STATEMENTS BY SURVIVORS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1184, 9 November 1894, Page 9

STATEMENTS BY SURVIVORS.

TOLD BY AN OFFICER. A TERRIBLE SCENE. WIVES AND HUSBANDS PRAYING PITEOUSLY. THE CAPTAIN LEAPS INTO THE WAVES. PEOPLE KILLED BY STRUGGLING HORSES. Attckland, November 1. William Caldwell, a steward in the saloon of the Wairarapa, states — " I was in my bunk when the steamer struck. I rushed on deck and remained there until the bridge gave way. HANGING IN THE RIGGING FOB TEN HOUBS. " After that I managed to get into the fore-rigging, and remained hanging there for ten hours. About 25 others were also hanging on the forerigging besides myself. "A line was cast ashore, and we got on the rocks hand over hand. " Two ladies were drowned in going hand over hand. Altogether about 50 or 60 got on the rocks. CAPTAIN M'INTOSH BROWNED. "The captain, who was on the top deck of the steamer, jumped off, and no more was seen of him. HIS LAST WORDS. "Just before that the captain called out to four ladies on the bridge, one of whom had a child in her arms, « For God's sake go to the fore-rigging!' _ "A large number of passengers remained below, and owing to the water coming into the steamer so fast they perished. KICKED TO DEATH. " Sixteen horses were located behind the

engine-room. The horses got adrift and killed a lot of people who were struggling in the water. A FEARFUL SCENE. " The scene was a terrible one, and I will never forget it. " Women and husbands were offering up prayers in a most piteous manner. " I was one of 10 or 11 who remained on the rocks from 10 or 11 o'clock on Monday till 1 or 2 o'clock on Tuesday." ANOTHER GRAPHIC ACCOUNT. A PASSENGER'S EXPERIENCES. A LA.ST YARN WITH THE CAPTAIN 7 . THE TERRIBLE SHOCK. Auckland, November 1. ~; Mr A. J. Chamberlain, who represents Harrison Bros, and Houston, of Sheffield,, in the Australian colonies, was aniongst the passengers by the ill-fated vessel.; He is a tall, athletic young gentleman, and was making his annual trip to New Zealand on behalf of his firm. ; ■■'■■'-■ Interviewed, he gave a most graphic ac-, count of the shipwreck. He, said:—AN OLD FRIEND OF CAPTAIN MCINTOSH. "On Sunday evening, _ about 10 o'clock, just before going to my bed, I was speaking with the captain on deck. He was an old friend of mine, with whom I have come into pleasant contact on previous voyages. ' _; •'I suggested.to him that we shotdd have a night-cap before turning in. "He replied. •' Not a drop to-night, old man!' . • A NIGHT OF ANXIETY. "Of course he was somewhat anxious about the intense darkness and fog particularly, so he told me he would not be going' to bed all night, as he expected to be alongside Auckland wharf at 4 o'clock in the mornings < " I then went to bed, feeling no anxiety whatever, because I knew Captain Mcintosh was a careful and perfectly reliable man. A TERRIBLE AWAKENING. "I fell asleep, and the next thing I remember was finding myself standing on the floor of my cabin, and conscious that the vessel had received an immense shock. "The concussion was so immense that I knew at once that an accident of a very serious nature had occurred. THE SINGULAR ABSENCE OF PANIC. " I rushed on deck and I heard someone say that the captain had ordered everybody to put on life-belts, and so I went down into my cabin to get my belt. " When I got below I found there was immense excitement prevalent, but absolutely no panic. " I put on my belt and came up on deck, having no clothes on except my pyjamas. PITEOUS SCENES. "On deck there was a great deal of singing and praying going on. "Many of the poor,people were praying, and not holding on to anything, so that when the seas broke over the vessel they were washed off. " I saw at once that there was no chance of getting into the boats, for the waves were smashing over the port side and ™ down the companion, ; "I therefore went and sat on the rail on the starboard side, and as the ship settled more on her port side, I got over the rail and sat on her hull, hanging to one of the hooks to which the doors of the bulwarks fastened. HOW THE SHIP HEELED OVER. "It Avill give you some idea of the immense list she had taken to port when I say it was far easier to stand on the side of the vessel than on her deck. In fact, you could not stand on the deck, for it was nearly perpendicular. " Clinging on to the rail just beside me were Mr and Mrs Seoular and their two daughters, and they kept asking me what we should do next, but I could not give them any advice, since in the darkness I had no actual notice of the real state of affairs, and if I had known I could have rendered them no assistance, for I expected every moment that the ship wordd turn over. THE HEROISM OF TWO YOUNG GIRLS. " I cannot find words sufficient to praise the way in which the young Miss Scoulars behaved. All the time their conduct was really Heroic. " If some of the men could have taken a pattern from these girls and from !the ladies generally it would have been well. A THRILLING MOMENT. " While I was speaking to those around me, a big sea came and knocked me from my position, but by good fortune I managed to catch hold of the rail again just aft the foremast rigging. "There I stood holding on to the rail and watching the deckhouse being broken to matchwood. I • could see that the bridge would go in a few minutes, for it was being battered about terribly. " I must have been there for a considerable time when others began to join me, working their way forward on the outside of the ship. The first two or three 1 .did not knpw, but I must say they all behaved splendidly, the ladies especially. VERY COOL CUSTOMERS. " After a little a very old friend of mine, Mr William Whaley, representing J. I Morton and Co., of Wolverhampton, came I along. I "When I saw him, I said 'Hullo, Whaley!' "He replied, 'Hullo, old man. I'm afraid it is a go with us this time.' "' Oh, I don't know, old chap,' I &aid ; ' keep your pecker up. You never know till the numbers are up/ "At this time I was holding on to Miss McKellar, and, after greeting Whaley, I told*her to get hold of the rigging, and I then pushed her along through a crowd of people who were hanging on to the line.

