Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Dunstan Times, 6 May 1881, Page 3

away, and was conveyed to the fore-cabin, j where he received every attention. We know of nothing so fatal since the loss of H.M.B Orpheus, on the Manukau bar, on February 7th, 1863, when 190 souls perished, and all the ship’s company. The Tararua was in splendid order, and it was recently that sfie had undergone a moat comprehensive overhaul both of hull and machinery. She was well fitted and sound and earned five first-class boats, which would have been sufficient, had proper care been exercised, to have saved every soul on board. Captain Garrard, her commander, was, although young, a most experienced officer, and a strict man to boot. He was mate of the Taupo when she was wrecked near Tauranga, and had also commanded the s.s. Albion. Mr Lindsay, the chief mate, is an old and well-known servant of the Company ; while the second mate, Mr Maloney, is a trustworthy officer. The engineers, all of whom were lost, were all old, capable servants in the employ, and the ship altogether was well officered and manned. To an error of judgment, therefore, on the part of Captain Garrard (who, however, died as a British seaman should, at his post) must be ascribed the loss of the ship, passengers, and crew ; for it is most evident, from all we hear, that had he kept out a little longer he must have been clear of the dangers which threatened him. Various statements are afloat as to the confusion which ensued after the Tararua struck, but be these as , they may, it is most evident that Captain Garrard succeeded in restoring order and confidence. After the vessel struck, a boat was first got out on the starboard side, and while she was being lowered away from the davits a sea struck her and stove her in. Luckily, the men got back to the ship. After a little delay, Captain Garrard succeeded in getting a boat out on the port side and getting her round to the starboard side. The boat left the ship in charge of Mr Maloney, the second officer, and, in addition to his crew, he took two men who were swimmers, in order that the news might be conveyed on shore and assistance procured. On nearing the shore, the engineers’ storekeeper jumped overboard and made for the reef, which he gained with great difficulty, and after sustaining severe bruises of the arms, ribs, and head. It then became evident that nothing could be done in the way of landing there, land as a man had already reached the shore and communicated with the B-ittles, Mr Maloney returned to the ship, and again left her with six of the passengers. all of whom stated they could swim, or otherwise they could not have been permitted by Captain Garrard to leave the vessel. On nearing the reef again these men sprang overboard, and three of them succeeded in getting ashore. The others perished. James Maher then swam back to the boat, and was taken on board in a state of great exhaustion, and Mr Maloney proceeded again towards the ship, which, however, it was impossible to get to in consequence of the heavy seas that were sweeping over her. He therefore deemed it advisable to put out seaward, in order to procure assistance from any passing vessel, and we may reasonably suppose that the illfated Tararua broke up about 4 o’clock on Saturday morning, April 30th. At about that time her light was last seen by Mr Maloney, and the tide being high, it is presumed she then went to pieces. On their getting alongside the Prince Rupert, Captain Hanning did all in his power to make the people comfortable, and kept on hoard until the Hawea hove in sight and relieved him of his charge. The place where the Tararua went on ashore was on the Waipapa Point, a reef a little below the Otara reef, ami close to a boat harbor. When Captain Garrard found that the ship was breaking up amidships he had the females and children conveyed from the smoking room to forecastle-head, in the hope that he might eventually ba able to get relief for them. The tide at the time was rapidly going out, and we presume he thought he would then be able to effect a landing. Men, women, and children were all huddled together on the forecastle, and Dr Campbell, one of the chief-cabin passengers, was attending to one of the stewards, who bad broken his leg, and to Mr Sutherland, the engineer, who had met with a similar accident, when a sudden sea struck her,and forced the passengers on to the rail, which broke through the pressure, carrying some 17 persons overboard, amongst them Dr Campbell and his patients. After this we know but little of what occurred. The last we hear of her was about 25 minutes to 3 o’clock on Saturday morning, when shrinks reached the shore, and several of the passengers assure ns that they distinctly heard the words, “ Oh God, bring a boat >” It was impossible to help them, and the vessel went to pieces. Twelve of the crew have been saved and eight of the steerage passengers. Passengers and crew on board at the time of the sad disaster, there were so far as is known 117 persons, though it is thought there were more, as a number went on hoard at Port Chalmers without booking. Of these only twelve seamen, including the fust and second mates and eight of the steerage passengers, have been saved, and up to the latest advice onlv six bodies have been recovered, including one young woman tMiss Kelly), a young girl (Hill), ahoy (a yon of Or Campbell, who together with his wife and live others of the family, were drowned), and three men—Joseph Wallace Bailey, George Gordon, and Downes. Mr M'Cullough, Coroner, Invercargill, held an inquest on the bodies washed ashore ; and Mr \V. L. Simpson, it is understood, will hold an enquiry into the wreck. Upon the Tararua stiking the majority of the female passengers rushed on deck in their night-dresses ; this will account for the nude condition in which the body of the unfortunate young woman was found on the beach off Waipapa. The Tararua was valued at L 19,000, and we understand is insured for L 15.000.

The man who was never undersoled probably wore his hoofs barefooted all his life. The impecunious man who married an heiress always spoke of her as a capital wife. An exchange has an article on “ Smoking ministers.” Most of them are dry enough to smoke. Mr. Long E. Pistle died in Missouri the other day. He should be forwarded to the dead letter office. The blind man should be the must contented man in the world, because he can get everything he sees. It’s a long lane that never has a turn, but the average paper collar generally comes to it by Wednesday. When a tramp desires a glass of water now, he steps .up to the front door, rings the bell gently, and politely asks for a Dr Tanner breakfast. An amateur punster informs us that some houses have wings, and he has often see a house fly. We thought no part of * house sav> the chimney flue,