STATEMENT OF McQUARTERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2270, 14 April 1886, Page 2

STATEMENT OF McQUARTERS.

John McQuarter said I was a steerage pasaenger'bv the Taiaroa, and was lying in my bunk about; 7.30 p, m. when I. felt the ship strike' ground. 1.. rushed on deck and found everyone making for flic saloon to get- lifebelts. The captain - was on the bridge cool and .collected; Someone asked him where we were, and he eaid about. 5. miles from Kaikoura. I got into a boat.on the starboard side, and in the same boat-were Jour, women, Ward Grant, and a speeler. The women were all dressed/except tho; youngest, a Salvation Army lass, who had nothing on but her chemise. All four wore life-belts. It was quite light, and I could see the hills but not the beach.. .A heavy sea capsized our boat,- Tho women kept up well for a long time, but one after another threw up their hands and sank from exhaustion. . As I swam past them, one women tried to clutch,: me : but I eluded her and, together with twelve others, succeeded in getting Into/another boat '.which'was-.floating' keel, up The' boat righted itself. My companions seemed terribly, depressed: and exhausted, and when. tho boat turned over again five went under and never came up again, leaving the second mate, five seamen and myself, . These five groaned fearfully and lay in the bottom of tho boat .one after the other gurgling in the throat and dying, The second mate was very weak also, but helped be to throw tho dead men overboard, and tho bodies and up-turned faces washing from side to side of the boat greatly distressed and distracted us, The second mate said as day 1 was breaking, '' its no good, I can't keep up any longer," and by the time tho boat grated on the boulders of- tho beach and went ashoro. He also was dead. 1 managed to crawl put of the boat and up tho sandy creek towardß tho. hills, and was picked up by a man and taken to the Kekerangu station, I consider the night was not too dark to prevent tho captain from seeing where.he was, and I believe, everybody couldhavebeeusavedhadtheyswamashore. I really believe the Captain thought he was heading direct for Kaikoura. There were four women, two passengers, and two.stewardesses, all being elderly,. and they behaved splendidly., They made no iuss.\ I believe all four woro drowned close to the steamer. ■