WASHED OVERBOARD. " Before she could get very far, a great sea smothered us.

ff I don't knovr whether Whaley went or not, but a minute afterwards there came a

second great wave which swept the whole crowd of us into the water with the remains of the deck-house and bridge. "It seemed to me a long time before I could get to the surface of the water, and when I did get there I could only see one or two people in the water beside me. " I made up my mind not to struggle, but to float quietly until I could see what was to be done. " Morning was just breaking about this time, and I was able to make out what kind of a place we were in. "On one side there was a sheer cliff, I should think 1000 feet high, and on the other side, about half the width of a street from the ship' was a mass of rocks, and behind them another cliff about 800 feet high. These rocks were about 10 feet high, and were left uncovered by each receding wave. "The ship seemed jammed into a V shaped cove. A SWIM FOR IT. " I made up my mind to swim to these rocks, and did so, but for a long time I could not get on to them, they were so steep. "At last, after I had been in the water for about an hour, I saw a ledge over which the sea broke, and I thought that if I could get floated on to it I would be safe.

SAVED. " I then swam away from the rock so as to get my wind, and watching the next big. wave as it came along, I struck right into it and was carriod with it over the flat rock. " I have mentioned that it was while I was in this place of safety that in my opinion the horror commenced. I was abbut v fourth on the ledge, and while I was there some other fellows arrived, and then a lady, Miss Bullock. " She could swim a little, but when we got her up she was frightfully exhausted, and we did all we could for her afterwards. " I left her in the hands of another man high' up the rock, and went down to see what further .assistance I could render. WATCHING . ONE'S FELLOW-CREATURES DROWN. " Before the rope was fixed to the shore, it was a heartrending thing to have to stand on the rocks and watch those who were struggling in the water between the ship and the shore.' There were about 15 or 16 of these, I should think, floating among a mass of wreckage.': " The sea was swirling amongst them, simply boiling, and pieces of heavy wreckage were being tossed violently about. " The light was too dim for me to recognise any of the unfortunates, and we were unable to give them any help. "It was an awful thing to see them go down one by one till only Miss Williams was left. ' . GALLANT RESCUE WORK. " The people . on the ship were clinging on to the lower part of the rigging, the lowest being just on the promenade awning. " They came, off one,at a time while we held the rope at our end as firmly as possible. "The first lady to cross was Miss Dickenson, and it was a marvel to see the way. she came over. 'She tvas dashed on the rocks, but clung on in splendid style. TWO POOR GIRLS DASHED TO PIECES. "After her two other girls tried to cross, but they both lost their hold and were swept up the'bight by the rushing sea and dashed to death on the. rocks. "I wanted to stop bringing ladies ashore after this,. because it seemed almost like murder, but the others said that the rigging might give way at any time, and so we continued till all on the vessel had come across. ' '"-'' " Some 50 people were taken across altogether. Among them were a great many who displayed very great heroism.

