THE WAIRARAPA DIS ASTER.

Evening Post, Volume XLVIII, Issue 109, 5 November 1894, Page 4

THE WAIRARAPA DIS ASTER.

(Continued from Ihi third j>ugej A GRUESOME QUEST. IBy Tbleciraph.j |ONITJCD PBBSB ASSOCIATION.! ~~ Auckland, 3rd November. When the Argyle arrived at Kathorine Bay. preparations wero made for the melancholy work of collecting, identifying and coffining the dead, and boats were sent aahore with polioe and the men engaged by the Union Company to assist in removing bodies, the men landing on a rough shingly bench nndor a high cliff. Aa oach body waß located, planks and tools were brought anhore from the steamor. a rough coffin fashioned, and the body nailod up theroin, after minute particulars of the appearance of the body, offocts, &0., had been oarefully noted down to assist in the work of identification. The first body found waß that of a man name unknown, lying on the stonoa with a lifebelt under hU arms. His only clothing was a portion of a nightshirt. A dead horae was lying between high and low watermark a few yards further on. liound a rooky point and about 300 yards along the beaah, again tinder the overhanging rooks, the party came upon tho second corpse, ' that of a young woman. Thw prosented a shocking appoaranoe. With a lifebelt uuder her arms, like all the drowned persons washed aahoro, she lay huddled on tho rooks, hor only clothing a pink-colourod nightdress. Sho hnd been a good-looking girl of about 25 yeivra of ago, with what soomod to bo auburn hair. On her finger was found a ring with small pearls and some green stones set in it. Close by lay a third remnant of poor humanity— another young woman, a lifebelt strapped round her, and her body wrapped in a bit of sailoloth. Portions of her body were frightfully discoloured by bruises, received, no doubt, from the cruel rocks, and her light brown hair was imtodded in tho sand. It was stated by some of the snrvivors that she waß a hospital nurse, a stoorago passenger from Sydney, name unknown. Sho woro a nightdress and a sort of velvet bodice. On hor fingers wero three rings, one with pearls and small atones She wan ftppa>ontly abont 20 yoara of ago. Nos. 4 and 5 of tho bodies recovered in this bay wore found lying in a little bight undor the shade of tho pohutnkawa trees. They wore those of two womon, and proaented a pitiful sight. As the party from tho Argylo clambored over the rocks and waded round the jutting points to roach the spot, they found tho bodies atrotohed out full length on the hard rooks. One of tbo womon, both of whom had bolts fuatenod round them, was entirely naked. Tho other wore a tatteiv d chemiso. Tho savngo sharks had attacked tho firstnamed body, which presented a shocking speotaclo, tho calf of one leg and a big piece out of her sido having boon bitten away. Mho younger girl was apparently Hor 15 years of ago, and looked a most pitiable object as she lay with upturned fuce on tho sea - worn shingle, her eyea staring vacantly into spaoo and her month filled with sand. The men in the party had to turn away their heads to hide their emotion aa they took in the situation. The younger girl was evidently a Roman Catholic, for round her neck she woro a cross and some Catholio relios tied togothor with worsted thread. Tho other woman was apparently abont 28 years of age. Shewore a wedding ring and a diamond ring with throe stones. The faces of both bodto3 were bo knocked about as to be unrecognisable Next in order along the beach wan found No. 7 corpse, that of a man. This body woro grey striped trousers and a strap round the waist, and had one boot on. He hnd bin ok hair And red moustache, and was apparently about 25 years of age. C'loso by lay a dead horse, while, all aorta of wreckage, orangea, &0., strewed tho beach. Tho next body, No. 8, also presented a sad sight. The corpse was that of an oldorly lady, with hair brown but turning grey. Bhe lay on hor faco on the sand and shingle, a bandage being visible on her right foot. She wore a night-dress and wrapper, and seemed to have been much bruised and knocked about on the rooks. On hor wrist she wore a gold braoelot watch, while four valuable rings wore taken off her fingerd by the police. ' Ono was a gold wedding ring, another a diamond ring, and thero were two liugs with small stouea. On tho watch was found the monogram " M.8.G.A." The search party then took their wny alcnp the beach tor a considerable distance, olambering over rocks and sometimes wading knee-doep in water. Tho whole of the coast-lino was strewn with thonsands of fragments of wreckage, consisting of deck cargo, boxes of oranges and lemona, pieces of deck atruotnre, cornicos, and panelling from the music saloon, the letter-box from the companion way, &o. Picking their way over slippery rooks the party suddenly came on another body, that pf a man with a life-belt on ; sandy