THE FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT PORT CHALMERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3416, 8 September 1885, Page 3

THE FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT PORT CHALMERS.

The following further particulars of this accident which wus briefly telegraphed on Sunday are taken from yesterday's Olago Daily Times : — lntelligeuco was received at fort Chalmers yesterday forenoon that a b jot containing some 11 persons had overturned m the bay below Acheron Head, familiarly ' known as Pulling Point, and that several 1 persons were drowned. Mr K. T. Macdonnell, customs surveyor, at once proceeded down | tho bay m tl'O* launch, tilting Dr Do Lautour with him, and lowing a skiff containing Mr I John Jackson and several othor persons. On i reaching tho Lower Harbor tho launch 1 steamed alongside tho barquo Lady Dufferin, 1 and mado enquiries as to whethor any ono ou I board had seen tho boat. Mr Macdonnell " was informed that a boat, had passed the P ship under Bail containing several persons, but they had Been nothing more of her. The launch then steamed round Acheron Head 1 into tho little bay which adjoins, and on landing there tho facts of tho caso became known. They are as follow :— Between 9 j and 10 m the foronoon Captain James Ferguson, local agent of tho Union Steam Ship | Company, accompaniod by his six children, ' and Mr and Mrß Arthur Jackson, with their ' two children, took a waterman's boat for tho ' purpose of paying a visit to Mrs Arthur 5 Jackson, son., tho grandmother of tho whole of the children, 'i hey proceeded down tho j harbor under sail, and aftor rounding Acheron Head the weather becamo exceed- [ ingly squally, tho wind veering from N.W. ' to S.W., and blowing fresh. From what wo j can gather it appears tho sail was wrapped round the mast prior to tho mast being im- ' stopped, when a sudden gust of wind struck 1 the boat, causing her to heel over, and precipitated tho wholo of tho Occupants into the water. Tho children wero then placed on ' tho bottom of tho boat, but she again rolled over, and tho children wcro again ' thrown into tho water, with the unfor- | lunato result that four of Captain Fcr- ' guson's children, named Mary, John, James, 1 and Alexander, and Christina Jackson wero j drowned. Several of tho fishermen living m tho bay, eeeing tho accident, put oft without loss of time, and Bucceodod m saving Maggie 1 and Agnes Ferguson, Mrs JacKson and her ', daughter Catherine, with Captain Ferguson and Mr Jackson. Thoy also recovered tho bodies of John and Mary Ferguson, but were unfortunately unable to recover tho bodies of James and Aleiandcr Ferguson and Christina Jackson. Tho survivors, who wero greatly exhausted, on being landed wero tiiken to the ! lioubc of Mr A. Pironi, one of tho fishormon, ' where they woro treated with the utmost 1 attention . On tho arrival of Mr Miicdonuoll > and Dr Do Lautour, the latter gontlcman did '' overy thing m his power to resuscitato tho r bodies of the children John and Mary For- - guson, unfortunately, however without arail. ' Mr John Jackson returned to Port Chalmers i m the skiff for tho purpose of procuring tho > necessary changes of apparel for the surviving ' sufferers. Wo are gliid to hear I hat Mrnnd Mrs • Jackson, with their daughter Catherine and the children Mapgio and Agnes Ferguson, me ; doing well. Captain Ferguson, we are sorry to say, is greatly exhausted and almost prosIrato" with grief at the untimely dent h of his children. Greut sympathy is expressed for " him throughout Port Chalmers. The uni fortunate accident iB a severe blow to him, j following clwcly upon the dentil of his wife. , Too much pruiso cannot be given to Mr Maodonuell for tho promptitude displayed by him m proceeding down tho harbor the ■ instant ho received tho nows, and remaining i there while there was any chance of affording

assistance, while the kindness displayed by Messrs A. Pirani, A. Solomon, and Wright is beyond praise, as m addition to throwing open their houses for the use of the sufferers, they proceeded m their boats with n^ts for the purpose of sweeping the bay m order to recover the missing bodies. t'p to the time of our despatches leaving the port last evening, their efforts had not been successful. (By Telegraph.) Dunbdin, Sept. 7. Captain Ferguson, whose children were drowned on Sunday, is etill m a very critical condition.