HOW MRS FERGUSON LEFT THE SHIP. " I especially remembered Mrs Ferguson. As she left the ship she was smiling. " Then there was Father Doran, of Bathurst, and lots of others. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE. "Besides all these exhibitions of courage, there were, I am sorry to confess, one or two instances of selfishness at that time, and afterwards one or two of the men on the rocks alongside of me behaved abominably. . "The men who could do most service on the rocks were those who hfid their feet protected by boots, yet some of these after being saved actually went and sat down and rendered no assistance. " Again there were a few instances of men being completely clothed who never offered a single garment they could have so easily spared to the shivering delicate women around them. FLOATING FOR TWELVE HOURS IN THE WATER. "As soon as the last man was hauled ashore from the wreck, a young fellow named Roberts volunteered to rescue Miss Williams, who was still floating in the water among the wreckage. She had been there twelve hours. "If something is not done to recognise the bravery of this young fellow, I think there are no true Englishmen in Auckland. " Duulop, too, who went after one of the girls who fell from the rope and tried to save her, was equally brave. He was terribly smashed by the waves; and lay unconscious for an hour. "After we had got all the passengers from the ship we began to think how we would get on to the high land. We soon found that it was useless to attempt to scale the cliff. The Maoris say there is a way up, but it is impossible, except for a skilled climber, to find it, so we had to make up our minds to stay there without anything to eat or drink until a boat should come for us.

" At this time we thought that wo were the only survivors, and did not know how we could communicate with the inhabitants of the place." BRAVERY OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER. Mr Chamberlain was partieulary loud in praise of the chief engineer, who, not being rung off after the ves»ei aixwk, Keaaained

at his post down below, and was the last to leave the ship. Indeed, he did not leave till the bursting of a steam pipe and the complete flooding of the hold compelled him to make his escape through the skylight into the sea, where he was picked up.

WHAT AN AUCKLAND LADY ENDURED.

TWELVE HOURS IN THE WATER.

CLINGING TO A SPAR BY HER HAIR. Auckland, November 1. Miss Jane Williams, one of the survivors, had a most thrilling experience. She was in the water for 12 hours. For part cf the time she was clinging to a spar with her hair wound round it, and during the remainder of the time she lay on two buoys. Miss Williams, accompanied by her sister Sarah, 20 years of age, left Auckland for Sydney on the last trip of the Rotomahana. They remained in Sydney four days, and were returning home by the Wairarapa. Miss Sarah Williams was drowned, but Miss Jane Williams had a most marvellous escape from death. MISS WILLIAMS' STORY. Miss Williams, who is a daug-hter of Mr Joseph Williams, of Holly well House, De\onport, gave a reporter the following account of what she went through : "At a quarter past 12 I heard a thud, and jumped out of my bunk. In the same apartment was my sister Sarah. " I went to the ladies' cabin on the way to the saloon staircase, and ascertained that there was an accident of some sort.

" I went back for my sister, and we both put our life-belts on.

I "We then ran on the hurricane deck in ! time to see the steamer list over. A number who were standing-on that side of the steamer were swept off by the sudden lurch and drowned. The screams at this time were dreadful. " My sister and I then climbed on a railing, and were nearly swept away several times by the terrific fury of the waves. " The situation may be imagined, for at this time it was pitch dark. " Many thought about this time that the steamer was breaking up, and would sink, and I moved to the right and clung on to a rope which suspended from the saloon awning. In the meantime my sister climbed on the captain's bridge. SWEPT INTO THE SEA. "The next thing a huge wave swept over us, and the rope breaking, I was swept into the sea. " Not being able to swim, I had to hold myself tip by catching pieces of wreckage that were floating about. I was swept with a great number of others among the wreckage close to a cliff. " By this time the welcome dawn was just beginning to appear, and we were able to recognise each other.

" The scene at this time was terrible. AN EXPERIENCE OF TERROR. " I was holding on to one of the spars with my hair woven round it, and was in this position for some hours, while many were drowned one after another in my sight. "Among those I recognised being drowned at this time was Mrs McDonald, one of the stewardesses in the saloon. " Miss Cole, who could swim, was about this time swept on to a small ledge by the force of the waves, and was saved. "Among a great number who here perished, I was the only one left alive in the water, and every minute I thought it was my turn. "However, I managed to keep my presence of mind, and when all around me had drowned, I saw a lifebelt floating on the water. I managed to get it and put my head through it. " I lay in this position for perhaps a couple of hours, and I then saw another lifebelt floating about. " I caught it and put my feet through it, thereby keeping myself afloat. I had only my nightdress on, and this helped me greatly, for if I had been dressed I feel sure that I would have been drowned.

