WRECK OF THE S.S. TARANAKI.

Dunstan Times, Issue 868, 6 December 1878, Page 2

WRECK OF THE S.S. TARANAKI.

—o—(Condensed from Dunedin Dailies ) The Taranaki was wrecked last Friday morning the 2ilth ultimo iua fog on Ksrewa a small island some five miles from the entrance to the harbor of Tauranga. The news was brought by a part of the crew. The following is a verbatim account of tho disaster as given by a fireman onboard:— “ lam a fireman on board the Taranaki. We left Auckland at 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon,' with about eighty passengers. Tho weather was thick, and at midnight the ship came to anchor somewhere near the Hole in the Wall. At about 4 am. the weather cleared, ami we proceeded ; but later it thickened again. I was on duty from 4 to 8 a.m., at which time I turned in. 1 hid been asleep about an hour and a half when 1 heard some one shout out “stop her,’’ then, “ full speed astern.” Almost immediately afterwards the steamer struck. There was no great shock. The engines were then turned on ahead for a minute or two. When I went on deck there seemed to ho no confusion, everyone keeping rpiiet, the passengers behaving well Captain Malcolm told us to lower the boats directly, and in a few minutes this was done, and we then proceeded to land the passengers on tho island. At 11 o’clock all the passengers were landed, and a portion of tho port watch under the mate despatched to Taurauga for assistance. The Taranaki lies on her hcam ends, only a small portion of her nose being out of water. The hatches arc, of course, battened down, and, being under the water, it will Vie impossible to save any portion of tbs cargo.” Further particulars state that during the night she broke in two, and all hope of saving the cargo lost, indeed most of it has been washed out.. A further telegram states that the mails have been save 1, also the bulk of the passengers’ luggage. The following are tho ascertained insurances New Zealand Company, L7sl> ; Union Company, 1.770 ; National Company, L 770 ; Col mial Company, 1.770 ; South British Company, L 2707 ; offl :*s in England LSOOO ; making a total of 1.10,000. The Union Steam Ship Company had underi writers to the extent of 1.7700, The vessel 1 was valued at LIG.OOO. The wreck has since been sold, and pur--1 chased by Mr Smith, draper, of Auckland, for the sum of L 33 10s.