moustaohe and brown hair, trousers and shirt on. Bound his waist was fpund a belt sewn to the lining of his trousers, and this belt on being cut open was found to contain a sum of money in gold and silver coin. This man was supposed to have been a Ealoon passenger. Bound a little rooky point from this was found the body of a young man with red monstaohe and light hair, waistcoat, striped tweed trousers and shirt on, and a life-bolt Btrapped round him. He was abont sft 6in in height, and was apparently 30 years ot age. A purse with a key in it was found in ono of bis pookets. The unfortunate young fellow's hand was thrown across his foce as if to shield it from some blow. It was a peculiar feature of the bodies recovered that several of them had their olenohed hands thrown across before their faces, as if warding off a blow, probably in their struggles on fatal rooks. About ten milca away another body was found — that of a young man, sadly cliscolourod by decomposition and brnises. The body was identified as that of Arthur ' Bray, a young resident of Onehunga, whose brother, Alfred Bray, recognised him. Iho deceased lived in Church-street, Onehunga, and was 25 years of ago. lhe body was put into a shell and brought up to town this morning. [A later telegram, published elsewhere, states that Mr. Arthur Bray was not a passenger.] A big, powerful-looking man, entirely naked, was the next body discovered, lying on its face on the stones at high-watermark, under a burning »un. The body had a lifebelt round it. It was very muoh discoloured , and from the bruises the unlucky man must have made a hard etrugglo for life before ho snooumbod. Bis hair was fair, turning grey, with light moustache. The age of tho drowned man was about 50 years. The face was unrecognisable. Two bodies discovered a few yards away wero identified as those of Mr. Whaley, commercial traveller, and the youngest Miss Scoular, aged about 14 years. Both bodies were almost entirely naked, lhe man's body was enoiroled by a lifebelt, and was lying with one arm over its faoe. The young girl bad a nightdress on, which had trot entangled round* her waist, lhe man hod one sook on. Not far from this, under a high cliff, the party, about 11.30 a.m., found a portion of the oapt&in's gig from the Wairarapa smashed up. Up on the beach some distance further on two more bodies were fonnd. One was that of a woman with grey hair, wearing a black Alpaca skirt; the name " C. Stewart "was Bewn on her garments. The body is believed to bo that of Mrs. C. Stewart, a saloon passenger. Beside the old lady lay the corpse of a poor young girl, slightly built, wilh stays and ohemi-o on, and a portion of a nightdress. The girl, who seems to have beon pretty, with brown hair, was so terribly disfigured by the rocks that her features were unrecognisable. The name "E. Burton" was fontid on her clothing-, and it is now known that she was a Miss Burton, who was a saloon passenger . She was apparently about 14 or 15 years of age. The next body found was that of a young woman, the face and part of her body covered by a ohemise and petticoat, the former of whioh had blood on it, as from a wound. This body was recognised as that of the eldest Miss Scoular, about 18 years ot age. The faoe was upturned, the mouth open, and the whole appearance of the body terribly gHastly. Hard by lay the keol of one of tho Wairarapa' a bo.itq. Tbo. ninetp nth, and last, body fourd in Catherine Bay was discovered near a liferaft, along a stretch of rocky coast, intervening between it and the boly of Miss Sooular. This was found to bo the comae of Mr. Warry, saloon passenger, of Uuuidin, sft Bin high, with red beard aud moustache, apparently between 30 and -10 yeara of ago. He was a brother-in-law of Mr. Chick, who is also lost in the Wairarapa. Mr. Chick kept the Port Chalmers Hotol. Tho body of Mr, Warrjr was fully clothed, with two ooata, waistcoat, *0., and one boot on. Tho right hand was tightly clenched as the dead man lay under the sun with his lifebelt fastened ronnd him. The bodies identified are those of : — Eober t Miigee, a fireman ; Arthur Bray, Onehunga • Misses Scoular (2), Dunedin ; Mrs. C. Stewart, cabin passenger ; Miss E. Burton, oabin passenger ; Mr. Warry and Mr. Spencor. The bodies having been all coffined and taken on board the steamer, the Argylo steamed round tho bay to the Maori settlement at Kawa, where a few natives and halfcastes of the Ngatiwai hapu of the Ngapuhi reside, the looal chief being Kino. The steamer anchored oloso to a park-like clearing near the pohutukawa, whioh fringed the beach, and the bodiea were all taken ashore in boats, in order that an inquost might be held^nd the bodies interred thero No prettier spot could be found in tho vioinity for a bnrial-place than this little . nook betwoen the pohutukawa grove and high manuka on tho hillside above.