THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2251, 16 May 1881, Page 3

THE TARARUA DISASTER.

From the evidence given at the inquiry on Saturday by Mr Mills, the manager of the Union Company, it appears that the total known number of souls on board the Tararua when she struck was 161, made up as follows : 125 men, 12 women, and 14 ohildren. Twenty men were saved, whioh would make the loss by the wreck 131 lives. A telegram from Wyndham on Saturday says:—One body was reoovered yesterday afternoon having the name of "Bell" written upon the shirt. There is no news from the wreck Binoe early this morning. The diamond ring found upon one of the female bodies reoovered early in the week has been identified by a lady friend as having belonged to the late Mrs Campbell. An Invercargill telegram in the "Doily Times "of Saturday says :—" At a meeting of the Tararua relief committee to-night (Friday) accounts were made up, showing the liabilities to be upwards of £6O. It was resolved to ask the Union Steamship Company to state what amount they would contribute towards these. Messrs Kingsland and Bennie, who were at the scene of the wreck for eleven days, gave a narrative of their proceedings, in the course of which serious charges of indifference to the duties of humanity were made against Mr Stewart, the local manager for Messrs Oargills, Gibbs and Co., the agents for the company here. That gentleman was for some time at the scene of the wreck in the interests of the Union Company. The " Mataura Ensign" has the following : —"The privations of those who have been on the scene sinoe the wreck, police and others, seem to have been extreme. The Union Company sent a certain quantity of provisions to the spot for the survivors, but they were exhausted in two days, and since then all those who have been employed in the attempt to recover bodies, have been compelled to beg the means of subsistence from the surrounding settlers. Surely the police authorities should have at least kept their men, whose duties have been extremely arduous, supplied with the bare necessaries of life." The same paper mentions that Constables Hughes and Gallagher passed through Gore on their way back from the beach, and adds:—" These men appeared in rather a pitiable plight. Constable Hughes was wet to the skin, and, we believe, had been in a similar condition for about days, during whioh time he had not been undressed."

It has been suggested, in reference to the Tararua disaster (says the "Southland Times"), that a small quantity of oil thrown on the sea would have prevented the "break" which proved so fatal in preventing the rescue of those on board. It is alleged that the oil forms a film over the waves, and completely prevents their breaking, thus enabling boats to live in a sea or land in a surf that otherwise would prove instantly destructive. Attention has been recently directed to the matter in the London "Times." So simple and inexpensive a precaution is at least worth a trial by our coastal steamers.

THE ENQUIRY INTO THE WRECK. DUNEDIN, May 14. The enquiry was continued to day. Tho first witness was Antonio Michaeleff, the cook, who gave a statement of what took took place on board after the boats left. It was a little fuller than his statement previously published, but differed little in facts. William Hill, steerage passenger, who went in the second mate's boat to sea, said _: —The tecond mate said to me the first time we stood off from the ship, when we were about sixty yards off—" I think we had better stand cut in the offing for a time to save the boat." At that time we had just seen the first mate bse his boat in the surf. I said to him—- " Dear me, what then are our hopes." Referring to the ship, the second mate said to me —"We must trust in Providence. I have ro doubt we shall soon have help down either from the Bluff or Port Chalmers, and then if ▼e save this boat we shall have her to work vith." The second mate was quite cool. He said also that if the sea moderated we should have her to work with. After keeping on and off three times, a heavy sea set in. He then pulled into the offing, so as to clear the reefs. This witness added :—" In my opinion the first mate did not aot with judgment in going so near the breakers with his boat. I have had ten years' experience at sea. I have been in the P. and O. servioe and other services. It is fifteen years sinoe I left the sea. When I formed this opinion I was in the second mate's boat, between the ship and the shore. The ship was about a mile from the shore. The second mate's boat was about half-way between the ship and the shore, and the mate's boat was about thirty or forty yards from the shore. I saw the mate's boat among the

