Catastrophe at Gisborne.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2081, 15 June 1887, Page 2

Catastrophe at Gisborne.

TWO BOATS CAPSIZED. A MOTHER AND THREE CHILDREN DROWNED. SIX BODIES FOUND. Gisborne, June 13.

The steamer Australia arrived in tho Bay at 4.30 p.m., on Saturday. A boat put out from laud containing H. Clover, Rawiria Tautau, Ropaiuc Hautata, and Harry Hautau, and arrived safely at tho steamer for passengers. Mrs Kirk, Nellis Kirk, aged nine, Ralph, aged two, and infant, one mouth old, got into the boat. When near the bar she was seen to founder, throwing the occupants into the water. Clover got safely ashore, followed by Raweria Tautau, both exhausted. Ropana disappeared. The iiccident was seen from the beach, and Constable Stagpoole, Joseph James, boot maker, and Sam Gilman, a Maori, went to the rescue, but while in tho act of saving the occupants of the first boat, their own boat was swamped. Gilman got safely ashore. It is supposed that Stagpoole drifted to sea. James was supposed to have got out to the steamer Australia, which threw up two rockets and blew her horn. She remained in the bay till the morning, hoisting two flags and blowing her horn. After sailing up and down tho bay, as if anxious to communicate with the laud, the steamer went north about at 8 a.m. It has turned out that James was drowned, and it is supposed that Stagpoole and a native named Tautau are on the steamer, but there is no certainty. The bar did not appear to be rough at the time, but there was a fresh on. A search party were out all yesterday and the night before, and found six bodies. The following are the names of the bodies found: —Joseph James (bootmaker), Mrs Kirk, Ralph Kirk, Nellie Kirk, Rapina Hautau, and Kirk’s baby, one month old. A late telegram states that tbs steamer Australia which arrived at Auckland on Monday night, bad on board Constable Stagpoole and a native named Harry Hautau, who ware resoned at the boat accident at Tologa Bay.