The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-07-21 00:00:00

SAD AND FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT
SOUTHAMPTON.

A melancholy accident happened on Wednesday in the
Southampton waters. by A4-hich Mrs. Susannah Facey, wife
of William Facer, well known for many years as one of
our rural postmen, lost her life. It seems she had gone to
Southampton with her daughter and son-in-law. Mr. T.
Randall, a mail guard between here and Southampton,
end with them and a female friend had taken • boat to go
eis board a yacht, and when alongside, in attempting to
get from tie bt 1.,/ the yacht., the former cenehna. The
Inquiet was held on Thursday morning before Mr. E.
CoxweS, the borough coroner, end the following evidence
adduced

I Arbert.Norman, a seaman and muter of the Rowena,
belonging to Mr. Alderman Gordon. said he did not know
the deceased. About five o'clock on Waineiday
110.11, he took the deeeawd and four other person, In the
yeast''' hoes altavide the Rowena. Winless went on
I.:viag the tun to Acid on the host, while he went
10 pt • ladder iroth below tor tloui t? come on board.
• on corning on ,j,k, rroa, !wdow, with tth. 6.14 Cr, he saw
he bOat bogom upwards, and *45 tlle deceased cum. oc
the issatt in the W•Solf, with Irw roti•in-l4w koopiayi her
up. He caught bold cd leoo 4.ed brought her ma deck with
ti,r face downwerds. Witeess rolle4 her and worked
11 until she bled at the note. He theft salted out
beat to take them on shore and to tatcji a ()wok.

Deceased was alive when she came on beard, and when
she was put into the boat to be taken ashore. Witness
did not again sec her until the following morning, when
she was dead. The small Imat was about II feet long.
and quite capable of taking six or more pgrsons safely.
He dhl not himself see the accident There were four
females, deceased's son-in-law, and himself in the boat.
Thomas Randall, a mail guard, running between Dor-
chester and Southampton every day, stated that the
deceased vraa his mother-in-law, and wife of a super-
annuated post-office servant. He accompanied her to go
on board the Rowena on Wedues.lay afternoon, with four
other females. On reaching the yacht the e aptain left
the boat and went on board for a ladder, telling witness
to hold on. Witness held on, and as soon as the captain
went on board one of the females, named Walker, who
was sitting opposite witness, left her seat and attempted
to follow the captain and go on board withdut the ladder.
She, however, del not succeed, and the boat glided away
and capsizeiL They were all immediately thrown into
the water, but witness did not let go the rape, and caught
hold of his wife, who happened to be near, and ale.' the
deceased, who came up Just after, with the same hand.
while he put his left foot under Mrs. Walker. and so kept
her from sinking while the other female !lotted away.
They were In the water about five minutes. As soma as
as the captain came, he, with some one who came on
board to assist, dragged the throe females, whom witness
had hold of, on deck. On deceased coming up she had her
shawl right over her face,and he was quite unable to remove
it. When witness got out of the boat deceased WAS in
another boat and being carried ashore, where, on arriving,
some gentleman was doing all he could to restore her.
A fly was procured. and oho was taken to the Morning
Star, where they were stopping. All the other females
recovered.
John Harris, belonging to the yacht Zoe, lying in the
Southampton Water, said lie Was on hoard his vess..l on
Wednesday afternoon. atsuit five deleck, when lie saw
the boat alongside the Rowena, and shortly after the
captain left her he saw the boot capsize. .ts s.. ni as he
could he got into his own boat and went to render
assistance. The captain letd previously arrived awl got
them all on board with the exception of one female, who
had floated away, all,l tom witness piekel up and sent
ashore. In his opinion, the boat was perfectly safe, and
the accident would not have occurred if they had at
quiet
Mr. W. J. Yerres.s, the foreman of the lure, stated that
he was on the pier at the time deceased was brought
ashore, mei he wished to say that every effort was male
to restore animation.
. • ..

Mr. Alderman Gordon, who was pnxseut during the
inquiry, said he thought that prat praise we. Inc to the
man Randall, for his presence of mind and promptner.4
of action, in which view the Coroner concurred, and the
jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death from
drowning.
The Rev. H. P. Raikes preached on Sunday evening at
All Saints' church, soil selected a hit text the words
"There is huts step between Ille and death." lit a very
inipressive discourse, which wits listened to with breath-
less attention, and with many tearful eyes, the rev.
gentleman dwelt on the solemn event, and remarked that
there was but • step between the deceased aiel death, for
in endeavouring to step from the boat to the yacht, she
stepped into eternity! The preacher exhorted lii. hearers
to prepare for death, and then, 11,111 C Whelk it may, they
would be found ready, and would be received into Christ s
glorious kingdom.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIRTE.—The annual
meeting of this excellent society was held on Thursday
last, July 16th, in the tine old hall at Athelhampton, and
as usual, it was well tilled with • most attentive audience.
After Scripture reading and prayer by Rev. .1. Miles,
the meeting was addressed by the Rev. E. W. rears, of
Dorchester, Rev. Carr J. Glyn, the County Secretary, Mr.
FAwards, Association Secretary, and the Revs. Messrs.
Ross, for many years minister of the Reformed Church of
France, Barton, of Chios!borne, and Near. of Dorchester.
Mr. It. if. Eliot, of Weymouth, occupied the chair, and
Mr. G. W. Homer read the reisirt of the Associa-
tion, from which it appeared that Athelliampton
raised upwards of .C2O last year. During the even-
ing three hymns were sung by an Amateur Choir
in the gallery. From the statements niadc by the
speakers it appears that unusual progreos is being made
on the Continent and in Afnca inst Madagascar,
while the funds of the society show a meet remarkable
increase to meet the increasing demands mode upon its
resources. It is a matter of great satisfaction that
Athelhampton shows no signs of falling MI in its Bible
Society work, and we may well infer that these delightful
meetings, which are looked forward to year after year
with so much interest, will be long continued in their
present successful condition for many years to come
under the auspices of Mrs. Wool.