FULLER PARTICULARS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2147, 13 April 1886, Page 2

FULLER PARTICULARS.

Wellington, Monday. The steamer Taiaroa, bound irom Wellington to Lyttelton, went ashore near the Clarence River yesterday. The Clarence River is twenty miles north of Kaikoura, in Msirlborougb. The Secretary of the Telegraph Department received a telegram from Kikerangi that the Taiaroa went ashore at Truelove'a on a gravelly beach free from rocks. ' One- qf the Kikerangi station hagds returning from thVOJarence -River, reports that he met a man on the beach early thin morning .on that north bank of the Clarence who said he' was a passenger by the Taiaroa, which was ashore at a point about one mile north of the Clarence river. He went down at once to the wreck, and,on< his way met another passenger. He couM see no one on board, and the passengers .saved knew of no other. The station hands 'were sent to the north and south to search for bodies^ '

Dunedin, Monday. The s.i. Penguin has been ordered togo from* Wellington and the Wanaka from Lyttelton to Blenheim. The agent goes overland. The following is tho statement made by Mr Truelove, owner of the Kikerangi station :— "On first news that there was a steamer ashore myself, Mrs Truelove and men immediately proceeded down and found the Taiaroa on <jh,e beach. Survivors cameiujn to the station At six o'clock this morning", ! and told us about the accident. Their names are Setgt. Grant, A.0., and Gilbert Hutton, Civil servant, passenger*. When we reached the beach we hailed the steamer, ,but no one was aboard. We then went along the beach and, picked up .some bodies. These were all found about three miles north-west. We then turned back. Some of the men are now searching the beach further to the northward," Hutton's account is as follows:— "The Taiaroa struck between 7 and 8 p.m. on Sunday. An attempt was made to got a line ashore in a boat, but it .was capsized, and/I was picked up by the ibtuA) Grant was in. This was also capsized. All the passengers and crew had cork jackets on. We could never have landed without this assistance." Sergeant Grant's account is as follows : — " Four boats started from the ship. I was in the starboard t life • boat,' which was swamped. • Abdut 2 o'clock the ! captain's boat ' broke ■ adrift and went out to sea. Of the four life boats three were capsized." The vesel is lying about half-a-raile north of Waipapa point. Her bow is about fifty yards from the shore, and her side is nearly parallel with the beach. She is over a little to the port side, and the waves are striking her with great force, but not washing over the bridge and poop. To all ap-, pearauoes no damage is don*. The female^ are said to be in a boat at sea. The captain of the Taiaroa, with a boat containing men, subsequently arrived at Wairos Bar. -The boat was blown to sea, and made land Again. Constable McQuarrie, from whom- little information can be obtained, was passed ashore four miles north of Kikerangi, or sixteen miles from the wrecks Those in' the boat- were:—Passengers: Thomas Oliver, Robert Henderson, and John Harper, of Christchurch. Crew: Samuel Dairy tnple, engineer: W. Quin, boy: W. Tain, fireman ; Jas. Webb, carpenter ; Jas. Mackay, A.8. ; Duncan Campbell, steward; Joseph -Fielder^ chief steward; and George- Thomson, captain. The following passengers were booked at Wellington :— Mrs Fitzgerald, Messrs Ward (torpedo instructor), Constable McQuarrie, Sergeant Grant, Mrs Anderson, Messrs Anderson, Galbraith, R. H. Vallance, James Ferguson (lately on a station at Taranaki), and Smith and Harbord (two " magsmeh * who have been attending the recent race meet* ing. The following officers and crew were on board :— Captain Thomson ; chief officer, Mr Monkman ; second mate, Mr Powell ;* chief engineer, Mr Dalrymple ; purser, Mr Spooner ; carpenter, Mr Evest ; i A.B.s: Messrs Mackay (single), Hansen (single), McMillan (single), William* (single), McPhee (married); lamptrimmer, Mr Hill (married ; firemen: Messrs UYwin (single)^ Mqrrisdn (single),and Kane (married). There were also a boy, two firemen, second engineer, *n A.8., and two 1 or three stewards. Mrs Fitzgerald,* who was ! on the s.*, Taiaroa, is the'wife of tUe editor I of tho Timaru Herald, and another' passen- | ger from Wellington is Mr HattkioJV '> ( bootmaker. Mr Ward was a torpedo artificer, recently arrived from England by one of the direct steamers under special engagement to the Government. He brought out his eldest son, aged 12 years, but left his wife and other children (six) to' follow. He was a man about 40 years of age. Sergt. Grant, A.C., was in the torpedo branch of the force, and had served as an officer in the British Navy] He is believed Jo be single. Constable McQuarrie also belonged to the Torpedo Corps. ,He was "a y^qlig, t active man,- not long in the force. X J i(i * J ] CifKiSTOHUtiOH, Monday. I, There was great excitement here when it became known that the Taiaroa was .wrecked,!. Tne newspaper offices and the Union Company w.ere beseiged ■ by crowds of inquirers. Much regret is felt for the fate of Mr R. H. Vallance, who was wellknown in sporting circle*, The Wanaka ana. the Wakatu left Lvttletmi > about 4 p.m. to call at the scene of the wreck.

THE LATEST. . [b¥ TItKGItAFK— WtSS ASSOCIATION. 1 ' Blenheim, Monday Night. The captain of tHSTiiaroa has been interviewed bv » reporter, but beyond ,^ giving the fbjlowinjr particulars he declined to say anything* aoirot tt|e, disaster :—" After leaving Wellington the Taiaroa had a strong north-west wind, to Cape Campbell. At 3 ( . o'clock the wind Chopped' rouhd •udderily, 1 and blew hard ttpm 'the, south-east, with thick rainy weather and a very heavy fog. ' The vessel kept the usual course down. The boats RotTaw^xSlthgut difficulty nod efeiSyTigfc-: son was off the ship when the captain got -into hi* boat. There was vi heavy swell on ,the beach. The weather experienced on th« journey down to the Wairau Bar was very cold and rough. A preliminary enquiry will be held, by: th* Collector of Customs at 7.30 at whidhj it is doubtfully whether reporters will be admitted; There were only three females on board.