Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Dunstan Times, 6 May 1881, Page 2

WRECK AND TOTAL LOSS 07 THE S.S. TARAUUA. We tiike the following abridged report of this terrible catastrophe from the " Daily Times " of Monday:— The 8.8. Tararua left Port Chalmers on April 29 bound for Melbourne via the I luff. On Friday morning, as no intel licence reached town of the Tararua's arrival at Bluff Harbor, there was some slight anxiety displayed; but as the weather was thick and hazy along the co..st, it was supposed that she was a little behindhand. Unforuately, however, on Friday afternoon news reached Dunedin by telegram that the vessel hid gone on shore somewhere between Slope and Waipapa Points. The Hawea was at once got in readiness to proceed to the scene of thß disaster, and she was rictualled for four days for 200 persons. At 5 p.m. on April 29th, Captain Kennedy took bis departure from Port Chalmers having on board as passengers Mr James Mills, managing director of the Union Company, and others. She cleared the Heads at 5.45 p.m. on that day, and experienced thick hazy weather with fresh N.R. winds the coast. The engines were slowed down at 4 30 a.m. on the 30th, and as daylight set in about C 15a.m she went ahead again. About 0.40 a.m. a flash-light was seen inshore, to which, in reply, the Hawea burned a blue light, and bearing down towards the light she had seen, found the ketch Prince Kupert which had one of Tararua's life boats alongside, in change of the second officer with six men and Mr Wm Hill. The boat's crew were at once taken on board the Hawea and Bupplied with every necessary. For miles around the sea was covered with wreckage—mail - bags, cargo, cabin furniture, clothing of every description. The Hawea lowered her boats and sent them away, in order to recover tho mails and search for traces of bodies ; while Captain Cameron left the Bhip in tho Tararua's boat, and proceeded along the beach until he reached Boat Harbor, where he landed, in order to ascertain how persons had been saved, and to make a provision for their comfort. The boats of the Hawea were busily engaged in recovering mail-bags and other property, and while doing so they picked up the body of a female infant, apparently some 15 months old. The poor baby had received somo sovere arbrasions about tho head and face; after it was laid on the quarter deck tho chief steward called Mr Wm. Hill to see if ho could indentify it. No sooner was the infant uncovered than Mr flill recognised it as his own, and falling on the deck, clasped tho little creature to his arms. The poor man's agony wail so groat that he fainted