FATAL ACCIDENT

Colonist, Volume XXXIV, Issue 6067, 23 March 1891, Page 5

FATAL ACCIDENT

A SMALL VESSEL CUT DOWN

Ok March 11 h at eight p.m tun Anc'.or Lias steamer CLnries Edward .'eft tho Albion \Vharf, under eomroacd of Cap!, -in Whit^cli,

bound for Wang,i.nui, bu 1 . ''"hen in the su.trow portion ol ihe oatranc? to the h^'hor, between lhn Arr..w Fork nni the b aeon cm the point of H*ul Ashore Island, she coliJ d with a small cuUrr, and he mishap resulted in the !o?s of ono ife. ■he night was ver\ thick and hazy, for sine > t:i<. afternoon ■> heavy fja c line up the b y , a-.d as dukneß earns the fog covered tbr.- land, when to tee ft 1 object at fti y distance *as oat of tl;- 1 unestioo. Even \vh: re the lights were visible they were enveloped iv a halo rendering it praeticaUy impossible <o jurlgo di.-t >nee .tiid nvn.a what i-.c ;:n;liii' tha accide it wiiicti oecu.red last, night was a.^rib'Uabe U> the f"ig. From eye witne-se3 W:i iiave the following: pj-.rticuia/s whioii extern ihc fat lity. On Monday evening last abou' nifio o'olook the eci'ifr Phcenis, owned by Mr Thomas Harley, ol" this town, sailed from Motupipi with a cargo of coal — about 12 tons -for this port, in charge of ihe master, Cockram Westvupp, and having also on board two other mea, Frank Bailie and Thomas Nalder. The cutter arrived off the Nelson Lighthouse about six o'clock last evening, the weather being then very thick, indeed it had been thick since three in the afternoon In the vicinity of the Lighthour 3 the cutter was hailed by the Pilot boat, which was then on the look out for the ss Grafton, and Westrupp answered From this the cutter drifted with the flood tide, there being pv etically no wind, but two of the men were at ti:e sweeps, and those on board heard the whistle of ihe ss Charles Edward, and were on the look out for her. They saw the steamer's lights when they were between the Arrow Rock and Haulashore Island, and at this time Westrupp was at the tiller and working the after sweep, Bailie was at the forward sweep, and Nalder was in the rigging, having been stationed there to see that the lights continued to burn brightly, and he was prepared to show a light. The Charles Edward's lights had been seen for about ten minutes by those on board the cutter before the accident took place, and they say that when they were just abreast the beacon, and the steamer was only a chain and a half away, they feared a collision was about to take place, whereupon all three shouted out as loudly as possible. The survivors state that thereupon they heard some one on the steamer call out "Back her hard; full speed astern." However, the Charles Edward had then too much way on, and struck the cutter on her quarter, close to the cabia, cmting rigbt into the hul!. As the vea-ela met Bailie cang* t hold of Che steamer's anchor, and olimbed on board her, expecting, as he says, that the others would do the eamo. Nalder was on" the per: side of tue cutter at thfl time of tho oolli&ion, but he sprang towards the steamer, and was caught by some of the men on board, and bailed on deck. The steamer r> coiled immediately after striking the cutler, and BaiMa and Naldsr both say t!"ey believe that Westrupp jumped overboard when the vessels met. After getting on board the Charles Edward they hfard him singiDg out, and say he was oarried by the tide round the steam' r's bow, and op towards Gilberteoa'H wharf, calliDg oat the while. Steps were promptly tafen ou biardthe steamer to lower a boat, but this occupied some four minutes, and in the interval 'Westrupp had been carried some distance by tho incoming ti(?e, and with the haze it was most chfficu t so di-cfrn objects. Several person? >\^ oe, who hesrd al\ s<ato that poor Westrupp last cal c 1 out when near the Marine B<:ths, wha he was he&rl to say "Look smirs ; I htu nearly done.' This being in reply to som - one who called out that a boat was coming. After tfcat wera ou i.-r along tim-j alocg thu shore while the steamer's boat and unothvv from the Pilot Station were looking for him, but wi houfc succes?. After the accident the steamer returned to the wharf, and owing to the thick weivher her departure has been poß'poned till Bis this morning We ham from those ou board the Bieam.sr that the cutter was seen as the entrance was approached, but ns both wera only showing their green lights to danger was oon:empatad iil the order Wis given to go fall speed a3tern with one angina and to put ih° h^-lin hard & B'arboard, the object bein^ to B'hw the v. ssel so aa t« avoid a collision, but th • 3trout; tida swept, the cutter od, ar.d the vessels met. After being struck the Pbienix, or Ida as we understand she was lately fe-ohriatened, drifted inside beyond the beacons, where she sank, clear of the fairway. Bailie and Nalder state thit before' the accident the Unicn steamaLip Grafton, in obarge cf the Pilot, was following them in, but when the collision tcck plf.ee she backed at>d went outside agpii. Th? y fay that had the Grafton not gone baak it, appeared that a further collision w .ul3 have taken pluce. This vessel had not eutercd the harbor up 'all a late hour.

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