A STEAMER AGROUND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 12

A STEAMER AGROUND.

THE CAPTAIN DROWNED. j AUCKLAND, December 31. | P. A. Scein, master of the jvTortherii S.£, Company's steamer Ngatfja'ya, fell oveTboardj and was drowned ' •6iji the Opotiki bar last night. ' The Ngatiawa was bround from Opotiki t£q Auckland, and had oh board a large •ji'umber of excursionJ§t(s, bar, on iwhich there is very little wa^er at -^he Jbest of times, is a huge to the master ""• fjnariner, not only on this Uccount, but jjjso because the channelfi are frequently Changing. Apparently the -chaniiiel had changed "MSomewbat last night, for ihe /Ngatjawa got She is now Ibigh and dry, and

is not expected to be floated off until the ' spring tides occur next week. ! j So fax particulars of the fatality have not come to hand, but it would appear tht't after the Ngatiawa took the groiind Captain Stein was engaged in taking i soundings, pc&sibly in a small boat, when i he overbalanced ?nd fell into the water. The body was subsequently recovered. The late Captain Stein was over §0 , 1 years of ag;e t and was maiTied, his wife ' and family residing in Ponsonby, He had i ■been In the servjoe of the Northern Opm- ' pany fat upwards, of £0 year^, and tKere was not & toore popular mariner trading on the coast.