SHIPWRECK IN COOK STRAITS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1236, 6 September 1884, Page 2

SHIPWRECK IN COOK STRAITS.

EIGHTEEN LIVES LOST. (Btleibqbaph ) Wbluhoton, Sept. 5. The ketch Agnes brought nows this morning of the total wreck of an English ship in Cook Straits. Eighteen liras were loss, including the Oaptdn, his wife, and fire passingers. The ship was chartered by Messrs Shaw, Barilla and Go-, and was named the Lsstingham, her Captain’s name being Alexander Morrison. The following particulars hare been supplied by the Chief Officer:— The Lastingham sighted the coast of New Zealand about eight o'clock on Monday morning last, and in a little orer 12 hours afterwards was a total wreck. Heary weather prevailed, lasting until the Teasel was driven ashore by a gale of terrific force. Btin fell heavily fox some hours previous to tne accident, and the land was not visible f>r more than a mile, and at ten p.m. she went ashore and became a total wreck in less than two hours. The crew and passengers endeavored to save themselves in varioua waya, some of them plunging into the boiling sea and striking out for the shore. Others sprang from the vessel’s side on to the rooks in the vicinity, while others attempted to fl at »shoro on anything that would bear cnfif weight. Ar/out midnight a muster of the survivors wss made, when it was found that eighteen were mining, and no doubt drowi ed. The Captain and his wife and (he whole of the passengers (five in number) are arming the number lost, A miserah e rugh - was «pom by the survivors, and on Tu-s<! y iff a weic ra-de to find a habitation abmu ren--.untile ■ istsnee of the shore, run without eucoew, Each night the man huddled together under the rooks to keep themselves warm. On t hursday morn* ing they da-cried a small vessel passing. A pi-.-ce of blanket which had oomo ashore was fired to a pole, and nv>ved to and fro. The signal was observed, and boats being lowered, ten survivors were soon on board the ketch, which proved to be the Agr.es, from P-loroua rf.uud to Ksiapoi, with timber. Captain Jensen, tf the ketch, attended to the wants of the shipwrecked mariners, and then bore up ior Wellington, At the time of the rescue the men had almost given up hopes of being rescued, as on Tuesday and Wednesday no jess than five steamers were seen passing close to the laud, and though signals were male no one on board seems to hava noticed them. When they were taken on Iriard they were thoroughly exhausted. Tna chief officer is of opinion that had tony to stop anotner night on the coast, some of the party would have succumbed to piivations. The mines of those saved art John Heale (chief matt), John Barton (seooi d ai«te), Biddle (steward), Robertson (earns.-t-sr), «nd Groves, Ooubaire, Chambers, Munro, Domldeon, Chalmers, and Alvere? (atamen), with Thomas and Fryer (appren. licet). The whole of the passengers were drowned. There names are as follows: Messrs Meakin, Pnrsell, Naish. McGuire and

Divis. None of them were married men, t>nd it ia understood that they have never been in New Zealand before. The names of the officers and men drowned were— Alexander Morrison (m*»ter), Henry Qrovea (third officer), Peter Mo&uire (cook), John Murray (lailmsker) ; able seamen Barnard, Lambert, Grondon, Mathers and Watson, with Sharp sad Pearce, two of the complement of four boys which the ship earned, ihree of the men, Obaljnerp, W°°“ Alverez continued on their journey in tpp hope cf dwcovering inhabitant*, and were not seen afterwards by those cf tne survivore who are now In Wellington. It is diffionltto gay whether they will be found alive. The survivors (fourteen in number) endured great privations in the neighborhood of Jackson ■ Head, owing to thejr not having saved anything. The Captain endeavored to save thr. Jog book and ship’* papers, etc., buMsbp lost hi* life in attempting lo reach the shore with hia wife, it is not likely these articles will ever be recovered. Iheonly articles of food which come ashore were four pounds of tick’ed pork, and two packages of oatmeal and cornflour. They stopped hunger by gnawing raw meat and drinking an oatmeal mixture, fresh water being found close to the

wreck. This wai all they b.d moil rveuiM The men had to run up and down tuo be,.o;; to keep up circulation. Wednesday bci.ur line, fchoir clothe* wore laid out to dry, sod the survivor® obtained needed rest, having been without sleep for 36 hour*. Captain Morriion was shout 60 years of aee, and his wife usually accompanied him on all h : s voyages I struc iun» have been usued to send a sterner from PiCton to proceed to the s m n of he catastrophe, and institute a search for tore-.' of the survivors who were hunting for a habitation, and oonld not be found when the others were rescued. A subscription was started this morning in aid of the survivor*, and £36 was banded to the chief offi -er tprovids clothing for his shipmates. An en quiiy into the disaster is being held before the Collector of Customs. The Laslingham struck bnac side on and immediately broached to, when her side became exposed to the fury of the temfic •ea running, and everything was soon twep* over the side. It is understood that Captain Morrison, who commanded the L isungham, had retired from the sea some time back, but was mined by the failure of the Glasgow Bank and had to go to sea again, this being his second voyage. The vessel was owned by Oapfain Leslie, formerly commander of the Oamaru and May Queen. She ™ of U4S tons, and built in 1876 at West Hartlepool. She left London on May 26th.