THE WAIRARAPA DISASTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10200, 7 November 1894, Page 2

THE WAIRARAPA DISASTER.

THE MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY. (Peb United J?bess Association.) • Auckland, November 6. The magisterial inquiry , into the stances connected with ,the wreck of the s.s. Wairarapa w&g continued to-day. , ,

Alfred Slater Moyes, the chief officer was further examined. _He said he had not heard of the captain being found fault with for not arriving in port up to time. The company wanted them to exercise every,care, net to race. There was about 10 tpn3 of iroti in the forehpld; about 20ft from t the standard compass, which' was magnetically correct, and when the vessel struck no one could have stood on the forecastle for a moment owing to the heavy sea. That eveuing the captain told him they would slew down off the Hen and Chickens. Witness,considered,it was time to slow down, but he did. not go to the captaiu because he had everyconfidence in his judgment. He had never haard of au officer being found fault with for not arriving in port at a particular hour, and had never known of fault-finding with a master for not making a fast passage. He knew the regulation re slowing down in fogs. The second .officer was the . navigating officer., but Captain M'lntosh and witness also worked out daily sights. When the Three Kings weie sighted7the ship was about three, miles from its expected position, owing to the strong .nor'-east' u'ea.' The captain told him to getthe lead re*dy forsouhdinghoming down the coast. The staudard compass was correct on all, the courses. When the vessel struck he had not the slightest idea "where lie was, thpugh he thought they might be on the Chickens. That evening the captain tcld him, in response to au inquiry, that he intended tp slow down in the vicinity of the pen and Chickens. Witness considered it advisable to slow down then, but did npt gp to the captain because it was not hia watch on deck; alse* because he had every confidence in the captain's judgment. The steamer would have gune a nlile before they could bring her up if they found themselves going, ashore. The surf might perhaps be heard half a. mile off, but on the steamer one could not hear it 50 yards away owing to the heavy sea. It ( wa3 impossible to _ get people away frem the. vicinity of the bridge tp the rigging. -: When the ship heeled pver mpst pf the people slipped away and.wont ■over the side. The, fourth: officer, he believed, superintended the launching of the liferaf ts, He attempted to save a-mother and child, and left them in a corner while he was pulled up, intending to save them, but they were washed away. Replying to questions, the chief mate said : It is possible that some passengers may not have got out pf their cabins, and may be there still. I never heard of the captain taking opium or any other sedative.

• Cross-examined: Was any effort made to. muster the female passengers and children?— Yes; we had to ke»p them outside ths barrier which encloses the boats. They did nofc attempt to come beyond the gate. Too many men were helping to get the boats out tp permit women and children to come along. They were on the hi^h of the captain's cabin. They were not prevented .frem coming along. Were steps taken to get the women and children into the boats?— All the boats except two were broken. When we got these afleat there were no people ieft then ; it was top dark tp see them even if they had. been there. There was no mustering of the crew to ppint out the boat stations, as they all knew their stations, having mostly been en the Wairarapa for years. Thompson, the carpenter, in hi« evidence said the pinnace and mail boat only lived through the sea. The last boat drill was six months ago. The boats were overhauled the Friday before the accident, when the running gear was all right. His boat smashed as sopn as it was Ipwered. He helped to get out No. 4, but was washed overboard. Climbed back, and got out of No. 4, which was stove in, and ultimately he was rescued in No. 5 boat. They had uu women aud children pn board. During the whole time he did not hear any order given to keep the men back and save the boats for the women aud children. The last orders he got from the captain were to get out the boats and do the best for the passengers. THE THIRD OFFICER'S STATEMENT. William Herbert Johnston, third officer of the Wairarapa, deposed.- I held a New Zealand Board of Trade certificate as first mate, which was lost in the wreck. I had been over three years in tbe Wairarapa. On the last trip the vessel had 149 tons of coal besides general carge. Included in the general cargo were five or six heavy bars of steel. It was stored right under the forehatch. We had also a considerable quantity of galvanised, barbed, and plain wire for fencing. This was stored forward in the 'tween decks. There were about 200 tons of coal in the bunkers. On Sunday morning I relieved the chief officer when we were just abreast the Three Kings. The captain gave me the course. I thought we were five or six miles from the Kings. The course given me was east^alf-north. The captain left orders to i keep a good look-out for Cape Maria van Diemen. The weather was - clearer, but it had bsen hazy, nnd there was a heavy swell from the N.E. AVhen I took the log it registered fi2 miles. The log had not been set from the previous day. That would mean 262 miles. When I took bearings I could see the lighthouse on Cape Maria van Dieraen. We were about six miles off. The captain was on the lower deck. I called his attention tp the distance we passed off the cape. That was at 10.40. The captain gave the course east-by-north a quarter north. We ran that course for tha remainder of my watch. During the morning the fog came dowu thick. The last land I Faw was jußt before npon. I topk it to be Spirits Bay. It was a little abaft the beam, aud according to the way we were going we ought to have been at the. east end of Spirits Bay, or a little beyond it. After altering tbe courae the

