WRECK OF THE S.S. MAT A U R A.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXIV, Issue 1231, 4 February 1898, Page 6

WRECK OF THE S.S. MAT A U R A.

, — 9 The steamer Mataura struck an uncharted rock in the Strait of Magellan, . between the mainland of South America and Tierra del Fuego on the 13th ulto, and was run ashore to prevent sinking. Eight boats, along with the one commanded by the captain, which was the first that landed, started for Sandy point on the 17 th. The Mataura's masts are visible, and it is expected that portion of the cargo N will be saved. There has been no loss of life. Tne . Mataura was in charge of Captain Milward, R.N.R., and belonged to the N.Z. Shipping Company. H>r cargo from the various New Zealand ports included 30,000 carcases of meat, 1200 casks of tallow, 18,000 bales wool, and a large quantity of dairy produce. It is estimated that the total value of her cargo was about L 300.000, but it is estimated that L 280,000 of insurances on the cargo can be accounted for. j The Mataara was a two-deck steel screw steamer of 5794 tons gross, 5289 under deck, and 3756 net. She was built in J896 at Glasgow, and was of . the following dimensions : — Length I 421 ft, depth 54ft 6in, breadth 29ft lin. j Her engines were on the triple expansion principle. She was fitted up with electric light, and supplied with refrigerating machinery on the latest principle. There were only three passenger?, all from Dunedin— Mrs A. J. Park, Miss Kate Park, and Mr Thomas Mill, son of the well-known stevedore at Port Chalmers. All hands were taken home by the Orcina. The Matanra left ' Wellington on December 21 ,and it would seem as if all had not gone well with her as she ( was five days overdue at the Straits prior to the wreck. The Bank of New Zealand and the Loan Company were large shipper* by the vessel. Ifc will be remembered that the Mataura was the steamer by which the New Zealand contingent returned to New Zealand after the Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Home, and her trip out on that occasion was rather an unfortunate one. Shortly after leaving Capetown one of the cylinder covers cracked, and this necessitated a reduced rate of speed with a far larger consumption of coal, the vessel calling at Albany to replenish her bunkers. To add to thie, one of the ship's crew contracted typhoid fever, measles broke out among the passengers, a child developed Fcarlet fever, and Mr Sutherland (chiej engineer) had to relinquish his duties for a time owing to a poisoned leg. The captain is generally spoken of as sn excellent seaman. 'He was born in the South of England, and is the son of Rev. Mr Milward, and brother-in-law of Mr Barnes, of Messrs Kidsey and Barnes, of Christohiircb. and was married to a daughter of the late Mr Rutherford, M.H.R., Summerhill.