NARRATIVE OF SURVIVORS

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

NARRATIVE OF SURVIVORS

Mr Hutton's account is following : — The Tararoa struck between 7 and 8 p.m. on Sunday. An attempt was made to get a line ashore. The boat I waa in capsized, and I was picked up by tho boat Grant was in, and it was also capsized. All tho passengers and crew had cork jackets on, and we could never have landed without this a&sistance. Sergeant Grant's account is as follow? : Four boats started from the ship I was in the starboard life boat, which was swamped. About 2 o'clock the captain's boat broke adrift and went out to sea. Of the four life-boats three wore capsized. Tho veesol is lying about half-a mile north of Waipapa Point. Her bow is about fifty yards from the above, and her side nearly parallel with the beach. Sho i« over a little to the partfide. Tho waves are striking her with great force, but are not washing over the bridge and poop. To all appearances no damage seems to bo done. The females are said to be in a boat at sea.

The Locality of tlie Wreck. Katkour v, this day.— Tho wreck is thirty miles north of hero No particulars are ; obtainable. Kekeranga being the nearest station to the s-cene of the disaster. " Brett's New Zealand and South Pacific Pilot " gives the following description of tho coast line which the Tuiaroa was skirting when the disaster described in our telegrams occurred: — "The coast from Cape Campbell to Kaikoura Peninsula trends from Cape Campboll S.S.W., and is rocky for tho first nine miles to the small river Waiharakaka, at the ontrance of which is Flaxburn (see plan). ('There is j temporary anchorage within a line of the reets north and south of the river entrance in rive to six fathoms, in moderate weatho, and off-shore winds ; and a snug little boat harbour at the mouth of the creek, very convenient for shipping cargo,' — ' Wellington Almanac. ) ('The beacons in line, \V. by N. I W., lead to Weld'? Anchorage in S to 10 fathoms, four cables off the reef at; the entrance to river.' — Admiralty Chart.) The coi^t southward of Waiharakaka is sand and shingle beaches, with rocky points, for •22 miles to Wnipapa Point ; the Benmore Mountain, 4 3GO feet high, and tho lofty Kaikoura Mountains southard, give the neighbouring coast a bold and rugged appearance. Immediately south of Wai papa Point, which is low and projecting, is Waiautoa or Chrence River. Nearly three mile 3 j-outh of CHrenco River is a boat harbour ; two white streaks in the wooded cliff point out the landing place. Kaikoura Peninsula, a hummocky tongue of land 330 feet high, projecting two miles at i-ight angles from tho coast, is 20 miles southward of Waipapa Point. It formes Ingles Bay on the north, Gooch Bay on the south, and affords shelter to coasters from northejsterly and south-easterly gales. Kaikoura township is situated on the shores of Ingles Biy, Provisions of all kinds are easily procured, water is plentiful." The course from Wellington to Lyttelton is usually consideied one of the safest on coast. The neighbourhood of the Kaikouras would, however, be a dangerous lee shore during a south east gale, with heary sea.

The Taiaroa, The Taiaroa wa3 an iron vessel of 43S tons gross and 22S tons nett register, built at Glasgow by Messrs Inglis in 1875, shortly after which date she arrived in the South She wa- one of the smallest vessels of the Union Company's coastal fleet, hor dimension? being -.—Length, lS9ft ; beam, 23ft; depth of hold, 12ft. Her engines were equal to 500 I H.P. She was intended both for the cargo carrying and passenger trade on the West Coast, and was well fitted out in every respect. In 1877 the Taiaroa was subsidised to run the Sydney and New Caladonian Mai], but she was withdrawn shortly afterwards 'upon the Union Company having sold the "contract to the A.S.N. Company. In IS7S she was placed on the "West Coast trade between Onehunga and Southern ports, and changed masters on various occasions. More recently she run between this port and Fiji in charge of Captain McGillivray, having replaced the Southern Cro^s. She in turn gave wav to the Arawata, which still run 3 the Fiji trade. Latterly the Taiaroa has been employed on the special Dunedin and Ne^on service, making regular trips between Dunedin, Timaru, Akaroa, Lyttelton, Wellington, and Nelson, and it was whilst carrying out this programme that she met with the serious disaster which we have now to record.

Further List of Passengers Names. Wellington, April 12 The following are additional names of passengers of the Taiaroa : - Jamea Ferguson, lately on a station at Taranaki, and who was going toTimarutovisithisbrother ; Smith and Harboid, two ' magsmen,' 1 who had been attending the recent race meeting.

Names of the Saved. Those in the boat at Wairau Bar are as follows : — Passengers : Thomas Oliver, Robert Henderson, and John Harper, of Christchurch. Crew : Saml. Dalrymple, engineer ; W. Quin, boy ; W. Tain, fire] man ; Jas. Webb, carpenter ; Jas. Mackay, A.B. ; Duncan Campbell, steward ; Joseph Fielder, chief steward ; and George Thomson, captain.