WRECK OF THE MATAURA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2292, 3 February 1898, Page 19

WRECK OF THE MATAURA.

THE .STEAMER A TOTAL LOSS. ALL HANDS SAVED. PARTICULAJRS OF THE CARGO AED JNSUJRANOJTS. LONDON, January 27. The si earner M^fcrnra has been totally lost near the Strait of Magellan. Fifteen persons in one boat, and probably others, hare been saved. The Mataura went ashore at Sealers' Cove. The twelfth boat, containing tha captain, the doctor, three passengers, and 10 of the crew, arriyed at Sandy Point, a cape and town on Magellan Strait. It is believed that tbe remaining boats are safe. Assistance has been sent to the scene of the wreck. London, January 28. AH aboard the Mataura were saved, and are prooeedi&g Homeward by the Pacific Company's steamer Orcina. January 29. The Mataura struck an uncharted rock, aud was run ashore to prevent sinkkig. Eight boats, along with the one commanded by the captain, which was tha first that landed, -started for Saudy Point on the 17vh. The Mataura'a masts are visible, and ifc is expected that portion of the cargo wiU be saved. The Mafaura left Wellington, her final port of departure, on December 21. She only had three pasfen^ers, all from Dunedin — Mrs A. J. Park, Miff? Kate Paik, aud Mr Tjhomas Mill, son of the well-known -stevedore at Port Chalmers, She bad 60 on board all told. The Mataura'a cargo from the various New Zealand poets included 30,000 carcases of meat, 1200 ea>k3 of tallow, 18,000 bale* wool, and a large quantity of dairy produce. The Dunedin pprtiou was made up of ISO bales of wool, 150 tons of cheese andbu'ter, 6000 carcases of meat, and 100 casks of tallow. Prom Wellington the shipped 9063 bales of wool and skins, 223 casks of t al?ow, 3000 carcase? mutton, 228 cases lamb, arc! 900 cases meats. Mr T. Mill, son of Mr J. Mill, of Port Chalmers, had booked by the Matuara for London, and the latter received the following telegram yesterday morning from his son at Monbs Video : " Passengers all well." THE STEAMER'S OFFICERS AND CRSW. Wellington, January 28. Tbe following is a complete list of the officers and crew of the Mataura : — Captain C. A. Miilward, R N.R. ; chief tfficer, L. G. Silba ; second, E. G. Terry ; tKird, B. C. D'Accy Maxwell ; fcuv*li, B. C. Monte; surgcoa, H. M. P-tge ; chi^f engineer, R. Sutherland ; second, J. Thomas; fourth, W. B. Sneddsti ; fifth, J. Rei'3 ; first refrigerating engineer, J. W. Forrester ; second, J. Scott ; electrician — J B. Leech ; chief steward, F. Adcock ; chief cook, John Howie ; boat-wain, W G'eeii ; A B'«.- J. Warty, J. J. Siut-h, G. B. Ball, M. M'Gensin, J. King, R. Smith, A. Culves, J. M'Gilli«an, J. Baxter, W. Cassidy, J. Bro^vrs, nnd ]?. J- ff rias ; greisers, ttimm?rs, firenaeu, &j —R. JohnMod, P. O'Neill, D. Flanagan, F. G»-an!, J. | Duncan, R Armiragp, B. Dowt»nna, W. ! Matbie. M. Diamond, S. Pillxvm, T. J Set- : iaud, G P'-i-crson, F. Cha»p-1, J. WiHonghby, M. Graves, H. Martin, J. D<llun, J. A, (Soairh, W. Fraser, J. Cofiy, H. Gickles ; carpenter, J. Matbi-eson ; stewards, pantrymen, cooks, &c. — j J. Wily, R. Jarrime, B. Netbertm, A J. Thomas, W. Homing, H. lied man, J. Donovan, J. Wolfe, G Rsnnie, G. Andrew. The iffirc-s and crew numbered 60 all told. Mr Si!b,v had eooamand of tho company's ship Waipa, and when ghd was sold he was transferred to one of the compsin*/« sbenmere, subs qnently being sppoinfced chief effi'er of the Mit-^ura. Lepch is a son of the haibourmaster at West port. A series of misfortunes has befallen Captain Millward during the last year or so, for he has lost his wife and several members of his family by death. This had a detrimental effect upon his health, and he was unwell when last in Wellington. He has been connected with the company for many years, j having joined its service as third officer o£ ' one of ita sailing ships, and he is regarded as

