WRECK OF THE TAIAROA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1492, 13 April 1886, Page 2

WRECK OF THE TAIAROA.

Blenheim, April 12. News has just arrived of the total wreck of the Taiaroa off Clarence, North Head, last night. All hands are reported perished, except two passengers washed ashore. The steamer is on her beam cMida There are no further particulars at present. Wellington, April 12, 10.52 a.m.

The Union Company’s Taiiroa, bound from Wellington to Lyttelton* went ashore near the Clarence River yesterday. She left at noon, and in the evening a terrible southerly gale came' up. The vessel is on her beam ends. Two pas* sengers are washed ashore, and it is be* liaved many lives have been lost. So far as is known, the following passengers booked from Wellington Mrs Fitt* gerald, Mr Ward (torpedo instructor), Constable McQuarten, Sergt. Grant, Messrs Anderson, Galbraith, and Val* lance. Mrs Fitzgerald is the wife of the editor of the Timaru Herald. Another passenger from Wellington is Mr Hawkins, bootmaker. Ihe officers were,* Capmin Thomson; chief officer Mr Monkraan; second officer, name not known ; purser, Mr R. Spooner. 11.47 a.m.

The Secretary tp the Telegraph Department has received telegrams from K-kerangu that the a.s. Taiarou went ashore at Trovo'o’s Gravelly Beach, and is free from the rocks. One of the Kekerange hands returning from Clarence reports that ho met a man on the beach parly this morning on the north bmk of the Clarence river, who said he was a passenger by the Taiaroa, which was ashore at a point about a mile north of the Clarence river. He went down at once to the wreck with the passenger, and on their way they met another passenger. They could see no one on board, and the passengers saved knew of no others. The hands have bam sent north and south to search for the bodies.

1.23 p. m. A lelegram lias just been received from Kokerangu as follows: One man has jnat been found near here,' Ho is still alive but 'cramped. Sergeant Grant is one of the passengers saved. Another telegram states that the second passenger, referred to in a previous telegram as saved, is Gilbert Hutton, a civil servant of Wellington. If requited there are twenty men available in the vicinity of the wreck. The Penguin left at noon for the scene of the wreck. Captain Bendall, Secretary to the Undewritais* Association, is a passenger. 1.30 p.m. The Captain of the Taiaroa is supposed to have got away seaward with a boat containing the women. The cipUio’s boat got adrift from the other three boats, which subsequently capsized. The boats were filled with passengers- and crew. Grant has been saved. He was one of the men of the Torpedo Corps, The s.s. Penguin loft at 1.30 for the scene of the wreck.

Dunedin, April 12, 11.22 a.m. The s.s Penguin has been ordered from Wellington and the Wanaka from Lyttelton, The Blenheim agent goes overland.

[The Clarence River empties itself icto tho sea about half-way between Cape Campbell and Kaikonra, on tho coast of the province of Marlborough, The place is just about half-way between Wellington and Lyttelton.]