THE WRECK OF THE PLEIONE.

ONE OF THE CREW LOST. NO CHANCE OF SAVING THE VESSEL. THE CARGO INTACT. A FATALITY EN VOYAGE. As stated in our last isßue, a special reporter from the Evening Post left town yesterday afternoon for the purpose of visiting the scene of the wreck of the ship Pleione. Our representative returned last night, and reports that the Pleiono, from an underwriter's point of view, may he regarded as a total wreck. And yet she lies, or at any rate lay last night, at 5 80, on the beach on an even keel, quite uninjured, and apparently as secure aB if alongside the Queen's Wharf. But in this apparent security lies the basis and element of the Pleione's destruction. Sho is within 300 yards of high water mark, and at slack tide ooks as if she could he boarded with perfect ease. In the face of a fierce nor'-westerly gale and an angry line of breakers resembling so many sets of shark's teeth, the task of putting off to the wreck is by no means an easy one, as the chief officer, Mr. Gray, found yesterday afternoon. The Pleione lies on the Waikanae beach, almost broadside on, her head pointing to the northward. She presented yesterday a most pioturosque appearance owing to the fact that she lies under shortened sail precisely as she was at the time of her striking. Her fore, main, and mizzen topsails are set, as is also one of the jibs, with the foresail clewed up. Though on an even keel and to all appearances uninsured, the Pleione is hard and fast on a beaoh which has on many previous occasions proved destructive to many a gallant ship, whose timbers even yet may be discerned here and there along the beach showing up abovo the quick aauds, as so many beacons to warn the mariner to give this coast a good offing. Even so early as 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon the sand bad banked up all around her hull, more particularly immediately under her counter. In fact Bhe may be regarded as a lost ship from an insurance point of view, and from the very moment the agents received the intelligence of her stranding her case was considered hopeless, but the slenderest anticipations being entertained of getting her off. Given that the weather moderates and her masts stand, the ill-fated vossel may remain almost intact for months to come. Sho is in the very midst of boiling serf, and for fully 309 yards seaward the breakers come rolling in and expend their fury against the doomed ship's broadside. Her decks are, comparitively speaking, dry, and her CARGO 18 A 8 YET UNINJORXD. When she Btruok a few green seas oame in upon her, but as the hatohes had been securely battened down not a drop of water got below. Owing to tbe illness of Captain Culbert, particulars of which are furnished further on, nothing definite had been decided up to a late hour last evening as to whether the wreck should or should not be abandoned to the underwriters. It may be regarded, however, as almost certain that Captain Culbert will leave her to her fate and to the discretion of her insurers, who were represented yesterday, at the scene of the wreck, by Mr. James Dunne, Loyd'B agent. This gentleman returned to town by the special train last night, but was unable to state positively what action was likely to be taken. THE ROAD TO THE WRECK, at any rate from Otaihanga, at which station the passengers decided to alight, ia by no means an easy one to travel. Piloted by an obese Maori woman, the town party made their way over a series of scrubby sandhills, with a drifting sand-laden northerly gale fall in their faces. The wahine, at starting, stated that the distance to the beach was about a mile and a half, but as it took the city people exaotly an hour to get to Field's accommodation house, which is on the beach, it is but just to assume that the dusky fair one was, at any rato on this occasion, an economiser of the truth. A short halt was made at Field's, and the town party, having crossed the Waikanae river in a Maori boat, pushed on to the wreck, which is distant from Field's about three miles north of the river. The best and shortest route for excursionists to take is to proceed to the Waikanae station, whence by a good bush track they oan reauh the scene after a smart walk of about three miles. Ladies intending to visit the spot should remember that there is one creek they will have to cross which will necessitate their being carried over on horaebaok. THE THUNDERSTORM. Shortly before 5 o'clock last evening heavy banks of clouds gathered from the nor - west. In less than half an hour the rain descended, and the downpour was something to be remembered. The rain came down upon the returning and unhappy Wellington men (among whom were the press representatives) just