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BOAT CAPSIZE AT ALBANY.
INSPECTOR OF FISHERIES
DROWNED.
Albiany, November 20.
The town 'was deeply grieved to learn'
this afternoon the intelligence that Mr.
B. O'Halloran, the local Inspector of
Fisheries, had been drowned through a
boating accident. Mr. U. F. Gale the
Chief Inspector of Fisheries, arrived on
Monday night to investigate matters
concerning the lease of the oyster ground
to Mr. Leishman. It wns arranged that
Messrs Gale and. O'Halloran should pro
ceed this afternoon to meet the lessee-in
the vicinity of Oyster Harbour. Mr.
Burgess joined the party, and the trio
leftshbe town jetty in a sailing boat just
after 1 o'clock. The wind was blowing
freshly from the south-east, and after
leaving the deep water jetty the boat was
sailed with a free sheet. Mr. Gale was
at the tiller and O'Halloran had hold of
the lines. Just after passing the Point
King lighthouse, which is at the outer
entrance to the channel, it became neces
sary to shape a course north-east; and
it was decided to gibe at that point. The
sheet had no sooner been transferred
from one side to the other than a strong
puff of wind came round the Point from
off the shore. u -alloran, apparently
misjudging the strength of this puff,
hung on to the sheet,' and the boat filled
and turned over. The accident occurred
about a quarter past 2, and the three
men started to swim for the shore. The
distance is estimated at upwards of 300
yards. The sea is always rough at this
point, and as a strong wind was blowing
to-day; the water was unusually high.
All three were fully attired. Gale, who
is a strong swimmer, noticed, when half
the journey was completed, that both his
companions were in distress1 O'Halloran
being apparently in bad straits. Fortu
nately, the occupants of the Point King
Lighthouse witnessed the capsize, and,
while a message .was sent to the Forts,
the nearest point 9f communication by
telephone 'with the pilot station, some
of those on shore took ropes and pre
pared to assist the distressed men to
land. Here the coast is very rocky.
Gale at first made for Sandy Inlet, but,
finding his strength failing, he allowed
himself to be carried by the wind and
tide to' a projecting rock. where he was
able to cling by the barnacles until he
was rescued from the shore. Burgess
managed to seize a rope that was thrown
to him, and was dragged ashore. Both
men wore in a completely exhausted con
dition. O'Halloran was noticed to re
main on the surface and to gradually
drift ashore; but when he reached land
it was found that life was extinct. There
were signs of an injury on O'Halloran's
head, but the blow could not have been
serious. He had managed to swim for
close on 100 yards, and it is remiarkable
that the body did not sink. but floated
ashore. The remains of the deceased
were conveyed to the morgue. .Gale and
Burgess were fully twenty minutes in
the water. An inquest will be held ion
the body of O'Halloran to-morrow morn
ing, and the funeral will take place in
the afternoon. The deceased, who is a
well-known identity of Coolgardie in
the early days, had been here about
twelve months. He had always shown
a great interest in local movements, and
was a member of the Albany Club and
the Bowling Club, and on all hands his
untimely end is deplored.
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