THE LATE HURRICANE AT TAHITI.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8122, 20 April 1906, Page 7

THE LATE HURRICANE AT TAHITI.

THREE VESSELS LOST. CREW'S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. News received by the TavianJ, from Tahiti, last week, is to the effect that the reoent hurricane was not so destructive as was at first reported. The cotter Temaheni capsized on February 7tb, about twelve miles from Bora Bora. One woman was drowned, and the rest of those on board, numbering seven, drifted about for three days on a raft without food or water, and finally landed at Raiatea, in a very exhausted condition. The outter Temariaroha arrived at Papeete on March 4th, bringing further tidings of the destruction caused by the late hurricane in the Paumotu Group. Takapoto did not suffer badly, but Takaroa lias been completely cleaned out. The British Consul at Papeete chartered the sohooner Oroix du Sud, to convey water and provisions to the distressed people at Takaroa. Tne sohooner Manuera, which was placed on the missing list, reached Papeete on March 10. On February Bth she was ten miles from Takaroa, during the hurrioane. She lost all her sails, but came through safely. )r- The sohooner Tamaru arrived at Papeete from Flint Island on March 15th. The island suffered very severely from the hurrioane, some fifty tons of copra being washed away. N

On March 19th the cutter Rereamana arrived at Papeete from the Archipelago, and reported that a boat from the missing schooner Eomeno had been oast np on the island of Rangiora. The boat was washed up a week after the hurricane, and had in it an axe, a hat, and a ooil of rope. This is regarded as a oertainty that the vessel has been lost with all on board. SCHOONER TAHITIEENE'S PATE. The schooner Tahiteene foundered between the islands of Motutuga and Tahanai, on February Bth. On February 7th she met the hurricane at three o'clock in the afternoon, Great seas swept over the vessel, and the oil bags were brought into requisition bafc without avail. One huge sea broka on board, sweeping the mate and everything movable on the decks overboard. Finally the schooner listed to one side and < was driven before the storm at a great rate. One sea broke on board, dashing the cook to the deck and killing him instantly. Almost at the same time the steward dropped dead on the deck. All this time, from the commencement of the hurricane, Captain George Dexter, the master of the vessel, remained at the wheel, doing everything that was possible to save his vessel and the live 9 of those on board. Suddenly a big sea smashed on to the sohooner, and ripped her in halves, with the result that all on board were swept into the sea. Several of the native crew managed to get hold of a part of the deokhouse, on which they floated for five days, being washed off rainy times. At length, tired and exhausted, they dropped off one by one, and were at once eaten by the sharks. MEN EATEN BY SHARKS. On the third day those remaining on the deckhouse sighted one of their own boats, which by almost a miracle had escaped from tne fury of the hurricane. Captain Dexter attempted to swim to the boat, but before he got half over the distance he suddenly disappeared, having no doubt been seized by the sharks, which were swarming in the vicinity. The last the two men on the raft saw of him was a wave from one of his hands, as of in "goodbye." Two days later the raft with the two men on it was thrown upon the uninhabited island of Tahanea, the men being almost dead from the effects of hunger and thirst. Ihey were followed by a shoal of sharks. They remained on the island until taken on board the soboner Papeete, and conveyed to Tahiti. The raft on whioh the men had taken refuge drifted forty miles in five days. The drowned were:-George Dexter, master; R. Chaves, mate; G. Bennett, steward; and three natives, all of Tahiti, and J. Banks, cook, of New Zealand. '

The Norwegian barque Anfcarea called in at Raiatea, after having a very rough time of it. When off Makatea she had nine sails carried away, and everything movable on her decks were carried away by the terrifio seas which swept over the vessel.