THE LAUNCH FATALITY.

West Coast Times, 22 March 1910, Page 2

THE LAUNCH FATALITY.

THE INQUEST OPENED

A constant look-out has been kept along the North Beach by the police and others lor any of the bodies of the three young men who were drowned in the boating accident on Sunday evening, the 13th inst. On Saturday evening one of the bodies was washed ashore on the beach at Barrytown and was brought to town and deposited in the morgue, where it was identified as that of Francis John Carley a tinsmith., who had been in the employ of Messrs Larsen Bros. Yesterday morning an inquest was opened at the Courthouse before Mr A. Crooke, coroner, when formal evidence only was taken as to the identification.

Thomas Carley, blacksmith, of Ngakawa, sworn, said that he recognised the body of the deceased, now lying at tin- morgue as that of his brother John Francis Carley. He was able to identify him by his clothing and collar on which his name was written. He was a tinsmith working for Larsen Bros. Clarence William Taylor, who was residing at the same boarding house as deceased said he saw him last on the Sunday of the accident when he said he was going out in Winterburn’s launch. Deceased had done a good deal of boating but had not been out in a launch before he came to Greymouth. Witness recognised the clothing as that deceased wore on the day of the accident. Witness saw nothing of the accident.

Francis Lewis, a miner, residing at Harry town, said that on Saturday afternoon he saw a seagull hovering over something near the beach. Witness had hear dof the accident and had been looking out for bodies all the week. When lie saw the gnll he thought it was a fish that was afloat. After waiting some time lie swam out and saw that it w.r- a body. As soon as possible witness got the body ashore and high and dry and then wont for some sacks. Mr W. Melamnan returned with him and laid the body high and covered it. He found the body about three miles south of Harrytown. Next moijuing ihe body was removed to GreyuwmUh. That was all the evidence that Sergeant Egan said lie proposed to call so the Coroner adjourned tho inquest till 3 p.m. to-day.