OIL LAUNCH, FATALITY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14877, 27 September 1918, Page 3

OIL LAUNCH, FATALITY.

THE;I)EATH OF CHARLES; BAKER

CORdNIALmQUIRYv ?i

A Corpnial inquiry^was; lield k%[■ the " i.iby Mr' J- E""- C , Levvey, Coroner,;infb;the,circumstances connected with Ue death .of a'fisherman named Charles Baker, who lost his life , about June 22ndiast 'while^proceeding from Nelson^tooTmuirUlah-d, where he lived. '.Deceased; -who-was '54' years' of age and single, was a native of Donyels had reSided;in^ he loCali^ Senior-Sergeant Barrett represented •S! f nd Mr- W; BeVeni & Oollee. &°i* Cu/^ms^ vatj:lled Proceedings on behalf of the Marine Department: „«+i .S 8 Leopold Diamanti, licensee tH Pi ICr1Cr Hote1 ' Port NelaoD, deposed - that he knew deceased, who stayed at jus house from June Bth last, to the He understood he came to Nelson to procure a magneto for his motor launch. Deceased came in his launch, and departed in it for the French Pass! Un June 17th deceased was arrested for drunkenness on his launch, but when he left his place at 8.30 a.m.' on Juno 22nd he was perfectly sober.. He took with him a bottle of ale and some sandwiches. Deceased wanted to taie more liquor with him, but;he -refused-him, and said h© would send what he wantedby the Nikau. As far as he knew he a "was alono when he left in the'launch. Captain Henry • Collins, Harbourmaster, at Port Nelson, "stated that h^ knew deceased by sight. On June 22nd ne saw deceased taking stores to hi-i launch about 9.40 a.m., and so far a* he could sec he was sober. He also saw the launch, with deceased on boajd, leaving the entrance about 10.30. Kel-, lorY launch ' was accompanying - him.' It should have taken deceased from I seven to eight hour* to £et to DTJrville | Island. It was a beautifully fine mom- ! ing, with a smooth son, when deceased1 left. A northerly wind seven miles j from Nelson would bring up a nasty sea I towards D'Urville Island. Deceased's; launch was very low i.n the water, and' would fare badly in a heavy sea. Whon , launches ran into a westerly wind five; miles from Nelson, they usually returned. The coast-line where tho launch! was found (about half a mile beyond the !

north' end ; 6f the Croixelles) "was rugged and exposed to .westerly weather. "When . decea^,was r goiug,o,ut > of ,the,.entrance ho- appeared; to" 'be,, itil? right; .Vri'd'iwas .steering a good. co{irs~e\downithe' JBank., Tjhere were .indicafeionsVthat day,of.wes- ? terly>eather down the "Bay. . '•- - • "';,?yslo Coroner: oThere'wore no har--3 'bdur,signals to.'warn -launch owners of i bad weather, but -experienced men >;.'Usually read the signs. . ' , ;'. "jCoustablo1 McGregor deposed that on $\ July-2nd he>wont.to- I l|ia Croixelles and f found a wrecked' launch on the boach .' aboi;t half a mile beyond the north r, entrance to the Croixelles harbour. The •-launch Was completely smashed. The; I engine was lying oh. the beach. The i . settlers identified the launch as Baker's.! l He, searched the rocks in the vicinity, j t but found no trace of the body. The >' beach had also been searched by settlors without result. Deceased lived , alone in a hut on Tinui Island, off . D'Urvillo Island. From the result of .' inquiries made he ascertained that do-! • ceased was a man-who took risks. On! : one occasion his launch was found drifting in Cook Strait with deceased on ■ board asleep. Settlers Avere not surprised that he had been drowned. He , understood that deceased was knocked i down by a tramcar in Wellington about 118 months ago, and had ne^er been the | same since. ! In reply.to the Collector of Customs, - v, itness said that so far as ho could remember nothing was said ' about the ' weather, at the time th.c launch was [lost. - • " • .!'■ 4 The Coroner found tbat deceased was en a voyage from Nelson to Tinui Island, and was accidentally drowned oither through the upsetting of tho . launch or through falling overboard.