the side ofthe vessel, and he was |ammed in by boxes. AVater came into the boat before Bhe left, and before she reached the jetty she was nearly swamped. He did not see the last boat leave the vessel, but he knew the deceased who was a steerage passenger on boardjthe Slary Scott from Stelbourne. He did not see the accident happen. F. L. C. Flint, the purser of the Mary Scott, also recognised the deceased as a passenger by that vessel. George Sondy, another passenger in "the Mary Scott, related the particulate of the accident in : much the same terms as tk<3 first witness, except

that he said lie did not hear the engineer say anything, but his hearing was rather defective. The boat was laden to the gunwale,,but was not taking in water while alongsrdo the Sampson. James Tic, the master of the Tamar, at present lying off Dunedin, said that about half-past two o'clock on Monday ho saw a boat heavy laden with : psfjeugew. He heard tlio passengers call oat, and immediately afterwards she upset. Witv.css immediately lowered his boat, and with three other men rowed to the spot, and picked up six mcii, whom he conveyed on shore, when finding that tliere. wore some "missing, he returned and made search and found the body of the deceased. From the appearance of it he jiulired from his nautical experience that, the boat was too heavily laden.' The wafer where the accident occurred was 7 feet G inches orß feet deep.

Thomas Favrul said ha was. a licensed waterman and owner of the boat " Slip." When he observed the " Sampson " coming up the harbor, he went oil to her, and brought off a load of passengers whom be landed safely and then returned for another load. When he got. back to the steamer she had gone about a hundred yards further out. The engineer of the " Sampson " asked him if he could take off all the remainder ofthe passengers, some sixteen or seventeen. Witness replied that he could not take more than ten, and another boat catneup and took ten of them on board Tiie remaining eight or nine* then got into his boat with their swags ; there were also throe chests, one of which contained carpenters' tools, and the owner of it told him that it weighed 2 cwt. The other two were light, as if tilled with clothes. Witness said to thi* engineer that the boat was too heavily laden, and lie replied, " Your boat is right enough, you will be able to get them ashore." Witness then pushed oil". The gunwale was about five inches above tlio level of the water ; if it had been level with it, lie could not have left. Ifc was blowing hard at the time, although, it was calm under the lee of the steamer. The tide was running out. Witness did not think there was any danger provided the passengers sat still. After leaving the steamer some 50 or GO yards, a few light sprays came over the passengers. They tried to avoid it, and went rather to one side, and the boat then shipped som" water, the passengers then went to the other side, mid sho shipped water on that side also. Witness toid his mate to bale her out, and asked the passengers to sit still. At, this time she had shipped about three bucUetsfiill of water. Tlie pivscng^is tried to. • trim tho boat, but ns she continued to ship water, I witness threw some ofthe luggage overboard. Some of the passengcis then jumped overboard, and their weight, on the side overturned the boat. They were i only some SO or GO yards from the Jetty at the time ; and witness and his mate, turned the boat over three times to see that there was no one under her. Tiie boat was not more heavily laden on the second than ou the first trio, and on former occasions lie had cari ried fourteen passengers with their luggage in the same boat. He received sixpence each for the pns- : sengers, and for the two trips the captain paid him for nineteen. The luggage was paid for by private arrangement with the passengers. He did not know what weight the boat was capable of carrying. He heard two of the passengers say that they wished they had gone by the previous boat, as it was not so heavily laden. There was no change in the weather. Sergeant Black said he had searched the clothes of the deceased, and found on him a purse containing £1 35., and a passenger receipt for ship Mary Scott, from Melbourne to Otago, a pocket book, and a key. Tlie passage receipt bore the name of Edward Hull. This concluded the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, accompanied by the following rider — " Before separating, the jury express tlieir opinion that it is necessary, In order to provide for the safety of passengers, that Governmeut be urged immediately to adopt' such effective measures as shall prevent licensed watermen from carrying more than n limited-number of passengers. Also, to express their admiration of (he zeal and'prompt, assistance rendered by John Pie, chief officer ofthe " Tamar," with his boat's crew, in rescuing' the survivors.."