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captain remained on the bridge for some time. He then loft, and returned just before 12 o'clock, when I was relieved by the second officer. The weather was thick and foggy. I suppose a mile and a-half ,to two miles was the mort wo could see through the fog. "During the whole of my watch the vessel was going at full speed. I came on duty again at 5 p.m. the weather was a little clearer, but periodically it would become heavier. The chief officer gave nib the diatunce as either 82 or 84 miles-t'nat would mean 114 to 116 miles from Cape Maria Van Diemen. The captain remained on the bridge nearly th* whole of my watch. A few minutes before 10 o'clock he went down to examine bh chart. During my watch we steered E.S.E. until 10.'when it was altered to S.S E. "We ran that course half an hour and then changed to south by east three-quarters east. We ran seven miles by the log iv that half hour. That course was continued until I was relieved at midnight. I th'-n resistered 38 miles by the logthat showed 180. miles from Cape Maria Van Diemen. I .was relieved by the second officer at midnight. At 10 o'clock p.m the vessel would.be £11 miles from Mokohinau lighthouse; and was bearing from the island north half east. Witness occupied some time marking the course' on the charts.

Mr Cooper: During your watch did the weather become think?—Yor; especially after 10 o'clock. During the whole of that time was the ship going full speed?— She was going at her usual speed.

Did you-have auy conversation with the captain during that time?-^Yes. Ata quarter past 11 o'clock, more as a question, because it would, not do for a junior like me to suggest, I. asked when he was'^oing to slow down, - What was his reply?— That the ship was all right; to keep a sharp look out for Mokohinau light. He said he had perfect confidence in his course. , You did not see Mokohinau?—"We saw nothine. On wbich side did you expect to see the light?— The captain -told me to keep a lookout on the port side to seaward of us.

During that night had you any other conversa-i tion ?—Somewhere between 9 and 101 asked hira if he did not-think we-were a long way outride Poor Knights.- He said we were, quite close enough to them, and might see them any minute on the sfttboard bow.

Why did you ask that question ?—My reason for asking him was because there had been a slight alteration from tho usual.course. . As a rule our usual course was E.S."E; from the North Cape te Cape Brett; theuce to the Poor Kuights the course was S.E. by E., half easterly. On this course wo should paBS froui a mile to a mile and a-half off Cape Brett and about four miles off the Poor Knights. I remarked .to the captain on the' different course we were steering from pur general, course. His reply was that the heavy north-east sea which was running would drive us too much on the Poor Knights. I asked him t» allow me to make a fog signal about a quarter past 8.. What was the reply?—He said, "No, we will not use it; it will only frighten the passengers." ; Cross-examined by Mr. pooper: You had a good opportunity during those, four hours of observing the captain's' demeanour. Did you see anything strange about him ?—Hs was, as he' always was, doing his duty. Was there aDy sign of drink upon him ?— No, not the slightest.- He was perfectly sober. The ship wai not slowed down at all during. your watch ?—No. '

Dill you turn iv when your wa'ch closed ?—No. The anxiety, caused, by the thick weather made me stoy.on deck. ~ t What happened when the' crash came and the ship went ashore?—l was then'"Standing-on the lower deck. The timewas between* 10 minutes and a-quarter past 12 Thecaptaiß, I believe, was on the bridge: ; I left him there. I did ndt see or sp^ak tb him again. •'■'-.'" ' v 'T Did,you have any orders from the captain?— The flint orders I heard after the vessel struck was, -'.'.Clear;-$e boats'.a,w»y." .It was passed along, .'l' belifeve,' ftta' ,tnb: captain.1 I went at onoe to my boat (No. i), a; lifeboat.' The boat's crew were there, or came as .soan as I arrived, and I gave instructions toclearthe boataway. I theii walked along.'the 'flying bridge." The stteragu passengers were rushing out of the steerage. I ►p ike to them, and told them to keep calm and it would, be all ,rlg"it,'.. One or two of them answersdme.' ,';-

