A DETAILED ACCOUNT FROM KEKERANGU.

Otago Witness, Issue 1795, 17 April 1886, Page 11

A DETAILED ACCOUNT FROM KEKERANGU.

(Per United Press Association.)

Kekerangu, April 12.

Three survivors from the wreck of the Taiaroa up to the present have reached the shore here — namely, Sergeant Grant (A C, and torpedo instructor), Mr Hutton (a passenger, for nine years pilot boatman at Ly ttolton), and Constable M'Quartier (assistant torpedo service). Grant and Hutton swam ashore at different parts of the beach. Grant had a lifebelt, but was just giving up hope when his feet touched the shore. Hutton got in one of the boats which capsized, and then swam parallel with the shore till he reached shallow water. Hutton says he heard one of tho other men in the capsized boat cry out, and he told him to strike out boldly for shore, but nothing more was seen or heard of him. Grant and Hutton both suffered from the effects of their perilous adventure, but are at Mr Trolove's Woodbauk Station, receiving every attention and progressing favourably towards recovery. Hutton's watch stopped at two minutes past 12, which shows four hours and a-half between the time the steamer struck and the time the boat capsized and he swam ashore. Grant's watch never stopped, and dry matches were found in his clothes. M'Quarticr drifted ashore in a boat on Monday morning on the beach, between the River Ure and Flag Point, north of Kekerangu, in company with | mother man, who was quite dead. The boat turned over and righted itself several times after leaving the wreck, it being a cork lifeboat, but M'Quartier was very much exhausted when he reached the shore. He managed to walk nearly up to Kekerangu Station, and was met by the manager's son. who procured a dray and took him to the accommodation house, where he now lies, progressing favourably towards recovery. Search parties from Kekerangu, Flaxbourne, and other stations along the coast have been out looking for the -.uvvivoi-F.

Up to the present eight bodies have come ashore. Three are at Woodba nk Station — two being seamen, and one apparently rvi engineer. Five lie on tho beach north of Kekerangu. One appears to be. a passenger. Ho wears a brown tweed suit, and is about 35 years of age. He wears a moustache, is of middle height and stout build. Three others of the five are seamen, and the fifth is the man found in M'Quartier's boat, aud who is uniform and supposed to be the second mate.

Tho Taiaroa at low water on Monday evening was within about 10yds of the shore, lying steadily, with small seas breaking over. She was leaning seaward. There is 7ffc of water by tho bows. Three of the men working at the Clarence bridge swam on board and obtained dry clothes from the forecastle, and rescued a cat and monkey, which were the only living things aboard, and fixed two warps from the mastheads to the beach. There appear to be no holes or damage to the steamer above the water-line, the masts being perfectly firm and stationary. When the Taiaroa struck on Sunday night the captain ordered the crew and passengers into the boats, which were fixed astern by a line. The captain's boat got away to sea,and reached Blenheim. Another boat still hangs to the line, and floats keel upwards. M'Quartier's boat came ashore as already described ; and the fourth boat, containing the passengers, is supposed to have capsized with all hands, as wreckage of a boat, such as linings, have been found along the beach. There is not the slightest probability of any other lives being saved. The Taiaroa lies on a beach conposed of boulders and sand, and it is feared she has a hole in her bottom, as Hutton, one of the survivors, maintains the steamer was full of water before he left her to go ashore. The five dead bodies north of Kekerangu were brought up to Kekerangu Station on Tuesday to await an inquest. The bodies were carefully guarded on the beach on Monday night. M'Quartier states that there were 1 1 men in his boat when she left the wreck, but nine died of exhaustion before the boat righted itself the last time. The night was bitterly cold, dark, windy, and wet, and nothing but the physical strength of M'Quartier, who is a very powerful man, saved his life. A boisterous S.W. gale set in about 4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon in the Straits, re"placing a north-wester. It is supposed Captain Thompson hugged the shore to avoid the winJ. M'Quartier's statements are somewhat incoherent at present, owing to the awful night's > adventure. Both Hutton and M'Quartier say that the captain, after the steamer struck, remarked that he thought he was within five miles of Kaikoura, and steering into Half -moon Bay. As a matter of fact the steamer was heading direct for Clarence Bridge, in the mouth of the river, when she struck. M'Quartier considers there were 50 souls on board all told. The body of the passenger washed ashore had a leg bitten off by a shark.

The wreckage which has come ashore at present consists of several lifebuoys and the remains of the capsized boat. The body of the

man in M'Quartior's bont u-.is much knocked about. Nnno of the eight b>lies are actually yet identified.