breakers, with the men in the boat. Without a doubt, to my mind, the mate backed his boat too close into the breakers. It was spoken of in our boat. I expressed my opinion to the same effect as I have now, but perhaps not so strongly. The second mate also expressed the opinion that the mate had gone too near. This opinion was expressed as the boat was turning over and over. I had asked the captain if he would allow me to go on the reef and try to effect a landing. I did not tell him I was a seaman. I can swim. He said, " Will you do so ?" I said I would, and I would hold up my hat if it was prudent. He replied, " Not only your hat, but your hands." We watched for a landing, and saw we oould not land. The second mate asked me if I would land, and I said "No." I asked the captain to send me in the second mate's boat, and arranged with him thet if I oould get a landing he should send the ladies first. Mr Smith, counsel for the first and sooond mates—l havo ono or two questions to ask. You say you noticed the capsizing of the first mate's boat ? Witness—l did. Mr Smith—Will you swear that the second mate spoke at that time ? Witness— Yes; as often as you wish, sir. Mr Smith—Can you say whether he had his face or his back to the boat ? Witness—l called his attention to the boat, and then he looked. Mr Smith—Why did you not tell us this before ? Witness -1 did, sir. I said that I sang out that she was in the breakers. Mr Smith—You have said it was a moment of great excitement. Witness—l have. Mr Smith—Why ? Witness—The loss of the boat was the cause of the excitement. Mr Smith—ln what sense do you use the word excitement—who was excited ? The witness hesitating. Mr Simpson explained to him that he should understand that what he had said had a serious bearing upon certain individuals, and he should be very careful to answer Mr Smith correctly. Mr Smith—Who displayed the excitement? Witness —I don't know. Perhaps I may take it to myself and say that it was I who was excited. I felt excited when I saw the boat capsizing. I don't know how the other people felt. Mr Smith—Now, can you take upon yourself to say positively that anyone spoke besides yourself ? Witness—l have told you that others spoke. Witness continued by the Court—ln my opinion a small steamer oould have lived between the ship and the shore up to two o'clock. That is so far as the state of the sea was concerned. I should have no doubt about a vessel drawing 6ft of water. I would not say she oould have lain there without risk. There would have been a great risk. By Mr Smith—l remember that when the second mate's boat oame from the reef after taking Maher off she was nearly capsized. If she had not righted before the next breaker, she would, in all probability, have capsized. 1 consider the second mate handled his boat particularly well under the circumstances. I know that although a boat may bo handled with the greatest skill she may be capsized. I have been in a worse sea in a boat than I was in that day. One occasion I remember was when I was in the North oE England, off Sunderland, when I was in a collier, Gustavo Tilton, George Bobbins, Thomas Davis, John Ohatterton, Henry Heeley, Jokel Nicholson, and Frank Bahl, were eaoh called and asked whether they had any statement whioh they wished to make, or anything special to speak of. They all replied in the negative, and were not sworn. Lewis Matheson, master of the schooner Pioneer, deposed—l was lying »ith my vesael at Fortrose Jetty at the time of the wreck. I heard about it at a quarter or twenty minutes past nine on Friday morning from Charles Gibb. Fortrose is between eight and nine miles from the scene of the wreok. When I heard the news I borrowed a horse and reached the beach about eleven o'clock. I saw the stsamer; Bhe was lying bow on to the beach. The sea seemed to break over the stern and sweep along the deok forward. A heavy ground swell was coming into the beach. From the beaoh we did not see the water breaking over her until about twelve. At that time a boat might have got near enough to the ship to embark passengers from the yard-arm. A small steamer could not have lain with safety nearer than three-quarters of a mile. The ship did not seem to be in danger. There was a light wind from tbe S.E. The swell was heavier than usual. It had been heavy oil the week. I don't think boats could have gone near enough to sling people after twelve. I question whether a boat oould have got within half-a-mile of her with safety after twelve o'clock. I don't think the southerly swell running would make such a difference to a steamer travelling ten knots an hour. I question whether the Eakanui could have done very much good if she had arrived before dark. I think a light on Waipapa or Slope Point would have saved the ship. Slope Point would be the best. I don't think a line could have been floated to the Tararua from another vessel. I have been eighteen years on the coast.

John Spence, surveyor, stated that the wreok was a distance of 38 ohains from the nearest part of the beach.