FLOATING ABOUT IN THE MIDST OF THE DEAD.

"At this time a number were being taken from the steamer on to a cliff by means of a rope. Just imagine my feelings as I lay on the two lifebuoys with dozens of dead bodies, wreckage, and horses floating round me, and myself the only survivor. "Every minute I expected some help from those who had got on shore, but none came for a long time. "I could not say how many hours I was on the lifebouys, but they [told me subsequently I was in the water fully 12 hours. " I could see many lying evidently exhausted on the cliffs. HOW SHE WAS RESCUED. "At last I saw some of those on shore looking at me and waving their hands, and I waved ray hand back. " At this time I was probably 800 or 900 yards away from the shore, and my feelings of pleasure at being seen cannot bo described. "Those on shore shouted and waved their hands to keep my spirits up, and encourage me until they could obtain a rope to pull me on shore. " Shortly afterwards I recognised the face of Mr Thos. Roberts swimming towards me with a rope. " When he reached mo I could scarcely hold up my arms to let him put the rope around my shoulders, I felt so terribly weak. "Mr Roberts then swam with me to the cliff. I really do not know how he managed, for there was a strong current running at the time.

"However, we got back in safety to the cliff, and we were both hauled up by those above us.

" I was so weak when I got on shore that I could not stand. Mr McKendall, second steward, carried me on his back up

a steep cliff, and means were taken to restore circulation of the blood. Oh! all were so kind to me ! I lay there about an hour. Some clothes were put on me and I was again carried down the cliff by one of the sailors, whose name I do not know. THE HOSPITALITY OP THE MAORIS.

" I was laid in a Maori boat with others, among whom were Mr and Mrs Ferguson, of Wellington ; Miss Dickenson, daughter of Mr Dickenson, undertaker, Victoiia street ; Miss Cole, hailing from Sydney or Melbourne, and several others whom I do not know. We were all taken to a bay. " I had to be carried ashore, and was that much exhausted that I had to be laid lon the beach. Fires were lit, and kumeras given to us by the Maoris. " While I was lying in the Maori whare, I was informed that Mr Ferguson had offered anyone <£2s who would swim out for me. Mr Chamberlain, a passenger, also offered a sum of money. I shall never forget their kindness. "I did not see my sister Sarah perish. The survivors informed me that she bravely struggled to gain the shore by means of a line, but being weak she was unable to do so. " She was picked out of the water dead by Mr Middlebrook, one of the stewards. My sister was a first-class swimmer. "A Salvation Army lass, Captain Flavell, who had just returned from England, was drowned just before my sister." HARROWING DETAILS. In a subsequent conversation, Miss Williams states that while she lay in the Maori whare she heard some painful stories. In one case a husband had witnessed his wife and four children drowned. Women had been left husbandless and childless. One boy about 11 years of age, who had lost his father, mother and two brothers, was taken in charge by Mr Fer-

guson of Wellington. The little boy only came out from London by the s.s. Austral lately. Mr Corrie, one of the survivors, also came out from London lately. Miss Williams says women who had babies in their arms wore drowned, for they had no chance of saving themselves.

THE STORY OF THE FOURTH OFFICER.

Auckland, November 2

Mr W. A. Tulloch, fourth officer, who had charge of one of the ship's boats after the wreck, makes the following statement :

"It was the second oflicor's watch, he having relieved the third officer at midnight. I came on deck at once when I heard all hands called, and found the ship ashore, with the seas breaking over her. I ran to my boat (No. 5), and saw it clear for the rescue of passengers. " I got the boat swung out, put a man to stand by it, and then wont to see ]No. 6 boat cloar, but was unable to got it out owing to the heavy list of the steamer to port. " Tho passengeis helped me as much as possible There was not great confusion, but women wero screaming and children crying. I saw tho first, second and third mates at their boats trying to got them out with the help of the crew. " Tho steamer gavo a groat roll with the sea, and my boat was in considerable danger of being stove in. After a lot of trouble, and with much danger, I got a boat load of people, and wo pulled away from the ship. " We kept away from the shore, as wo could hear the sea breaking heavily. I had the boat afloat in two minutes, with 19 people on board, passengers and crow. " We went to work to pick up tho people in the water. I came across Mr Johnston, third officer, whose boat had

been stove in, and towed his boat till 4 o'clock in the morning, when we took the other boat's crew (10) on board, making 29 in all with us.

