By Monday the embankment was broken all along, and the water was rushing down every hollow, laying down crops and covering them with debris, drowning sheep, cattle, and horses. The rush of water was so sudden when the embankment broke that those who had not taken the precaution to drive their cattle to higher ground the night before or early in the morning had to let them take their chance. Every creek in the district was running full to the banks, culverts were running over and bursting in some places. A most melancholy accident happened about midday. There was a family named Cooper, consisting of husband, wife, and daughter, together with a lad staying with them, who obstinately refused to leave their place in spite of the persuasions of others. Mr. Nichol, butcher, of Outram, came with his cart for them, but they refused to leave; Mr Robert Borrie, of Huntley, also brought horses to save them, but still they refused to go. He went again, but they would not budge, though by midday they were apparently in imminent danger. Mr Borrie made a third attempt to save them, and in doing so, sad to tell, he was himself swept from off his horse, and, in spite of the efforts made to save him by his ploughman, T. Arthur, who swam to rescue him, he was swept under a hedge, from which he could not be extricated, and was drowned. He was a most promising young man, and his death has cast a gloom over the whole district. Much sympathy is felt for his mother, who is a widow. He died the death of a gallant man seeking to save his fellow creatures. -Evening Star, 8/2/19877.
It is a very singular circumstance that exactly nine years ago the Rev. D. Borrie, brother of the late Mr Robert Borrie, who lost his life on Tuesday, nearly perished in attempting to save the same family from the same house. The late Mr Borrie, of Huntley, was 24 years of age. -Evening Star, 9/2/1877.
The Evangelist remarks that the late Mr Robert Borrie, who was drowned in the floods in the Taieri district, "must have been thoughtful beyond his years; for he left a will duly executed, by which he gave to the Missions of our Church the insurance upon his life, amounting to £500." -Otago Daily Times, 3/3/81877.
Referring to the exceedingly creditable descriptive poem in our present issue, by a wellknown local poet, whose previous poetical effusions have frequently adorned our columns, we have peculiar pleasure in congratulating him upon his treatment of a theme so melancholy as the sudden and unexpected departure of so estimable a young man as the late Mr Robert Borrie, of Huntly, West Taieri, whose death, on the evening of Wednesday, the 7th of February last, was thus described by us at the time, and which we now repeat with a view to aid the illustration of this excellent poem: — "Mr Borrie was only 24 years of age, and he was drowned while attempting to save a family named Cooper, consisting of Mr and Mrs Cooper and daughter, and a lad who was residing with them. These occupied a somewhat perilous position, which they had refused to leave, notwithstanding that they had been persuaded to do so. Mr Borrie made two ineffectual attempts to rescue them, and in essaying to do so a third time, while accompanied by others, he lost his own life. He was riding towards the place where the Cooper's were situated, and when passing over a hollow portion of the road where the current ran very strong, he was swept away and drowned under a hedge. His horse escaped, as also did Mr Borrie's companions. He was much respected by all who knew him, and his death has cast quite a gloom over the district." Mr Borrie's life was insured for £500, and the amount left by his will to the funds of the Presbyterian Church of Otago. -Bruce Herald, 12/6/1877.
No comments:
Post a Comment