(By Our Special Reporter.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1540, 14 May 1881, Page 11

(By Our Special Reporter.)

Saturday Now that one has got back to Dunedin, and has been able to read everything that has been published concerning tho wreck, it seoms to me that a few further particulars of a general nature may be furnished which may be of interest. The reports I was able to send from tho scene of the disaster were not so full as I should havo liked— a oircumstance to bo accounted for by the fact that having to forward tho reports by telegraph after a day's hard ride, I was careful to send only what was of present importance. There are now some points upon which I would like to amplify somewhat. In the first place, thero appears to be a good deal of haziness about the exact place whore the vessel struck. In the published statement of Captain Cameron, marine superintendent for tho Union Company, he saya he found that the vessel lay to the north of Waipapa Point. This ia not correct. She lies at Otara Point, which is south of Waipapa Point four miles— or perhaps it should be called west, but at any rate 80 much farther down the coast. These two points appear to be frequently confused, for even in Connelt and Moodie's excellent map Otara is marked " Otara or Waipapa Point." The true state of matters is this. After passing Waikawa Bay, one comes to Slope Point, a long low promontory that juts out to a considerable distance. Then, three miles farther down towards the Bluff, comes Waipapa Point, a bluff headland that of itself would be a source of no danger, only that from it runs a dangerous reef seaward. Four miles still farther down comes Otara Point, which is the northern extremity of Toi-Tois Bay. There are two reefs in the bight formed by Slope and Otara Point which are dangerous. 'Iho northernmost one is Waipapa reef, running from the point of that name pretty well straight out to sea. In heavy weather the sea breaks on it for a distance of four miles out nearly ; but I was assured by a coasting captain that in anything like ordinary weather a large vessel could pass within two milc3 of the land at the spot. The southern reef is Otara reef, which runs at an acute angle to the shore for a distance of a mile and a-half. It is the Otara reef that the Tararua struck on, and she struck on the landward side of it. Tho beach between Otara and Waipapa is an open sandy beach, and usually a heavy sea runs in on it. The vessel lies half a mile from shore. The extraordinary thing is how she got there —how she ever passed Waipapa reef. That is a matter, of course, which may be made plain at the inquiry. Meantime, there the Tararua lies, inside the reef, which breaks the sea, so that there should be very little difficulty in ordinary weather in getting to the spot with a small craft. Care would be required, because sunken rocks are pretty numerous throughout the bay. The reef is not a continuous one, and I was assured by a gentleman who knows it well that had the vessel come 10 yards or so farther in she would have been able to run right through a gap, in which case she would have quickly struck the sandy beach. It is an easy thing to lock the stable door after the steed is stolen, and any number of people can now propound any number of plans by which the passengers could'have been saved. But there 19 always the fact to be remembered that there was no suspicion of j real danger until all these plans, or most of them, ' were rendered of no avail by the heavy sea which arose with the flood tide. There is one thing, however, which has struck me as being particularly strange it was not thought of ; and that is, the idea of communicating at once with the Bluff. The advisability of communicating with the agents did suggest itself to the captain early, for as soon as daylight had come he sent a man to the shore, who had instructions to go to the nearest telegraph-station. Probably the captain had no idea where the nearest telegraphstation was, and consequently he would not know how long a messenger would take to reach it. As a matter of fact the messenger did not reach a telegraph-office till half-past 12 in the day. Now the captain and officers knew perfectly well where the Bluff was. It was not, in a straight line, 20 miles away. A boat with four oarsmen, even if they could not use a sail (if there waa any wind it was favourable) could have reached the Bluff in four hours. Thus, if it left at C o'clock it would have got to the Bluff by 10 o'clock. There the 1 agents could havo been telegraphed to, and the Kakanui might have been on the scene to render assistance much earlier than she was. Of course the captain might not have known a steamer was available, but there was the likelihood of it. And it doe 3 seem that to have done as suggested was one of the first things that should havo suggested itself to the captain. Nothing reliable can be stated about tho probabiliJ ties of bodies coming ashore. I have previously referred to the case of the William Ackers, wrecked at Waipapa. Three out of eight bodies came ashore from her, and two out of the three not for six weeks afterwards. By the way, speaking of .the William Ackers reminds me that the name of the captain of that barque was Lindsay, which also is the name of the chief mate of tho Tararua ; and it is perhaps worth mentioning that the two, though not related, were schoolboys together at Montrose, in Scotland. To revert to the question of bodies coming ashore, 1 it is probable that what would bring them in 1 greatest numbers would be a heavy eouth-easthely gale, or even south-westerly, for tho coast-line at that place runs almost due west. But many of them are certain to be entangled amongst the debris of tho wreck under water, or have made thoir way into crannies of the reef, in which case they may be so covered up with scasvecd and sand as to be held there for ever. And another thing that should be mentioned is that sharks abound along that part of the coast. Under all the circumstances it is likely enough that very many of the bodies of tho unfortunates whoso deplorably met their fate on this occasion may never be heard of.

