The boys, meanwhile, had got on to a tree trunk and were rescued by Maori in a canoe.
When news reached Tomoana Freezing Works and Hastings, William Nelson and many other helpers immediately went to find William.
His son, Algernon, watched as the river was dragged from a boat, initially without finding the body. Maori continued to dive for a long time, but also without luck.
Algernon, who would become a successful accountant at Rainbow and Hobbs, and mayor of Hastings from 1941 to 1947, would never forget the persistence of Maori in looking for his father.
A little before 8 o'clock that night, William's body was found in 10 feet (3 metres) of water, 15 yards (13m) from where he went into the river by Constable Pickering. Pickering had continued to drag the bottom in a boat.
William's widow carried on the school for a few years with some masters but sold to John Fraser and W A Robinson.
A Victorian education was to be had by the boys at the school, with rote learning and a curriculum of English, maths, Latin, French and divinity, with other subjects, science, history and geography, added later.
The boys could learn carpentry and there was an emphasis on the sports of cricket, rugby, tennis, gymnastics. The lake at Waikoko was used for aquatic sports.
John Fraser would become sole headmaster when W A Robinson left the school in 1896 to pursue a medical career.
An old boy of the school reflected on the time when John was headmaster, saying: "generally, the teaching was dull and unimaginative, the classrooms gloomy, and cold in winter, with windows set high in the walls so no boy could look out, the theory being if a boy could see through a window he became inattentive".
Arthur Rainbow, the eldest son of the late headmaster, William, possessed a photographic memory. In all seven subjects offered one year, Arthur came first.
John Fraser was concerned that parents coming from distances to the prizegiving would be annoyed to see one pupil receive all the prizes. He had a cunning plan. A dux award would be created, and Arthur would have this title and a prize of two paintings, with other boys receiving books.
The plan however, did not quite work out. Arthur became visibly upset with the choice of paintings.
Arthur's sister described the paintings: "One, if I remember alright, portrayed a languid lady with a harp, whose headgear consisted of a wreath of apparently wilted flowers; the other represented a character from Shakespeare, his legs a shape that made it quite evident that his mother had not understood much about feeding."
The paintings were sold soon after Arthur became even more upset when his mother suggested the paintings would look good in the family living room.
John Fraser sold the school in 1902 and became one of Hastings' first chartered accountants. His firm would later become Esam and Cushing.
Heretaunga School shifted to Havelock North in 1913, and its old property became part of Nelson cricket grounds after the cricket association persuaded William Nelson to lease the grounds to a trust.
William Nelson sold the Nelson cricket grounds in 1921 to the Hastings Borough Council for £5800 (2018: $511,000). This is now the Park Megacentre in Karamu Rd.
Heretaunga School became Hereworth when it combined with Hurworth School in Wanganui in 1927.
• Michael Fowler will be speaking on the history of Napier's Marine Parade from 1928 until 1938 during the Winter Deco Weekend at the Century Theatre, MTG, Saturday, July 14, at 3.30pm. Free admission.
• Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a chartered accountant, freelance writer, contract researcher of Hawke's Bay's history.