Was the phip on an even kaelf-She was not. From the moment she struck she had a light 1-st to port which was increasing every minute. .Oue of tbe steerage passengers asked me what they were to do, and ,1 told them, to give us a hand to get the boats out. They followed me to the boat. "Which was all ready-.for .lifting?— No.' We lifted her.and had her swung out. When the ship fell oyer on her beam end to port the boat then swung in a|»in,-. and I. saw, it was; useless, an utter impossibility, to attempt to get her out, so I gave orders to cut ..w»y the falls and everythingl in connection with the.boat. This was.theonly chp.nee forthe boat floating when the vessel went dowu. -,- -■ .-■,■■ ■ .-.-

Did you think she was going down?— Yes. She was sinking all/the time. I told them all to lay: down in the bottom of the boat.' It wii's their only chance.. The first sea lilted the boat and landed, h'Cr on thh "skylight, when some were thrown out and. some'jumped'oiit. 'There were fully 25 people: in the boat, but .only three of the ship's company. Any women or children?—No women';"and only, one child—a little boy. This boy was travelling to Napier by hlinself.&rid.l landed him on-the beach.- _Jle was-saved. -Next.we-tried to get.the boat clear'of the ship. **' ", . ' Hadyoiir oars?— Yes.' Biit we first kept oiir heads to sea and drifted. There were 38 people on beard the boat, which was the-second smallest,1 known as the mail boat.'vAly'diity Jhen, was to, land the1 people as .'soon'as possible aud'get" backto the wreck. I was in charge as senior officer. As soou as I -transhipped we pulled round the ship. I was in ber with 14 others. She was stove in and was sinking. The fourth officer's boat came along and we hailed him..- He came alpng. side and took all with the exception of the-little boy, who refused to leave, and five others, including myself. We got along the-breakers off Miner's Head,' and- we had to abandon our boat aud tranship into the fourth officer's boat. We lost . sight ,of tha wreck altogether by this time, - b(tt-'-< saw 4 light" I on 'shore 'which -'" must have beea a light from the ship. We got to the Needles just at daylight, seeking a place to land, but, owing to tlieuea that .Was running, had to go about nine milus and put into Whausapoua harbour. Immediately I got them landed. I set off to walk across the inland to get assistance from the Maoris. -

Did .you send a boat back at all?—I by this time recognised that we were on the Barrier. The wiud wus blowing fresh from the N.W., andthere was a heavy sea, and if we had attempted to get back with the heavy boats .wo \Vould not have arrived at the wreck until niahtfall. We landed about 8 a.Sn., and I thought the wisestcourse was to go for assistance-to the-Maoiis. Besides, the men were all done up. It was about 9 o'clock before I left Whangapoua Kay for the ; Manris. 1 had as a /juide A young man named Kggioton, a resident of the bay. He and his father gave every possible,assistance to the survivors. ■:' We got to the Maoris about midday:

Were you clothed ?—T.had my shirt', pants, and jacket, but uo boots or stockings. " At half past 2 we g-t" backto "the wreck""! with the Maoris and four boats.- Two of my men (Davis and Campbell) were with us \yhen we gpt there. The people had left the wreck and were on the ledge, the onlj' landing place at that part of the shore. Ther were all oft" the wreck.- We: had great 'difficulty in getting tbem off the rocks owing to the heavy sea. We landed them all at Coppermine Bay'with the exception, of 10 or 12 men whom we had to leave until next morning as darkness was coming on. Did you superintend the operations ?—I left in one beat and the carpenter in another. I saw! that if I stayed in , the boat we would have to leave one or.twn bf the bedief, so I got out' and ordered the carpenter, te.get out of hi 3 boat. The Maoris cou Id do better without us. Davis and Campbell got on the rocks and passed the people into the boats. They were aniongit the 10 left all night. I walked, overland from the scene of the wreck to Coppermine Bay by the sea line. I wished, tp see if there lyprp any survivors along the coast. We hadpicked up alive four men'aud one woman who had landed .off aliferaft. The Maoris brought food aiid clothes for this women,, aud three Maori women came to the assistance of the female survivors. - •

You say you would only, hamper the Maoris in the boat '!— l considered it better to, get.round to Coppvi-iuine Bay aud make'fires "aud prepare for .the people. Where were the chief officer aud.sscond bfticer when you revisited the wreck V-r-I could see the fii>t officer standing on the lodge with the others.

