DEATH BY DROWNING IN THE WAIMEA RIVER.

Colonist, Volume VI, Issue 597, 14 July 1863, Page 2

DEATH BY DROWNING IN THE WAIMEA RIVER.

OK 25th June an inquest was held on the body of Alfred Christopher Scaly, son of Dr. Scaly, of Nelson, who was drowned the previous day while crossing the river Waimea, tn the manner narrated in the evidence given below. Thomas Connell, Esq., coroner for the district, held the inquest at Dr. Sealy's house, Nelson. The jury consisted of Messrs. M.. L: Marks (foreman), J. S. Hollis, H. Houftsell, J. P. Black, Matthew Campbell, J. C. Phillips, Jas. Henry, NinianT. Lockhart, Malcolm M. Webster, Benjamin Jackson, Wm. Down, and Wm. Hammond. -

The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was adduced:—

Win. Byers Scaly, sworn: lam a physician practising in Nelson. Alfred Christopher Scaly, now deceased, was my second son. He would have been 11 years of age next October. He died yesterday, the 24th hißtant. I was driving up yesterday from Nelson to Mr Redwood's, at Stafford Place, hi one of Mr. M'Conkey's conveyances,—sa light four-wheeled vehicle, a sort of tray on four wheels. My son Alfred, the deceased, was with me in the conveyance. We goton quitesafely till wereachad the river Waimea, below the junction of the Wairoa and Wai-iti. We attempted to cross the river at the crossing which is nearly opposite Mr. Redwood's gate. The river there is divided into three different streams, the main stream being at the Nelson side, and having the greatest rush of water. The river was high, but fordable, and we got three parts across this stream when one of the shafts either broke or became detached from the body of the carriage, caused as I believe, by the wheel coming in contact with a large boulder. The horse paused, and on my touching him with the whip, made an increased effort to get forward, and then the right-hand shaft separated from the body of the carriage. The water at this time was just about flush with the bottom of the trap, lipping over into the tray of it, just sufficient to wet the soles of one's boots. The tray is a shallow one. The horse was still attached to the left shaft, and sttod quietly. But as soon as the vehicle came to a dead stop, the water exerted additional power on the edge of the tray, wlu'ch was caught by the river, and the carriage wai turned completely over. Deceased was sitting at the upper side of the trap, as regards the river, and my weight on the under side gave the trap a slight incline. I was thrown out of the machine at once, and my little boy, I think, must have slipped behind me, and the vehicle, as far as I could judge, fell over him and kept him down underneath it, for I never saw him. The water though not very muddy, was thick enough to preventmy view. I made a grasp behind me as I fell to try to catch him, but missed him, and he fell. As soon as I got on my feet, I tried to lift the' trap but could not, and I also groped about as far is I could below the water, but could feel nothing pxcept my great coat and his cap, which washed up from under the trap. Although my impression was that deceased was under the vehicle, it is possible that "ie may have been washed away at first; but my imfression is the same, as I was myself partly under the trap. My legs being under it so far as from the Inees, though not sufficiently to keep me down. I leadily extricated myself, but the foroe of the stream vas so strong that I could not stand up without holding on by the wheel of the trap. After .siaying at the trap some time, and findiig all I could do to save the child was of no use,; I nade for the shore, but was turned over several times on the way by the force of the water, and at last was carried into a hole where I could find no bottom and inally I was obliged to swim. I succeeded in reaching a permanent island in the river with grass and trees. I was endeavoring to reach the shingle bed between the first and second streams, but was carried away to the island. I coo-edloudly for assistance, but was not heard for about a quarter of an hour. While I was walking up and down to keep myself warm, the horse, which had remained in the river, pulled the vehicle round by the one shaft towards the Nelson side, and the force of the stream righted it. The seats were gone, but the horse could not drag it out. After the lapse of about a quarter of an hour I saw Dr. Monro riding across the shinglebed of the river from the direction of his house. I told him what had occurred, and he rode pretty quickly down the bank of the stream to look out for the body, I accompanyin<» him on foots —-Whctt-aboirt-Trquartor-of a mile farther down the river he saw and pointed out to me in1 the centre of this same stream of the river '(which down that distance is considerably wider) something which I at first thought was my great coat. Dr. Monro at once rode into the river, and on reaching the object he discovered it was the body stranded on a sandbank. The water he had passed through to get to it was up to his saddle flaps. Dr. Monro immediately jumped off his horse and attempted to torry the body on shore. He seemed to be unable to do this from the force of the water, as he was carried off his feet several times, and merely held on by his horse, which he was leading. I went into the water to meet him, and we brought the body on shore. Life was then perfectly extinct, and must have been so some time before that, as it must have been nearly half-an-hour from the time the accident had occurred, during the whole of which time he was under water. The place is fully half-a-mile from any place where assistance could have been got. After landing the body I tried every effort in my power to resuscitate it, but found all efforts unavailing. In the meantime Dr. Monro rode back to his house, and brought his trap and drove myself and the body to hiß own house, from which after giving me a change of clothes, his man drove me into Nelson, and we brought the body with us. The horse was very steady, and did his work well, and the trap as far as I know was in good condition. The boy was in excellent health previous to the accident. From the great difficulty I experienced in reaching the shore, it has been my. impression since in thinking over the occurrence, that had I succeeded in getting hold of him neither of us would have succeeded in reaching the shore alive, for considering the difficulty I had myself, I believe that had I been incommoded by the boy's struggles, I could not have reached the shore.

