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Otago Daily Times, Issue 150, 9 May 1862, Page 6

Singular and Fatal Accident.—On Saturday night, :it about half-past 7 o'clock, a m:in, appan.ntly about 30 years, of uge, took ofliiis boots and socks, wadod about four yards into the Serpertine, and got on board a sailing boat which ■was moored near the boat-houses, opposite the Receiving-house of the Itoyal Humane Society. He then cast the boat off, and the wind, which ■was blowing from E.N.E., drifted her towards Kcnsington-gr.niens-bridge, and over to the south shore of the lake, lie rumored the sail-cover and cast off some of the stops of the mainsail, no doubt with the view of making sail on the boat, but, not understanding what he was about, did 1 jiot E'ucceed in doing so. "When about 25' yards from the south shore he was observed by a man and woman who were passing standing on the deck of the boat, apparently endeavouring to push her towards the middle of the Serpentine, but suddenly fell overboard into six feet of water. The man who witnessed the accident and another person ran to the bridge for the drag which is placed there by the Royal Humane Society for pnblic use, but in this case it was of no service, .the unfortunate man having sunk so far from the ' shore. On the alarm being given at the Receiving house, tl'.c superintendent immediately started off two boats and a messenger for Dr. Christian, principal medical officer of the society, and, after preparing a warm, bath and the other necessaries required in such cases, went himself in a third boat ■to assist the boatmen. The only person who saw the accident having gone I away, there was no one to point out the spot •where the poor man disappeared, and therefore the men were directed to drag some little distance to windward of the boat, but two hours elapsed before the body was found, it being half buried in mud. When the clothes were taken off it was discovered that one of the coat-tails was torn completely off find put into the pocket, ■which still hung to the coat, and the other tail •was hanging on by a shred of cloth ; the waistcoat was split up the back to the collar. Dr. Christian examined the body carefully, and there was -no external marks x>f violence. Although the wind was very keen arid the frost sharp, he must have stood on the boat's deck, which was a sheet of ice, on his bare feet, rs his boots and socks were found in the bottom of the boat. Haif-a-sovereign and three shillings were found in his pockets, but no marks or papers by which he could be identified.' He was five feet seven inches high, had long dark hair, dark ives, moustache, and stubbly beard about the chin, and wore a shirt with blue stripes wide apart, and a white Guernsey frock over it, a black silk hat (maker's name,\T. Hall, Eegent's-circus,) black coat bound w'th black riband, black waistcoat, dark mixed trousers, new side-spring pegged boots, and dark necktie with red spots.— Weekly Dispatch. The forty-ninth anniversary festival of the London • Orphan Asylum was celebrated yesterday week at the London Tavern. The Lord Mayor presided. There are 431 orphan children in the asylum, of whom the greater number attended the celebration; and the total number received since its first establishment was 2T12. The subscriptions announced during the evening amounted to £1740, of which upwards of £170 came from young men who had themselves been recipients of the charity.—London paper.