Did he take any active part in getting the people into the boats?—He certainly helped. The-fourth"officer was left at Whauenpoua ?— Yes, in charge of the boats. I did not see the second officer until, the evening in Coppermine Bay that evening. , . , ..

Mr Northcroft': Was it the first or second officer you saw ?—I saw them both—the first and second officers.

Mr Cooper': Well, after you landed you got to Coppermine Bay before the boats?—No, wo were lata because of the distance and dilliculty. - .: Did you pass auy other survivor'on your way round?—No we did not. We climbed oue of the highest cliffs on the Island fo look, and few no person on land, and nothing 'but wreckage on the sea. ' , .

In what direction cau ypu see from that cliff?— You can take a range from Little Barrier right round to Arid Island, and we could" see thn Needles quite distinctly, and* the passage between. ■We took the.observation about 4 o'cleck in the afternoon, the weather-being quite clear, having moderated

Did ypu see anything afloat ?—No sign pf life, We only saw wreckage.

No sign of any pprtions of the deck or any raft with anything upon it ?—No; nothing at all. We could not see close into the coast line on the eastern side of the Barrier. In going round the Needles on leaving the wreck we saw no raft or anything with people on it.'

, Did you stay at Coppermine Bay, and who was superintending the operations ?-The chief officer took the ladies to Catherine Bayand I stayed at Coppermine Bay. In the morning ive took 10 or 12 men oft' the rocks, and I walked overland to Catherine Bay; I kept a bell - ringing all the way, but came across no one. I then walked back te Whangappua, and then, proceeded to Fitzrpy' ..arriving there on Wednesday morning. I met the An?yle'steamer and coasted round to Catherine B»v, keeping close ill shore all the way, we s-iw wreckage aud dead bodies, but nothing living. The steamer weut right round the Needles to Whangapoua to pick up survivors. I did not come on with the steamer to Auckland.

Were you acting en your own responsibility iv all you did 1 -Yes. Tbere was no chance of getting orders from the chief officer, and I did what I thought best under the circumstances.

Were you ordered tp remain on tho islaud ?—I volunteered to do so, and was authorised to do so by the chief officer. Davis stayed with me, he also' volunteered. I finally left the island on Saturday evening, at half-past six. I was ordered to cprue to the inquiry, or I shuuld not be here.

During Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday what did you do?—Davis, with ft party pf Mapris. pulled round one side pf the ifland, and I, with Egginton and his two sons, pulled round the other side and we met.

Did the two parlies make a complete circuit between them?— Hardly a complete circuit. We fouud a large number of dead, but no one living. We accounted fpr three pf the rafts. I heard the other raft was seen to sink. We collected the bedies and brought them into Catherine Bay ready for identification. We spent Tliurtdav in. examining Peter Island aud Wellington Head and the coast line in the vicinity, picking up bodies. On Priday I sailed round the coast line, and met the Argyle on her return trip. Tha court then adjourned.

SPBING BLOSSOM TEA,

THB NUMBER OF LIVES LOST. 1 Mr T. Henderson, the Auckland manager for | the. Union Steam Ship Compauy, telegraphed yeitirday that the latest information shows that there were 179 passengers on board tbe Wairarapa when she wss wrecked, of whum 93 . were savad. This leaves 86 as the number who lost their lives. As 20 members of the crew were drowned, the total uumber who lost their lives is now set down at 106.

In view of the statement made that fche deckhouse and one of the rafts were seen floating to seaward, a telegram was yesterday sent to Mr Henderson asking if b/, thought there was any foundation for this St itemenr, aud, if so, if it would not be advißablo to direct a further search. Mr Henderson's reply was as follows : — " Impossible that raft and wreckage went seaward ; all rafts are accounted for. Royalist is searching along the coast as far as Mercury Island."

CAPTAIN JAMES M'INTOSH,

In view of the various rumours which have been circulated concerning the late Captain M'lntosh, Dr Coughtrey, with the consent of his relative, thinks it only fair to the late captain's memory to let the following facts be known: —Captain M'lntosh befora starting his last voyage to Sydney had only just resumed command after being seriously prostrated by three attacks of influenza, whicb disabled bim from all duty for a month. When he brought the Wairarapa from Sydney here, and immediately after arrival, on the 28th of September last, he consulted Dr Coughtrey, complaining chiefly of great nervoua prostration, and how unnerved he felt after the influenza. The doctor orderedkitn to rest from duty, and if he was not better by the time the Wairarapa resumed her rcnuiuß to obtain longer leave. The doctor did n> t again see him, but understood, though improved, he was not quite recovered, and he suspects, from what he knows personally and by experience in travelling with the l*te captain, that he had a return wave of the. nervous prostration, which may have affected his judgment, and possibly be the true explanation ,of the late sad accident. .