The wreckage which has come ashore is, as has been already btated, of an unimportant description. Very little has uomc in since Saturday and Sunday. Only some half-dozen passengers' boxes came to land. The most valuable portion of the cargo which came was 50 or 60 casks of limejuicc. These may be worth romoval, which nothing else of the cargo is. The beach at Otara-that is, directly opposite the wreck -is strewed with timber of all lengths, size 3, and descriptions. The most of it is broken and splintered to such an extent as to he valueless', but thero ia a largo quantity of cedar

amongst it ; and, if this could be utilised in no other way, if some enterprising person were to get hold of a lot of it and turn it into small fancy articled, he could sell them as relics of the wreck and make a mint of money. The Government will no doubt take stops now to put a light on that pait of the coast. It should have been done long since. Waipapa Point would be, perhaps, the best place for it. Slope Point extends farther seaward, but it Ls very low-lying. Tho other i is a bluff, which gives it the advantage in this respect, ! and besides, tho reef from it extends ko far to sea. that mariners would find a light on it the best guide. The miners at Waikawa deserve agood deal of praise for their action. They only knew of the occurrence by the material coming ashore and floating by, and it was not till Monday, when a lifebuoy was picked up with the ship's name on it, that they had any idea what \ ebsel was wrecked. It was Tuesday ere any of them knew where the wreck had occurred. All the time they kept up a sharp look-out, and a number of them were on the beach aU Sunday and during the whole of Sunday night. The settlers at Otara and Toi-Tois also, as has before been stated, did all in their power to help the survivors. Two or three ladies bhould be specially mentioned. These are Mrs Paddon, Mrs Boyer, and Mrs Stratton. On Friday Mrs Stiatton supplied a quantity of food and warm clothinu, which Mrs Paddon conveyed oa hor-eback to the survivors from Foitrose at about 10 o'clock at night. The distance is about 10 miles. Mrs Paddon, too, performed the last offices for the young lady (unidentified, so far) who first came ash, re; and again on Wednesday, Mis Paddon and Mrs Boyer did a like service as regarded MibS Aitken, the stewardess. The task must have been a remarkably unpleasant one, and owing to the want of timber to make a coffin, the two ladies were detained at the <-tation until after 9 o'clock at night ere they could fully accomplish it. There were exceptions, however, to the good conduct of the settlers, for before the police arrived several articles tiiat came ashore of more or less value disappeared. Perhaps the most reprehensible thinjr was the breaking ope.i of the passengers' boxes that came ashore. Those belonging to Dr Campbell were thus treated and the contents were not improved by being turned out on the sand. I heard that Dr Campbell's brother expressed himself strongly about the matter. A box was found at Boat Harbour, near the Toi-Tois, which was su-piciously like having been opened, emptied, and put to sea again. It was quite empty, and the cording around it seemed to have been freshly put on. The police would probably make inquiries into this. The suggestion about sending a photographer was put into practice. When I left, Sir Henry, of In\ ercargill, was on the beach. He had taken excellent pictures of the four bodies first found, but I should imagine that the five got on Wednesday would be difficult to take. The features were not disfigured by bruises or anything of that kind, but the flesh had sunken in greatly ; it was much d scoloured, the hair hanging loose from the head— and altogether a photograph of the faces would have been repulsive. I may mention that Mr Henry was busy taking a picture of a quantity of the wreckage, in tho midst of