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Fri 5 Jul 1867 - The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times (WA : 1864 - 1874)
Page 3 - LOSS OF THE HARBOUR MASTER AND HIS CREW.
LOSS OF THE HARBOUR MASTER
AND HIS CREW.
The following evidence was given at
an enquiry held at Fremantle, on the
29th ult., before C. Symmons, Esq. :—
W. S. Pearse, W. E. Marmion, G.
Mcintosh—Jurors.
John Bourke, Master of barque Strath-
more, on oath, states, :—On Sunday after-
noon at about 4 o'clock finding, my
vessel, the "Strathmore" was aground ;
I hoisted the Harbor Master's signal—
on this being replied to by the question
"What do you want ?" I replied that the
vessel was "aground abaft ;" after that I
put up another signal, "Is the appear-
ance satisfactory ?" I wanted an answer
to this, so as to know what it was most
advisable to do ; in the meantime I pre-
pared to slip my anchors. I did not ex-
pect the Harbor Master to come off, not
thinking it likely that either of the boats
would live in such a sea as was then on.
When Capt. Harding's boat came to the
ship, Capt. Harding came on board, and
remained about a quarter of an hour,
and said he did not apprehend the
weather would be any worse ; but in the
event of my having to slip, to beach as
close to the jetty as I could. He then
went away, and the boat was swamped
about 15 yards from the ship. I imme-
diately made the usual signals of distress,
namely, fired the guns, threw up rockets,
and put up blue lights. I also threw
over everything that was come-at-able,
including several ship's fenders (large
spars about 8 or 10 feet long, one of
which would be sufficient to float 4 men.)
My long-boat was ashore on the beach.
The only other boats I had were the gig
and the pinnace, neither of which could
have been of any service in such a sea.
George J. Butcher, Acting Harbour
Master.—I have had much experience in
nautical matters ; I have been for 14
years officer in merchant vessels. On
hearing the gun fired from the "Strath-
more," and seeing the lights, I put off
with John Tapper, and his crew of volun-
teers in his whaleboat. Steered with an
oar as is usual in such boats. We pro-
ceeded to the ship, and were informed by
Capt. Burke of what had occurred. I
have heard what measures Capt. Rurke
took in his attempts to rescue the Harbor
Master's crew by throwing out fenders,
&c. I think he did all in his power.
Had he attempted to lower either of his
boats, I believe they would have been
swamped in their tackles.
Mr. C. A. Manning and his Clerk both
gave evidence as to the circumstances
which induced the late Harbor Master
to go off to the Strathmore, but it is not
necessary to give it here as being other-
wise unconnected with the accident.
Charles Patterson, free, sworn, saith—I am
one of the crew of the Harbor Master's Boat ;
I have been 3 months in the service ; About
4.30 yesterday evening, I with the rest of the
crew, consisting of Reg. No. 7921 Samuel Akers,
Reg. No. 6708 Isaac Price, Reg. No. 7212
Lachlan McLean, Peter Dandie, free, and
Captain Harding, left the South Jetty. The
Harbor Master, Captain Harding, had com-
mand of the boat for the purpose of boarding
the Strathmore, then lying at anchor in Gage's
Roads. There was a very heavy sea on, and
the wind very strong from the westward ; the
boat was the Water Police whale Boat steered
by Captain Harding, with a tiller and not by
the usual long oar. We made the Strathmore
safely ; Captain Harding went on board alone ;
the boat was held in tow by a rope from the
ship ; Captain Harding remained on board
about half an hour, and then re-entered the
boat falling across the thwarts as he did so.
Captain Harding having taken his seat aft told
Akers to let go the rope; Akers had just
loosened the rope, when a heavy sea broke
clean over her bows and filled her with water ;
the bowman Akers was thrown into the water ;
almost immediately after the boat turned bot-
tom up, and the whole crew were thrown out ;
we were about I should think 15 or 20 yards
from the ship ; we all managed to cling to the
keel of the boat except Akers who had disap-
peared before the boat upset. It was getting
dusk at the time and the boat with us clinging
to the keel floated towards shore ; the boat
had drifted some distance astern when we saw
spars and fenders floating about ; we remained
clinging to the boat ; we had drifted to within
a quarter of a mile of the shore, having been I
should think about 2 hours in the water ; Dandie
at that time having managed to get off the
greater part of his clothes, took an oar and said
he would swim ashore in order to send as-
sistance ; Price soon after let go his hold and
disappeared, and then McLean went, and then
Captain Harding. I remained clinging to the
boat until I and the boat were washed on shore ;
I was assisted out of the surf by a man named
Davis ; I do not think I should have got out
without assistance ; Captain Harding on our
first going away encouraged us all, but latterly
he seemed entirely exhausted ; very soon after
we drifted away we saw a blue light from the
ship and the guns fired twice.
The remainder of the evidence was adduced
to prove the identity of the parties and the
verdict of the Jury was "that the deceased met
"their deaths by the accidental capsizing of
"the Police Boat on the evening of the 23rd
"instant, while in the execution of their duty."
Article identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3753223
Page identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page722963
APA citation
LOSS OF THE HARBOUR MASTER AND HIS CREW. (1867, July 5). The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times (WA : 1864 - 1874), p. 3. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3753223
MLA citation
"LOSS OF THE HARBOUR MASTER AND HIS CREW." The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times (WA : 1864 - 1874) 5 July 1867: 3. Web. 27 Mar 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3753223>.
Harvard/Australian citation
1867 'LOSS OF THE HARBOUR MASTER AND HIS CREW.', The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times (WA : 1864 - 1874), 5 July, p. 3. , viewed 27 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3753223
Wikipedia citation
{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3753223 |title=LOSS OF THE HARBOUR MASTER AND HIS CREW. |newspaper=[[The Perth Gazette And West Australian Times]] |volume=3, |issue=40 |location=Western Australia |date=5 July 1867 |accessdate=27 March 2025 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

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