The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-10-28 00:00:00

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.
TWO DEN DROWNED.

A lamentable boat accide,t occurred on Monday
afternoon in the Portland Hay, whereby two men lost
their byes. It app-ars that two poor fellows, who felong
to Worfoouth, were trawling in the Hay Dear Small-
mouth Castle, and in the sudden squall which took place
In the early part of the afternoon, the smack aas
impala& Their names were Henry TowiHs sad Samuel
but the body of the latter has not yet been

Tag INQVVIT
Was held on Monday evening at the Breakwater Hotel.
before R. N. Howard, EN. the Portland Coronae, and a
jury of tie following persons —Mr. Thomas
(Foreman) and Maws. Thomas Gibbs,
Abraham Ackerman, Isaac Rodd, Samuel Smith, William
Lawrence, Richard Dyer, George Dibben, Edwin Pascoe,
Arthur Male, Thome Colston, Moises Moore, Thomas
Combas, and William Blythe. Among the jury were
several nautical men, who have been accustomed to the
sea al their li and some of them were well acquainted
with the and knew the nature of the boat
The Coroner afterwards stated that the Superintendent
of the Police, Mr. Batty, had informed him that he had
the evidence of an eye-witness who saw the boat shortly
before it sank, whose evidence would he most conclusive,
and that even if an adjournment took place no further
evidence could be obtained.
William John Shilaon, a fisherman, carrying on business
at Weymouth: I am sole owner of the flaking smack
Thomas and Mary. The deceased was captain of the said
vessel, and the crew consisted of the deceased and the
other man Moggridge. This morning about 10 o'clock, the
smack being in Weymouth harbour, I went on board and
saw the deceased and Moggririge. They were both sober
and In good health. They told me they were out in •
squall last Saturday and had to slip their gear, and that
they intended going out that day to try and pick it up.
and afterwards go trawling. That was the last time I
saw them alive. The deceased was • resident of Wey-
mouth, and had been to sea for several years. For three
years he had had charge of boats, but of this particular
one only about three we-ks. The boat was well "found,"
and I never stinted them in anything She had from five
to six tons of Moe ballast in her; was fift in beam, and
shout LSIt long by the keel, and eras very 'tannish and
strong. That day a heavy squall sprung up suddenly
about two o'clock, and the smack was cauSlat in it.
Dr. Parsons, of Portland, said that afternoon, between
(oar and flee he had been sent forte see the deceased. He
made • minute examinati .0 of the body, and found no
marks of violence of any kind, the body was partly warm.
but quite dead. There were visible evidences of his having
suffered from hydrocele, but the canoe of death was
suffocation from drowning.
Henry Keats, a ',Merman, at present in the service of
the Portland harbourmaster, knew the mark Thomas
and Mary. That afternoon, about two o'clock, was in the
harbourmaster's boatbouee at Castleto and saw the
smack in the bay near Sinai I mou th Castle. Observed aheavg
squall sprinting up from the northwest, and noticed one
of the men on hoard the smack haul the foresail down,
and pull the main tack up. before the squall struck her.
When the squall came on it was accompanied with hail
and rain, and hid the smack from sight In about ten
minutes it cleared uo. Ina he rood see no trace of the
boat, and thought she bad • unk. Immediately ran to the
beach and rained the alarm, and told the men who were
there what he h d seen. Five men at once jumped into
*galley and rowed as fast as they could to the spot.
Watched them, and afterwards iliw them land with the
deceased in the boat. He appeared to he dead. In his
opinion formed from what he saw, the men in the smack
did what experienced seamen would do to prepare for such
• squall.
Edward Schollar, a watermzn, residing at Castlet
was on the beach near the pier between two and three
o'clock. Immediately after the squall had paiyiel over
the Bay, Henry Keats came down and gave the alarm
that the smack "Thomas and Mary ••• had gone down in
the squall, near the Smallmouth Caatle, he having seen
her Just before. IVitness immediately got four men
named Robert Schollar, John Way Benfield, John Wills,
and .Joseph White, and they jumped into a galley and
rowed as hard as they were able in the direction
They pawed • tiller, • fish basket, and a cup, and saw
the body of the deceased floating on the water on his
face. He had an oil-skin jacket on and the air having
got under it kept the body floating. Got him into the
boat and placed him across one of the seats, moved his
arms shout, rubbed him, and did everything In their
power to bring him round, but it was of no use, for he
was quite dead before they got him into the boat.
Rowed about to see if they could find the other body,
hut could not do so, then rowed as fast as possible to
the shore. and carried the body to where the jury had
viewed it. When they landed the body Superintendent
Batty was there waiting to render every assistance.
The Coroner pointed out the bait was well found, and the
men were experienced boatmen, and from the evidence
WY quite clear they did what would be considered
necessary in such • case. Knowing as they did, then,
that they were experienced sailors, it would be clear to
them it must have been a pure accident.
The jury returned • verdict—" That !the deceased
came to his death by the accidental sinking of a boat
in • sudden squall in the Portland Bay." They also
expressed their praise of the promptitude of action
displayed by Keats and the five men, in rowing to the
spot to render assistance.
It was understood the deceased leaves a wife and five
children, and the jurymen gave their fees to the widow.
The conduct of the men who pic.ed up the body is also
most commendable, for they gave the bereaved mother
half the email amount allowed them.
. . .

