TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1780, 5 September 1884, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

Wreck of the Lastmgham, seventeen' lives lost. Wellington, Friday.

Information was received at dayligh l this morning that the ship Lastingbam from London to Wellington was wrecked at: Jackson's Head. in Cook Straits.. Seventeen lives were lost inoluding that of the Captain and his wife. The Lasting ham was a ship of 1085 tons, of the Shaw Sftvill line, and commanded by Alexander Mornson.: The .batasirophe happened while the vessel was running through the Straits, during- a heavy N. W. gale on Monday night. The vessel struck on the main land at Jackson's Head, and as a terrific' sea waa running the ship soon commenced to go to pieces. The Captain, his wife, five passengers, and eleven of the orew were washed away irom the wreck and were drowned. The remainder of the crew, inoluding the first and secohd.officers reached the main land and were yesterday picked up by the ketch Agnes which was passing through the Straits and brought on to Wellington. Tlie vessel has gone to pieces. Beyond the captain and his wife the names of those drowned have not yet been ascertained, "

I We Have since obtained the following particulars of the wreok as narrated by the chief officer Mr'HealeThe Lastingham sighted the coast ,of New Zealand about eight o'clock on Monday morning last, and in a little over 12 hours afterwards .was a total wreck, almost on the spot where the steamer Bangitoto was lost. ; Heavy weather prevailed at' the time and continued till the time tha vessel was driven ashore. A gale of terrific force blew and rain fell heavily for some hours previous to the acoident, and the land was notvisible for more than a mile ahead. Great efforts were made by the officers and crew to prevent the vessel going ashore. At 10 p m, (the went ashore and became a total wreok in less than two hours. -The ' crew and passeugerß .tried to save themselves in various ways, some of-them plunging into the boiling water and striking out for the shore' Others sprang from the vessels side on to the rocks in the vicinity, while others attempted to float ashore on anything that would bear their weight. The scene -was one of indescribable confusion, the Wind howling, rain falling, people rushing about shouting and soreaaing,' and the sea breaking over the ship's side. About midnight a muster of survivors was made when it was ascertained/ that 18 were missing and no doubt drowned. The captain and his wife and the whole of tho five passengers wore' among the number. A miserable night was spent, and on Tuesday efforts were made to .find an habitation within .a distance of the shore but without any. success. Three uf the met); Chalmers, Wood, and Alvarey continued on their journey in hopes of discovering inhabitants, and were not. seen afterwards by those of the survivors who are now in Wellington. It is difficult to say whether they will be found alive, The survivors fourteen in number endured great privations while in the neighborhood of Jackson's head, owing to' not having saved anything. The captain endeavored to save the logbooks, ships papers, &c„ but as he loßt his life in attempting to reach the Bhore with his wife, it is not likely those articles will ever be recovered, The only articles of food which came nshore .was four pounds of , pickled pork, and two packages of oatmeal and corcfluur, The Survivors stopped their hunger by gnaw- ! inff raw ' m aafc and , j mixture, fresh water being fouiid close to the wreok, This was all they had until rescued. The men had. to run up and down the beach to keep up (heir circulation, Wednesday was fine and clothes wero laid out to dry and -the survivors obtained needed rest having been without , sleep for 36 hours. Each night, the men huddled together under the rocks to keep themselves warm, and on Thursday morning discovered a small vessel passing. A piece of blanket whioh had come ashore was fixed to a pole and moved to and fro. The signal was observed, and a boat being lowered the survivors were soon on board the ketch, which proved to be the Agnes, from Pelorous Sound to Kaiapoi with timber. Captain Jensen, of the ketch, attended to the wants of tho shipwrecked mariners, and then bore for Wellington, At the time of the rescue the men had. almost given up hope of being rescued, as on Tuesday and Wednesday no less than five steamers were seen passing close to land, and though signals were m-ide, no one on board seemed to have noticed them, however, no efforts were made to resoue them. When they were taken on Board they were thoroughly exhausted, The Chief Officer is ot opinion that had they had to stop another night on the coast some of the party would have sucoumbed to the privations. Those saved are-John Heale (chief officer); John Barton (second offioer); Biddle (steward); Robertson (carpenter) ; Groves, Coubaire, Chambers. Munro, Donaldson, Chalmers, and Alvery, (seamen); and Thomas, and Fryer (apprentices). The whole of passengers were drowned. Their names are as follows Messrs Meakin, Pursell, Naish, McGumn, and Davis. Nonn of them were married men, and it iB understood they have never been in New Zealand belore,, The names of officers arid -men drowned were Alexander Morrison (master), Henry Groves (third officer), Peter McGuire, (cook), John Murray, (sailmaker), A. B. Barnard, Lsmberfc, Grondon, Mathers, and Watson (seamen), arid Sharp and Pearce, two of the complement of four boys which the ship carried. ■ .

The wreck of the has cast a fjlooiri ovei' the city and flags are lowered half-must as a mark' of respect to those who perished. Capt. Morrison was about 60 yeara of aga and his wife usually accompanied him on nil his voyages, Instructions have been jasned to send a steamer from fipto'h iq proceed to the soane of the catastrophe and insiitute-ri. searoh for three of tho survivors who werehunting for a habitation, and could not be found when the' others wero rescued. Subßoriptions were started to-day in aid of the survivors, and ;£3B handed to the chief officer to provide olothinc; for his shipmates. An enquiry into the disaster is being held bbfore the Collector of Customs, !

. The Lastiugham struck head on and immediately broaohed to, when her side became exposed to thp sea running, and deok-hoqaea, boats, and everything about the decks was swept overboard. The sea continued making olean sweeps over the ill-fated vessel, and in about an hour the decks brlged out, and this ,was the last seen of the vessel as she then slipped offtherooksand disappeared in deepwa'er. It was with the greatest difficulty any ot the crew managed to reach the rooliß as they were in a very exhausted condition, and their hands were severely laceratod. Captain Babot, of Shaw Saville and Co., has taken charge of'the survivors, ;'and will see to their wants being properly attended to. The shipwrecked'- crew speak-in high pMise of the treatment they received at the hands of Captain, Jenseu, of the ketch Agnes.

It is understood Captain Morrison,.who commanded the Lastingham, bad retired from the aea some time back, but was ruined by the failure of tho Glasgow Bank, and had to go to sea again, this bsibg his second