FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE LOSS OF THE WAIRARAPA.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 109, 2 November 1894, Page 2

FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE LOSS OF THE WAIRARAPA.

FOUR CHHIKTUHUIICH PEOPLE AMONG THtf DROWNED. BUSINESS SUSPENDED IN DUNEDIN. (PKB PBK9B ASSOCIATION.J Auckland, November 1 Lucas, the second officer, says when the vessel struck at teu minutes past midnight there was a heavy sea running. The Captain was on the bridge. The passeugers behaved with great coolness. The boats on the port side were got out quick. The list of drowned is not yet obtainable, but to the list of saved acid —Mrs E. L. Bullock, Mrs Harris, Mrs Hanscn, Master A. Tarabokia, Fitt Sow Wai, J. Wright, Master West. Correction, read Wavish for Paris. LIST OF PERSONS DROWNEP. Following is list of passengers known to be drowned —Mrs Skews and three children, Mr and Mrs West and oue child, Mr and Mrs Hill, Mesdames Raynor and two infants, Waterhousc and child, Stewart, Mauden, Rhodes, Smith, Brown and two children, Ryan, Scoular, Smith, Fife, H. Hollis, Misses Sullivan, Williams (8), Barton, Dalton, Scoular, Rowbotcom, Bullock, Roid, H. Keau, Orkele, Flavall (a daughter of Mr F. Flavall, of Feilding), E. Buckletou, Glen, Knight, Revs. T. Doran, S. Raphin, Mclvor, Messrs Chad wick, McKinnon, Spencer, Warry, Bunting, Scoular, Miles, Smith, Cullingford, White, Chick, Bray, Hotcke, Deinckly, Whately, W. Dryborough, J. E. Bowler, J. Kelly. W. Caldwell, a steward in the saloon of the Wairarapa, states: I was in my bunk when the steamer struck. I rushed ou deck and remained there till the bridge gave way. After that I managed to get in the fore rigging and remained hangiug on it for ten hours. About twenty live others were also hanging on tho rigging. A line was cast ashore on the rocks. Haud-over-hand wo reached the rocks. Tho Captain, who was on the top deck of the steamer, jumped off; no more was seen of him. Just before, ho called out to four ladies on the bridge, one of whom had a child in her arms, ' For God's sake go to the fore riggiug." A large number of passengers remained below, and owing to tho water coming in so fast they perished. Sixteen horses were located behind the engine room ; they got adrift and killed a lot who "were struggling in the water. The scene was a terrible ono; I will never forget it. A woman and her husband were praying in a most piteous manner. Mr Henry Palmer, of Great Barrier, says: "When we got to Fitzroy at midday yesterday we found some passougers of the Wairarapa. Wo took aboard tho survivors and proceeded along the coast to search for the others, thence to tho wreck. We found the Wairarapa between tho copper mine and the Needles, and off Miner's Head. She was right under a precipitous cliff of rocks. The steamer had knocked a hole in the rocks when she first struck, and had then slid back. She had fortunately got into a little nook between the projecting points. Had she struck on either side it is almost certain that not a soul would have been saved. In this nook are a few ledges, 3ft or 4ft wide, and on these some people had scrambled and clung until rescued by boats. Ajbbvc the ledges the cliffs rise perpendicularly. It would have been impossible to climb to the top of these high cliffs, which continue along the coast about four miles on either side of the wreck. The chief engineer told mo it was awful to see tho futile struggles of people in the vrater, dashed backwards aid forward between the steamer and the rocks, and struggling vaiuly to get hold of the cliffs. The probability is that many were battered and killed against the cliffs." Those saved are all more or less knocked about. A number of suryivors are badly injured. After they arrived at Auckland, tho ambulance waggon was sent down and three men taken to the hospital. One fireman was badly hurt. A boat struck him on tho chest, and his injuries are so bad that it is doubtful if he will recover. Asked whether there was any chance of other survivors being found on tho Barrier, Mr Palmer said—" I Bent boats to make a careful search along the coast. Wo saw one dead body from the Argyle, when going into Whangapoua, and sent Maoris to pick it up. This is six or seven miles distant from tho wreck. It is possiblo, but not probablo, that other survivors may have gone along the coast from tho wreck and scrambled ashore. The Argylo steamed right round the Island and kept a careful lookout all tho way, but saw no shipwrecked people ashore. Additional saved passengers are: Miss M. Colo, Rev. T. J. Doran. The Union Company, Auckland, state that ono hundred and thirty four are drowned, but as all the ship's papers are lost in the list sent only those saved cau be accurately given. Tho local office of the Union Company has roceived many messages of sympathy from leading citizens at the loss of the Wairarapa. The Admiral in a message of sympathy offered to place H.M.S. Royalist at the services of tho Company. Mr J. C. White, who is mentioned as missing, is tho father of the Hon. Mr K. H. White, M.L.C., and Mrs Waterhouse is tho wife of a School Inspector in one of the country districts. Mrs Amelius Smith was not one of tho passengers of tho Wairarapa. The Hon. Mr Ward, as Minister of Marine, requests tho Governor to arrange for the despatch of H.M.S. Royalist frtini Auckland to search for bodies or for any survivors that may still be afloat. The Mayor started a relief fuud and suggested to the Premier, in reply to a telegram of sympathy, that tho best method of showing it was to give a substantial sum in aid of the relief fun.d. The Union Company have given an outfit to such of the passengers and crew as needed it, and tho southern passengers were sent south by the Tasmania this evening. The preliminary enquiry uummenccs to-morrow. Many conflicting accounts are given of tho conduct of the Captain, but facts will no doubt be elicited at the enquiry. Many gallant acts of heroism are recorded, and tho scones of the deaths of women and children are described as horrible and heart-rending. The wrecked steamer lies on a lodge of rock, partially wedged into tho rock of cliff with a groat deal of top hamper gone, including funnel, etc. It is stated if she should roll much she will slip off the ledge into forty fathoms of water. The passengers of the Wairarapa held a meeting at the Albert Hotel, and passed a resolution regretting that the discipliuo of the boats was not bettor, and orders given more promptly for lowering tho boats. It commended tho conduct of tho stewards, stewardess, and engineers. The chief engineer remained at his post till tho water got into tho engine room. He then got out by the skylight. ' CHfcisTcHuncir. November 1. Lord and Lady Glasgow in a luttor to tho Press express heartfelt sympathy for tho s.ad disaster. News of the wreck of tho Wairarapa caused a painful sensation iv Christ-