The Wairarapa was at Port Chalmers undergoing overhaul on the occasion referred to, from the Z6rh September to the 10th October— a period of M days, during which time Captain M'lntosh, under the advice of Dr Coughtrey, paid a visit, with a friend, to Queenstown for the benefit of his health. He did Mot apply for leave of absence, nor did he reporfc that he was likely to require it.

SEARCHINC QUESTIONS,

Wellinoton, November 6. In the course of a trenchant article this evening's Post says :—;

Mr James Mills, the general manager of the I company, has published a statement of the regulations presumed tp govern the conduct of a com-. . mander in"the .^position that Captain M'lntosh .found.himself in* with bis;ship during Sunday 'night., * : Mr Mill's.is a gentleman of very deservedly high standing iii the commercial community of this country, and his word may be implicitly relied upon, but he only'quotes a general' regulation. Will he go into the witness box ahd swear that thef spirit of that regulation ,has .never been departed ( f rom without the defaulting officer being censured for his conduct ? Had Captaiu M'lntosh believed, that; the Huddart* Parker liner, Tasmania,',; fresh - from : dock: aiid with reported increased powers of speedj was not far behind him, and that to bring up and wait for daybghtin the,thick weather of Sunday night might enable the rival vessel to pass him, or in any event make a better time record for the voyage— what then ? Had this happened' would the proper caution of delay have beeii openly approved by the company, or,would the commander of the 'Wairarapa'felt and known that he had suffered loss of prestige through the more daring and successful navigation of the rival ship? Wouftl he have been made to feel that a further exhibition qf like caution wbiild not'raise. him'in the estimation of the responsible management of the company he served, or would he have >o.eu commended for having taken propi-r .-precautions for the. safety of-the lives committed to his care? Will Mr Mills swear that had the two ships left Sydney at the same hotir, and had' Captain M'lntosh hove to during Sunday night while, the Tasmania made a" full speed course direct to Auckland he would in the ordinary course haye approved of the caution of; Captain M'lntosh?-And, reversing the ( case, will the general manager of the Huddart-Parker Companyigwear that ithe. captain of. the. Tasmania : Iwoiild:have .been' commended 'under, like con-, ditions? '', Vv. ■'"' ■'. '; ""'" -'■■7T:'" • '■ ■••'' ■" - <.-...,.: ;'..MR MILLS'S'REPLY.' **" Mr Mills, the" managing director of the: Union Steam Ship Cbmpany, beiug,interviewed on the subject, stated that in not"one case out of a hundred where vessels are delayed by fogs—and at certain seasons of the year such/delays are of frequent occurrence nn the coast—are any questions asked, but.on the contrary, implicit reliance is placed on the judgment of the niiisters in such matters. In the very rare cases where questions i,have-been asked this has been owing to ths sur!i rounding .'circumstances being such as to render inquiry',desirable*'"alike'ih tiie" interests of tbe . travelling public 'and' of the company. Apart from the printed instructions, which are very explicit, opportunity is taken te impress upou masters fiei-sonally that risks must not be run. They are given to understand that if they do what they themselves might consider a smart thing it is never known-to. tbe management, and tiny therefore get.no credit for it. Out of over 50 ships owned hy the company only the four steamers of the highest value bave any insurance on them, so that self-interest, if no higher reason, imperatively demands that no unnecessary risk be run.

