WRECK OF S.S. WAIRARAPA.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 37, 6 November 1894, Page 2

WRECK OF S.S. WAIRARAPA.

THE SECOND OFFICER'S STATEMENT. Joseph Lucas Clark, the second officer of the Wairarapa, made the following statement: —We left Sydney on Wednesday, about six o’clock ; had moderate weather and winds, and passed Three Kings at a quarter to eight on Sunday morning, the weather being thick and foggy. About halfpast ten o’clock we passed Cape Maria Yan Dieman, and at twelve o’clock were off Spirits’ Bay, close to North Cape. At 12.40 a thick fog came down, obscuring everything. We steered a course for Cape Brett, and continued until about ten o’clock at night, when the course was altered to steer outside Big Ben (Chicken Islands). It was ten minutes past midnight when the vessel struck. We felt a severe shook, which roused everyone on board, and it-soon became known' that the vessel had run on rocks, although the night was so dark that no land was visible till the steamer struck. There was then a big sea running. The passengers behaved with great coolness. The captain, who was on the bridge when the vessel struck, at once gave orders to get the boats out; the boats on the port side were quickly got out, and some of the lady passengers got into them with great difficulty, as the ship had filled with water, and the sea was breaking over her and washing people away. We tried to launch the starboard boats, but owing to the heavy list of the vessel and heavy seas they were smashed, and the few who were in them were precipitated into the water. I do not know if they were saved. The four life rafts were set adrift and were the means of saving a great many. The boats which got afloat were the means of picking up a great number of passengers who had been swept from the deck by the heavy seas breaking over her ; a great many more would have been saved but for the fact that the ship suddenly canted over to port, and the waves coming over at the same time swept the decks, carrying numbers into the sea. She was at such an angle that it was impossible to get up the high side without crawling on one’s hands and knees. When all the boats were got off those who were still left on the steamer- were told to go to the rigging, but many of them remained on the upper deck to windward of the bridge house. The sea was then breaking continually over the vessel, sweeping the decks. About two o’clock in the morning the funnel was carried away, and somewhere between three and four the bridge, including the captain aud those clinging to it, was washed overboard. All this time the boats that had been launched were doing what they could to save life, and I may mention here that when the vessel struck life-belts were served out to every passenger. When daylight came we found that the vessel had struck against a high cliff, some 600 or 800 feet high, with no means of easy landing. We saw several dead bodies floating around us, and a few persons still supporting themselves on bits of wreckage, while a few had succeeded in obtaining a landing on the edge of the rocks. After I had seen all the beats launched I took to the rigging, and when daylight came I unrolled the jib-halliards and signal halliards, and tried to heave the flatter on shore. There were about sixty people then on board in the fore and main rigging, and several clinging to one of the starboard davits. We failed to heave it on shore, and then two men, Fraser, one of the firemen, aud Dunlop, the second engineer, tried to swim aghore with it, but owing to the tremendous sea aud backwash, they had to let go the line to save themselves, and with great difficulty succeeded in landing on the rocks, much bruised and battered. Shortly aferwards the sea was a little quieter, and Kendall, -the second steward, volunteered to take the line ashore, aud succeeded. The jib halliard rope was then hauled on shore, and by this means those on board were safely landed by being pulled through the water, with the exception of two, who lost their hold and were carried away by the current. They were passengers, but I don’t know their names. After we had cleared from the ship and got ashore, we noticed a lady in the w T ater, Miss Williams, a passenger, who had been floating about for 12 hours, and one of the crew swam out aud brought her ashore. She was supported by her life belt and two life buoys which she had picked up. It is a wonder that so many were saved, considering the very dangerous locality in which the accident occurred. Those who;were lost were principally swept from the deck or killed by floating wreckage. We remained on the rocks until three o’clock on Monday afternoon, when several Maori boats came round aud took all except 10 to Coppermine Bay, and some to Maori Bay. The rest remained on the rocks until next morning, when .they were taken off by the Maoris. Borne of our people went overland to Port Fitzroy aud reported the wyeck, and the Arygle came round and took us off, after having been on the rocks for about 86 hours. The Maoris treated us very well, aud before they came to our rescue we had managed to secure from the wreckage a number of cases of oranges. The scene on board after the vessel struck was remarkably quiet and calm, and there was no panic. The lady passengers, however, were greatly alarmed aud some pathetic scenes were witnessed, especially in the case of those who had children. It was* very difficult to get to the boats, owing to the great list of the steamer, and the fact that the lower part was under water, while heavy seas were sweeping over the decks, carrying everything before them. The crew and passengers who were saved lost all their effects. The captain behaved as iHi great coolness, and stood on the bridge..till he was

carried away. I hope I may never see such a scene again, Wellington, November 1.

