A VICTIM OF THE WAIRARAPA WRECK.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9304, 3 January 1896, Page 5

A VICTIM OF THE WAIRARAPA WRECK.

A touching incident, arising out of the now almost forgotten wreck of the VVnirarapa, has just been made public (says the Melbourne Argus). Among the passengers by the steamer Waihora, which arrived from New Zealand on Suuday, Deo. 22nd, was Mr Varboch, a well-known resident of Dayleaford, who had beeu on a visit to the locality qf the wreck for tho purpose of disinterring tiio body of his late wife, who was a victim of the disaster, and whose remains were buried thero about uvelvo months ago. For many months after the wreck Mr Varboch had vainly sought tidings of his wife, but it was not until about three months ago that ho received information that a body auswering the descriptiou of that of the unfottuuato lady had beeu found aud buried by a settler on the island soon after the date ot the catastrophe. Upon receipt of. this intelligence, Mr Varboch, who is nearly seventy years of age, determined to set ail doubts at rest as to the identity of the body by a personal visit to the island, and from this mournful mission he has now returned, bringing the remains of his wife with him. Upon reaching the Great Barrier Island, Mr Varboch was directed by the settler who found the body to the spot where ib was interred. Owing to the want of boards to construct a cattiu, the body, which was clothed in a llaunel petticoat, had been merely wrapped in some cornsacks, and with this scant protnc tion placed in a shallow grave. Strangely enough, however, upon bsing re* moved from its resting-place after so great a lapse of timo it was found to be in a good state of preservation, and Mr Varboch was at once enabled to identify it as that of his wife. Singularly enough, also, thirty sovereigns out of a total of about sixty, with which the deceased had left home on the fatal trip, were found carefully sewn in her petti co.'vc, and it was evident that a portion of the balance of the money had been torn away by contact with the rocks. Having conveyed the remains to Auckland, Mr Varboch had a coffia made for them, and subsequently brought them on in the Waihora to bo buried at Dayleaford.