LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 757, 2 May 1881, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

THE TARARUA CATASTROPHE. ■ ■ ' ♦_— ' LATEST PARTICULARS.. ■'. •♦ ■ •'' •; .(From Our Own Correspondent.) ■ -» -''••WELLINGTON.. This day, The details of the Tararua Catastrophe fills columns of the morning papers, and the worst fears are realised as to the de> plorableloss of life. Out of 140 souls, scarcely a score were saved, and of these no women or children.

The narrativo of tho survivors point to the cause of the accident a? dearly an error of judgment in the course of the vessel. The first mate says the night was hazy until he left the deck on his watch being relieved. The captain and second mate then came on deck, and the captain altered the course of the vessel from W.S.W, to West. The second mate says that the captain went aft to look at the standard compass to verify the correction of tho course, and then he (being at the wheel) found the vessel suddenly in broken water, and before the captain could get back to the bridge she bumped, striking aft, and breaking her rudder and steering gear.' Another bump made a hole in her, and the engines were found to be useless. In ten minutes all below was afloat. The crew behaved well, and obeyed the captain's orders in getting out' the boats; but one of the latter was stove in at the davits, and one ™ only launched with great difficulty Eventually a second was got away, the captain instructing the crews of both to find safe landing places. This they failed in doing. One boat capsized, and some were drowned, in the meantime those on board apparently wero not anticipating danger, as Captain Garrard instructed the cook to serve out hot coffee and provisions, and get more ready for use on shore. The end, however, was fast approaching. Wreckage strewed the waters. The poor souls saw no help coming from the shore, and those on shore saw no means of helping them, The sea, at this time, rose, breaking in angry curlers over the vessel. Captain Garrard got the women and children on to the forecastle, and the men and crew betook themselves to the rigging, But first one and then another dropped overboard, and, as nijht closed on the scene, shrieks for help and mercy were heard. For a time, matches were burnt by those in the rigging as a token, perhaps, that they still were there, and hoped for sueoour. Once a ringing cheer was heard as the lights of the steamer Kakanui showed up, and hope arose that help was at hand, but the steamer darod not approach near the wreck. By and by, those ashore heard a dreadful crash of rending timbers, the doath shriek of strong men in their agony, and then all was over. When daylight came nothing was seen of the vessel but her spars and the floating fragments washing in the surf, amongst which havo come ashore a few naked and bruised corpses. TheHawea has picked up the major portion of the mail bags. The survivors of the disaster arePassengers: G. L. Lawrence, J. Chatterton, George Eobins, J. Tittler, John Williams, Henry Daly (or Dalby), and Thomas levies.. . Crew: Robert Lindsay, Chief Officer, John .Wilson, Chief Cook, and Frank Robey, Thomas Dixon, Frank Denny, seamen.

In the second mate's boat :.Malony, officer in charge, James Maher, James Burnett, four sailors (name unknown), and Wm.' Hill, a steerage passenger, whose wife and child were drowned,

Among those lost were Captain Garrard who was. making his last trip, previous to being married to a Melbourne lady; Downes, of Wellington, implicated in the' the recent stamp robbery, and his' wife; Eva, brother of Eya, teieeraphist, and nephew of Oliver,, Minister of Public Works; the Rev Mr Waterhouse, for many years in charge of. the Wesleyan mission at Fiji; the Rev J. B.' Richardson, President of the Wesleyan Conference, and the Rev J. Armitage, Secretary to tfie Conference and editor of the Wesleyan Magazine. Strangely ■' -enough the Reverend Wiilliams and the Reverend Lee delayed their departure for the Te Anaii, and the Rev Bavin : went by the iWakatipu/via Sydney, all dreading.the trip by the '■; : •..'"■ i, :

.THE LOSS OF THE TARARUA. , . —-7* No BVENi.withih the last decade is mora calculated to send a thrill of horror ■..■.. ;, » through the length and breadth of the Colony than the disastrous fate of the Tarawa. Year by year the skill and provision of man reduces the risk of loss .of f life to those that tiavel on the deep, bat still every now and again the sea 'olaims its victims, and when the; rficord;of,a.dißaster like the present one comes home to us we can only accept the irretrievable calamity- with silent 'awe—the' heartfelt Byrnpathy with the friends and relatives of those who have:passed awayi.so.sud. denly needs no expression ;.it is revealed on the faces of one and all as they read or hear the terrible recital, : '; : '''