church aud Lyttelton to-day, and all the vows rcgardiug the disaster was eagerly awaited. Tho Cathedral bells to-night rang a muffled peal. It is believod that four of those drowned came from Christchurch. These were Miss Arklc, Mr Hill, of Wallace and Co., chemist, and his wife, and Miss Willis, formerly an assistant in the shop of the same firm. Dunedin, November 1. William Henry Judd, 50 years, was one of the oldest stewards on the Company's books. He had been on the Albion and Hero and served on the Rotomahana and Wairarapa. Allan J. McLean, steward, single 25 years, a native of Victoria. Richard Crowther, steward, 82 years, married. He resided in Auckland. Charlotte McDonald, stewardess, 34 years, widow, residing at Port Chalmers, with four children dependent on her. Annie McQuaid, stewardess, 27 years, ! single, daughter of a fruiterer at Dunedin. Lizzie Grindrod, stewardess, 84 years, unmarried, belonged to Melbourne. Hugh Monaghan, 41, single ; Harry Year, cook, joined tho steamer at Auckland; Patrick Burke, sailor, 41 years, married (Dtuiedin) ; Walter Simpson, sailor, 34 years, single ; John McLeod, 37 years, married (Dunediu) ; Edward Pratt, lamp trimmer, 26 years, single ; Jas. Cooper, trimmer, 34 years, single (Melbourne) ; E. Jones, 23, single, native of Otago; John McGee, trimmer, '88, single (Sydney) ; Cbas. Merrill, trimmer, 26, married, wifo lives at Melbourne; Chas. McDonald, saloon boy, and G. McDonald, deck boy, were brothers, whose parents reside at Dunedin. The widows of the married members of the crew, who belong to the Company's Friendly Society, will receive j£2o from the funds, and the next of kin of the single £10. When the news of the Wairarapa disaster became known in town business was almost completely suspended. The newspaper offices were rushed for news. In the Presbyterian Synod special prayers were said, and business was suspended to have the latest news read. Wellington, November 1. Of the passengers for Wellington by the Wairarapa, Miss Annette Paul, one of the saved, is the lady who endowed the Paulino Home, Cuba street, opened by the Wellington Salvationists a few days ago as a home for fallen women. A very sad case is that of Mrs Tuxwortli, who was coining from Sydney with her child. Her husband is a bricklayer, and lately came to Wellington from Sydney to prepare a home for her. Unfortunately there seems only too much reason to believe thoy are lost. Mr and Mrs Tuxworth had been married for only five years. Sydnbt, Novpmber 1. The news of tho loss of the Wairarapa caused a painful seusatiou in Sydney. The names of a number of steerage passengers aro unknown, as they had booked by the Rotomahana, but went instead by the ill-fated steamer. The names of the survivors arc anxiously awaited.