PROVINCIAL NEWS

Kumara Times, Issue 2949, 13 April 1886, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS

[UNITED PKF.KS ASSOCIATION.! WRECK OF UNION STEAMER TAIAROA. FURTHER PARTICULARS. Wellington, April 12. The Taiaroa left here at noon yesterday, and in the evening a terrific southel ly gale came up. The Secretary of the Telegraph De-

partment received telegrams from Kekeraiign that the Tairoa is ashore at Troloyes, on a gravelly beach free from rocks. One of the Kekerangu hands, returning from the Clarence, reports that he met a man on the beach enrlv this morning on the north bank of the Clarence River, who said he was a pas senger by the Taiaroa, which was ashore at a point about a mile north of the Clarence river. They went down at once to the wreck and on their way met another passenger. They could see no one on the beach, and the passengers saved knew of no others. The station hands have be.°n sent north and south to search for the bodies.

The captain of the Taiaroa is supposed to have got away to seaward with his boat containing the women. The captain's boat got adrift from the other three boats, which subsequently capsized. These boats were filled with passengers and crew. Giant, saved, was a member of the Torpedo Corps. Later. So far at least as known the following officers and crew were on board the steamer Taiaroa : Captain Thompson. Chief officer, Mr Monkman. Second mate, Mr Powell. Chief engineer, Mr Dairymple. Second engineer, George Stratford. Purser, Mr R. Spooner. Carpenter, Mr West.

A.Bs.—Messrs J. M'Kay (single), P. Hansen (single), P. M'Millan (single), D. Williams (single), J. M'Phee (married); lamp trimmer, Mr D. Hill (married) j firemen, Messrs P. Urwin (single), R. Morrison (single), George M'Donough (single), J. Kane (married), There were also a hoy, one fireman, an A. 8., and two or three stewards, whose names uro not ascertainable at present. A Dnnediu telegram states :—" So far as can be ascertained the following men in the Taiaroa are married men, and have families here:—John M'Phee, W. Hill (lamp trimmer), W. Cain (donkey driver), Morrin (fireman), Fulder (chief steward)." Passengers: Saloon—MrsFUzGeiald, Measvs Ward, J. Harper, Galbraith. R. H. Vallance, and G. H. Hawkins! Steerage—Sergeant Grant, A.C., Constable M'Quarten and Mrs Anderson. Through passenger Jas. Fergusson, from Taranaki to Timara. From Nelson—Mr Murray of Auckland, and two men who bo >ked on board named Smith and Harboaid.

A telegram just received from Kekerangn is as follows: "One man just found near here is still alive, but cramped. Sergfc. Grant is one of the passengers saved." Another telegram states that the second passenger reforied to in previous telegram as saved is Gilbert Hutton, civil servant, of Wellington. If required there are twenty men available in the vicinity of the wreck. The Penguin left at noon for the scene of the wreck. Capt. Bendall Secretary of the Underwriters Association, is a passenger.

Mrs Fitz Gerald, who was on the Taiaroa, was wife of the editor of the Timaru Herald. Another passenger from Wellington is Mr Hawkins, bootmaker.

The Captain of the Taiaroa, with a boat containing ten men, including three passengers, has arrived at the Wairau bar. Those in the boat are— Passengers : Thomas Oliver, Robert Henderson. James Hooper, (of Christchurch). Crew ; Samuel Dalrymple, engineer; W. Quinn, boy; W. Tain, fireman ; James Web'>, carpenter; John Mackay, A. 8.; Duncan Campbell, steward ; Joseph Fielder, chief steward ; George Thompson, captain. Blenheim, April 12. 7.16 p.m. Traps bringing the occupants of the captain's boat arrived in town at 5.30. The captain was interviewed by reporters, but beyond giving the following particulars declined to say anything about the disaster. After leaving Wellington the Taiaroa

had a strong N. W. wind to Cape Camphell. At three o'clock the wind chopped round suddenly and blew hard from the S. E. with thick rainy weather and heavy fog. The vessel steered the usual coarse clown, The boats got away without difficulty, and every person was off the ship when the captain got into his bout. There was a heavy swell on the beach and the weather experienced on the journey down to Wairan Bay was very cold and rough. A preliminary inquiry wiil be held by the Collector of Cu-t<>ms at 7 30 at which it is doubtful whether re porters will be admitted. There were only three females on board.

Wellington, April 12. The Taiaroa was valued at £15,000; thfinsurances on the .steamer are not known here, but the company are

understood to have a very large risk themselves. She was an iron steamer of 438 tons gross and 250 tons net tegister, and was fitted with engines of 500 horae.power indicated.

