TAINUI TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 303, 18 September 1919, Page 5

TAINUI TRAGEDY

INQUEST ON THE RECOVERED BODIES EVIDENCE OF THE SURVIVOR By Telegraph.—Press Association. , ChVistchurch, September 17. Mr. M'Carthy, S.M., opened an inquest on five of the Tainui victims at Cheviot this afternoon. Mr. M. 11. Buohnnan watched the proceedings on behalt ot tho New Zealaud Kefrigeratiug Company.

" W T. I'arrand, the only survivor, m his evidence, said the benzine was stowed forward and aft, with a few cases on deck The tire was first noticed forwai\\ but there was no fire aft. When witness was awakened by the Explosion at 2.30 a.m. he aroused the crew. Haward, the seaman, remained at thri wheel until ho euuld stand the heat no longer, and Uptoin Cowan ordered him to leave. The captain then ordered all hands to the lifeboat. The boat was swamped by tho swell of the ship, which was still m motion. Tho captain then ordered the engines to be stopped. The captain and three others got into tho lifeboat while witness got a bucket Jor bailing out. il'Lean attempted to bc.il the boat out, but did not succeed, and the boat capsized with tho four occupants, ihe remainder of the crew righted tho boat. Witness ran to the saloon and got a tin of biscuits, which he threw into the boat. By this time all tho buckets were lost. The boat once move turned over ond broke away. The mate and witness clung on. Then Williams, A.8., Aleck, the fireman',, und Captain Cowan sroKu away from the lifeboat to try to swim adliore. They were about four miles from the shore at the time of the explosion. The boat was drifting avay and the mate (Stevens) said: "The captain or I must Ibo the last to leave tlie ship." Witness advised him to jump into Die water and swim to tho lifeboat, but Stevens refused to do so. Witness dived into tho [water and (he mate followed him and i they swam, to the lifeboat. M'Lean, Greenwood, Townsend, und Haward were in the lifeboat when.ho and Stevens got hold of the boat, which was drifting to shore. Six of them clung to the lifeboat for two hours. The captain and his two companions were swimming-abreast of the lifeboat. Captain Cowan cried out, "Cook, can't you come and help me?" And witness cried back: We are 'stuck-ourselves." Witness did not lienr any moro about the captain or Williams. Greenwood became exhausted first and said, "We will all hare to die, and 1 am dying." Witness replied, Don ttn k silly; we'll be ashore in about ten minutes " Greenwood slipped off, but floated near the boat: for about ten minutes. Then they lost sight of him. The next ono to go was Jack Haward. All went well with those remaining till they camo to whore tho rollers ntarted breaking. Townsend was lying across tho keel ot the upturned boat. M'Lean was at oi.o end and witness, and. the mato were on either side. Then a bij ro ler came and washed away Jl'Lean and 'lownsena, and witness did not see Ihem atter that. Roller after roller swept over the boat. After n few rollers witness noticed tiiat the mate had gone. witness . came to tho undertow lio left the boat and swam to the shore. A.pout 8.30 ho tried to walk to the steamer, which had urittec! to the shore befors witness did, to got Pome warmth from tho fire, but ho could not get there. He then remained on the shore till he was found By two young follows. Witness identiiied tlio five 'bodies he had seen an those of Greenwood; Williams, M'Lit-n, I' ullor, ajtio. Townsend. . , To Sergeant .Scott: He heard three explosions, following quinkly one alter Hie other. It would be i.bout fifteen .minutes from tho time of the explosion till the Tainui was finally abandoned. Ivone (if the crew, was , injured in tho exploTo Mr Buchanan: When ho first saw flie fire it was issuing from the lore hatch, and when they left the vessel tho flames were confined W the tore part o tho ship. The explosion hnd thrown oil »e foremost hatch cover. ' After othor uniinpoi tant oviduiico tlio inquest was adjourned sino die to Lyt v talton.

MEMBERS OF THE.CREW further' particulars. - By Telesraph-Preia Association. ' Christchurch, September 17. _ The members of the crew of the Tainni who perished, with particulars as far us they can be ascertained, are: linster: J. C. Cowan (Wangaiuu), marrieil, with four or five Children. • Mate: W.JI. Stevens (Wa-ngaum), mar. " Cliief Engineer: E. Greenwood (Wel"ifiremeir W. Towmiend (Wellington), married; A. Fuller (Wellington), m'ar"srarnon: C. Williams, D.S.JI. (Lyttelton),. single;. D. M'Lean (Wellington), believed married; J. Howard, aged da years (Lyttelton),- married. The cook, who is the only survivor, is AV. T. Farrand. Hu belongs to \UM"ivnui and is .a returned soldier. The ■ Tainni left Lyttelton last evening at 6.45 with a full cargo of benzine, transhipped from the schooner Caroline at Lyttelton. Prior to her departure aft inspection was made by. the assistant Government marine superintendent, Captain Wilcox, and everything then ■: waa reported as satisfactory. Ihe cargo n{ Wnzino is believed to be uninsured. Captain Cowan.tool: command of the Tainui three months ago Prior to tha ho had been master of the Storm ,ioi five or eta years, and in the employ of the Canterbury Steamship Company. Hβ was born in Glasgow 50 years ago. J. Haward, one of the seamen, only signed on the vessel on September 8 replacing F. Billington. who left oirtnak date Haward, howler, had. been on the vessel on a previous occasion. Gore Bay, which is six miles southwest of the Waiau River, is only a slight indentation in the ewet. The northern nart of the shore is a flat sandy beaU, & a mile and a half long, fronted by shallow water for about a cable length, when it suddenly deepens to 1J or too fathoms. With south-east winds the well breaks all over the.shoal ground, and in'gales it has b:en known to bieak in five fathoms.

NO MORE BODIES RECOVERED. By Telucrnnh.-HirM Asocial lon. Christchurch, September 17. Superintendent Dwyer has received the following telegram from Cheviot: Ihe bodies identified are Ablo Seamen Williams and M'Lean, Engineer Greenwood, Sen Townsend and Fuller. No otner bodies, have been recovered yet.