Wreck of the Taiaroa

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 131, 15 April 1886, Page 2

Wreck of the Taiaroa

NARRATIVE OF A SURVIVOE. TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS AND DEATHS FROM EXPOSURE. ALL MIGHT HAVE SWAM ASHORE: LIST OF DROWNED AND OF SURVIVORS. 33 DROWNED AND 14 SAVED. [per tjxited press association.] Wellington, April 13. Very little additional information has been elicited, but it is known that there were five women on board the ill-fated vessel. These were Mrs Fitzgerald, Mrs Jessie Game, and Mrs Gibbs, saloon passengers from Wellington, a steerage passenger name unknown, and the stewardess (M. A. Browne). So far as can be ascertained those on board numbered 47, being 20 passengers, and 27 of the crew. The number saved was 14, thus leaving 33 drowned.

Passengers drowned : Mrs G. G. Fitzgerald, Mrs Jessie Game (or Fraser), Mr Ward (torpedo instructor), R. H. Vallance, Erskine Galbraith, George Hawkins, George Smith, J. Fergusson, Murray, John Harboard, E. Bray, Wigley (from Wellington), Alexander Martin (from Wellington).

Passengers saved : Sergeant Grant (A.0.), Constable McQuarters (Permanent Torpedo Corps), R. Henderson, J. Harper, Gilbert Hutton, Thomas Ollivier.

Crew drowned : R. M onkman (chief officer), J. Powell (second officer), T. Stratford (second engineer), R. Spooner (purser), F. Hill (lamptrimmer), J. Jones, R Williamson, E. McWilliam, P. Hansell, J. McGhee (able seamen), G. McDonough, R. Irvine (firemen), J. Hunter, R. Williamß (trimmers), T. Delaney, R. Batbgato (stewards), M. A. Browne (stewardess), G. Gallechin (chief cook), W. Kellin (second cook). Crew saved : George Thomson (captain), Sam Dalrymple (chief engineer), Feilder (chief steward), D. Campbell (second steward), "William Tain, or Came, (donkey-engine man), J. West (carpenter), J. Mackey (A.8.), William Quin (boy), Kekerangu, April 13. The inquest on the drowned bodies takes place here to-morrow, and preparations are being made to inter the dead in the little Kekerangu cemetery,

excepting the first mate, whose body | will be buried at Blenheim. Another i body has been indentified as that of Eobt. Morrison, fireman. It is feared that amonsr the drowned is Mrs Fitzgerald, wife of the editor of the Timaru t Herald. E. H. Vallance, the well- 1 known racing man, is also drowned, and his brother from Kangiora has been scouring the beach all day in hopes of finding the body, but without success. I

The following is the narratire of J. McQuarters, one of the saved: — I am a native of Manchester, 32 years of age, and came out to the colony as 2nd mate in the ship Warwick ttf Port Chalmers two years ago. I was a steerage passenger by the Taiaroa, and was lying in a bunk about 7.30, when I felt the ship strike on the ground. I rushed on deck and found everyone making for the saloon for life belts. The captain was on the bridge, and was cool and collected. Someone asked him where he was, and he said about five miles from Kaikoura. Great confusion took place on deck whilst the boats were swung down from the davits. I got into a boat on the starboard side, and in the same boat were four women, Ward, the Whitehead torpedo instructor, Grant, and also a speiler with curly hair, who greatly lamented having to leave his performing monkey. The women were all dressed, except the youngest, who is a Salvation Army lass, about 25 years of age, and who had nothing on but her chemise. All four wore life belts. It was quite light, and I could see the hills, but not the beach. A heavy sea capsized the boat after we were attached to the stern of the steamer with a line. The women kept up well for a long time, but one after the other threw up their hands and sank from exhaustion in the bitter cold. As I swam past them, one woman tried to clutch me, but I eluded her, and, together with twelve others, succeeded in getting into another boat, which was floating keel up. The boat righted itself notwithstanding the heavy sea, and we found all we had j was a broken oar. My companions ! seemed terribly depressed and exhausted, and when the boat turned over again five went under and never came up, thus leaving the second mate, five seamen, and myself. These five groaned fearfully, and laid in the bottom of the boat . one after another, gurgling in the throat and dying. The second mate was weak also, but helped me to throw the dead men overboard, as their bodies and upturned faces, washing from one side of the boat to the other, greatly distressed and obstructed us. The second mate said, just as the day was breaking "It's no good, I can't keep up any longer," and just as the boat grated on the boulders of the beach, and went ashore, he also died. I managed to crawl out of the boat and made my way up the sandy creek towards the hills, and was making for the light when the man met me and took me in his trap to Kekerangu station. I consider that the night was not too dark to prevent the captain seeing where he was, and I believe everybody might have been saved had they swam straight ashore. The captain and officers behaved coolly and well, and the steward served out lifebelts as quickly as possible. I really believe tht} captain thought he was heading direct for Kaikoura. Four women, consisting of two passengers and two stewardesses, all being elderly females, behaved splendidly and made no fuss. I believe all four were drowned close to the steamer itself.

The underwriters refuse to abandon the Ta'aroa. It is believed efforts will be made to get her off. There is but little movement of the steamer. At high water seas wash over the deck, but with little force.

The body found yesterday, at Flaxbourne, has been indentified as that of Robert Vallance. Coroner Allan arrived to hold an inquest on the chief officer to-day.