Of the passengers for Wellington by the Wairarapa, Miss Annette Paul, one of the saved, is the lady who endowed the Pauline Home, Cuba-street, opened by the Wellington Salvationists a few days ago as a home for fallen woman. Miss Paul has for the last few years devoted a large part of her means to the philanthropic work of the Array, and is now just returning from a trip to England. A very sad case is that of Mrs Tuxsworth who was coming from Sydney with her child. Her husband is a bricklayer, and lately came to Wellington, from Sydney to prepare a home for her. He now lives in Oriental Bay, and the poor fellow, distracted with grief and anxiety, has been applying all day in the hope of getting news of his loved ones. Unfortunately, there seems only too much reason to believe they are lost. Mr and Mrs Tuxsworth had been married for only five years. Several public fixtures for to-night have been postponed on account of the disaster. Auckland, November 1. The police left by the steamer Argyle with 50 shells to bury the dead. A party also left with a postal officer and diver to recover the mails, if possible. The mayor has started a relief fund, and suggested to the Premier, in reply to a telegram of sympathy, that the best method of showing it was to give a substantial sum to the relief fund. The Union Company have given afitout to such of the passengers and crew as required it, and the southern passengers were sent southward by the Tasmania to-night. Flags are half-mast on the shipping, public buildings, and throughout the city.

A preliminary inquiry commences to-morrow.

Very conflicting accounts are given of the conduct of the captain, but the facts will no doubt be elicited at the enquiry.

Many gallant acts of heroism are recorded, and the scene of the deaths of women and children are described as horribly heartrending. The wrecked steamer lies on a ledge of rock, partially wedged into the rock of the cliff, with a great deal of her top hamper gone, including the funnel, &c. It is stated that should she roll much she will slip off the ledge into 80 fathoms of water.

The passengers of the Wairarapa held a meeting at the Albert Hall, and passed resolutions regretting that the discipline of the boats was not better, and orders given more promptly for lowering the boats. They commended the conduct of the stewards, stewardesses, and engineers. The chief engineer remained at his post till* the water got well into the engineroom, when he got out of the skylight. Names of the crew drowned :—Captain, John Mclntosh ; chief steward, H. H, Judd; F. McLean, J. McDonald, and ' Croucher, stewards ; Miss McQnaid and Miss Grimwood, stewardesses; H. Monahan, baker, H. Vicar, chief cook; A. Holmes, assistant forecabin steward; Cooper, Jones, J. McGee, Murrell, and Burke, firemen ; Simpson, McLeod, and E. Pratt, sailors; McDonald, boy. Approximate list of drowned: Misses Read, Sullivan, Barton, Arkle, Scoullar, Robottom, Arkeen, Flavall, Knight, 'Glen, Mesdames Skews and three children, Baldwin, West and two children, Hill, Rayward (with two infants), Waterhouse and child, M. Smith, Stewart, Manderson, Rhodes, Scoullar, Smith, Ryan, R. Hollis, Fyfe, Rev. Serahim, Messss McKinnon, Spencer, Breen, , Ranting, Scoullar, Warry Cullingford, White, Chick, Staffache, McKivor, Dunkley, Bray, Whaley, D. Drysborough, J. Bowker, A. Kelly, West, W. Fergus, Mr and Mrs Butler, Messrs Stuckey, McKenzie, Johnston, Gordon, Melisie, Beregar, Martin, Davis, Bird, Howland, Bailey, Ross, Wong Chang, Chang Wau, Sin Wai, Wong Jun, Lereoy, Veneke, Lyon, Bramwell, Stanley,-Donovan, Fisher, McMillan, Mesdames Truckworth and Rosemergy, Misses Pitcher and Rosemergy (2).