"We lay by the steamer, which gave a heavy lurch that laid her on her beam ends. The passengers and crew were washed out of her by the seas breaking over her, and the deck cargo, horses, deck fittings, and all, came adrift. I " The horses were sent adrift when the I steamer took a heavy list to port, and they ' were thrown in amongst the people and the boats in the water. I believe that some of the people must have been killed by the animals in their struggles. " There were five women in the second boat with the chief engineer. We had three injured men in our boat who are now in the hospital—Nutting, a steward, with his collarbone broken; Baldwin, a steward, whose logs were hurt; and Charles Perry, who was crushed by one of the boats when leaving the wreck. The third officer remained at the Barrier to look after the wreck, while we came up to town."

THE SCENE AFTER THE VESSEL STRUCK.

4NOTHER ACCOUNT.

Auckland, November 2

Mr C. A. M. Chapman, who was doing the round trip from Napier by the Wairarapa, says as to what "Occurred after the crash :

"When the vessel struck the engines were immediately reversed, and she went back some 30 feet. Gradually she settled down in the water by the port side, and as the waves commenced to break over the deck I climbed further up the ratlins. " By this time I was joined by several others, including Mr Pounds, an Australian

traveller, Mr Lang-ley, Mr and Mrs Ferguson, and a number of others. " About 4 a.m. the bridge was washed away. It was crowded with passengers, and they were thrown into the water. Heads were bobbing up and down in all directions, Evei'y one of those in the water, I beliove, Avas drowned, with the exception of one young lady, who succeeded in reaching the ratlins by means of a rope which I had made fast there the night before with a view to letting myself into the water should the vessel turn turtle.

" The same wave that wrecked the bridge knocked several persons off the ratlins below me, and I had to hang* on with both hands and with all my strength in order not to share a like fate. I then climbed higher up. There was at this time a great crowd on the ratlins.

"At daylight we tried to get a line ashore by means of an iron bolt fixed to a light rope, but we failed, as we could not get a sufficient footing to swing the bolt. Then I got a lifebuoy, and triod to float one end of the line on to a ledge on which some few passengers had already got a footing. This also failed. "We waited five hours, hanging on to the wreck (the tide being high about 8 a.m.) till the tide went down, and one of the sailors attempted to sWin ashore with a lifeline. He failed. The second steward then made a similar attempt, and succeeded. By this means avo got a thick rope ashore. It could not be made fast to the rocks, and had to be held in the hands of those standing there.

" We first sent ashore all of the ladies who would venture on the rope. Miss Dickenson pluckily made the attempt, and after a hard struggle she succeeded in joining the party ashore. Then the attempt was made by a Salvation Army lassie. She Avas Avashed off the rope, and was drowned in front of our eyes. ' " Then there were paat off axva or

two men, including myself. We went , ashoro hand over hand, and made the trip safely. "After we reached the shore we fixed up a running loop, by which we succeeded in hauling all of the ladies ashore with the j exception of Miss Williams, of Auckland. 1 The second engineer tried to save her by getting partly into tho water, but he was unable to effect her rescue. "By very hard work for three hours in our shoeless feet standing on the hard rocks and shells we got others ashore, including those passengers and sailors who had taken refuge on the after mast. We mustered on the ledge a total of 60, including both passengers and crew. We gathered some oranges that were floating about, but had nothing else to eat or drink."

THE CAPTAIN AT HIS POST.

ON THE BRIDGE ALL DAY. HIS ANXIETY FOR THE SHIP'S SAFETY. Auckland, November 2. The captain's steward, Mr S. A Hen, in the course of a conversation with a press reporter, said that during the day preceding the disaster the captain never left the bridge except for a few moments at a time. In his position as his steward he was able to speak with authority on the captain's movements during the Sunday ; and from what he himself had observed, any reflections on the condition of mind in which Captain Mcintosh was at the time of the wreck is devoid of the slightest foundation. As soon as Mr Allen became aware of the ship having struck, in accordance with his duties he immediately rushed on deck to ask the captain for his orders, and found that the only persons on the bridge were the captain and one of the officers. Captain Mcintosh had a little lunch at noon, but refrained from taking any dinner at G o'clock owing to his anxiety about the safety of the ship in the dense fog through which it was passing. He had a drink at 11, and another at 5, but beyond these he had not touched liquor of any kind during the whole of Sunday. a boy's sad death. Mr Allen further states that one of the two boys McDonald, who are amongst those missing, was standing near the horses at the time when the ship heeled over on her side, and the boy was trampled down by the horses and killed, by a case of oranges which fell upon him as he lay on the deck

WAS DISCIPLINE MAINTAINED?