a firsc-class seaman. At one time he was second officer of the Kaikoura, under Captain Cratcbley. " This is the first accident he has had since he went to sea. DESCRIPTION OF THE STEAMER. The Mataura was a two deck steel screw steamer of 5794- tons gross, 5289 under-deck, aud 3756 net She was built in 1896 aft Glasgow, and was of the following dimensions :—: — Length, 421 f t; depth, s^ft 6in ; breadth, 29ffe lia. Her engiues were oa the triple-sxpansion principle. She was fitted up with electric light, and supplied with refrigerating iruchinery on the latest jjriuciple. THE INSURANCES. Most of the insnrai.ee companies having branches in Dun<sdin will lose' largely by the wreck ot the Mataura. The exact amounts of the risks on the cargo in the undermentioned offieei were as follow : — New Zealand Insurance C >mpnny, £90,000 (retiueed by reinsurance to £7500) ; National, £40,534 (reduced by reiusur&nc; to £5000) ; S!*uida-d, £16,366 ("reduced by reiumrauce to £3800) ; Strait?. £8325 (reduced to £5000 by reinsurances in London ofKce^i ; Victoria, £6954- (pnrilv reinsured) ; Uui ed (Dunedin branch only), £4970 ; Thames and M-rsey (Dunedin branch), £1875 ; Alliauee (Dunedin br*nch), £3000 ; British and Fore'gu (Dunedin branch), £79C0 ; Austrian Alliance, £9?0 ; South British (Dur>edm branch), £8000 (reduced by reinsurance to £1500). Some y«ars Rgo ib wss the custom with insurance compact to charge special rates in the ease of vessels passing through the Straits of Magellan, but that custom do-.s not new prevail. Wellington", January 28. It is estimated that the total value of the Mataur&'s c^rgo was borne £300,000. Thete ■was £250,030 worth cf woo!, besides frozen meat, &c. All the companies doing marine business in Wellington hold ri^lrs on the cargo of the wre lwd vessel. One company tdoue has a line of £33,000. The net lofs of the Thames and Mertey Company will be £8000. The Comm^rcitl Union, China Traders, South British, standard, and Alliance are .'d^o understood to have heavy lines. The insurances on the vessel's hull are held in Loudon. Tee hull of the Mataura w»s iD?ured for £80,000 in London. The Ccmme'rcial Union office b*s risks en the cargo to tbe extent of £20,000, the Canton office £10,040. and the New Zealand Insurance office £33,000, but this latter is very largely re-iiiß»m d. It In under- | stood that insurances to the esteufc ff £280,000 j on the cargo can be Recounted for. j THE CASGO. (Fsom Oub Own Oobshspondsn*.) 1 Wellington, January 30. Ths loss of the cargo in cons'; qaeuca of the wreck of. the Mit&ura is the biggest sustained in the history of the colony through the loflß yf a Homeward bound vessel. Tse question of insurance is ab preseai; r somewhat difficult and compHcited one, &\id it- is impossible to get at tfee exact figure/}. It is evident, howevtr, that every New Z«aland insaranee company has risk's to its full limit of from £4000 to £8000. Tne insurances with gome ot* ihs eoTip^nie-s *re vety iarg'e, but these arc, "of eonrse, distributed amot!g»t quite a number of other companies in London. It would therefore appear that the heaviest losses are likely to be borne by the Ch'na and the English companies iri consequence 'of the reinsurances in 'London. It would sppeer that the weol is insured f'>r afc l#a*l £200,000. aad the butter and cheese for £12,000, while insurances of £20,000 on { mutton are known of here. The inso.rar.es j claims to be paid out in London will i-.nisunfc in Uie aggregate to between £280,000 aiid £300,000. All the claims are payable in London. j The Mataura was a iiue iww snip, and the j companies looked upon ber as the best risk tne I Shipping Company had — superior even to the Rakaia, now in New Zosfand waters. Tfaey are hoping, however, th&fc tljetc may bs a good deal of salvage of wool, which would not be damaged by water to any great extent. This wili all depend upon vhere the ship is lyiog, aud oatil the captain reaches Monte Video no very accurate iufcrm&tion is likely to be received on this point. Arrived there, he will no doubt cable full information on these aad other giei&fe to London. The ship kffc hera on the 21ab DdeeruuT, and as she is supposed to have been wrecked