Duty

Devotion To

How Cook Is. Officer Received Fatal Storm Injuries

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, Mar. 23.

THE conscientious attention to detail which characterised Mr. C. J. Bou chier’s work in the Cook Is. was the in direct cause of the accident which led to his death on February 20.

Shortly after mid-day on the 10th heavy seas began breaking against the Fruit Dept.’s office and fumigation shed, a small building standing about 10yds. above nor mal high-water mark. Accompanied by Mr. L. M. Cook, private secretary to the Resident Commissioner, and Mr. Ivan Nottage, of the N.Z. Fruit Dept., Mr.

Bouchier entered the premises and re moved practically all the office contents.

At this time the fumigation shed, being built of cement, was not thought to be in any danger.

Later in the afternoon, however, the seas increased and Mr, Bouchier, again accompanied by Mr. Cook, ran over with the intention of removing the fumiga tion tents. They had barely reached the door when a wave, probably the largest during the whole hurricane, swept in from the lagoon. Both men turned and ran, making for the shelter of the Government buildings across the road. The wave, travelling breast high, caught them almost immediately.

Mr. Cook was carried across the road and flung unhurt into an adjoining gar den. Mr. Bouchier, less fortunate, was swept away by a cross-current and driven

against a large cargo lighter which had broken free from its moorings on the slipway. In the maelstrom of rushing water the lighter was refloated and in some manner crushed the lower part of his right leg.

Suffering indescribable agony, Mr. Bou chier was taken to the hospital where Dr.

Ellison worked heroically, attempting to save the limb. Eventually, however, it was found necessary to amputate. On February 20, exactly a week after the operation, Mr. Bouchier died suddenly as the result of a “blood-clot.”

The deceased, who served during the War with the South African Artillery, was buried in the Catholic Cemetery with full military honours, the funeral being one of the largest seen for many years in Rarotonga. He had been in the Cook.

Is. Service for upwards of 12 years, and was 36 at the time of his death. He left a wife and six little girls, the eldest of whom is only ten.

The post of Director of Agriculture has been filled by the temporary appointment of Mr. E. A. Reid. The work will be no novelty to Mr. Reid, who prior to his retirement some years ago, occupied the same position. Mr. Reid is also a director and leading spirit in the Rarotonga Fruit Cos., the younger of our two native com panies.

Hon. George H. Murray, M.L.C., Direc tor of Agriculture in New Guinea, will sail from Sydney by the Mariposa at the beginning of May on a visit to America and Europe. Mr. Murray, as usual, will spend most of his long leave visiting agricultural research stations in different parts of the world. He intends to pay a special visit to the famous station in Hawaii maintained by the sugar industry there. Mr. Murray’s mother, who is aged 84, has made a remarkably rapid recovery from a recent serious accident.