Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser (Grafton, NSW : 1859 - 1889), Saturday 8 February 1879, page 2
RECOVERY OF THE BODY OF CAPTAIN
FRASER.
At the instance of the Pacific Insurance Company, the brig Iserbrook, which was burnt and scuttled in the harbour some weeks since, has been pumped out by the workmen of Rountree's Dock . When the vessel was dry to the cabin floor, a party of water police was sent to recover, if possible, the body of Captain Fraser. After a search it was discovered in a horrible condition, and the body could only be identified by means of the clothes that remained on it. An inquest was heId at the Brecknock Arms Hotel, when the following evidence was given - James Hampshire, late Chief officer of the Iserbrook, who was on board with Captain Fraser when the ves- sel caught fire, stated that shortly after 1 o'clock on
the afternoon of the 21st December he went on board
the Iserbrook, and found Captain Fraser on board with a sailmaker called Barron, whom the Captain introduced to Hampshire as a friend of his, saying that there was some rum in the store-room and they would get some for him (Barron). They then took off one of the main hatches, and the three men went down into the store-room. When they got below Finding it dark the captain and mate struck matches
and went to a tier of casks behind the mainmast one of which had been bored and was losely corked Captain Fraser remarked, " This must be molasses"
and pulled the cork out, and immediately a quantity of rum ran out on to the deck. Hampshire, seeing this put his finger into the cask, but the hole being large, the spirit still continued to run out and in the confusion one of the men dropped a match, into the split liquor, which immediately took fire. Both men attempted to stamp out the flames but were unable to do so, and Hampshire's arm and hand were so scorched that he had to withdraw his finger from the
bung-hole, and, apprehending that the rum would blaze up, Barron and Hampshire rushed on deck, Hampshire falling into the hold as he endeavoured to leave the store-room. On the latter reaching the
deck a few seconds afterwards, he found Barron alone. Both men went to the hatchway and shouted the captain's name several times, but without licit, and then an explosion took place, and flames and smoke made their appearance at the hatchway. The employees of Roundtrees wharf seeing the flames,
came on board and removed the vessel from the
wharf. Witnesses never saw (Captain Fraser alive afterwards, and according to his belief tin li li hu hil sttu at thu d i.Un UM, in ti,,, pi, mt, it t'n coroner and jury was that of Joseph Fraser, late captain of the bri g Iserbrook. This evidence was fully corroborated by Cut of John Barron, a sail
maker, residing at Balmain who had gone on board the vessel at the invitation of the captain to have a glass of grog. The jury found the body. lying at the deadhouse was that of Joesph Fraser, the Captain of the Iserbrook, and further that his death had resulted accidentally from injuries received while drawing rum. The f ollowing rider was appended to the verdict The jury are of opinion that the delay in taking effective steps for the recovery the body is highly censurable