FEARFUL Shipping Disaster. Steamer Taiaroa Wrecked.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 150, 17 April 1886, Page 4

FEARFUL Shipping Disaster. Steamer Taiaroa Wrecked.

Wellington-, April 12. The steamer Taiaroa, bound from Wellington to Lyttelton, went ashore near the Clarence River ycsterd ly. The vessel is on her beam ends. Two passengei'3 have been washed a?horo. It is believed that the lives of all on board have been lost.

The Passengers. As far as is known, the following passengers were booked at Wellington :— Mrs Fitzgerald, Messrs Ward (Torpedo Instructor), Constable McQuanten, Sergt Grant, Mrs .Andereon, Messrs Anderson, Galbraitb, and R H. Vallanca.

The Officers. The follow ing is a list of the officers : — Cipt. Thomson : chief officer, Monkinan : purser, R. Sproner. S9veral officers mines not known. Captain Thomson was formerly master of the ss. Wakatipu, running between Wellington and Sydney. He belonged to Port Chalmers, where he was married about eighteen months ago to a daughter of Mr Watson, draper, of Lkmedin. Mr Spooner, the pimer, visited this port several times ■when he held a similar position on the s s Suva, running between this port and Fiji. He was a single man, and had friends at one of the Southern ports. Mr- Monknian, chief officer, was for some time second officer of the Wairarapa, and was personally very popular. The Tairoa left here at noon yesterday, and in the evening a terrific southerly gale came up.