LOSS OF THE TAINUI.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1919, Page 5

LOSS OF THE TAINUI.

LIST OF VICTIMS.■ DETAILS OP THE VESSEL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Cliristcliurcli, Last Night. The members of the crew of the Tainui who perished, with particulars, as far as can be ascertained, are:—Master, >T. C. Cowan, Wanganui, married, with four or live children; mate, W. H. 'Stevens, Wanganui, married; chief engineer, E. Greenwood, Wellington, widower. Firemen: W. Townsend, Wellington, married; A. Fuller, Wellington, married. Seamen: C. Williams, D.S.M., Lyttelton, single; D. McLean, Wellington, believed to be married; .T. 31. A. Ward, aged 35 years, Lyttelton, married. The cook, who is the only survivor, is W. T. I'arrand. He belongs to Wang anui and is a returned soldier. The Tainui left Lyttelton on Monday evening, with a full cargo of benzine transhipped from the schooner Caroline at Lyttelton. Prior to her departure an inspection was made by the assistant Government marino superintendent, Captain Wiecon, and everything then was reported as satisfactory. The Tainui was built at Auckland in 1902 by J. Logan for Mr. A. W. Ogle, of Waitara, who after using the vessel in the Wellington-Waitara trade, sold her last year to the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, her present owners, who had been employing her on the coastal trade between Lyttelton, Wellington, and Wanganui, and also as a 'freighter for frozen meat to the Home steamers between the port of Wanganui and the roadstead. Tlio Tainui was insured for £4OOO with the South British Company, but the cargo of benzine is believed to be uninsured. Captain Cowan took command of the Tainui three months ago. Prior to that he had been master of the Storm for five or six years, and in the employ of the Canterbury Steamship Company. He was born at Glasgow 50 years ago. .T. Howard, one of the seamen, only signed on the vessel on September 8, replacing •T. Billington. who left on that date. Howard, however, had been on the vessel on a previous occasion.

Gore Bay is six miles south-west of the Waiau river. There is only a slight indentation in the coast. The northern part of the shore is a flat, sandy beach, about one mile and a half long,' fronted by shallow water for about one cable. when it suddenly deepens to 1% or 2 fathoms. With south-east winds the swell breaks all over the shoal ground, and in gales it has been known to break in five fathoms. THE INQUEST. HOW THE MEN MET THEIR DEATHS. SURVIVOR'S TERRIBLE STORY. Christehurch, Last Night. At Cheviot to-day Mr. S. E. McCarthy, coroner, opened an inquest on the bodies of five of the victims of the Tainui disaster—D. McLean, seaman; C. Williams; Wm. Greenwood, engineer; W. Townsend, fireman; E. Fullen, fireman. Mr. G. H. Buchanan watched the proceedings on behalf of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company. William Henry Farrand, ship's cook, the sole survivor, said that Stevens, Howard, and Townsend were on the 12 to 4 watch. An explosion occurred at 2.30 a.m. The fire was noticed forward, but there was no lire aft. Witness roused the crew, and Howard remained at the wheel till the captain ordered iiim to leave. The lifeboat was lowered, but swamped. The captain and three others got in, and witness went and got two buckets to bail her out. McLean started calling, but the boat capsized. The remainder of the crew righted the boar. Witness went to the saloon, got a tin of biscuits, and threw if into the boat, which again turned over, and broke away. The mate and witness clung on. Williams, Fullen, and the captain left the boat and tried to swim, ashore. They were about four miles from land at the time of the explosion. Six of them clung to the boat for two hours, the captain and his two companions swimming abreast tho lifeboat. Captain Cowan cried out: "Cook, can't you come and help me?" and witness cried back: "We are stuck ourselves!" He did not hear again from the captain or Williams Greenwood became exhausted first, and said: "We will all have to die. I am dying." Witness replied: "Don't talk silly. We will get ashore in about ten minutes." Greenwood slipped off the boat, floated near the boat for ten minutes, and was then lost sight of. The next one to go was Jack Howard AH went well with the remainder till they reached the breakers. Townsend was lying across the keel. McLean was at one end, and witness and the mate were on either side. A big roller came and washed •McLean and Townsend off, and he did not see them again. Roller after roller swept over the boat, and subsequently he noticed that the mate had gone. When he came to the undertow he left the boat and walked ashore, where he remained till he was found. After hearing further evidence, the inquest was adjourned sine die to Lyttelton. SOME BODIES-RECOVERED. Christehurch, Last Night. Supt. Dwyer has received the following telegram from Cheviot: "The bodies identified are able seamen Williams and McLean, engineer Greenwood, firemen Townsenil and Fuller. No other bodies ■have been recovered yet. The Tainui was a wooden steamer, built in l!) 03 at Auckland by Mr. J. Logan for Mr. A. N. Oale, of Waitara, She was 92.3 ft. long, lfi.2ft. beam, and B.7ft. deep. Her owners are the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., which has owned the vessel for about three years.