'jJJyTJJsXyyTm^CELIA^pVS:''- y; ' • Mrs Rhodes, drowned in the Wairarapa) was a resident oE OairßS, Queensland. • ;

ti'Miss Pitcher,: .who .transhipped from the German liner,' was pn her way to join the fnmily of Mr. Jefooate, ,Otsramika, (Southland, being about to be married to acoiisin. •7. :,;■■:.■,:, Auckland, November 6. • The sale of -the salvage of the Yt^airsirapa took plage to-ilay.".' The hull was ■'. bought for £70 by Mr E. Ford, and the cargo for £160 by Captaiu'H. P. Anderson. , ■_.•- .'■.- ---.-.Mr-'-D: Scoular (of Dunedin) and,Mr Sullivan (of Napier) leave forthe Barrier to-morrow to search for tbeir relatives—the formerfor his father, mother, and,sister, the latter for a ,uiece. ' .....'. ..'•.' ' . . ." ' '" ;•

No further news is expected from the Barrier till the arrival of the steamer to-morrow morning. , .; Tiie body of Mr Whalley was bhried to-day at Purewai. Mr Chamberlain, a survivor, wag chief monrner; :

The Relief Committee are relieving the most urgent case's: ' '" . ." * The Auckland Ministers' Association passed a resolution of sympathy with the sufferers. Wbllington, November 6.

Mr Mills, managing director of the .Union : Staam Sbip Company,.has telegraphed to the Premier:—" I understand thai representations have beeu made to you that proper steps were not taken to recover the bodies from the unfortunate wreck of the Wairarapa. I hope you will satisfy yourself aboufc this as far as to understand that everything was done that could be done. The third officer was left with six boats and crews from the islands to search for bodies, and we believe he did his work thoroughly. A steamer covjld hot have reached auy earlier than Friday morning. . In any case the work could be much better done by boats,"

.;.....The.amount in.hand,or,promised for the |Wa.irarapa.fund is now about £300. An openair concert is to be given on the wharf to-morrow night, and a number of other performances will be got up by various bodies. Sydney, November 6.

In her search for fche Wairarapa, the Waihora inquired at Cape Maria Van Diemen lighthouse, and picked up the Wakatipu, which was also eearehiug for the missing vessel. The Mauapouri displayed the electric light, sent up rockets, and zigzagged across to Sydney, meeting the Wakatipu at intervals. She also spoke several sailing vessels. " The National Shipwreck Association will cooperate with tbo mayor if he opens a fund for the relief of suffers by the Wairarapa disaster.

RELIEF FUND.

A meeting for the purpose of considering the advisability of instituting a relief fuud in connection with the Wairarapa disaster was held in the Town Hall buildings yesterday afternoon.; His Worship the Mayor (Mr H. S. tfish) presided, ahd amongst those present were: Bishep Nevill, Archdeacon Fenton, the Revs. Dr Belcher, W. Saunders, A. H. Wallace, J. Gibb, H. Nprth, J. liiikland, J. Chisholm, D. Borrie, J. Panton Brown, Drsßrown, Teevan, Fulton; Hons. W. D. Stewart, R. Oliver, M.L.O's, Messrs A. Morrison, D. Pinkerton, W. Hutchison. M.H.R.'s, J. Roberts, N. Y. A. Wales, W. Wills, IC. Bamsay, J. Watson (Port Chalmers), W. Davidson. G. Simmers, Colin Allan, A. X Falconer, J. H. Hancock, G. P. Farquhar. and A. Wilson. ~ .. ■ . , The Mayor explained that the meeting had been called to consider the steps to be taken with a view of alleviating any distress that had arisen througii the wreck of tbe Wairarapa. He had commuuicatiqns from the mayor of Auckland and the mayor of Wellington, and there were several letters to read from various gentlemen. In one Mi- Mills gave them seme valuable information as to the number ofthe relatives ot the crew who were drowned. He did net know what the distiess was, hut he thought it was hardly so bad as some believed, although he thought that the people would make a liberal response when called upou. He made these remarks to prevent auy unnecessary gush. While he should deprecai c anythin" in the shape of u,eauneS3, he also deprecated unnecessary generosity. In connection with the matter he might say that to the credit of the Clutha fund there was a sum of £1000, for which Messrs Keith Ramsay end C. S. Reeves wore the trustees, and he thought that.fund should be made available for the purpose _ of' relieving distress that might arise in. connection with the present casualty. The Towu Clerk then read the correspondence received in connection with the matter. The following wire was received from the mayor of Auckland, dated November 5 :—" Committee appointed to-day. Much money required. Extent of distress being investigated. Urgent cases already relieved temporarily. Will wire again in S The mayor of Wellington telegraphed as follows •—''' My committee strongly suggest common fund will ensure better distribution and prevent overlapping and possibly overMr Jo'm Mill wrote drawing, attention to the case of the four little children and nged mother of Mrs M'Donald, the stewardess; whilo Blr E S. Clarke, of Wbodliaugh streot, drew attention to the- case of the widow and family of Patrick Mr M. J. Fyfe wrote that he was that day leaving for Auckland, and took the opportunity of expressing his deep grief and sympathy with aU bereayed ones, his owu terrible loss bringing

him very near to them. He enclosed a cheque for £5 ss.

