AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 18

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE BOTANY BAT DISASTER. A shocking boating accident occurred in Botany Bay on the 2nd inst., when seven lives were lost. In the morning a party of men, headed by James Bennett, a brickmaker, residing at Kerry street, Tempe, left on a fishing excursion to Kurnell, on the southern head of Botany Bay. Besides Bennett the party consisted of his son Herbert, 10 years of age, Thomas Turner (36), John Turner (21), Henry Turner (45), Albert Bales (24), Andrew M'Kechnie (22), and Charles Watts (30). The weather was too rough for fishing, and the men landed and had lunch. A start was made on the return journey about 3.30, and as there was a gale blowing the mainsail was double-reefed. After half the distance across the bay had been accomplished the mainsail was struck. A heavy gust of wind came down on them. At the same time the bows of the boat fell into the trough of a sea, under which she ran. From this she partly recovered, and had just gathered way again, although she was half full, when the main-sheet block on the boom gave way. The mainsail battered against the stay of the mast, the boat again ran under, filling almost to, the gunwale, and the boom dragging in the water at the same instant, ehe rolled over. Those in her clambered on to the craft's side, and as she gradually turned bottom upwards they got on to the bottom, clinging with their hands to her keel. Watts was the last to get on to her, and obtained a good hold of the sternpost. The sea tumbled them about, and the boat was rolling first on one side and then on the other. Striving to keep a hold, and at the same time working with the craft as she rolled, proved tiring work, so that with the bitter coldness which all felt, the weaker ones began to get exhausted. Thomas Turner was the first to go, about 10 minutes after the boat went over, and he was followed by the boy Herbert Bennett. Following them at short intervals, Albert Eales and Harry Turner let go their held of the keel, and sunk without a word. James Bennett drifted away and was caught by Watts who put him on the boat again. Bennett, however, could not retain his hold long, and falling unconscious sank alongside of his comrades. James M'Kechnie, who was the next to be drowned, was washed off the bow for a few minutes. He struggled desperately to regain his hold, but the seas were too strong for him, and becoming exhausted he drifted away to leeward. Only two now remained on the boat — John Turner and Charles Watt— and it was about au hour and a-balf after the boat had capsized. She had drifted r.b jut two miles and three-quartevs, and was nearly half a rnilo from the Botauy Pier. Watt exerted himself calling for help, and at last he was heard by the men on the schooner Albatross, which was lying at the pier. F«ur of them — Fraser, Pcsicoe, A. Jackson, ar.d J. Jackson— put off in a dingey, but after pulling nearly 200 yards she was swamped, and they had perforce to return to j shore. Meanwhile the overturned boat hod drifted to within a quarter of a mile of the shore. Turner had been twice washed off, bub on both occasions he had been caught by Watt as he swept along with the waves and had been put on again. The third time he was forced to let go his hold, and Watt, although he bravely endeavoured to save him, was unsuccessful, and Turner sank within sight of help. Alarge boat was now put off frsm the shore, but before it could bo manned, Watt had been swept sufficiently close in to feel the bottom, and he then waded to the beach. At the Pier Hotel a change of clothing was procured for him, and he proceeded to his home in the tram. Here he spread the news of the fatality, and quickly the wives and relatives of the drowned men were made aware of the sad loss they had sustained. M'Kechnie and J. Turner were unmarried, and so wa3 C. Watts. The other men were all married, and three of them leave families. H. Turner, who was 45 years of age, was manager of the Carrington Brickworks, Sc. Peter's. Herbert Bennett was 10 years of age, and the ages of the others varied from 21 to 33 years. The b^at was 22ft loDg, with a fore peak. Her mast was about 20ft high, and the pale had a hoist of 17ft. The length of the boom waa about 16ft.

FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION,

A terrible accidenb, attended with fatal results, occurred at 9 o'clock on the morning of

the 2ad inst., at Rylstone, New South Wales The boiler of the steam roller flour mill, erected about two months since, exploded, and was projected fully 30 yards through both walls of a room at the back of Elger's store into the side wall of the nrxt residence, completely shattering the building and crushing almost every article of furniture into splinters. Mr Elger and his wife were absent in Sydney, but the family of three children, with their grandmother, Mrs Purvis, sen., and their store assistant Mitchell, were sitting at breakfast. Mrs Purvis was driven into the wall of the next building and was picked up dead. The three children were all injured, the eldest having a leg broken. Mitchell, although covered with debris iand lying alongside the boiler, was only slightly injured and scalded. Abbott, the fireman, was in the eDgine shed at the time, and was carried 40yds in an opposite direction over or through two fences, his waistcoat being found hanging on to a tree in the orchard some distance further. He has since died. Williams the foreman, who had just left the front of the boiler and was entering the mill, most miraculously escaped unhurt. The boiler was a secondhand one, and was purchased by Mrs Elger from Ashcroft and Co., being. under a quarter of an inch thick. The stoam pressure was 621b at the time of the accident. These are the two buildings in which three deaths so suddenly occurred some months since. Further particulars show the affair to have been most disastrous. The boiler, in its onward flight, completely wrecked the engine shed and the dining room of an adjoining dwelling, destroying the wall and bedroom furniture of a house beyond, which Mr Sly and his wife had just left. Mrs Purvis and the three children and Mitchell were sitting at breakfast, and when the steam cleared 10 minutes after, the children were found covered, or partially so, with the debris. Kate Elger had some large stones on her leg and head, and her leg was very badly broken. Maude was completely covered with dSbris. Purvis was the last found, having been carried forward by the boiler and crushed agsinst the fourth wall. Abbott lingered for six hours in terrible agony. He was not conscious. Dr Struthers was assiduous in his attentions to the wounded. The sufferers are in a very precarious state, the girls being in an especially critical condition. There were several miraculous escapes. The baker, Nordman, was in the bakery, 80 yards away, where the steam blew in the wall, and threw bricks and iron on the roof. Wilton's saddlery shop was damaged, and a man within was slightly scalded.