which it was intended the chief mate and the sailor Denz should take their seats. Pictures like this should sell well, which no doubt was the object. Some uncomplimentary remarks have been published aboutj the Invercargill "volunteers"— that is, the people who came from Invercargill to help to bring bodies ashore, &c. The remarks were probably truo enough about one or two individuals, but they were too general. As a whole, the volunteers did good service. Several of them worked well ; but one or two are said to have distinguished themselves by paying close attention to the station-hut fire, and there was a question whether they had ever been seen on tho beach. The police who were on the scene had not an enviable duty. There was generally a bitterly cold wind blow* ing along 1 the beach, and from the break of day they had to koep a good look-out, particularly about tho time of high water. Several Canterbury people who were interested in persons who had been on board the boat arrived at Otara on Wednesday night. One of them came all the way from Eangiora. Amongst them was Dr Campbell's father, who had a trying journey. Ho wisely stayed only a few hours at the place, and returned on Thursday. He had to leave Fortrose at 4 o'clock in the morning by coach to catch that day's train for Dunedin. The entertaining of the whole of the visitors to the wreck fell upon Mr Brunton, the owner of Otara Station. As during the four days, from Sunday to Wednesday, 60 persona had been at the place from Dunedin, Invercargill, Christchurch, &c, whilst the police put up there, and many of the local settlers also for a short time, it will be seen that their entertainment meant something ; and whilst Mr Brunton did what he could for the survivors with the utmost willingness, it may well be pardoned to him that he had some objections to do all he was asked to do as to the others. His sheep, potatoes, and grain were levied upon to a considerable extent. In connection with the number of visitors it is worthy of notice that at least one country resident rose to the occasion. This was Mr R. A. Eliott, of Wj ndham, livery stable-keeper. No single person who came was detained by inability to get horse or coach, and the resources of his stable were shown by the fact that he had no less than 10 horses out at one time. OTHER PARTICULARS. Tho Union Company have received a cablegram from London asking if George Moore Frean was a passenger per the Tararua. There is no trace of his having booked. The Company will be glad if he will communicate with them. Referring to the loss of the three clergymen who were on board the Tararua, the New Zealand Times says:— "lt \i not a little strange that the Rev. Mr Williams, lately removed from this city to Wanganui, and the Rev. Mr Lee, of Nelson, both delayed their departure because they preferred making the voyage in tho Te Anau ; and that, the Rev. R. Bavin, for.a similar reason, left in the Wakatipu on her last trip to Sjdney." Tho Southland Times says :— " One of the bodies that came ashore on Wednesday from the wreck of the Tararua was that of Mr William Davidson, ono of the stewards of the vessel. Mr Davidson was not altogether unknown here, and from an old friend in town we learn that he was the son of the late Rev. Mr Davidson, of Buxsburn, Aberdeenshire. He was well connected, his mother being a relative of the celebrated Sir Roderick Murchison. Mr Davidson's father died while he was young, and when quite a boy he took to a seafaring life, which he had followed up to this sad disaster. He had been for a considerable time in the service of the Union Company— chiefly on the coast, and had only lately been transferred from the Rotorua to the ill-fated steamer. One of his brothers met the same fate while bathing some years ago; another is supposed to be in America. Mr Davidson's widowed mother re3'des in the village of Aberlow, Banffshire."