Communications were received from the Kaikor*i and Garrison Bands ottering assistance. The Engineers'* Bund also offered their assistance, and forwarded £7 9s 61, amount collected at their concert on Sunday last. Letters of. apologies for non-attendance were received from the Rev. L. J. Harrison (Jewißh Rabbi), Dr Stenhouse (who forwarded a T eheque for £2 2s), Messrs A. SSolomon, 3. W. Jago, and li. H. Le»ry. The managing director of the Union Company (Mr James Milk) wrote forwarding particulars of the position of the relatives of the crew lost. He also wrote as follows:— ,

" Kir,—l learn from the Otago Daily Times that you have convened a public meeting for to-morrow afternoon to take steps to raise a fund in connection with the Wairarapa disaster. I am sorry I shall not be able to be present, but take this opportunity of mentioning that the directors of the company are very much concerned at the great loss of life which has attended the wreck of the Wairarapa, aud deeply sympathise with all those who are sufferers by it. I do not know what steps the meeting proposes to take with regard to relief—whether the litter is to be general or confined to the relatives of such members of the crew as bel»nged to Dunedin and Port Chalmers,—but the directors will gladly cooperate in any movement which may be initiated for the relief of the distressed. I have already communicated this to the mayor of V/elliDgtofi, who telegraphed me on the subject, and mentioned that the directors will give an immediate contribution of £100 to any subscription list opened. I may also add that we have supplied at Auckland' to such of ihe survivors as require them clothing tothe extent of £100 and accommodation while waiting an opportunity of' proceeding to their homes, to which they are being forwarded at the company's.expense. lam not in'a position to give any information as to the circumstances of tho passengers lost, but as legitrds the crew 20 lost their lives, and of these 12 were single men and women and .eight married. Of the single men I understand one or two had relatives dependent upon them. Of the married all were 'bread-, winnersi and their'families are left unprovided for. I shall gladly assist you in obtaining such information as will enable you to judge what measure ot public support will be required in order to make provision for those left destitute." The Hon.; R. Oliver stated that no great amount of speaking was necessary to express the deep feeling of sympathy they all entertained with the friends andrelatives of those whose lives were lost in the dreadful disaster which had just occurred. One universal feeling of pity had gone through the community at this great tragedy. In other cases where loss of life ihad' occurred ,amongst us, the citizens of Dunedin had never been backward in expressing their sympathy both in words and activity in contributing in aid of those who had'suffered distress, and 80 on this occasion he felt certain that not only the citizsns of Dunediu, biit the > inhabitants of the whole district would not fail to contribute what was necessary to alleviate the distress which, existed in consequencel of the disaster:'''.As an instance of the geneiosity that had been shown by the people in the past ho need only refer them to the disaster which befell the miners of Kaitangata on the occasion of the explosion in that mine. The fund' which ;was raised •in consequence of that disaster was contributed to by people not only' amongst themselves biit by residents in all parts of the: colony, and the amoitht: received was, :he thought, between £16,000 and £17,000. This was found to be far in excess of requirements, and" it' had bec9me necessary recently to obtain legislation to deal with the Uußpent - portion of the fund; He would be glad to learn how the trustees stood in regard to the matter, and if the money :Could be made available for the purpose of relieving distress on the present occasion. In the meantime he would movent'That tnis meeting of citizens desire to express its profound sorrow at the shipwreck of the Wairarapa, and its deep sympathy with the relatives and friends of those who lost their lives, and its appreciation of the bravery of many of the survivors/; .' ':''*.: '

The Hon. W. D. "jTEWAßT.seconded the motion. The universal feeling throughout the eoleny, he stated, was' ene of1: prefoUnd sympathy at this melancholy disaster, and the very circumstantial details that had been furnished by the press had created wonder, as to hoiv" the disaster had been brought about. However.it was unnecessary to speculate on the 'precise circumstances which caused the Bhipwreck; Many valuable lives had been lost, and the loss of those lives hadleft a number of persons destitute* It was now their duty to see that those who had thus been deprived of support were not left unprovided for. With regard t • the Clutha floods fundi he did not think there would,ba much difficulty in* applying a portion of it afcleast to the present case: As the Colonial Treasurer was at present in town, he might be consulted on the matter. The Mayor: That is what! was going to suggest.' ' :'" '■■■:•-.: - - '. . Mr Stewart : The application of .£SOO would be amply liutticieht for that purpose. ■~-. .....' ' Mr Keith Kamsay, as one of the trustees.of; the Clutha relief;fund, stated that so far as he or his (-cotrustees were concerned they would not, he thought, raise:auy technical objection to the wholeler a portion of the money being devoted to the purpose in questiqn. There was about £1000, to the credit ofthe fund.' " ■'■ ~, -.■-.'