The explain, crew, and passengers saved, will to-morrow. A telegram fom Kaikoura states that Mr Runner, of the Kaikmira Star, met Mr M'Donald, late manager of the reserve run, ahom H , n il«s from Kaikoura, who.had visited the scene of the wreck. M'Donald slates the vessel was wrecked between seven and eight last night, half a mile north of The mouth of the Clarence River. An was made to get a line ashore, which failed. All had cork jackets on. They then took to the boats of which there were four. On starring, jone boat capsized; Hutton reached the second boat, which also capsized a minute later. The third boat, with the captain in charge, broke adrift and went seaward. Nothing could be learnt of the fourth boat.

Hutton struck ont for the beach and was a good deal knocked about. He walked about all night and reached Woodbank station at six this morning. Mr Trolove and his men immediately proceeded to the scene, and on the way met Sergt. Grant, of the A.O. force. A search was made all along the beach, and at nine o'clock three bodies of males were found, one engineer and two seamen, the furthest off beinw three miles north of the wreck.

The vessel is lying with her starboard side to the beach, but with a slight list to the port. The sea is hreaking over her, but not heavily. The beach is all boulders and a heavy sea running up the coast. Search parties are proceeding north along the beach. The survivors are in such a weak state that they could communicate very little to W Donald. Mr Trolove did everything possible for the sufferers. Blenheim, April ]2. A preliminary inquiry is now being held by the Customs into the wreck of the Taiaroa. Captain Thompson states he knew nothing till the vessel was on the beach ; he had been on the watch half an hour before the occurrence, aud was in his cabin when the mate called " Land in sight !" When the captain's gig was Mown away, the other three l>oats were apparently in safe water to seaward of the steamer, and were in charge of the first mate, the second mate, «nd an experienced seaman. Everything was done orderly, and the passengers and crew were perfectly cool and collected. There were only three women on hoard. Captain Thompson can only account for the accident through the compass being operated upon by strong magnetic influence and a more than usual current with flood tide from the south-east, as he steered the usual course.

A special correspondent of the Marlborough Expvess reports as follows from Kekerangu. The Taiaroa at low water at four o'clock this afternoon is within ten yards of land. She seems to he lying steadily with small seas breaking over, and leaning to seaward in seven feet of wale:- by the hows. Three men swam ou hoard, this morning and rescued a monkey and cat. They obtained dry clothes in the fore, castle and made two warps fast from the mast head to the beach. The vessel seems to have her bo! torn stove in, but no holes are visible. Grant and [futton were found ashore alive near •he wreck at six this morning and both passengers are getting on well. The bodies of one officer and two seamen were found. There is oue boat smashed on the beach near the wreck and another hanging by a line from the sterm, bottom upwards. Four miips north of Kekerangn, a boat was washed np with one dead body in wearing officer's uniform. It is that "f a rather stout man of fair complexion, wears moustache, and appears to be about thirty years of aqe. It is supposed to be Mr Stratford, the third engineer. Another body was found in the same place this evening, and appears to be that of a passenger weiring a brown tweed suit, about 35 years of nge; wears moustache, is of middle height and stout build. A pissenger was also found just alive and brought here in a. dray, lie is recovering fast but is still asleep and unable to give details. A receipt for a registered letter found in the pocket hears the name of McQuarten. We had men searching along the beach north and south for 15 miles each way all day, and will resume to-morrow. Hutton Bays the steamer struck three times on the open higbnuidered beach, no rocks being nea"r, at 7.30 p.m. The passengers ai d crew were all ordered into boats, four in number, which were fastened to the stem and remained thnie until (we've, when the b-.at.s were unset. The s-i is g'ing dnwii now. A steamnr pi-- ~| hen- going south, and sighted the wreck about 5 a.m.

A later telegram states that three more bodies of seaman have been found between Kekerangn and Flaxboume. A PERILOUS JOURNEY. DUNEDIN, April 7. Mr Dewar, the Postmaster of Queenstown, who left theve on March 6th for Martin's Bay, returned this afternoon, along with the principal members of the party sent in search of him. He explains that he and his companion the shepherd, Donald Keith, were detained owing to bad weather and the flooded state of the creeks. On reaching Pyke's Creek, Keith declined to cross, because there was no ground game and his gun had previously burst. He counselled that they should take to the range-, which they accordingly did. While in the ranges Keith took ill, losing his sight and speech, togethev with the use of his limbs. Dewar had to carry him on his back for a distance of two miles from the ranges, and hunt after the dogs in order to get " tucker" for both. From March 17th till they were found by one of the search party, their stock of provisions was limited to a little salt and pepper and the food the ( dogs furnished. Dewar managed to provide game until the last two days, when he came down off the hills and took up a position on the track, so that no person couVl pass without, him or the dogs seeing them. Constable Young, from Queenstown, found, them on the 2nd April, and brought them meal, tea and sugar, which were the means of saving Keith's life. Two of the search party were left, with Keith, who cannot bo removed for two or three weeks, when they expect he will be in a condition to be moved in very easy stages to Martin's Bay, which is about twenty-one miles distant from their camp. J