THE ENQUIRY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 114, 8 November 1894, Page 2

THE ENQUIRY.

Auckland, November 7. The third officer said that the second officer, who relieved witness at midnight, remarked in the presence of the o&ptain that the vessel must be near the Hen and Chickens. The Captain replied " What nonsense. " Emily Dickenson, a passenger by the Wairarapa, said from what the saw of ths first officer he behaved very well. He only had his vest, shirt and cap on. He remained for some time at the foot of the fore rigging and whilst in this position he was getting ropes ready. She 6a w noth ing of the second officer. She was twelve hours in the rigging. She was the first to go across by the rope to the Bhore, but could not say whether the chief officer sup erintended operations to get the line B shore. | Pqnlop was unconcious for about two hours after he had endeavoured to rescue Sarah Williams. I Miss Annie Hauser, of Daylesford, Victoria, a steorago passenger, deposed , that she did not notice any attempt to muster tho steerage passengers. Mr Edward Ttickotfc, a survivor, says : I came on deck on Sunday morning and found wo were enveloped in a dense fog. We passed the Throe Kings about 8 a.m. Towards evening my raiud began to get uneasy, seeing that wo were travelling at such a great speed. I fully expocted the speed to bo reduced. The deep sea lead was got up, but was not used. I heard several passengers remarking 00. tho poop as to whether the captain would reduce the speed or not. A littlo before mid-night I had occasion to go on deck. I returned to my bunk, aud bad just settled down when I heard a terrible crash. I sprang out of my bunk, wljeu I heard someone remark *• g(h j has struok a rook." There was a general rush fqr the deck. When J arrived on elect several said the vessel was sinking. I thon went down to m.y bunk for a lifebelt, as I could not swim. Mr M. Vella a_skod mo if there was auy clangor, aud I told him ' Yes ; wo were upqn the roqk7 q,i>d he rushed for his wife. On going up tho ladder I found a woman trying to fasten a life-bolt on. She said, 'For Qod's sake tie this on for me.' I did so, ami hurried her on dock ; but on trying to fasten on my belt I found that it was useless, as there were no strings to fasten it with. I heard several of the passengers complainiug of tho same thing, A man passed mo in a sort of frenzy. He dropped his belt and went over the side, and I picked up tho belt and put it on. Those few moments I shall never forget. The crios of the women and children wero most heartrending. The men made gallhut efforts to save their wives and children. One man asked his wife to let go her baby to hold on while he rescued their two other children, but she would not. The next moment they Svore precipitated; ihto'tlio sea. To niako things w6r,se,,^ue terrjble dark^osi proycMtod, qqo tronj sqolt(g i\ yard ahftfuj. 1 mado for. th,c poop,. I found toyo m,eu trying tq lower th,e po,it charter boat, which, ats it was. hqug out, board, was evidently iutortdcel for n < soa boat, 1 "^boro. wqs a grqup of wom.ou crying 'Why doq't thoy lower tho boat '?' It had bpeu loworod quito two feet. A soamau anaweyed, *Wo aj?e waitjug for otto,' whjgii I fie vex )iW$- I W%iQ

to lower the boat, and was told by a man who was there (I think he was one of the crew) that if I did not stand back he would dump me overboard. The ship was settling fast down on her port side, and big seas were breaking over her, each canning some poor souls into the deep. I then cried out, ' Why don't yon lower the boat, and try and save some of these poor women ?' The next moment a tremendous sea swept the deck, carrying me and others with it. I soon found myself struggling amongst wreckage. The cries of people drowning near mo were awful. A woman caught me by the leg, crying « Help.* I seized an orange by with one hand and held her with the other for some time. A boat passed quite close to us. I called to it to save us, but they pulled away. Suddenly I was struck on the back with a horse, which knocked us both under, separating us, and I did not see the woman again. I found my strength failing fast, in consequenco of the huge waves and wreckage, as well as dead bodies, whicn were continually knocking me under. Fortunately, a boat passed by. I called out, 'Is that a boat ?' and someone said • Yes; where are yon ?' I then struggled in the direction of the sound, and was pulled into the boat thoroughl}' exhausted.