The Tararua struck on the OtaraVeef, about miles from there; at s,on;Friday< morning, it is supposed owing to the Tho captain and chief, mate are to have been below at the time when the* vessel struck.' The engineer r reVerae the engines, and broke his leg, ,The women rushed on deck in their- nightdresses, and the heavy sea soon washed most of them off. . Three boats were got • out. One was swamped, onegotaway seaward, and one came ashore, landing five or six men. The'stea'mer parted . amidships, and numbers perished, Several are still clinging to the wreck. A man with a child in his arms, is lashed in the rigging. A number of Bettlers are on the beach anxious to render assistance,' and many are turning heartsick at seeing fellow creatures perish before their eyes, and being unable to help them. The total number ashore is twelve men so far. It is supposed that all the women and children have perished, .■■■.. \< : The beach is Btrewn with wreck and cargo. Several photoß have been picked up. Only one body had been washed ashore last night. It is said the cries were heartrending when'the people on the wreck saw those on shore leaving at dark. The point where the Tararua is on the rock is a few miles north of Toitoiy the entrance to she Mataura River, a dangerous reef running out some distance from the shore, The steamers Comerang and Easby each struck on it some years ago, but got off. The barque William Ackers was wrecked there about four years ago. The first news received by the Union Company was from the Bluff, at 10.30. It was expressing surprise that she had' not arrived there. Then at 12.'30 a telegram was received from , Wynham, signed by • one of her Bailors,, giving the bare. information :—" Tararua ashore at Otarau" Point. Passengers safe. Assistance wanted." Mr Janies Mills at once telegraphed to the Wynham operator whether, judging from what he heard from the ' sailor, the Hawea wsuld be' sufficient,' The operator replied that he thought so, upon whioh the Hawea was sent down as stated, This is the whole of the news procurable; The point is far from any setilement, on a part of the coast line, and is heavily bushed. Wyndham, where the nearest telegraph office is, is a long way inland, The colonial offices principally interested in the insurance are the National, Colonial, New South WalesA Marine, and United Companies. The\ bulk is in the Colonial, which office, however, is pretty well re-insured,

A sailor swam to the shore with the news. The steamer is insured for £14,000 -£9OOO in London with £SOOO in Colonial office,

The following is a complete list of the passengers as the Union Company are able to supply :-From Dunedin in Mel-bourne-Saloon : Mr W. 0. Ramsay-Mr J, 0. Eva; Bleerage : T. Rae, George Grey, James Young, P.' Anderson, W. Dobson, J. Dobson, J. Bainbridge, Harry A. Cook, 0. Shrev, M. Dowdell, H. M. G. Ankaew, John Barry, Robert Wright, George Robins, George Martin .Anderson, Robert Brown. From 'Dunedin to Hobart-Steerage: Mr and Mrs.Byrant, From Dunedin to Bluff—Saloon : Mr Bailey. From Sydney to Bluff—Saloon : Mr &, Rodgers, From Auckland 'to Hobart-Steerage; Mary Kelly.. From Auckland to Melbourne—Saloon . Mr Wm. Bell; steerage: Mrs Deraz, Misses Ohitterton and Stnah. From Taurangn for Hoqar't-Saloon . Mrs Brennar and three children. Fiom Napier to MelbourneSteerage :Mr J. Daly. ; From Wellington to the Bluff-Steerage: Mr Penman. From Wellington to Melbourne-Saloon: Mr 0, Burgettj Mr S. T. B. Marsh, Mr and Mrs E. W. M. Downes; Bteerace; Mr Tholin, Mr T, O'Sullivan, Mr Williamß, Mr Ohas. Holt, Mr T. Davis. From Lyttelton to the Bluff-Steerage; Mr Lawrence, Mr Sharp; Mr Boyle. From Lyttelton to Melbourne—Rev J, Waterhouse, Rev J. B. Riohardson, Rev Mr Mitchell, Rev J. Armitage, Mr E. Connell, Dr Campbell, wife, and fivo children, and female servant, Mrs W, B. Jones, Mr John Gordon, Mr J.. Waterhouse, Mr Charles Goiigh, Mr Crawford, Mr Gillinghara; Steerage: Mr and Mrs Hill and child, Mr J, Wallace, Mr W. Young, Mr B. Hanson, Mr JJScown, Mr T. Jones, Mr W. White, Mr D.Davis, Mr Carl Colborg, Mr Neil Gough, Mr W. Green, Mr W. Bassett, Mr J. Aahworth; Officers and others; Master, T. J. Garrard ; chief officer, L. Lindsay; second officer, Maloney j chief engineer, A, Munro; second do, A.Livingstone; third do, A, Sutherland;'purser, W. B. Jones j carpenter, J. Morrison; chief steward, C. Allen; stewardess, Miss Aitken, Crew (so far as known)—T.Dixon, E, Johnston, C. Stewart, F. Deraz, J. Gibb, E. M'Davitt, 0, Corbet, Frank Rhol, S. Armstead, William Brien, William Smith, W. Collins, Charles Silver, J. Weston, J. Burnett, G. Horan, T. Nicholson, H. Poison, W. Adams, T. James Maher, James Warren, Robert Burwood, T. Haynes, W. Davidson,,A. Mickaliney, and four whose names are unknown.