WRECK OF A STEAMER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8510, 15 August 1907, Page 5

WRECK OF A STEAMER.

SEVEN lEERSONS DROWNED.

Reeemfcl.August 14, 4.24 p.m

! HOB ART, August 14,

The steamer Kawatiri was wrecked xrfi Macquarie Harbour on the same spot' where the Grafton was lost. Seven persons were drowned, including the stewardess, and it is believed that the otuer six were passengers.

Received/August 14, 5.10 p.m. :HOBART, August 14

The Kawatiri struck the breakwater at midnight while attempting to enter the Heads. The night was dark, and very stormy, with a high sea. The latest report states that five passengers, namely, Mrs Hooper and her two dslild-ren, and two other children, and also the stewardess (Mrs Hoddinofct)., .were drowned. The rest of the passengers and crew arrived safely at-Strahan.

FORTY PASSENGERS ABOARD

TWO WO MET? AND FOUR CHILDREN BROWNED.

SOAT SMASHED 'W PIECES

Received August la, 12.55 a.m HOBART, August 14,

WfeUe the Kawatiri, *>.n i'ouce from Hobart, was entering the Macquarie Heads, tthe tremendous ti.de Stunning, combin&d with a heavy westerly gale, carried the steamer on to the breakwater wall, the impact slaaking the vessel if rom stem to stern. The bou' was stove in, and -in a short time g.he fore part of the 'Vessel was fnic&i with water. After striking it appears that tke •vessel keele© tOvev, and she now Ji-css .on the norther end of the spit, emIbedded. The seas a«g breaking over her, aad only a portion cf the bridge and t : hs masts are abss/e the water. There were forty passengers absurd. Tfee list of the p&ssengers drowned is as ifollows: —Mr® Hooper and her two children, the stewardess (Miss Hogettj), and two eh'ildren in arms belonging to Mesdame® Grundy and Tennant respectively. Owing: to the heavy weatlier most of the litass of communication between thg Heads and Str&han are down, and only disjoined particulars have been received.

The steamers Kathleen andMahijjgpua went to th<s scene of the wreck. previous to their arrival a boat with twenty-twu. passengers aboard put oft from the wreefeed vessel. The great waves gashed some away, including the stewardess and a succeeding wave smashed the boat to pieces. The majority of those aboard succeeded in reaching the breakwater at noon to-day. Seventeen passengers ai'"e still aboard the Kawatiri.

The lifeboat, manned''by six men, after having been driven back many times, succeeded in bringing them off.

The ship's company and volunteers behaved splendidly. Apparently the majority of the passengers wcra in their bunks when the vessel struck.

Many were lightly clad, and suffered severely from exposure before they were rescued.