as if it were being poured from a watering pot without tho rose. Chain, forked, and sheet lightning played above, behind, and in front of the tired pilgrims, who, soaked through, tired, and hungry, at length arrived at the Waikanae railway station, where, after a delay of two hours, the speoial train pioked them up and conveyed them to town. At Waikanae the travellers were very hospitably entertained by Mr. W. J. Hunt, who is erooting a sawmill near the station. While awaiting the departure of the special train, which was under the charge of Guard Malcolm, the representative of the Evening Post mode several attempts to telephone to Paikakariki, and also to the town office and station of the Wellington and Manawatu Bailwfty Company, but without ayail. The storm had demoralised the wires, and the connection was for the time beinf* destroyed The lightning played about the instrument, and the attempt to "speak" to the other stations was attended with no slight degree of danger, Though, pprhapp, not in the exaot order of sequence, we now give TEE CASSATION OF CABTAIN CO&BERT. It was lucky the party took Guard Maloolm'B advice and alighted at Otaihanga inateac) of proceeding on to Waifranae station— lucky because whon the Evening; Post reporter got to Field's ho learned that Captain Culbert was there, but was reported as bofng too ill to be interviewed, Owing to j the courtesy, however, of Messrs. Boggard and A. Pearce, junr., who represented the agents of the Pleione, Captain Culbert was prevailed upon, to see tbe reporter. Tbe master of the stranded ship was found lying on a mattrass, before a wood fire, in a sittingroom of the accommodation house, Ho appeared to be exceedingly weak, and oomplained of pains in his side and back, caused, he believed, by his being struck- by the lifeboat which capsized in the Burf. Captain Culbert remarked that he could tell the press but little at present, as doubtless the stranding of his vessel would form the subject of enquiry before an official Board. He evidently felt the disaster most acutely, more particularly as the trip bad been such a rapid one. "We were 84 days out, and expected by this morning to have been alongside Wellington wharf , I haven't got the ship's papers ashore yet, and can give you very little information, beyond the faot that we struck early this morning. I was on deck at the time, and had been all night. The night was thick and hazy, and I mistook Kapiti for Stephen's Island. The land (Kapiti) just loomed on our quarter. I called my mate, and soon after he came on deck, and we were discussing what the land we saw was when the look-out called out " breakers ahead," and almost immediately we struck. We came on to the beach almost Btern on, the bows being canted slightly to .the north 'ard. I waited till daylight, when, of course, I saw where I was. The fog and haze had deceived me, and the land that I took for Stephen's Island torne<l on£ to bo Kapiti. TIJEEE JVAS. N.O CQXfVBtqW ON BOARD, continued Captain Culbert, the "men and passengers behaving admirably. ' Before it was quite light I lent off the gig to the shore to endeavour to oonneot the ship and shore with a line. This was accomplished, and on her return I determined to put my passengers and crew ashore. Before leaving the vessel I battened down all the hatches and sounded the well which was quite dry. We shipped a sea or two after striking, but nothing to speak of, and the cargo I am convinced !b at present quite uninjured. The first boat to get away was a life boat in charge* of Mr. Gray, the first officer, and in the boat wejje'jjwo passengers and a portion of the orew. ' The gig" wa'a in dharge of Mr. Lidaiard, the .second mate. My boat left )ast, and I was the fagt man to leave tbe ship. We had got abont half way to shore when my boat oapsiged. I went underneath, and I think got hurt by the boat overturning. I was nearly drowned, owing to one of the crew catching hold of me ; and in trying to sa ve himself he nearly did for me. I managed to get clear of the poor fellow, and, with the help of Mr. Gray (first officer), and his orew, who saw our position, we— inoluding Mrs. Foster, who is lying upstairs much hurt, I believe — were got to Bhore, all except one man. The poor fellow who pulled me down was one of the crew, a man named John Bclchor or Belshaw, who on mustering the crew was reported missing, and no doubt is drowned. Captain Culbert here concluded his narrative. THE CHD2F OFFICER INTERVIEWED. Mr. Gray was subsequently seen by our reporter at the scene of the wreck, and he corroborated in a general way the account of thd disaster given by the master of the ship. The first officer had, however, but little time to devote