Monday As considerable misunderstanding has arisen in con. nection with the wreck of the steamer Taiaivia. particularly as to the instructions issued t.y ihe I uion Steam Ship Company to the cornmcv:i<'as ot rtieir vessels, our shipping reporter deemed it au . isame to [ procure a copy of tho instructions issued by the Managing Director to the commandos of \Ls stef.mew under the Company's flag. They are cf a.i exnaustivo nature, and, we arc sure, will be cv.iMun-e as :o the care displayed by the Company for tu 1 ?atery of both passengers and cargo. The following is a copy of the letter of instructions issued by the Union Company to the masters of their vessels, dated November 25th, 1878 :— " Dear Sir,— ln order that there may be some degreo of uniformity in the discipline on board the Company's vessels, I have issued a few general instructions for the guidance of officers. A copy thereof is enclosed herewith, and I would ask you to see that proper attention is paid to them on board ithe steamer under your command. „ " I also place before you, for your own guidance, a few directions which I beg you to observe carefully. "When away from your home port 1 wish you to srive your attention at all times to the ship's business and the interests of the Company, especially give your personal supervision to all cargo operations after ordinary working hours. " Give particular instructions to the officer m charge of the bridge that when 1 he ha* any doubt as to the. safety of the course on which the steamer may at any time be proceeding, he shall on his own authority, and without waiting to consult you, stop the steamer and then seek your directions. Any officer neglecting this duty shall, on proof of the same, be dismissed from the Company's service. _ "I would suggest that you have a 'Ivight Orderbook,' to be kept on the bridge, and into which you should note each evening the courses to be steered during tho night, and any other instructions for the officer of the watch you may deem necessary. " In dense fog the lead must be kept constantly going, and if Hie bouudings suggest the smallest doubt of the course you are running, you shall then turn your vessel's head off from what you conceive to be the direction of the land, and wait until you are enabled to ascertain your position. " Make observations whenever opportunity offers tc ascertain the deviation of your compasses, and record tho same carefully for after guidance, i

"On ocean voyages, independent observations should be taken by the chief officer and yourself, and the separate results recorded in your private °^' You will be good enough to advise me promptly any instance of drunkenness on the part of any of your officers, and such offender will be instantly '""iTmust also be distinctly understood that the Directors do not approve of masters or officers joining with passengers in any gambling games on "Neithe^masters, officers, nor other employes ot the Company are permitted to trade, and you wn please see that this rule is strictly observed, and also check firmly anything in the shape of smugin '?bn the completion of your round trip, you will hand in to the office a report of the voyage, on the form supplied for that purpose, making special mention of any unusual weather, or of any occurrence out of the ordinary routine. . •• If you have any cause of complaint against any of your officers or other employes on board, be good enongh to communicate the same to the Marine {superintendent immediately on arrival, and also hand to him a note of repairs you deem nee ssavy to hull, spars, rigging, &c, and a list of deck stores required for next directions are place .1 b fore you for your guidance, and you will exercise what further precautions your experience and judgment may suggest. The Directors depend upon your unceasing care and attention towards the safety of ship and cargo, and the maintenance of proper discipline and good-feeling among those on boaid." Captain Sundstrom, of the s.s. Kakanui, kindly supplies us with the following information. On his voyage to Invercargill on Thursday he called on the way at Waikawa, and landed there two carpenters, with a supply of timber for making coffins. The carpenters were sent by the Union Steam Ship Company. lie took from Waikawa the body of the man Gorton who was groom to Dr Cotterill, of Invercargill. This body had come ashore at Waikawa the previous Sunday. Captain Sundstrom delivered it at limaeargill on Friday On the trip back to Dunedin he called at Boat Harbour near Toi-tois, having received instructions to do so frun the Union Company. He saw there Mr Stewart, the Company's Inveveargill agent, who is new at the scene of tho wreck on behalf of the Company. Mr Stewart informed him that 14 bodies were then lying at the station which had come ashore, but they were in too advanced a stage of decomposition to allow of their being taken to Dunedin. He also stated that Mr Spenco , of the Survey Department had laid off an acre of Crown lands near the BtotionVin which all bodies coming ashore would be buried. Ten bodies had previously been interred at Fortroso. Captain Sundstrom also called at Waikawa on Saturday, but no more bodies had been seen there, nor had any wreckage come to land of any importance. Tne carpenters landed on Thursday had walked on to It was during the forenoon of Saturday that Captain Sundstrom called at Boat Harbour. Up to that time, therefore 24 bodies had come ashore at Otara, nd two at Waikawa (Gorton's and the boy's); and as nvo were brought on by the Hawea to Dunedin, the total recovered from the wreck up till Saturday was 28. Tho number of persons on board must have been Friday's Southland Times says :—" We learn that Mr Henry, photographer, returned to town from Otara this morning. Ho has succeeded in obtaining photosra -hs of all the unfortunates whose bodies have been recovered and has also taken the likenesses of several of the survivors, iuchidmg the first and secoud mates ol the Tararua." The Mount Ida Chronicle understands that a description of the late Robert Brown has been supplied to the authorities, who have forwarded it to tho search parties on the beach in the neighbourhood of the wreck. Referring to the deceased man, a correspondent of the Chronicle writes :— " So it is now beyoud doubt that poor Bob Brown has met his end through the fearful wreck of the Tararua. He had just disposed of his affairs here, and was on his way to the new diggings at Temora, in New South Wales, leaving in the best of spirits, and in high hopes to revisit Naseby again in about six months' time. His determination to go to Temora was suddenly formed, and against the wishes and advice of his friends ; but he was deaf to their remonstrances, and nothing would make him change his purpose, not even the delay of a day. Brown was one of the early pioneers of the district, and one of the original prospectors on Mount Burster. It is a remarkable fact, and one worth repeating, that the entire party of three came to sudden and untimely ends. The first was MiAnthony Guffie, a general favourite, and possessed of many estimable qualities, who was killed by a fall of frozen enow on Mount Burster ; the second was Mr Aleck Forbes, who was killed by a fall of earth while working in his claim. Poor Aleck I he had many friends. And last of all is Brown himself. Who can tell what passed through his mind when holding on for life in the rigging of the ill-fated steamer ? The oft-repeated-and-as-oft-rejected advice of his many friends no doubt occupied a prominent place in his thoughts ; and the wonder why he was impelled, by a hidden and unseen influence which brooked no delay, to leave at that particular time, Heaven alone can tell. He was one of the few who again returned to this place from the Palmer diggings, having had many narrow escapes, encountering many perils, and where his life was at one time despaired of. After recovering his health again sufficiently, he took a trip Home by way of America, where he spent some months, arriving in time to be present at his father's death, and to perform the last sad services After a brief absence he came to the Colony again, starting mining in Naseby. After a good deal of persuasion he consented to make his will, which was executed before he left. He has let many friends in this district, who deeply regret his untimely end at the young and active age of 47 years." "Dimes" writes as follows to the Lyttelton Times: — " I think there is one 10-son which the late disaster should teach the travelling public, and that is the utter folly, in these days of banking facilities and other means of exchange, of people taking money with them more than they are likely to requfreon the voyage. Reading yesterday in your is-»ue ' John Williams' Statement,' we have two cases mentioned of large sums of money having been i aken on board, and of course in the excitement of a wreck there is neither time nor means very often of securing 1 the treasure, and the consequence is that though, as in these two cases, the passengers may escape with their j lives, they have to regret the loss of all their money, > and that may represent the savings of years. Seeing j that so little is known of the bulk of the passengers by tho ill-fated Tararua, it is reasonable to suppose that there were numerous other cases of people j carrying money, and so the result is that that which I might have been of great benefit to relatives is lost for ever. Nothing is simpler than letters of credit from a bank, or in many cases tbe companies are glad to take . care of money for passengers, giving them! a note I of hand on their agents at the end of the journey, i and the cost of a few shillings per cent, perhaps." ! The name of Mr C. Hughes, butcher, late of Oamaru, and his wife, have been mentioned in the papers as amongst those who were probable passengers