. -- - --
-The Coroner intimated that if the other body was found
within his district he should not consider it neoessary to
hold another inquiry.

eub, it we resolved, about' be formed.
111••• illtinuLDS oropoesd that Mr. Willa be re-elected
treasurer sand eeeretery. He had always dotes his work
to at facieutly, ad oasseerved to he re-emetad.
Mr. WATSON seconded ; but
Mr. WILLA said ha was much 0b1i,...l to them, but he
really had W.! the Spa to spur. AU SA IT En OA the duties in •
•• ladsm:ors to Lunarr. He oineestod they should epp,Ant a
a;. ad ....eretaxy mad • orourer Is ear.
Mr. pour thought it pore Storable to have Swope'',
-•

Mr. NUMMI propwed &4 Lb. CHAIMILAX seconded U.
(.1...e1t.-r • spg....l.ruent GI ricelliftry low irvailurer, whiLla
wu C
Aron some dievission Mr. Giblx was skated captain on
th.uroton a Mr. BOA'''.

The tollowitig members were appototed to wrae on the
committee, yin :—Memint. Snail, lbsynolde, Rae. Wills,
and Wawa, with the secretary, Mr. Crocker. and the
Gewalt), Mr. Gibbs, ass. oileto members.
Air. Jan. barbel eras emote. umpire for the football
club.
M. BOATT pyipowai that Mr. ItAtliffe eboul.l look after
Via 4;1..11.6 Mill was ii-Outia ad by Mr. WATSON IWO
CII rt..d.
_ .

rim .ulnoription was ultnuatdY fixad t 31. for aenlor
m• oda and la I r jun•orn
Ti.- Sacretary, Mr. Crock,. 1,111 regse.ted to writs to
C..llltaanAbi. utlle:r In ter Warrior to apply for Um
um ol ISe Naval ground on tn. -Sale COOdiLlOse no Ibet
).51. . . . . .

Mr. RITIWOUNI proponed • hearty vote of thanks to the
put Obeere, wialch wee eezou'el by .11r. wArsoy. aul
Carnl. d by acelaanatiou.

PORTLAND oßiciurr CLUB. The latest novelty in hair cutting is that of a mu.
The el =matins of tbe sombers of the Portland who awed his heed in close proximity to the railway
thicket Club ass held at the VICIOCIA Rotel 041 11.0,1.21 line, for the PUrPOee We eUpPeee of getting his locks
last t, 0 Cliv• the annual rrp,xt, to 14art the looth.ll dab, shorn by machinery; but he finds it does not tamer,
and tin, u en-in:Lion of ot.,ur business. Mr Ratcliffe took for in addition to losing his hair he lost a lot of blood,
ton clia.r. +IA thert were alo present i.—Mr. Frauk V hila. and had to have his head sewn up in the bargain.
hon. were's'', and treasurer, Dr. Roe, 11.4 am Crocker,
Hods lois. Itor.t., Reynold., P.ranne, Watson, Bee* I The other day a number of military friends resolved
Julinsoo, Colima, Gibbs, Borne., ex.
Mr. Flak' Wily. prranuted Lbw annual report, which I, to give a dinner to an officer who had recently returned
.bouud mu c ui, uuu lot 11,.. slaws" and was ~,t. Thu , full I.f. honour from South Africa. When the evening
belancu sheet /lowed the receipt. to amount to £35 18.. Ti. , I came and the party were about to sit down, an inquiry
and .be expenses £34 Re. 84., leaving • liaison, is balm ot 1 wam made for the oust of the evening. "Didn't you
£l17& 110. , bring hitnr asked one of another.' No, thought
... ..

he vras to come with you." "Who sent him the
invitation r' naked the Chairman. "Did you not
asked a dozen voices. "No !" thundered out the
President, "1 thought so-and-so had done it." The
truth of the matter turned on the proverb that "whet
is everybody's business is nobody's." The guest of the
evening, who was to be welcomed home and toasted,
had never been invited.

After only • few days illness a young man recently
died in one of thane abodes ~f infamy in Chesil. His
funeral Was a blot upon our civilization: the coffin
containing the corpse was lowered from • window by

several men and women, and it would have fallen to
the ground had not several powers by ran to their
assistance. It was then hauled on a coal dray to the
churchyard. His Irma exhibited grief at his
death, and in relating his end, said "I carried
a Bade and Prayer 404 into Me rOOO, am!
whet mom comfd / do." Wkat ? she did
what she could. Christian ministers, Christian
. _

..... _
workers, fellow Christians, has all been done that can
be ,lone, for the souls of tho-e fallen fellow creatures
of our, at Chesil! We boast of ours being &Christian
land, the centre of civilization, our towns are well
provided with places of worship, there being two in
but • the -

ihe district of 011, hut are means to ;jet these
erring on. under the sounil of the (;o4ne4s exhausted.
No ! Don't It them think that no one cares for them.

Cut thy bread upon the watere, and it shall be found
after many days.