THE Marlborough Express SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1868. TOTAL WRECK OF THE SCREW STEAMER “TARANAKI.”

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 132, 22 August 1868, Page 2

THE Marlborough Express

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1868. TOTAL WRECK OF THE SCREW STEAMER “TARANAKI.”

“ Give me the liberty to know, to utter, ami to erguo freely according to conscience, above all other liberties.” —Mi/ton.

Our town was taken with, surprise and consternation on Thursday morning last, by the receipt of the intelligence that this fine vessel had been wrecked. Such scant particulars as were then at our command, sWe published in an Extra. We are now enabled by the courtesy of a distinguished passenger, to place before our readers the following account of the occurrence : “ The Taranaki left Wellington at 1 p.m. on Wednesday last, with passengers for Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Auckland. The number on board was very large—we have heard as many as 119—but, fortunately, there were few ladies among them. The day was beautifully calm, and the sea almost unruffled. At the entrance of Tory Channel the tide was setting strongly into the Sound, with a run like a mill-race. Capt. Francis, miscalculating the strength of the current, held a course too close to the Boat Harbour Rocks. The full force of the tide struck the vessel on the starboard bow, and she was swept towards the reef ; the engines were reversed, but to no purpose. The keel struck on rocks below water, and the engines were .. once more turned on at full speed; but a heavy bump snapped off the screw, and rendered all further efforts useless. The steamer, still striking heavily, was then drifted on by the tide alongside of a huge rock above water, against which she rolled and ground fearfully, being forced against it by the full strength of the current. Once more she was carried onward, and the grinding and bumping ceased. But the engineroom, and the centre compartment of the vessel, were fast filling from a huge leak on the larboard side, which it was found impossible to stop. The pump was set to work; but after half-a-dozen strokes the donkey-engine broke down, some of the

pipes having burst. Great difficulty was experienced in closing the door of communication between the centre and after compartments, which had been improperly left open, and even when closed there was considerable leakage. Meanwhile the steamer was drifting helplessly broadside on down the Sound : there was not the faintest breeze, or she might have been beached easily. Four small hand-pumps, each of which could only be worked by two men, were all that remained to be used in freeing the vessel. She struck at 4-40 p.m., when the passengers were at dinner. Of course there was a rush upon deck; but all behaved admirably, especially the ladies. The lowering of the boats now commenced; and simultaneously, a large whaleboat shot out from Okakuri. In the first boats, the ladies were sent ashore; and, after they had landed, the male passengers, as oppor tunity offered. But the steamer drifted fast down stream, and the parties of passenger's were landed a mile or so apart, with small chance of communication with each other. The last batch were set ashore about half-past five o’clock, near Bowden’s, which they speedily reached. Boats were forwarded at once to pick up all stray passengers on the beach, and Mr. Bowden’s hospitable house was speedily full, and its resources taxed to the utmost. When the ladies were reached, it was found that they had established themselves for the night, and preferred staying where they were, to encountering a cold row down the Sound. Blankets and provisions were supplied, and all was done for their comfort that was possible under the circumstances. Fortunately the night was fine; the rain not coming on until nine next morning. After all the passengers had left the vessel, the whaleboat started for Picton, in order to forward a telegram to Wellington for another steamer; the crew, with only five oars, and with His Honor Judge Ward, Mr. Nancarrow, and other two passengers, left the side of the Taranaki at a quarter past six, and arrived at Picton wharf by nine o’clock. The x'emainder of the boats endeavored to tow the sinking steamer ashore, but at the time the whaleboat left she was very much down by the stern, with 8 feet of water in the centre compartment, and the leaks gaining at the rate of an inch a minute. Still she floated until about 11 p.m; during which time she drifted, broadside on, until at length her bow rested on a reef, nearly opposite Mr. Bowden’s; from thence, the boats could not move hex-. Lower and lower she sank astern, until an last the wox-d was given by the captain to stand clear; then, just as the tow-ropes were cast off, the bow tilted up, glided off the reef with a loud grating noise, and the best boat of the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company sank stern foremost in twelve fathoms of watex*. On the next day, the Airedale steered right over where she lay, without touching her masts. Before she went down, the whole of the mail (with the exception of oxxe bag from Dunedin) had been saved, with a lai’ge proportion of passengers’ luggage. We regret to hear, however, that many of those on boax'd are heavy losers, and, of coui'se, ax*e uninsured. None of the cargo was saved; and probably none of the luggage would have been secured, had not cex'tain of the passengers (among whom were noticed the Bishop of Lichfield, Lord Burghley, Judge Ward, and the Hon, T. Ben wick) set to work to get the traps out of the hold themselves, until forbidden to do so by the Captain, who was probably apprehensive of a rusix to the boats with heavy loads. All arrived in perfect safety, no accidents to life or limb having happened. A telegram was forwarded from Picton to the Hon. the Postmaster-General at 9 p.‘m., and the Airedale arrived in the Sound eaxly next morxxing, collected all hands, crew, and passengers, and reached Picton about 11-30 a.m.”

Our own correspondent at Picton forwarded to us last evening an account which differs little from the succinct narrative given above. He says : —“ The arrival of the purser of the Taranaki in a whale-boat about 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday evening, accompanied by his Honor Judge Ward, Mr. James Williamson, of Auckland, and two others, with the intelligence that the vessel had got on the rocks at the entrance of the Sound, and was now drifting up—making water at an inch a minute —caused great excitement, and the news soon flew through the town.” After describing the accident, he continues—- “ Every exertion was made by the captain, officers, and crew to save the lives of the passengers, and the ship. The vessel was towed and drifted about three miles up the channel, and near shore, her bows touched the ground, she gave a lurch and went down stern-first. Messrs Philpotts, (har-

Hull, Pickering, Laeiy, and other's started for the scene of the disaster soon after the news arrived, but the vessel sunk before they reached the place ; but they we»fe enabled next morning to render good service in picking up passengers along the coast and placing them on board the Airedale on her arrival. Great kindness was extended to the unfortunate passengers at Messrs. Bowden Bros’., where a large number of the passengers had collected. Everything possessed by them was placed, at the disposal of their unexpected visitors in the spirit of true English hospitality, and nothing within their power left undone to secure their comfort. The largest part of the cargo was for Nelson and the Manakau, all of which, as well as much personal luggage, however, was lost. The* Airedale having arrived next morning, the passengers who were scattered in groups along the coast were picked up and carried to the steamer as she slowly steamed up the harbor. Among the passengers was the Bishop of Lichfield and New Zealand, who, we are informed, rendered able assistance in the boats, and in attending to the wellfare and comfort of the ladies to the best of his power. The Airedale left Picton the same evening with the passengers for Nelson and the North.”