Dr. Monro gave evidence to a similar effect. The Coroner stated that he had learned at the post office that Spanger's conveyance had crossed the river at the same place the previous evening. Dr. Monro said that this was the case, and the river was then higher than it was yesterday. Spanger's horses and vehicle partly floated on the stream. Mr. Black said it would be well if the representative of the Colonist who was present would.notice the fact stated by Dr. Scaly, as it might be attended to by others, that the circumstance of his being on the down side of the vehicle, and the boy being; lighter than him, weighed down the lower side, and gave the stream greater power against the bottom and side of the tray. > ; V '. Mr. Webster said that it was well-known Sjjanger^ had saved his vehicle by causing all the passengers to sit on the side next to the stream, so as to prevent capsizing. i ; >; ■ '■ : There was no other evidence, and the jury, without deliberating, returned a verdict of "Accidental Death." ; . The Coroner then thanked the jury for their attendance, and dismissed them. ......

Opening of another Chuech at MABLBOBOfGH. —The other day, the Bishop of Nelson formally consecrated a church to be named the Holy Trinity. His Lordship preached in the morning, to a very large and attentive congregation, and the afternoon service was conducted by the Rev. H. F. Butt. The church was not completely finished when opened; its dimensions are—length, 60 by 30 feet; height of walls, 12 feet; rise of roof, 19 feet; there are 18 windows of Gothic construction, six on each side and three at either end. It is estimated that 300 persons can be accommodated in this building.

Pbogbess of Port Chalmebs, Otago.—The Wesleyan Chapel at Port Chalmers has lately been considerably enlarged and so improved in its interior fittings as to render it a very comfortable place of worship. To the number of stores and private dwelling in the Port several additions have also lately been made, more with the effect of increasing household accommodation than of exhibiting any great architectural taste. A fish-curing establishment is among the most recent erections, and one resident has adopted the unique expedient of converting an old " scow " into a dwelling-house, in which ho and his family live afloat, after the fashion of the Chinese. In a short time will be laid the foundation-stone of the Masonic Hall, which is to be a handsome stone structure overlooking Mussel Bay. Genebal Cameron. —" We have heard," says the New Zealander of the 27th ult., "and we believe that the intelligence will afford very general satisfaction, 'that the appointment of a new commander of the foree« for New Zealand had not, at the date of the last advices, been made,"