(BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ANOTHER VERSION OF MCQUARTER'S STORY. Heartrending Scenes

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 150, 17 April 1886, Page 5

(BY TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ANOTHER VERSION OF MCQUARTER'S STORY. Heartrending Scenes

A Press Association telegram from Kokcrangu gives the following is the statement of the Jrfuvivor MoQuarter :- 1 am a native of Manchester and 32 years of age, and came out to the colony as second mate of the ship Warwick to Port Chalmers two years ago. Was a steeiage passenger by the Taiaioi, and was lying in my bunk about halfpast seven, when I felt the ship strike on the ground. I rushed out on deck, and found everyone making for the saloon for lifebelts. The captain was on the bridge, and was cool and collected. Some one asked him where he was, and he said about live miles from Kaikoura. (treat confusion took place on deck whilst the boats swung down from the davits, X got into a boat on the starboard side, and in the same boat were- four women, Ward (the Whitehead Torpedo Instructor), Grant, and al«o a " speeler " with curly hair, who greatly lamented having to leave his performing monkey. The women -were all dressed except the youngest, who wa3 a Salvation Army lass, about 22 t >, who had nothing on but her chemise. All four wore life-belts. It was quite light, and we could see hills, but not the beach A heavy sea capsized the boat after we were attached to the stern of the steamer with lines. The women kept up well for a long time, but ono after the other threw up their hands and sunk from exhaustion in the bitter cold. As 1 swam past

One Woman Attempted to Clutch Me. but I eluded her, and together with 12 others, I succeeded in getting on 10 another boat which was floating bottom up. The boat righted itself notwithstanding the heavy sea, and I found all we had was one broken oar. My companions seemed terribly depressed and evhausted, and when the boat turned over again five went under and never came up, leaving the second mate, five seamen, and myself. These five groaned fearfully and lay in the bottom of the boat, one after another gurgling in his throat and dying. The second mate was very weak also, but helped me to throw the dead men overboard. Their bodies and upturned faces, washing from one side of the boat to the other, greatly distressed and obstructed us. The second mate said, just as day was breaking, "It's no good; I can't keep up any longer," and by the time the boat grated on the boulders of the beach and went ashore, be also was dead. I managed to crawl out of the boat and up the sandy creek toward the hills, and was making for a light when a man met me and took me in a trap to Kekerangu station. I consider ihe night was not too dark to prevent the captain seeing where he was, and I believe everybody might have been saved, had they swam straight ashoro. The captain and officers behaved coolly and well, and the steward served out the lifebelts as quickly as possible. I really believe the captain thought he was heading direct to Kaikoura There were four women, consisting of two pa&sengers and two stewardesses, all being elderJy females. All behaved splendidly and made no fuss. I believe all four were drowned close to the steamer itself.''

Thirty Tlirec Lives Lost. The Waihi, with the captain and those saved in his boat from the wreck of the Taiaroa, arrived here this evening from Blenhime. Very little additional information has been elicited, but it is known that there were five women on board the illfated vessel. These were : Mrs Fitzgerald, Mrs Jessie Game, Mrs Gibbp, saloon passengers from Wellington, a steerage passen ger (name unknown), and ihe stewardess, M. A. Browne. So far as can be aacer tamed those on board numbered 47, being 20 passengers and 27 of the crew. The number saved was ]4, thus leaving 33 drowned.

The Steamer to be Sold. The steamer Taiajoa will be sold by auction at Wellington on Thursday next. The underwriters refuse to accept the abandonment of the Taiaroa. It is believed that efforts will be made to get her off. There is but littls movement of the steamer. At high water the eeas wash over the deck, but with little force.

Various ItemsAmong the various passengers was a gentleman named Murray, about 55 years, who was on his way from Nelson to Lyttelton to meet his brother, Mr W. S. Murray, who is not long out from home, and is a resident of Dunedin. Mr W. S. Murray reached Kekeiangu this morning, the Wakatu having landed him at the wreck laßt night, None of the bodies answer the description of the brother. Only one mail bag has been recovered by Mr Silvius, Kekeranga postmaster ; but a search for the remainder has proved fruitless up to the present time. Among relics of the wreck lying at the Clarence River is a green box, which contained the performing race-course monkey. The box has "J. Harbourd " printed upon it. The monkey and the cat are at Woodbank Statson. No further identification has taken place at present. The body, supposed to be that of Morrison, a fireman, is that of a much older man. No money or valuables were found on board the wreck except the Captain's gold ring, which was in possession of Mr Liggins, purser. The latter's books were found in splendid order, but it is supposed that he had a large sum ot money npon him when he was drowned. His body is not recovered. The ninth body, found yesterday at Flaxbourne, has not yet been bronght up here, and it ia not yet known whether it is that of a seaman or passenger.

It has been ascertained that the total number on board the Taiaroa was fortyeight, of whom fourteen were saved. Besides the nine bodies found, 25 bodies are unaccounted for at present. The Waikato with the steward to identify the bodies at the inquest is expected here to-night or to-morrow morning. The body of the chief mate is to be removed to B.en heim after the inquest The others will be buried here.