• The motion: was then put and carried, un^ni-, mously. ■-■ ~-... ~ ',.*;■' On the motion.of Mr Roberts the following committee were formed:—The Mayor, Bishop Nevill,. the Hoh.:Messrs Stewart and Oliver, Key. Messrs Gibb and, North, Messrs'Pinkerton, Hutchi-. son,: Earnshaw, Morrison, Millar, M.H.K.'s, Messrs Will,■ ■;Wales, John Mill, the Mayor of Port Chalmurß, and the mover, with power to' add to their number, ahd Lo do all that'is necessary to further the movement. The Kight Rev. -Dr Nevill said if they were jnmply.tb Si-nd theii; cmtributiuns to some central body, he was not qiute'^uVe" liieywi-j'H bis aril '•!,$ rightly tothe subscribers ot th'e-Cluthi' fund to pass the whole of the £1003; oVer- to some other body. His opinion was tbat'it might perhaps be better to retain locally, sayj ohe-hatf the fund as a nucleub to provide relief in catastrophes at seme future .time, .donating the other portion to the present emergency; and supplementing^that- by the subscriptions that might be raised; - The resolution moved by the Hon. R. Oliver on beiDg submitted to the meeting was unanimously adopted.-; , , ■ < ; The Hon.- R. Oliver was of opinion that a deputation should wait upon, the Colonial Treasurer and get,bim to promise to introduce a bill td indemnify the trustees for the appropriation ef a portion or ef the whole ,ef the .balance of the Clutb,a flood relief fund, as suggested. . The Hon. W. D. Stewart moved a vote of thapks to the, mayor ter presiding, and said' that they -were' indebted to his Worship for the promptitude with which he had taken the subject up arid had, given the citizens an! opportunity to express their opinions.—Carrifid. This concluded the business. ' '"'"*■■■;

At p meeting of the committee held 'subsequently, his Worship presiding, a deputation was appointed to waiton the Hon. J. G. Ward, as had beon suggested by the Hon. Mr Oliver. Mr T.S.Graham was appointed hon. secretary,and Mr William Wills ben. treasurer. Tho meetiug was then adjourned until 4 o'clock this (Wednesday) afternoon. -.'-; ,y

LOCALITY OF THE WRECK,

The Great Barrier is 21 miles long and 10 miles across at the wide-it part, and is situated on the eastern side of Hauraki. Gulf. A range of mountains of considerable elevation — the highest rising, to a peak of 2330ft—extends through ita whole length., The northern extremity of the island* is a high peninsula, ono mile in length, cbanected with the mainland by rooks, through which the sea washes. Several high pinnacle rooks stand off the extreme north named Aiguilles .or Needles > Point. From thence the western, coast trends S.W*. by S. five and a-quarter miles to Miner's Head, which fo'rmsthenorth'pointof Cstherine Bay. Ifc is in lat. 36.5 and long. 175.22, and its distance from Auckland by the ordinary sea route is 60 mites..*" The summit of Miner's Head is a conical hill resembling a behive. It gets its name from the fact tbat the head waa productive of, aud at oue time wrought for, copper. The southern point of Catherine Bay is named Separation Point, aud is marked by a somewhat singular-looking pillar. Twenty-five fathoms of water are to be found acros3 the entrance to Catherine Bay. South again, distant only a mile ,and a-half, is the harbsur of Fort Abarorombiei ■-',_..

From the fatal point fco Tiritiri the course is a rlin of ahout 38 miles; and the distance frem Miner's Head to the Little Barrier is 12 miles. lb is suggested that the Wairarapa must have sighted C»p3 Brett or Russell Point, from whence her course would be S 5.E.., making the land at Miner's Head. Prom thence she should have taken a more southerly course towards Cape Colville,' passing in Between the Great. and Little Barrier Islands. Evidently she kept' on too long on the S.S.E. course and gofc on to the rock* before being aware of her proximity to the land. "-■.-.