on the 32th January, it would almost eeem as if all had not go»e well with her, for, giving her ft full 17 days to reach the straits, she wo'ild thus be about five days overdu". The B«,«k of New Zealabd and the Lc*a Cntnyauy were ]*r^e fbippers by (he vessel. Some of the higgrs 1 ; lines are 18.000 balee of wool insured for £200,000, 1200 caiks of tallow insured for £8000, ax.d 30,000 carcases mutton iusured for £22,000, making a total of £228,000. Of this the Tha«i"s and Bitreey Company are responj-ible for £8000, and the Commercial Union for £22,000, while the New Z al*'ad Insurance Company's line amount 3to £33,000 (very largely reinsured), and that of the Canton Company to £1040. Ifc will be reiaetnbered thst the Ma*aura was the Rtefinier by wlrch Ihe New Zealand contingent returned to New Z aland after the Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Home, and her trip out on thnt occasion was rather an unfortuaafce one. Shortly after leaving Capetown one of the cylinder covers crocked, and this necessitated a rtduced rate of speed with a far larger cocsum»tion of coal, the vessel calling at Albany to replenish her bunker?. To add to this*, one of the ship's crew contracted typhoid fever, measles broke out among the passengers, a cull 1 developed scarlet; fever, and Mr Sutherland (chief engineer) had to reUnqu ; sh his duties for a time owing to a poisoned leg. The captiiin is generally spoken of v.f, an excellent seaman. He was born in the South of Bugland, and is the son of fh" Rev. Mr Milward and brother-in-law of Mr B trues, of Mfssi*B Kinsey and B«.rne«, of Christchurch. So f'rr 8S T can asceitain, the following are the Ne"v Z:«.bud shippers and lh^ prodace chipped : — From Wellington : W001— 1136 bales, New Zealand S-hippinEC Oompauy; 243 bile?, W. M. Bannatyne and G-\ ; 94 bales, H. ii. M'Donald aud 00. ; 83 bales, J. Nathan and Co. : 319 bales, Air ken, Wifenn, and Co. ; 408 bales, Bank of New Zeal-uvl ; 175 bales, New Zealand Loan, and Hercaut'le -Agency Company ; 3 bales, W. and G. '(urnbull and Co. ; 572 bales, United Farmers' Oo operative Association ; 21 bales Wairarapa Farmer's' Association. Vrsizen in<?at— 3oO3 carcases mutlon, 14S do leunb, Wellington Meat ljxpoi t Company ; SO ilo lamb, New Zealand ] oan and Mercantile Agenry (.'orapauy. Dairy pro-duce—s2-3 cases che-sp, National Daily Association ; ICO do, B.\nk of New Zealand. From AVang-unii : Wool— l^l l>*les, New ZeaKnd Loan and Mercantile Agency Company ; 392 balr-s, Jolmaton and (Jo. ; 192 bales, Mr Murgalroyd. From Waitara : 120 cases cheese, Awatuaa D-iiry Factory. From Napier : AVool— loG7 bales, New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company; 1273 bales, Hawku's Bay Faimers' Co operative Assotion ; 888 bales, G. D. Q. Richardson ; 1587 bales,

Johnston and Co. ; 253 bales, Ellison and Dunca* 11 baits, Wenley and Lvauze ; 7IS bales, (i. Kettlewell ; 92(5 bale?, Walter Hill; 9 balea, Barraui and Abraham; 13 bale, IJ VD k of New Zealand ; 23 bales, Bjwron «u-.d 13iitcher : 3d bales Bowron Bro?. "' From LytteLon : C 32 case 3 cheese, J. B. MacEwan. From Dunedin : Wool— 7o bales, F. Kettle. Frozen mcat-5717 carcases mutton and 24 do lamb, New Z-aland Refrigerating Company. Cheese— 3LL cases. National D^iry Association • 406 do J. B. MacEwan ; 131 do, J. R Scott ; 319 do. New Zealand and Australian Land Company • IS7 do, Tothill, Watson, aud Co ■ 16 do W !<,"• Camei on. Butter— 3oß packages, W. R. Camei'on • 958 do, J. R. Scott ; 109 do, Mackeiras aud Pfazlett. From Patea : S2 bales wool aud S casks tallow" Murgatroyd Brcs. ; 30 casks tallow, O. w! 01c' ham. Froiu Nelson : 326 bales wool, mostly from Schndeis and Cj. From Blpuheim : 26 biles wool, Bank of \s\v Zealand ; 105 bales, W. E. Cliuston. From Bluff : 353 bales wool, B*nk of New Zealand ; 100 bales, Tothill, Watson, aud Co. ; 79 bale", New Z-aland Loan and Mercantile Agency Company ; 50 cates tallow. Wolf, Sayer, and Co. ; 4461 carcases mutton, 63 do lamb, and 2709 cases rabbits, Southland Fiozen Meat Company.