THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 112, 11 May 1881, Page 3

THE TARARUA DISASTER.

A SAILOR'S STORY.

The Rev. P. W. Fairclough sent the

subjoined message :— " The story of Frank Denz, seaman, runs as follows:— I was married in Auckland two years and a half ago. -We. had one child fifteen months old. I persuaded my wife to visit Melbourne. The company let me take her at half price. When she came on board Captain Garrard came forward and said to-her, •I'll give you the. other half of the fare, and you can buy a new dress with.it.' Poor girl, she never got it. When we got to Port Chalmers my wife and Mary ;Kelly went to Dunedin. I warned r them carefully to come by the three o'clock train. I wish to the Lord I had told them six o'clock. The man who had been at the wheel before me relieved

me for a few minutes to get some coffee. I took the coffee and came aft, when the ahip struck. She was full almost at once: My wife and Mary Kelly and another woman clang to me naked. The back wash of the sea that broke over carried us right aft. The women all screamed at . first, but wew-eooa brsv© r anibelieyed us when 'we "'-said there was no danger. They were put in the smoke-house,. and oovered. I put a rug and my jacket on my wife. Mary Kelly would not go into the house, but helped with the ropes, and seemed to wish to encourage the men, but they were not afraid. They made the same noise as ever. , You would have thought to hear them swear that they could not sink. I was not more afraid than the rest, but the wife kept dinging to me, and that made me weak. The captain was oross, and scolded me, but I could not push her away at such a time. I wish to God I had taken my chum's advice, and put her and the child in the second mate's boat. • Then I would not have to look for them on the beach. "When the carpenter was ordered out of the boat for them to take charge, he said, 4 Thank God, I'm safe.' The ship was the safest place then. If the wind had not come up she would have been there yet. The men. complained of one of the hands in the. boat. He- was afraid of getting wet, and kept looking for the sea and missing his stroke.: The captain had him hoisted out. He also said, ' Praise God, I'm out of her.' I was ordered to take his place. I was crying, as I could not bear leaving the wife and child. The oaptain was not cross then. He persuaded and held out his arms for the child. I gave her to him, and said, 'Now, captain, you'll look after her, won't you ? * He said, 'Yes, Frank, I will be.cure of that.' I tied the baby's hood on. This is it (holding up a little blue hood). I found it on the beach. I tied this shawl (holding it up) round the wife, and lashed it on with two manilla yarns. See how it is torn with cashing qff I » That is all that is is left tome now. - I would not take .860 for those two things. I had £H and a watch. I gave them to her to make her feel safe, and so that she would have something if I was drowned. She . cried out to the other women, 'Don't be afraid; Frank will save us; he's going in the boat.' She thought I could do anything, ppor girl. I think I hear her now. , The other boat is twenty-four feet long, but it upset end over end and not sideways. That will show you how the sea- |was. We all got ashore but the boy who cleaned the brass on the ship. Just before we upset the poor chap said, • I believe it's through me that the vessel struck, for I'm very unlucky.' I dare say those on board thought it very hard that we did not come back,

but they saw the fix we were in. I would have gone back to the wife if I had been sure of being lost ; perhaps I would not now, but all that day I would. I never prayed so much in my life before. I prayed for help, and then ran again to the point to see if there was a steamer coming from the Bluff. I saw when the smoke-house broke away the captain led the women forward. He had my little girl in his arms. When the cook came ashore he told me that Mary Kelly has washed off at the same time as himself. He did his best to save her, but could not. Dr. Campbell was setting the engineer's log, and was washed off at the same tune, long before dark. All the women were drowned, and all the children, but one child. The captain stood in the rigging holding on there. There were about forty men in the rigging. I kept my eyes on them. - As it grew darker, the last thing I saw was the captain holding my .little girl. lam certain that he died with her in his arms, but he could not save her. Denz concluded, ' No, it was not to be ; it was not to be,' and playing with the little blue hood, he sobbed audibly. -The . above is not colored, but only arranged a little." .