LATER PARTICULARS.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 36, 6 September 1884, Page 2

LATER PARTICULARS.

The chief officer, Mr Neale, supplies the following particulars : -The Lastingham sighted the coast of New Zealand about eight o'clock on Monday morning last, and in a little orer 12 hours after* wards was a total wreck almost on the spot were the steamer Rangitoto was lost. Heavy weather prevailed at the time, and continued. When the Teasel was driven ashore a gale of terrific force .was blowing. Bain fell for some hours previous to the accident, and the land was not risible for more than a mile ahead. Great efforts were made bj the officers and crew to prevent the vessel from running ashore. At 10~p.ni. she went ashore and became a total wreck in less than two hours. The crew and passengers endeavoured to save themselves in various ways, some of them plunging into the boiling sea and striking ont for the shore. Others sprang from the vessel's side on to the rocks in the yieinitj. while others attempted to float ashore on anything that would bear their weight. The scene was one of indiscribable confusion : the wind howling, the rain falling, people rushing abo»t shouting and screaming, and the sea breaking over the vessel's side. About midnight a muster of the survivors was made, when it was ascertained that 18 were missing, and no doubt drowned. The captain and his wife, and the whole of the passengers (five) were among the number A miserable night was spent, and on Tuesday efforts were made to find a habitation within rearonable distance of the shore, but. without success. Three of the men, Chalmers, Wood and Alvarey, continued on the. journey in hopes of discovering inhabitants, and were not seen afterwards by those of the survivors who are nor in Wellington. It is difficult to say whether they will be found alive. The survivors fourteen in number, endured great privations while in the neighbourhood of Jackson's Head, owing to their not hav. ing saved anything. The men had to run up and down the beach to keep up the circulation. Wednesday was fine, and' the survivors obtained the needed rest having been without, sleep for 86 hours. i Each night the men huddled together under the rocks to keep themselves warnv and on Thursday morning discovered a small vessel passing. A piece of blanket which had come ashore was fixed to a pole and moved to and fro. 'The- signal was observed, and a boat being lowered the survivors were soon on board the ketch, which proved to be the Agnes, from Pelorus Sound to Kaiapoi, with timber. Captain Jensen of the ketch attended to +he wants of the shipwrecked manners, and then bore for Wellington. Insurances on the merchandise, per Laslingham : — New Zealand. £590 ; Colonial, £2800 ; South British, £4571 ; National, £6900 ; Standard, £385 ; Victoria, £1700; Universal Marine, 1*475.