South Canterbury Times, MONDAY MAY 2, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2531, 2 May 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, MONDAY MAY 2, 1881.

A number of years hare elapsed since an accident has occurred on the coast of New Zealand of so deplorable a character as that which has befallen the Tararua. The fate of the- Vessel, the loss of property, are of paltry significance. These have probably been well insured, and their loss will entail no suffering. But the wholesale destruction of human life is irreparable. The lives cut off suddenly, some in the pride of man and womanhood, others merely entering on the world’s stage, and a few of maturer years seeking, as the reward of years of toil and frugality, a brief respite abroad, cannot be replaced. Many of them were the more valuable because they were the lives of well' known and highly respected colonists. Not a few have been identified in more ways than one with the social political and industrial progress of this colony. As the result of years of diligence and exertion they had realised sufficient of the world’s inheritance to enable them to enjoy a holiday. Some contemplated a pleasure trip to the Australian colonies, others were destined for Europe. A few days ago they were shaking good-bye with their friends, taking their departure loaded with compliments and good wishes, their minds filled with visions of delightful excursions and happy reunions—weeks and months of continuous entertainment. But man proposes; God disposes. Where are now their hopes? The strong arm that wrestled with the world, the vigorous mind, the God-like

intellect—all have departed. Cold, pulseless, inanimate, tossed about, drifting in the surf to bo washed upon the beach or devoured perhaps by fishes ! The form that graced the ballroom, the features that shone like a lovely picture in the domestic circle, the tongue that revelled in debate, thevoice whose musical cadences spread pleasure everywhere—what is left of them ? The strong and the weak, the fair and fragile and the robust have met a common ‘ fate. The slaughter has been indiscriminate. Parent and child have perished together.

See beauty claiming sisterhood With the noisy reptile worm, Oh, where are all the graces fled That once arrayed her form ? No more shall courtiers feast on smiles, Nor wither at her frown, Her head shall rest more quiet now Than when it slept on down. The picture is a sad one, but sorrow is unavailing. A gap has been made in many a family circle which no ingenuity can close. Nearly a hundred colonists, have found a.watery grave on the very thrcshhold of their journey and in sfnll v-ieW‘off the land in which most .. of them , 'had' plodded and struggled bravely and successfully. All we can do is to make the the best' of a sad ca]amit} r . If by an means such, sights as men, women, and children clinging to the figging, in full view of the settlers ,on shore, their despairing shrieks mingling with the noise of the surf, growing fainter and more piteous as. darkness sets in and one by one they are washed away—if such sights can by any means be prevented it is surely desirable that their recurrence should be rendered impossible.

The cause of tbis deplorable casualty will no doubt be rigidly investigated, but tbe facts seem altogether too apparent. Several fine steamers belonging to the Union S. S. Company have been lost in an almost precisely similar manner. Fortunately these past losses have not been, attended, with the deplorable consequences of this latest disaster. The vessels have been well insured,and so long as there was no loss of life there has been little cause for regret. The Union Company, in this respect, have hitherto borne an excellent—almost irreproachable character. They have provided the very best and fastest of seaboats, the passenger accommodation —so far as the saloons are concerned—has been everything that could be desired, the steamers employed have generally been well manned and under trustworthy, careful and experienced commanders. In return for all this the companyTiave enjoyed an almost exclusive participation in the patronage of the State. They have the transit of the mails, civil servants, and members of Parliament all to themselves, and a very large ..share of the public'Vevenue of New Zealand annually finds its way to the pockets of the shareholders, ' some of the largest and more jn- - fluential of the latter being members', of Parliament, It may/be ikgcd that that this state of affairs has had nothing to do with the present disaster. We submit, however; that it signifies the growth of a monopoly, and monopolies of any kind are always prejudicial in a popular sense. Competition is the life of trade—it induces energy, care, business tact, and enterprise. Monopolies, on the other hand, beget a rash, autocratic, and indifferent spirit, under which time, caution, prudence', and genuine ' merit are sacrificed for the sake of sordid considerations.

We have no desire to say a word disrespectful of the dead or to unnecessarily augment the poignant sorrows of the living. This Tararua mishap is bound to be acutely felt by those interested in the company to which the vessel belonged. It will undoubtedly touch the directors in a sensitive part, for it will deter many from travelling at all, and it will induce those who are compelled to go abroad to prefer the road and rail to the risk of a costal trip by sea. It is impossible to peruse the evidence of the survivors without arriving at the conclusion that the accident was the result of inexperience and indiscretion combined. In the hackneyed language of nautical judges it arose from “ an error of judgment” on the part of the Tararua’s young, inexperienced, and unfortunate commander. Captain Garrard believed he had rounded the Otara Point before he had reached it. Although it was thick and hazy.and dark he changed the vessel’s course in the direction of the Bluff Harbor, as it turned out, prematurely. Instead' of acting on the safe side and giving the, coast a wide berth, he seems to have risked his own life and that of ali en board for the sake of an hour or two. In spite of the thick haze, no danger appears to have been apprehended ; none of the usual precautions seem to have been taken. No soundings were taken, the engines were kept at full speed, and so the Tararua rode on to destruction.’ Of course, under such circumstances, , there was a terrible crash, the machinery, gave way, the rudder was. unshipped, and the vessel speedily foundered. We will not linger on the terrible experiences of the unfortunates on board, the rude awakening from their morning slumbers, the rapid rush on deck, almost naked, as the steamer, filled and settled down, and the hours of pent-up agony that were spent as they clung to deck and rigging, looking to the shore and seawards, expecting every moment that a vessel might appear in view or the heavy sea die down, and imploring help in yain. This is all over; what we have to deal with is the cause of the disaster. Was it avoidable or unavoidable? If the former on whom must the blame chiefly rest ? To arrive at a fair solution it is desirable that we should ascertain how the Tararua was manned. It will be recollected that quite re-

cently, in consequence of the mysterious robbery of gold from the same steamer, the captain and officers were discharged. A few weeks ago this action of the directors of the Union Company was somewhat severely commented upon. They were taxed with having got rid of a careful, experienced navigator who bad served them long and faithfully, against whom there was not the slightest suspicion of dishonesty, simply because some ingots of gold had been stolen from the vessel. We certainly thought at the time that the directors’ ideas of justice wero-pe-culiarly autocratic, and that they were, sotting a very light value on faithful and capable officers. The unfortunate captain who has just gone down with his seamen and most of his passengers, was not, we believe, too accustomed to trips of the kind. No doubt he had the rashness and impulsiveness of youthon his side, and we are hot astonished to learn that he remained cool and collected, • and stood by bis vessel to the last,/' 'But we aye satisfied from, what has transpired that he lacked the experience and caution of £jie commander th'£t,he superseded. If he was placed in a false position the blame rests not; with the dead, but with those who prompted youth and inexperience to an unduly responsible post. No doubt after their present experiences the Directors of the Union S.S. Company will be enabled to perceive that the arbitrary changing about of captains is excessively dangerous, and that in navigating the New Zealand coast experience and caution are the very first requisites. But at what a cost to many a bereaved family, and to the colony as a whole, has this little bit of common-place wisdom been purchased?.