WAIRARAPA DIASTER. THE LOCALITY OF THE WRECK

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8121, 5 November 1894, Page 4

WAIRARAPA DIASTER. THE LOCALITY OF THE WRECK

;Tho Great) Barrier ia a mountainous island d-'atinotly visablo f, om Auckland oa a lino day. It ia twenty-ono miles long, lying N.N.W. and 5.8. E., and ton m'les across. Minor'fl Head, whore tho Wairarapa struck, ia not, ao the tolorjt ams say, tbo northernmost point of the island— the extremity in that direction boing Needles Point, lome live milea away— bat, taken in relation to the coureo of a voesel steering, as bhe Wftirarapa would be, to the, south and cast, Minoi'fl Head is the point of the inland that would be nearest to her in passing, though it would bo the same distance to povt of a vessel on the ord'nary course to Auokland. Miner's Head is on tho western aide of the ioli'nd, in latitude 36 deg sinin and longitude 175d0g 2200 in, and its d'stance fom Auckland by tho ordinary soa route is sixty miles. Tho hoad is tbo northern point of Catherine Bay, tho Southern Po'nt ia marked by a Bingular-looking pillar. Twenty-Gvo fatboma of water aro to bo found across tho entrance to Catherine Bay. South again, distant only a mile and a half, io the harbor of Port Abercromb'e. The Wa'rarupa had not lon* before tho accident) passed tbe light on the island of Moko Hinou. rr l hi-* is a dioptric wh'ti light of tho first order, flashing every ten w conda, and is fourteen m les from Minor's lied, From tbe fatal point to Tii Tiri t ! io cou«ao is a run of about thirty-eight mi'o-«, and tho distance from Miner's Ho-ii bo the little Barrior is twelve miles. THE CAPTAIN. The Star states that Captain John M'lotosh was bora in August, 1810, and joined tho company's oorvico at the end of April, 1879, os chief officer of the Ladybird. He served buccos* ively as master of tho Southern Crocs, Alhambra, Omapere, Horo, Waihora, Tekapo, and Te Anau,and in November, 1890, was appointed to tho Waira« rapa. Before joining the Union Steam *hip Company's service tho lato Gap* tain M'lntosh was for eovon anda-half yearo master of tho ship Ulva, trading between London and East Indies. He was insured under tho Union Company's regulations for LDOO with tho Now Zealand Government Insurance Department. Captain M'lntoeb was a native of the island of Tyrco, one of tbo Inner Hebrides. Ho was a eingle man, and came out here about fifteen years ago to his mother, brother, and sister. His mother has since died. Mr Duncan M'lntoßb, in the employ of Rosa and Glondining, is the brother referred U>. Captain M'lntosh whon in port pretty well mado the ship his homo, but used to regularly visit bisbrothet'i p'.aco in Sorpontino Avenue. Tho deceased sailor was brought up exclu* sively to seafaring life, and, prior to coming to tbe colonies was in command of a Glasgow ship sailing out of London. Only once prior to tho Wairarapa affair had Captain M'lntooh suffered shipwreck or serious accidont at sea, and that was whoa a sailing craft of which ho was mate foundered off Rangoon. No lives were lo&t on that occasiou.