THE WRECK OF THE ZULEIKA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10424, 23 April 1897, Page 5

THE WRECK OF THE ZULEIKA.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

BURIAL OP THE VICTIMS.

[BY TELKUKAI'It.— PIIKSS ASSOCIATION, |

Wellington, Thursday, Thk Government steamer Tutanekai lefb for Pulliser Bay at daylight with coffins in which to place the victims of the Zuleika's wreck. Rev. H. E. Tuckay wag a passenger, having consented to go and read the funeral service. Mr. Morley, from the firm of Briccoe, MoNeil, and Co., to whom the Wellington cargo was consigned, and Mr. Carter, of 11.M. Customs, also went away in her for the purpose of arranging for the recovery of some of the cargo, which is fully covered by insurance. Mr, Uraira, the Maori who owns the land in the vicinity of the wreck has given sufficient ground for the burial of the dead, and has undertaken to erect a tombstone if one is sent down.

Further particulate of the disaster_state that the second mate, Mr. Wm. Lane, aged 21, who ie a capital swimmer, was nearly rendered senseless by a knock from a floating case, and was about to " throw up the sponge" when he saw the beach a few yards ahead, and giving a dozen strokes or so was flung ashore more dead than alive. On regaining some degree of consciousness, Mr, Lane surveyed the wild and desolute beach and waste of waters, and seeing no one else about concluded that he was the only survivor. Presontly, however, he saw one of the sailors (I'eter Ankersen), who had been swimming in hie company, walking along the beaoh, and the two of them started off to search for signs of human habitation. After going up a I'ully and finding no eigo of life, they lay down behind a bush protected from the keen wind, and rested for a couple of hours At daylight they made another search for a house, but again wore unsuccessful, and returning to the beach they came across three dead bodies. They were those of three A.B.'i, viz., Jones, Charles Dawson, and Blake, lying fully clothed and with life-belts on. Going further along tho beach they came across ii shepherd's whiiro, in which they were delighted to find Captain Bremner, two apprentices, and the carpenter and three seamen, who had also reached the shore after hairbreadth escapes. These had been swept ashore within a few hundred y:irtls of where the where etood, and were fortunate enough to find it stocked with provisions. A fire was lighted and same food prepared, and tho survivors made themselves as comfortable as they could be under the circumstances. On Sunday afternoon Mr. l'ercy Dransfield, who is employed on a sheep station about six miles from tho wreck, was on his way to Cape Palliser lighthouse (four miles from the wreck) when he found some dead bodies on the beach. On making further search he discovered the survivors in the hut. One of the station hands was sent away with a mes-age tn the polico at Martinborouuh, 37 miles distant, and Messrs. J. Sinclair and Krairu, owners of the station, busied themselves in making the survivors us comfortable as possible. Latkr, The steamer Tutanekai took the coffins to the scene of the wreck of the Zuleika to-day, and eight of the victims were buried in one grave. The ninth body, that of Alex. McKay, will be forwarded to Fort Chalmers.