A DEFENCE OF THE OFFICERS AND CREW.

INTERVIEW WITH A PASSENGER.

Auckland, November 2

Patrick Nicholson, one of the Wairarapa passengers, who was seen by a press representative, said he felt impelled to do justice to the officers and men of the Wairarapa.

" I have been myself," he said, " a seafaring man for upwards of 17 years, and there is no foundation for the report Avhieh has got about since We were brought to Aucklandjthat the officers and crew looked after themselves, leaving passengers to do as best they could. " I myself was in boat No. 5. There were the fourth officer, one sailor, two stewards, two firemen, and the second cook. That was all cut of 30 all told in the boat. " The next boat, No. 3, I saw too. She had the third officer, one seaman, three firemen, four stewards and a butcher, out of 27 altogether." HOW IT LOOKED FROM THE DECK. " Yes/' he went on, replying to a question put by the reporter, " I was on deck at the time the vessel struck. "It was very thick, foggy weather. You coidd not see 50 yards ahead. The lookout was changed at midnight, and as the look-out man was going forAvard, I said to "him, friendly like— " "■ " Keep a good look-out ahead. 1 "That was because it Avas so foggy; and having had experience at sea, it Avas a natural thing to say. .... - "The look-out man had not been at his post four or five minutes at most Avhen the crash came." NO BLAME ATTACHABLE TO THE OFFICERS OR CREAV. " Then you think no fault lay with the officers and men ?" "As I have said, I was for years at sea. I myself Avas wrecked going to Melbourne some years ago., and I think the officers of the Wairarapa did everything in their power." THE CAPTAIN. " Did you see the captain when the ship struck ? " " Yes, I saw him on the bridge. He was there, as far as I remember, every time I noticed the bridge during the day. Of course, I Avas not on deck the whole of the time." " Did you hear the captain give any instructions Avhen the vessel struck ? " " Yes, to clear aAvay boats." " Hoav long would that be after striking ? " " Not more than from six to eight minutes. When the instruction was given I helped to clear away the boat falls. I kneAv we had no chance from the first, by the crash." THE LAND SEEN BEFORE THE CRASH. " When you struck, could you see anything of the land ?" "We could just see the loom of a big mountain. It. Avould not be more than 70 yards away from the ship." " Did the man on the look-out report anything before striking ?" " Yes, about a minute before, he reported land; and then I heard the engine-room telegraph go. Probably that was the order to go astern." "When the order was given to clea^