to talking, but he managed to aay that, in addition to the drowning of Belchor, the ship's company lost an A.8. , named John Haines, when only a few days out from Home, he being carried off the deck by a sea when the Pleione was crossing the Bay of Biscay. On the beach, Eome few hundred yards Eouth of where the wreck lies, a seaman pioked up a woollen scarf whioh he identified as having been worn by the man Belchor. HOSPITALITY. TJje captain, officers, and crew, one and aU, speak in the highest possible terms q( tola hospitable conduct of Mr. Field, of Qtaihanga, and also that of the natives, who did the very utmost in their power to alleviate the unfortunate pqeitjon pf the men. During yesterday afternoon the crew managed to get their personal belongings ashore, which were forwarded in a cart to a neighbouring pah, in Thich also the shipwreoked orew were bestowed for the night. THB FABBENGCRB. The Pleione brought out six persons as passengers, viz., Mr and Mrs. Arrowsmith and Mr. Hngill, saloon ; Mr. and Mrs. Foster and Miss Grundey, second-class. The passengers stayed at Field's honse last night, and came into town by the 12.25 train this afternoon. The agents of the ship at once engaged accommodation for the passengers, who as yet have not been able to recover their luggage. Mr. and Mrs Foster and Miss Grundey were seen by our reporter this aften oon. All of them were most enthusiastic and eulogistic to the oon. duct of the captain, officers, and crew during the trying time, and more particularly while in the boats. Both Mrs. Foster and Miss

Grundey attribute their survival to the bravery and GALLANT CONDUCT OF MB. LIDDIABD, the second offioer, who, on witnessing from the shore the capsuring of the captain's lifeboat, rushed through the surf, and, Bivimmingont some little distance in the tumbling breakers, suooeeded in resouing Miss Grundey, who was by this time unoonsoions and in extremis. Liddiard having placed his charge in the arms of two of the orewj again dashed into the breakers, and assisted the orew of the captain's boat to right her. Mrs. Foster states that but for the gallantry of the second mate sho must have succumbed. When the boat wept over she instinctively clung to the Beat in the stern, whioh she tenaoiously held on to till rescued by Mr. Liddiard. The Fosters were booked for Wellington, and hope to obtain employment here. Miss Grundey is en route for Napier. Mrs. Foster complains of great pain in her left side and extremities, bnt does not anticipate any serious consequences. TRE POSITION OF THI SHIP. Mesßrs. Pearce ft Co. this afternoon received a telegram from the wreok as follows :— " Ship much same position asyesterday. She has made a hole in the sand for herself." That the stretoh of beach on which tho ill-fated Ploiono is stranded may well be regarded as A DANOKUOUS COAST will bo at onco apparent when we say that she is the seventh vessel which has left her timbors on these inhospitable sands. The following are the names of the crafts which during tho past few years have stranded on the beach between Paikakariki and the mouth of the Manawatu river :— Rubina Dunlop, Felix Stowe, Fusilier, Hyderabad, City of Auokland, Manukau, and Pleione. MEDICAL AID. Dr. Gillon left for Otaihanga by the first train this morning, having been sent for to attend to the injuries sustained by Captain Culbert. TBE CABOO. Fifty casks beer, Heaton and Miller ; 33 oases, James Smith ; 400 barrels gunpowder, 150 casks oemont, 4 quarter-casks port, 120 casks vinegar, 1200 packages wire, 200 kegs nails, 4 tanks fruit, 250 eases currants, 586 bags Bait, 200 cases sundries, 200 boxes, Levin and Co. ; 34 bales printing paper, 10 drums oil, Evening Post ; 3 oases, E. G. Jellicoe; 175 cases beer, Wm. Bannatyno and Co. ; 11 oases drapery, 6 bales matting, 8 bales blankets, 1 ease rugs,^, tolls onoloth and carpeting, Whittent, Nicholson and Co. ; 200 cases sli-ep dip; nograer, 120 reela barbed wire, 70 boxes, 50 rollf netting, Murray, Roberts and Co. ; 2S oases rum, Castendyk and Fooko; 15 cues herrings, 100 boxes candles, 2 oases tiruehes, 100 cases Geneva, 1 tank, 4 quarror-oasks port, 25 cases rum, Edward Pearoe; 35 bundles of wire, 80 reels of wire, 28 cases sundries, 14 casks, 2 machines, 2 plates, 2 buudlea, John Duthie and Co.; 7 oases drapery, 2 bales, Sulanders and Co.; 3 cases sundries, G. Dutton; 19 oases bottles, 3 qr-casks ascetic aoid, 5 oases phosphorous, 31 bags salt, Kempthorno, Prosser & Co. ; 100 kegs naila, 8 packages, 50 cases brandy, Johnston ft Co. ; 23 sewing machines, Singer Machine Co. ; 2 bales mats, 18 cases, Kirkoaldio ft Stains ; 56 cases sundries, 2 bales, 200 cases gin, 2 tanks, 75 oases stout, 75 cases oocoa, W. & G. Turnbull ; 4 casks ink, 3 bales, Lyon ft Blair ; 22 bales, 9 oases sundries, 1 orate, Turnbull & Smith ; 1 case, 1 bale, Edwards, Bennett ft Co. ; 20 kegs nails, 23 casks, 12 stoves, 59 packages, 25 ootaves, W. Nathan & Co. ; 25 oases vestas, J. D. Nathan & Co. ; 2 bales hemp, Rowland Gould ; 31 bundles buckets, 7 oases springs, and a quantity of wheelwright's material, 1 case saddlery, J, B. Richardson; 27 paokaires, 4 bales, 1 case, C. Smith ; 1 oase, C, Gamblo ; 3 bales oanvoa, 5 casks blacking, Charles Greatrex & Son ; 21 bales, Wakefield & Roydhouae ; 4637 oaees, 966 bundles, 651 boxes, 76 casks, 617 kegs, 35 drums, 4 hogsheads, 113 baleß, 7 orates, 16 bars, 11 tanks, 40 irons, 45 packages, and a quantity of merchandise and ironwork, oonsignad to order. Stables, Stralcar and Co.'a Australian Circular of 19th January, published in London, gives the total deolared value of the Pleione's cargo as £26,800. An exonrsion train left town at 9 o'clock this morning for Waikanae, the station nearest tbe wreck, and carried a goodly number of passengers. The train returns to town this evening. Another exoursion train will leave at 9 o'olook to-morrow morning, whioh is oxpeotod to be well patronised. Latest. A telephone message was reoeived this afternoon fo the effeot that there is still a heavy sea breaking in the neighbourhood of the Pleione, but the ship has worked out for herself a kind of dock in the sand, by whioh she is protected from the breakers, while she is still afloat. The Ketch Agnes Ashore. 4 The ketoh Agnes, 32 tons register, Cant. R. Little, went ashore opposite the Pilot Station, on the lighthouse side, during the heavy gale whioh prevailed yesterday afternoon. The ketoh left Wellington on Sunday morning lost, in ballast, for Havelook, but owing to bad weather, she returned and anchored inside the Heads in the evening. Yesterday afternoon she fouled her c&p,le and went ashore. The orew, consisting of three men, landed safely. The ketoh lies on a sandy beach, and sq is very little injured, Tbe Agnes is owned by R. Hall, and is not insured. The tug Dispatch goes out to try and tow the ketoh off this afternoon. The Agnes had only come off Coffey 's Slip a few days previously, having been thoroughly overhauled. At daybreak this morning Pilot Shilling, the offioer in charge of the Pilot Station, went across to where the ketch lies, to see if he could render any assistance. Tbe crew reported that tbe veßsel was perfeotly safe, and had lost nothing but her anchor and cable. The Agnea is north about £200. Sporting. HAWKE'S BAY AUTUMN MEETING. |Bt Telegbaph.J [united pbbss association.] N^riEß, This Dat. "Free Handicap.— MissDargon, \ ; Golden Crest, 2; Tongariro, 3.. Hurdles. — Trea Sec, 1 ; Chemißt, 2 ; Germaino, 3. Hawke's Bay Gup. — Cruohfield, 1 ; Befbsford,2; Salisbury, 3. Welter.-^Silenoe, 1; Brown Duke, 2; Waterfall, 3. Railway.— Golden Crest, 1 ; Tongariro, 2 ; Miss D argon, 3. The Volunteers. The eighth competition by the Wellington Rifles for Lieut. Jackson's handicap trophy took place yesterday at the 500 yards range i 10 shots. Tbe leg in was won by Corporal Naughton, with a score of 16 and the handicap of 14— a total of 30. The only fair score was made by Sergeant Murray, but as be fires from soratoh he was not placed . Corporal Naughton and Private Kitohing have now two legs in for the trophy, and Sergeant Clarke, Privates Lewis, Gibson, and Hickey, a leg in each. The Shooting Committee intend to stop all shooting in the mornings unless 10 men signify their intention to be on the range and pay markers' fees. There is still plenty time for 10 shots at one range; members can depend on being away about 7 a.m. Tbe Garrison Band is to go out to the oamp of the Heretaunga Light Horse at the Hutt raoeoourae on Sunday, and the oorpß attends ohuroh parade, servioe being held at St. James' Church. In the afternoon the band will play at the oamp. The Newtown Rifles fired the seventh competition for bolt, also for olasa prizes, at the Cadet range yesterday. Conditions, 10 ehote at 200 and 300 yards. Privates J. Ballinger and A. Henderson headed their respective olasses. The hard gale blowing interfered with good scoring. The following are the scores :— A CLASS. H'cp. 200 300 Tl Private J. Ballinger ... scr 39 31—70 Private J. France 7 38 19-64 Sergeant Oakley sor 37 26—03 Private A. Franco ... sor 33 27-60 Private Elji&t •¦" 3, 37 14-54 B CLASS. Private Henderson ... 6 36 19—61 Private Korshaw 6 33 18-57 Private Robertß sor 35 21—56 Private Murphy 5 25 20—50 Private Christie 2 33 11—46 Private Jones 10 10 20—40 The Kaiwarra Rifles will parade at the Wellington Drillshed on Monday, at 7.30 p.m. For continuation ot reading matter tee fourth page.