by the Tararua. Mr C. C. Armstrong informs us that Mr Hughes had intended taking his departure in the ' Tararua, but was advise I to go to Sydney via the Northern ports, and left by the Rotomahana the day before the Tararua sailed on her final voyage. j Another striking example of how an apparently trivial circumstance may avert an almost certain , fatality has come to our knowledge in connection with the Tararua disaster. A gentleman who travels for a I large mercantile house in Dunedin was about to leave home on one of his periodical journeys to Southland, but on the night before his departure he had not made up his mind whether to go by rail or steamer. It all depended on his being able to be up and away in time for the train, and as he had a considerable distance to walk to the station, he went to bed quite undecided as to which mode of travelling he should adopt. His eldest son, however— a youth of 16-impelled by filial affection and a regard for the father's comfort in making the intended journey, rose at 5 in the morning, prepared breakfast, and got all things ready in ample time to enable his parent to leave by the morning train, instead of waiting till afternoon for the steamer. Thus, in all human probability, was the traveller's life saved, and in place of having to bewail his death, his wife and eight children were enabled to rejoice *t his escape. [By TeijKoraph.] (from our own corrlßfondekt.) Wyndham, May 7th. Ten bodies have been interred in Fortrose cemetery. Large quantities of bodies are now coming on shore. It has been decided to bury the remainder within an enclosed acre of land near the scene of the disaster. Some 12 bodies are now recovered, and await burial. Particulars of which are not to hand. | Later. Thirteen bodies have been recovered, and are awaiting burial. Five rf these bodies have been Identified, viz. :— John Bcoone, Alexander Rae, Win, , White, Robert Shaw, and Busall Marsh. One body is of a man about 60 yeara of age, about \ ix feet high, of stout build, with light beard mixed

with grey, heavy boots with heel and toe plates, da,-k coat, light coloured trousers. He had a.miner's chamois bag. Tuesday Amongst the passengers by the Tarawa was one Chinaman. He had received a ticket for his passage by post from Melbourne, and therefore his name did not appear on the Company's books here. He was a miner from the Teviot district. Mr M. Pym on Monday put up for sale by auction the wreck of the Tararua as she now lies on the Otara Reef, and two of the boats which were saved. He mentioned that he understood that the Government intended sending down divers to recover the old silver lost in the vessel. Two or three bids were made by outsiders for the wreck, but it was ultimately knocked down to Mr J. Mills, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, at £20. The boat lying on the beach near the wreck was sold to Messrs Nimmo and Blair for £7 10s, and the other one at Port Chalmers was bought for &V by the Union Company. Monday morning's Lyttelton Times contains a report of a funeral sermon preached on Sunday by the Rev. J. Elmslie, pastor of St. Paul's Church. The follow is an extract from it witn reference to Dr Campbell :— " One of those good and useful men," said he, " held for long years a place among the office-bearer of this church, and a place in the affectionate regard of many in this city, which those moving in other circles knew little of. He was an enthusiast in his profession, and during the past week he had not witnessed anything more touching than the tenderness displayed by those to whom he had been the minister of health and healing, if not the preserver of life. With a large measure of the perfervidum ing< nmm Sootonim that characterised the youth of his University, ho had a praiseworthy ambition to stand facile nrinceiis. How far he succeeded in this, the land of his adoption, it may not be the part of his friend and minister to .«ay. But the ambition that made him what he was as a surgeon, and gave him a fame far wider than the confines of this city, led him to cherish the desire of visiting Edinburgh, London, and other parts, that he mi"h t mark the progress of his science, and witness for°himself the latest triumphs of surgical and medical skill. And vainly do we now exclaim, What a boon it wouid have been to this community had he been spared to return to us in the full possession of such I knowledge ! But the Lord reigneth, and we desire to j say, 'Even so, Father." 