DISASTER AT SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1919, Page 4

DISASTER AT SEA.

LOSS OF THE TAINUI. BENZINE CARGO ON FIRE. EIGHT LIVES LOST, By Telegraph.—Press Association. , Christchureh, Yesterday. News has been received from Cheviot which states that the coastal steamer Tainui, 128 tons, which was loaded with a cargo of benzine yesterday at Lyttelten for Wanganui, was beached at two o'clock this morning at Gore Bay, off the Waiau River, on fire. The vessel was owned by the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, and carried a crew of nine. The master was J. C. Cowan, of Wanganui. A telegram has been received which states that the body of a man has been washed up on the Gore Bay beach. A later message Btates that the Tainui is a complete wreck. Eight.lire* haT* been lost, only one member of the having been saved. The names of the crew were as follow:' Master, J. C. Cowan; mate, W. H. Stevens (Wanganui); engineer, E. Freenwood (Wellington); firemen, A. Fuller, W. Townsend (Wellington); sailors, C. Williams, D. McLean, and J. Howard (Lyttelton); cook, W. Farrard (Wanganui). W. Farrand, the ship's cook, was the only one saved from the Tainui, five bodies have been washed ashore. ' —. i LIFE BOAT SWAMPED. * r IN THE HEAVY. SEA. SURVIVOR'S ACCOUNT. Christchureh, Last-Night,' ' A fuller statement by the survivor, named Farrand, shows that be was awak" ened at 2.30 a.b. by the sound of Jut explosion. He got out of bis bunl* and went forward to see what had haPDt&ttL He found all the forrard hatches thrown off and the whole of the forward part of the vessel on fire. He awakened all bands. The lifeboat was then launched, and all the members of the crew. With . the exception of the mate (Stevens) and Farrand hiniself, got into the boat There was a very heavy sea, and the lifebott drifted away from the vessel befoi* Stevens and Farrand could set into it+ A moment or two later the lifeboat WM swamped and all the occupants wars swept into the water. Farrand dived from the vessel, and a couple of montenta later was followed by Stevens. Those who had got into the lifeboat were hanging on to the capsised boat. The lifeboat was turning over and over in the heavy seas, and the first nan to let go and drift away was the engineer, and m soon expired. A seaman named Williams struck out front the lifeboat, and out to the others: "Come on boys, follow mep The captain immediately followed Williams, and then others struck out from tho_ lifeboat. Farrand and Stevens held on to the lifeboat, and the others gradually disappeared, Stevens *as washed off and aho disappeared. Famed held on with one hand, and was badly battered about his legs. Eventually, the boat, with Farrand hanging on to it, drifted on to the beach. He was in a semi-conscious condition, after having been battered about in the water for some three hours. He laid down on the beach for sever*! hours before ha was. found by two brothers named Winskill, from Gore Bay. Farrand said the men who were on the lifeboat hung on In the hope that they might be picked op by the Maori on her way to LytteltoiL i | . fERE STILL RAGING. CAPTAIN ALMOST ftßAfllTias SHORE. Christchureh, Last Night. he Tainui went ashore about four miles north of Gore Bay, the spot marked by clouds of black smoke. The fire is still raging, although the ship looks a mere skeleton of iron. The only survivor is the cook, William H. Farrand. He stated that an explosion occurred at 3 a.m. which blew out part of the front hatch. Captain Cowan was almost into thfli breakers before he became exhausted and let go. Three bodies are ashore north pC Gore Bay and two in Gore "Bay. The bodies will have to be brought over veiy broken country. C. Williams, one of the Tainui's seamen who lost his life, was an ex-naval man, who took part in the Zeebruggt and Ostend raids. A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION. BOAT'S TIMBERS SPLINTERED AND . TWISTED. I Christchureh, Last Night. The Tainui is lying broadside on thraff beach. She was devoured all day by th£" flames, while overhead dense imokft blackened the Bky. 7 The explosion must have been terrifid. for heavy timber and wreckage, splinterel and twisted, strews the shore. i Five bodies have been washed ashore. 1 Three have been identified aS Greenwood, } Townsend, and Fuller. There were no ) marks on the bodies to indicate that they { had been injured by the explosion, Cap 4 tain Cowan's body has not yet be«sa recovered. / The inquest opens at 1 p.m, to-mostow.