EARLY WRECKS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 29, 27 February 1909, Page 6

EARLY WRECKS.

NEW ZEALAND COAST. MOKE REMINISCENCES. Mr Charles Jauon, of Wellington, writes to the Wellington Post as folJows :—" Amongst the many shipping disasters Which have occurred in New Zealand waters one of the most distressing was Unit which befel twelve of the passengers of the small ferry steamer Pride of tlii! Yarra, in Olago Harbour, in 1803. Jt was on the 3rd of July in that year that the ship Matoaka, 1002 tons, Stevens master, arrived at Port Chalmers from Loudon with 110 passengers, amongst whom were the Kcv. T. 11. Campbell who had been engaged as Principal for the Duncdin High School) and his wile aud family. Next morning Mr Campbell went to Duncdin to make urrangeuieuts for the housing of his family , and also fur the ferry boat to go alongside the ship and transfer his family into it. This done, the Pride of the Yarra took in some other vuyagers from the steamer William Miskiu, which had just arrived from lnvercargill and the BluU'; aud then, calling at Port Chalmers, made a start, at about 0.30 in the evening, for Duncdin. Jt was estimated there were about 40 to 50 passengers on the ferry boat. The night was dark and dull, with a still' breeze. The Campbell family sought shelter in the, cabin MoW. The paddle steamer Favorite, chiclly used as a tug, was then un the way down from Duncdin to Fort Chalmers, and, when off Blanket Bay headland, crashed into the Pride of the Yarra, with the result that the ' Pride' sank in a few minutes, and the Rev. Mr Campbell, his wife, and five young children (whose ages varied from one to live years), with two servants—Mary Roberts and Fanny Finch—we.it down with the boiit, and were all drowned. Three other jiasacngers shared the same fate, viz., Mrs Henderson, an engaging young person who liad only been lately married; Mr Charles Summcrville, a .settler of Wiingamii (father of Colonel Summcrville, now residing in that town) ; and a carpenter named William Hammond. All the passengers and crew who were on deck managed, though some with great difficulty, being up to their breasts or necks in water, to scramble on board the Favorite. With the aid of two divers the bodies were all recovered next day, Sunday, and a public funeral took place on Thursday following, the remains of the unfortunate people being interred in the Dunedin North cemetery." LOSS OF THE OTAGO.

Jlr T. E. Clougli, of Petone, lute of the Post and Telegraph Department, Brads the Mowing :—" The slfartn'uf which Jlr M'Jlonanven's children saw on 20th May, 1805, and was supposed to have foundered a few minutes afterwards was probably the s.s. Otago, whieli left Wellington between 4 and .'> in the afternoon. The city of Duuediu loft about U p.m., and 'never reached her destination. I was an x\.B. on the Otago, and just before sailing I was looking at the f'itv of Dimedin, and thought she was loaded deep for'Hokitika—via Nelson. The Otago was bound for Picton, Nelson, New Plymouth, and Onehirngu. Xo word of loss until our return to Nelson—n6 telegraph line North in those days."