1 In similar terms the preacher then spoke of the warm interest he had long manifested in the welfare of the Church of Christ, and of the evidence they were pleased to have of his genuine Christian character. He referred to the circumstance that, notwithstanding the largeness of his practice, he vas often regularly in the house of God, and concluded by expressing a hope that we should meet with those who had thus suddonly left us in "the sweet by-and-bye," and dwell with them in " the bright for evermore." Thoir landing had been a little rough, the last breakers of the ocean of life somewhat wild and heavy ; but they were now, he hoped, in the quiet haven, calm and peaceful, in "the rest that remaineth for the people of God." A correspondent writes to the Lyttelton Times that Mr Benjamin Hansen, one of the lost passengers in tne Tararua, was a Swede, well known in the Timaru district, where he and his brother were farming. They both sold out, and his brother left for Utah by the San Francisco mail. The deceased took a ticket for London, and from there was going to Sweden to see his aged mother. He was 31 years of age, dark hair and beard, and when leaving Lyttelton had on a dark tweed suit. He had a draft for £50 on the Bank of New Zealand, Christchurch, with him. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, May 9th. The Rev. Mr MacNicol, of St. James' Presbyterian Church, in a sermon yesterday, said a 8 a recent traveller in the ill-fated Tararua he had been impressed with the negligence shown in the equipment of the vessel. He was not afraid to express his conviction in the presence of the manager of the Union Company or any other persons concerned. The steamers which the Company had recently brought from England had provision mado for the safety of each individual passenger, lifebelts being placed under every pillow. Why, he asked, were not similar precautions taken on board the Tararua? If loss of life were attributable to negligence shown in not making 1 these provisions, then the blame must be laid at the door of those in charge, who were responsible for the proper equipment of the steamer. While blame thus rested on the management of the vessel, the Government were also greatly at fault. The New Zealand coast should bo so lighted and guarded that such shipwrecks could only take place at the direct instigation of God. A lifeboat service was also necessary to secure the safety of poor shipwrecked people. The Wesleyans are inaugurating a movement m aid of the fund for the families of the Revs. Richardson and Armitage. Napier, May 9th. Alluding to the Tararua disaster in a sermon yesterday, the Rev. Mr Sidey recognised in it a judgment from Heaven, and said that by overwork the Company had lowered the morals of their men. The Company also manifested supreme contempt for the commands of the Divine law, and the moral well-being of some of the communities with whom their trade brought them in contact in the treatment of the Sabbath. To this there had scarcely been a mutter of protest on the part of those communities whom they affected. They had been left to pursue their own way regardless of any claim of Heaven or earth. The " almighty dollar " had been the one grand consideration of all their arrangements. ' Chbistciiurcii, May 9th. Special services were held in all the city churches j'esterday in connection with the Tararua disaster. There were large congregations, and good collections, which in most cases will be devoted to the relief fund. Wednesday The following telegram was received on Tuesday from Wyndham by the Union Steam Ship Company:— " Found captain's body yesterday, with his watch, and locket containing his mother's and intended's portraits. He was buried to-day.— W. Garraiid.' The sender of this message is a brother to the de ceased captain. [By Telegraph.] (from our own correspondent.) Wyndham, May 10th. Twelve bodies were recovered on Sunday last, and 13 more yesterday. Captain Garrard's body has been identified, as has also that of Mr Jones, the purser. Some of the bodies are mutilated, and are otherwise unrecognisable, excepting by clothing or articles found upon them. It has been found necessary to bury the bodies near the scene of the late disaster, and an acre of land has been pegged off for that purpose, and which will be known as the "Taravua's Acre" henceforth. Three more mail-bags have been recovered, and two other boxes addre : sed " Dr Campbell." (Per United Press Association.) Invkroargimi, May 10th. Eleven bodies were washed ashore on Sunday night south of Otara Point. They included those of Thomas Crawford, Captain Garrard, and Dr Campbell's son : also the body of a lady passenger unidentified, and of a little girl. The other males include a Chinaman. The right arm and hand of a lady, broken near the shouldt-r, has also come ashore. Mr Stewart, of Cargills, Gibbs, and Co., returned from Otara to-day. He reports that up to 2 p.m. on Monday 68 bodies in all had been recovered, 54 of th'se having been found on Otara beach, two at Waikawa, and two recovered at sea and taken to Dunedin. Captain Garrard was buried at Otara on Monday foreaoou. A correspondent telegraphs as follows to the Evening Star :— On Sunday 11 bodies were recovered on Waipapa beach, a short distance south of where the vessel struck. Amongst them were the body of tho captain (identified by his brother), that