away the boats did the men go to their stations ?" " Yes, each officer and man went to his place at once—that is, as far as the three boats I could see were concerned." " There was not the least scurry," continued Mr Nicholson. " They could not, however, get the starboard boats out, for the ship went at once on her beam ends. The passengers were in awful terror, and wanted to jump into the boats in spite of the sailors. I heard the fourth officer ask the male passengers to let the women and children go first, but in spite of that some of them rushed the boats. We took into our boat many that were floating over- .' board." "Then you are sure order was maintained amongst the officers and crew ? " " Yes, perfect order." Mr Nicholson lost everything in the way of clothes, except those in which he stood up. Fortunately for him, however, he had his money in the pockets of the coat he was wearing. A BITTER EXPERIENCE. THE HARROWING STORY OF A ./,'. STEERAGE PASSENGER. - Auckland, November 2. James Levesque, one of the steerage passengers, had a very bitter experience. He informed a reporter that he had just sold up his home in Geelong to come to New Zealand with his wife, their destination being Wellington. He was asleep when the crash occurred, and so. sudden was the casualty that he could only " think " his wife was amongst the first: to be washed overboard and drowned. At all events, he never saw her after., __ He himself was unable to swm. He was washed .-to the, rigging, and was one of the . last to get ashore on the life line. He lost everything he was worthclothes, tools and money, in all about .£IOO worth. He escaped in his shirt and pants, hat or coat. THE INDEFINABLE FEAR OF WHAT WAS COMING. Levesque informed the reporter there was something of a presentiment amongst the steerage passengers during the whole .of Sunday, that something was about to happen;' An indefinable dread was felt , which could not be attributed either to the fog or to'the speed at which the ship was going';-but the unsettled feeling was so strong: that some of the passengers did hot go below or undress. This statement has been to some extent borne, out by Mr Chamberlain, who told the press representative that some of the passengers noticed with dread the speed with which the ship was moving through the dense fog, and some of them went to bed without undressing. • THE CARPENTER'S STATEMENT. Auckland, November 2. Mr Thompson, the ship's carpenter, states*-- . "I was in bed at the time of the accident, but as soon as the steamer struck I rushed along to sound the forehold, and then went to report to the captain. "At the first sounding there was no water in the hold. Four minutes afterwards I sounded again, and found 15 inches of water. I once more went to the bridge and reported the matter to the captain. "He seemed quite cool and collected, and calling me to the ship's side, showed me the cliff, and said:— . : "* Go and get the boats out as soon ( as possible.' " I went at once to carry out his orders. " Some people wonder why we did not wait and take more passengers in the boat I got on shore with, but the truth is when 15 were in it the boat was washed -clean off.

"Assoon as we laaded at Whangapawa Bay, the third officer, chief engineer, several of the crew and myself, walked over to a settler's who guided us over to Maori Bay, and got the Natives to come and try and rescue people in their boats. At first the' Maoris wanted to pick up the dead bodies, but the officers got' them to go off to the rescue of those who were still living. THE LAST OF CAPTAIN McINTOSH. HE DIVES FROM THE BRIDGE. Auckland, November 2. Mr Harrie, of Paget street, a saloon passenger, brings news, of the dead, and also throws fresh light on the horrors of that fearful night on which so many met their death. Seen by a press representative he said:—"When the vessel struck I went on the bridge. There were about 40 of us there altogether. " I was standing about a yard from the captain, and it was about a quarter of an hour before we were washed away that he took a dive from where he was standing. "-Where the vessel struck was only about four or five yards from the cliff, but there it was too steep to hope to get a footing. On the other side there was a gap of between 60 and 100 yards. This was the only way to the ledge. A few of us afterwards reached it in safety. ' "I was with Mrs Brown and her two children. I had taken them from the deck to the bridge when the great wave came, and we were all swept away, and I lost sight of them all. "After being about three-quarters of an hour in the water I managed to swim to the shore. " The children I never saw again, but I saw Mrs Brown about six hours afterwards clinging to a raft, from which she sank with exhaustion. <r The water., was full of my fellowpassengers and horses. One of the latter I saw strike a woman on the head with his hoof and kill her. Only one of the horses swam ashore, but that died a few minutes after."

THE LAST WATCH. A lady on the bridge near the captain corroborated Mr Harrie's statement that Captain Mcintosh dived off the bridge before it washed away. Just previously to going over, he said something, the first part of which she could not distinctly hear, but the termination of the sentence was —" the. last watch." He had no life-belt on. This lady had gone from the saloon with two stewardesses to the bridge for safety after the vessel struck. ANOTHER YOUNG GIRL'S NARRATIVE. A SCRAMBLE FOR THE MASTS. Auckland, November 2. Miss Emily Dickenson, of Victoria street, says.- — " Two Salvation lasses occupied the same cabin as I did. They had been to London. I think they belonged to Wellington, and were returning home. " The Salvation lasses said: ' Don't be afraid, Miss Dickenson. God will look after us. We are prepared to die.' " Miss Laura Flavell offered up a prayer in the cabin, and we parted. I went on to the main deck along with the Salvation Army lasses, who started singing hymns. " I then hung on to a rail near the captain's bridge, when I met Mr Dunlop, the second engineer, and I said to him, ' Look after me.' " He replied, ' You stick to me.' " The ship was fast filling at this time, and I said to Mr Dunlop ' We had better make for the mast.' We then went to the mainmast, and Mr Dunlop helped me on the mast. " I clung to the rigging with very little apparel on, and was in this position for 12 hours, when the welcome dawn appeared. I saw a young man who was swimming and endeavouring to make for the mast with a

young woman, but a huge wave came and washed them out to sea."