TAINUI DISASTER.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 222, 18 September 1919, Page 8

TAINUI DISASTER.

iTVE BODIES WASHED ASHORE j OPENING OF INQUEST. j | WASHED OFF BOAT. (By Telegraph. —Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCIL Wednesday, j Tn connection with the disaster which befell The coastal steamer Tainui near Gore Bay, as the result of the ignition and explosion of her cargo ot benzine, Snnerintender.t Dwyer has received the, fo_owin_ telesrrani from Cheviot:— - -The bodies identified are those of ableseamen Williams and McLean, the engineer Greenwood, and the firemen Townsend and Fuller. No other bodies have been recovered vet. As eight members of the crew lost their lives, three bodies are still unaccounted for. , Further details of the members oi tne crew of the Tainui who perished are as follows: — Master: J. C. Cowan, of Wanganui, married, with five children. Mate: W. H. Stevens, Wanganui, married. Chief engineer: E. Greenwood, Wellinzton. a widower. Firemen: W. Townsend, Wellington, married; A. Fuller, Wellington, married. Seamen: C. Williams. D.S.M.. Lyttelton, single: D. McLean. Wellington. believed married: J. Ha ward, aged ". 35 years, Lyilelton. married.

The Tainui left Lyttelton last evening at 6.45 o'clock with a full cargo of benzine transhipped from the schooner Caroline at Lyttelton. Prior to her departure an. inspection was made by the assistant Government marine superintendent, Captain Wilcox, and everything then -was reported as satisfactory.

The ill-fated vessel was built in Auckland in 1902 by J- Logan for A. W. Ogle, -who sold her last year to the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, her present owners, who had been employing her on the coastal trade between Lyttelton, Wellington, and Wanganui, and also as a lighter for frozen meat to Home steamers _eiween the port of Wanganui and the Roadstead.

It is understood that the cargo of benzine was not insured. J. Haward, one of the seamen, only signed on the vessel on September S, replacing F. Billington, who left on that date. Haward, however, had been on the vessel on previous occasions. ALL HANDS TO THE BOATS. The inquest concerning the deaths oS j the victims was opened by Mr. McCarthy, S3L, at Cheviot this afternoon. Mr. G. H. Buchanan watched the proceedings on behalf of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company. Farrand ,the only survivor, in his evidence, said the benzine was stored forward and aft, with a few cases on deck. The fire was first noticed forward, but there <was no fire aft. When witness was awakened by the explosion, at 2.30 a_m., he aroused the crew forward. The seaman remained at the wheel until he could stand the beat no longer, and Captain Cowan ordered him to leave. The captain then ordered all hands to the lifeboat- The boat was swamped by the swell of the ship, which was still in motion. The captain then ordered the engines to be stopped. The captain and three others got into the lifeboat while witness got two buckets for bailing out. j McLean attempted to bail the boat out, but did not succeed, and the boat capsized with the four occupants. The remainder of the crew righted the boat. Witness ran to the saloon, and got a tin of biscuits, which he threw into the boat. By this time all the buckets were lost.

BOAT OVERTURES AGAIN". The boat once more turned over and broke away. The mate and -witness clang on. Then Williams, Captain Cowan and others broke away from the lifeboat' to try and swim ashore. ' They were about four mile? from the I shore at the time of the explosion. Prior' to leaving, the mate (Stevens) said: "The captain or I must be the last to leave the ' ship/ "Witness advised him to jump into the water and swim to the lifeboat, but Stevens refused to do so. Witness dived ! into the water, and the mate followed! him, and they swam to the lifeboat. Six of them clung to the lifeboat fori two hours. The captain and his two 1 companions were sv.imming abreast of! the lifeboat. Captain Cowan cried out: "Cook, can't; yon come and help mc?"" and witness cried back: "We are stuck ourselves/Witness did not hear any more from tbe captain or Williams. LOST OXE BY ONE. Greenwood became exhausted first, and said: ir We will all have to die, and lam I dying." Witness replied: "Don*t talk; silly. We will be ashore in about ten' minutes."' Greenwood slipped off, hut: floated near the boat for about ten| minutes. Then they lost sight ot him.', The next one to go was Jack Howard '■ AU went well with those remaining till! they came to where the rollers started! brealdng. Townsr r ,l was lying across the i -eel of the up! rned boat, McLean was i at one end, ai i witness and the mate! were on eith< - side. Then a bio- roller' came and wa :ed away Mac Lean and' Townsend, am .vitness did not see them after that. .oiler after roller swept ! over the boat. After a few rollers witness noticed that the mate had "-one. When witness came to the undertow he! left the boat and swan, to the shore. ' About 5.30 p.m. be tried to walk to the steamer, which had drifted to the shore hefore witness did. to get some warmtn from a lire, but he could not get there. He then remained on shore tjU he was found by two young fellows. Witness identified tbe live bodies he bad seen.

To Sergeant Scott: He heard three explosions following quick]v one af | the otner. It would be about fifteen: t"ffl th* V r °- m the tiD,e of "«« explosion *L? t 2T 11 '*** finall >' abandoned. erosion" 6 " eW *" iui - ed S " *H toe fire ,t was issuing from the fore • hatch, and when they left the name! confined to t_.."f,>,_ name* shin Th_ i - re P art OI the snip, ihe explosion bad thrown off thJ loremost hatch cover. ulrown ~li the After other Bnfantiorfant -,-; i, ■■ '