of R. W. Crawford (by papers found on the body), that of Robert Brown (by a ring with a piece of gold quartz in the centre), the body of one female, and the body of a Chinaman. The remainder are Europeans, all males, but are unidentified. On Monday 14 bodies were recovered, amongst them Dr Campbell's eldest son, identified by his uncles. Two females (one a young girl) have not been identified. The remainder are males. The bodies now coming ashore are fearfully mutilated. The Auckland Evening Star says, regarding the Tararua disaster:— "The real significance of the disaster is not that a ship has beeu wrecked, and that many have lost their lives, for these occurrences are, we know, the inevitable attendants of tea travel. It is the fact that tho vessel was lost when she ought not to have, beeu — was throwiv away by the man entrusted with her safety. It is very painful irspeak thus of one who has paid for bis error with his life, one who has mado many pce-ona! friends* and has relatives living in the Colony. We would not use one word to deepen tiie pain wh'irti mint, he caused by the loss of a relative or friend cut oil in the midst of a prosperous career. But the Union Company have thousands of lives entrusted to their care every year,

and no feeling of delicacy must restrain us from speaking with no uncertain sound of the responsibility which rests on them to see that experienced men, who have an unblemished professional record, have charge of their ships. Captain Garrard's name has been continuously associated with disaster, and yet his promotion has been so rapid and unproeedented as to excite comment. If the rule of making officers responsible for thenwant of ' luck' had been followed, the Tararua would in all human probability have been afloat to-day. Companies as well as captains ought to suffer through 'bad luck,' and certainly the Union Company s casualties during the last few years make up an alarmin"- array— a rather striking contrast to the Cunara Company, which boasts that it has never lost a ship in the course of all its extensive traffic over tho stormy and fo<»gy Atlantic. The lesson of the Tararua ought not to be lost ; and surely if anything could impress it, the heart-rending cries of the poor creatures washed one by one from her decks and drowned within half a mile of land, and in sight of their follow creatures on the beach, will do it. A more painful story has not run"- through New Zealand since the wreck of H.M. Orpheus, and let us hope that it never will again from such a cause." , Tuesday night's Oamaru Mail contains the following items : — , To-day an intimation was kindly forwarded to us from Christchurch by letter that Mr John Chapman, well known in the Upper Waitaki district, was a passenger in the Tararua. His name has not appeared in any of the published passenger lists, but it is now well known that he has perished. Mr John Chapman j was, we believe, a brother of Mr A. 11. Chapman, the ' well-known and much-respected manager of the Company's Kurow Station. Last evening we stated that Captain Charles Bradshaw, of the ketch Good Templar, had taken a surfboat tender to Port Chalmers by the afternoon express, with the object of proceeding to the scene of the wreck of the Tararua, and securing the bodies of the drowned as they rise to tho surface. It is, we now hear, the intention of Captain Bradshaw to endeavour to recover any of the bodies that may be lashed to the rigging, or are confined in any part of the vessel, and for this purpose he has taken with him three divers. The Good Templar was to leave Port Chalmers to-day, I under the command of Captain Bradshaw, having I amongst her crew a number of old Oamaru surf- | boat hands. I We notice that the first telegrams which reached Melbourne of the Tararua disaster were of a most reassuring nature as to the safety of those on board. The following appears in the Argus of Saturday, April 30th:— "The s.s. Tararua, after leaving Port Chalmers last night for Melbourne, via Bluff Harbour, ran aground on a reef off Waipapa Point Otago Province. The crew and passengers were all landed in safety, and intelligence conveyed to the Bluff of the isaster. The s.s Hawea has been sent down to the scene of the wreck to render any assistance that _ may be required. It is not known yet whether she will be got oif again." With legard to the Rev. J. Waterhouse and son, the Melbourne Age states that their lives were insured in tho Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society for £1500 and £100 respectively,«and the amounts will be paid over to the heirs in due course. An Adelaide telegram in the Age saya :— " Gillingham, one of the passengers by the Tararua who was drowned, is S. E. Gillingham, brother-in-law of Mr S. D. Glyde, J.P., of this city. He was on his way to h-ngland to look after property recently inherited by his father, Stephen Gillingham, and he leaves a widow and three children."