Wreck of the s.s. Koranui.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 281, 1 October 1889, Page 3

Wreck of the s.s. Koranui.

ALL HANDS SAVED. The steamer Koranui foiiildei'etl in the Frenteh £acs, A passenger states:— We left Nelson at 11p.m. I turned in at 2 a.m., and hearing a terrific cia.sh rushed oil deck, and heard tile fchitef mAte fihon^ ''We are on the ) eef fiiiri'eis. " All the passengers and crew were cal ! ed. We first fired guns and sent up several rockets '» he ladies were then put into a boat in charge of the first mate. The ladies behaved admirably. A heavy sea was running at the fcinie. The next boat was filled with men in charge of the second ma c, and tho third boat contained the remainder of the crew and the captain, who was the last to leave ihe ship. The boats moored astern, being connected with the steamer by ropes, and we could hear the steamer bumping against the rocks. We then s.iw her setdiogdown. and the pnfiiter Was cut. This was aliSnfc 2.80 a.m., and the boats headed for the French

Pass* At the same time ab ue light was buriit. "We kept pnil ng ti 1 4.80 a.m., when ths Eotorua was sighted, and about 5 o'clock we were taken ( n board her and brought to Nelson.

Captain Hill states lie left Nelson at 10 o'clock last night "with thick weather and drizzling. '< c slowed tie engines, occasionally stopping them, and a glimpse of the land was got now and then. The steamer was well off the land, and when he saw tho French Pass light ho was on the bridge, auc^&ltoed^^s course at a right angfe'f&rit. a'AI teii -beine on that course for a short time at about 2 am. tho steamer struck lightly on a rock, supposed to be the outer edge of the Beef Barrels. She commenced to make water, and he ordered the boats out. The passengers, crew and mails were put in. There was a fresh S. E. wind and a choppy sea. Knowing the Kotorua would be coining through the Pass, he determined to stay by the Ivoranui. With that view the boats were made fast under the lee stern . A f tei being there over an hour the vessel began to settle down, and the boats then pulled in the direction of the land, when the Eotorua passing picked up the boats. There is but little prospect of say ing the steamer. She now lies in about 10 fat oms of water, and her foremast is about 3ft out of water. It is the opinion of both Captain Hill and Captain Neville (of the JRotorua), from the position of the steamer, that her bottom must be extensively torn, and that any chance of saving her is hopeles *.

Tho mo t valuab'e part of tho Koranui cargo was a quantity of gold oonsigned to the Bank of New Zea land. There "were two parce s, one from Hokitilca and tho other from Greymonth, and they were valued at £21,000. Tho bullion is insured for the full amount' in the New Zealand Insurance Company's office, -who, how ever, have part of it reinsured. The gold is stored in the captain's cabin.

The Koranui is valued at £10,000, and is insured for £2000 in the Colonial office, the balance being underwritten by the Union Company.