A HARROW ESCAPE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVI, Issue 7879, 28 July 1894, Page 3

A HARROW ESCAPE.

A party of young men narrowly

escaped death by drowning in Wellington harbour on Saturday afternoon last. A few weeks ago they purchased froin the Harbour Board a 16-foot open lioat, aud on Saturday afternoon they went out in her for a sail. Between Points Halswoll and Jeruiughain an accideut happened to the mainsail, and the boat capsized, throwing the occupants into the wator. All of them clung to the keel for somo minutes, but as she could not support so many of them with safety, two of them—W. Tripe and W. J. Blair—stripped off and swam to land, distant some hundreds of yards. Captain Jones and Messrs P. Coffee and T. Jones put off from Oriental Bay to the rescue of the three young fellows clinging to tho capsized boat, but before they were able to reach her the s.s. Southern toss camo along and effected a rescue. It ie extromely doubtful whether the young men could hire held on until

the boat from Oriontal Bay could have got up, as they were fearfully exhausted when the steamer took

them on board. Great promptitude was displayed in lowering; a boat from the Southern Cross, and the young men were treated with great kindness by Captain Adams and his officers and crew. After rescuing Gray, M'Gowan, andMorahead, the steamer's boat was pulled ashore, and Tripe and Blair were brought off. Captain Jones and his companions had a most unpleasant experience, great difficulty being found in keeping their boat afloat, owing to the waves breaking into her, and eventually she was brought back by the Southern Cross.