James Mills, managing director of the Union Steamship Company deposed—There has been no change in the equipment of the Tararua since the issue of the seagoing certificate produced, by the Marine Engineer in December, 1880. I produce a list of the orew as accurately as I oan, whioh gives the number of forty. There was one man shipped the day the vessel sailed ; his name is not known. I also produce a list of the passengers compiled from the ship's papers up to the time of arrival at Fort Chalmers, with the addition to those booked here ; also, an additional list made up from telegrams addressed to ourselves and in the newspapers. The total number of those in the first catalogue, viz., those who were on board the ship when she came into port were 63 men, 9 women, and 10 ohildren. There booked at Port Chalmers 23 men, 2 women and 4 ohildren, and the crew was made up of 39 men and 1 woman. This makes the total up to 151. Twenty were saved. The Tararua was equipped up to statutory requirements. I cannot say of my own knowledge whether she had life belts. She had six life buoys. Several of the steamers are provided with life belts. We took the Tararua about two years and four months ago. She was furnished with new engines and boilers, a new upper deck, and thoroughly overhauled in 1876. She was an exceptionally strong ship. Captain Garrard had been in our employment since 1876. He joined in May, 1876, as second officer of the Hawea. In July, 1877, he was first officer of the Wanaka. In September, 1878, he was master of the Ladybird; in June, 1879, master of the Albion; and in March, 1881, he joined the Tararua. He was our junior master in 1879, and I am not aware of any alteration having taken place. The company had a high opinion of his ability and attention to business. The chief mate held that position in Messrs MoMeckan, Blackwood and Co.'s employment previous to November, 1878, when he entered our servioe, in whioh he remained as chief mate. He had been in the Albion until March, 1881. Until recently Captain Garrard held a high opinion of the chief officerj but lately he had changed his opinion. On Mr Denniston proceeding to ask the witness if this had been brought before him officially, Mr Smith objected. Mr Simpson said he thought it would be better to admit the evidence, for the mate's sake, because it might explain the automaton character of the mate in this ship. He could not think of a first officer reduced to a mere automaton, as he was in this case. After argument the evidence was admitted by the Bench, and the Witness continued—l received a telegram from Captain Garrard as he was coming down the coast, asking for a change of chief officer on arrival at Fort Chalmers. When the ship arrived I had a conversation with Captain Garrard, the result of which was that it was agreed that if he wished it the change could be made at once, but as our spare chief officer was not on the spot, we preferred to postpone the change until Captain Garrard's return from Melbourne. He was satisfied with that arrangement. Apart from the merits of the case we would make the change at the request of a master. We would not have a master and mate on such terms. The Tararua was valued on her policy at £IB,OOO. She was insured for £14,000. I produce the ordinary instructions to officers. We do not keep an official record of the courses. I hand in a rough estimate of

the cargo. The first intimation we had of the mißhap to the Tararua was by a telegram from Wyndham, dated April 29th, entered there at 12.15, and placed in my hands about 12.45. The first intimation we had that the Tararua was in danger was when the second mato boarded the Hawoa, and told me that he was afraid Bhe had not lasted during the night. By Mr Smith—Personally I know nothing against the chief officer, Mr Lindsay. By Mr Denniston—l always understood that the standard compass of the Tararua was absolutely corrcot. By the Court—l had not the slightest idea of what steamer or Bteamers wore in Invercargill. From the reassuring nature of the telegrams, it never occurred to me to think of what vessels were thoro or were available.

By Captain Thomson—The Government send vessels very promptly to the assistance of any boats in trouble in the neighbourhood of Wellington. It never occurred to the company that it was the duty of the Government to do so. That did not prevent the oompany from sending assistance earlier. Nothing could have been done beyond what was done, even if the telegrams had been of an alarming character, as the Eakanui could not have left Invercargill until the tide served. I acted under the advice of our marine superintendent, who went with me in the Hawoa.

The other evidence taken up to the adjournment comprised that of captains who knew the coast, and spoke as to its dangers. _ Prior to the rising of the Court the question was raised whether, at the close of the evidence, the lawyers should be permitted to address the Court. A doubt was expressed on the point, as there was no charge to which they could address themselves. The Court agreed to consider whether it should, with a view of giving the lawyers the privilege asked, formulate a charge, or whether, as things now stand, the lawyers may make their speeches to urge the Court to restore the officers' certificates.

The inquiry was adjourned till Tuesday.