WRECK OF THE S.S. TARARUA.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 4, Issue 201, 11 June 1881, Page 2

WRECK OF THE S.S. TARARUA.

In the summary of news per Miranda published ill our last ism-, we referred to the lo« of the steani'M- Tarawa on tho New Zealand coast and to tho terrible sacrifice of life attendant on thu' disaster. The following details of (hi melancholy event ar-« from the columns of the Town and Country Journal of May 7th.— Avcki.asi', Saturday. j The Union Company's steamship Taru|rna, 828 tons. Captain E O. Garrard. i wddle mi the voyage from Dunediii to j Melbourne, went ashore on the Waipapa : reef, 25 miles north of the Biurl', and • close in shore. Considerable anxiety is ! felt for the safety of the passengers, and j the steamer Hawea has left Dunedin for I the scene of the wreck. The extent id' | the damage done to the vessel is at prvi sent, unknown ; therefore it is not known if she can be got nil the reef, but every I assistance is bring sent to the vessel. She j is insured for £14,01)0, the sum of £OOOO being in English offlcos, and £SOOO in : colonial offices.

While tho bouts of the ill-fated steamer were conveying the passengers ashore three of them were swamped ami overtut tied in the- surf, and several pel-sons are reported drowned. When the vessel struck the reef, which was at ."> o'clock yistetday morning, women and children were swept from her decks, where they bad run. panic-stricken, from the cabins, by thu heavy seas which broke aboard the vessel. Other persons are plainly to be seen from the shore clinging to the wreck, but the settlers although only half a mile from the wreck, arc; unable to render them any assistance, although besought to do so by heartrending cries from those aboard the vessel. Out of ovel 100 persons known to have been on board the Tararua, oulv 12 have as yet be.-u lando I. Sunday. The steamer Tararua short I v after striking the Waipapa Reef parted amidships, swamping the boats alongside and drowning all the women and children, ami when the Uuwea, st'iimer, arrive 1 at. the scene of the wreck tho Tararua had disappeared from viow. The steamer had on board 82 passengers a d (in of a crew, only 10 of whom have been saved. Among the passengers were tho Rev, Mr. Watcrhousu and sou, of Melbourne; Mr. John (i. Eva, of Dunedin; Dr. Campbell, wife, and live children, of Ohristehuvch; Revs. Messrs. Armitage Mitel-oil, and Richardson, delegates 'to tho Wesleyan Conference, short)v to be . held at Adelaide.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. 'I'll!; most, intense excitement wits occasioned in Melbourne when tin: news of the almost, totnl loss lit' tin: passengerand crew of the s.s. Turarua was ei.blod from New Zealand. Tin: Melbourne Arr/tti savs tliat the. office of Messrs. M Meekan, Blackwood, and Co., and the telegraph office were besieged with a throng of anxious inquirers, wlio feared tln'v might have had friuuds or relatives .in board tin.' ill-fated vessel. •>n Sunday the lint of passengers was posted at tintolegrapk office, where there was a constantly changing throng of persons, all eager to learn the namesof who those had met their death.

Among tlii.' passengers lust, were throe \ ministers occupying prominent jicisitituis i iu connection witli lliu Weslovuu Church l in tliu colonics. ']'hu Rev.Jos'cph Waterhonse, was wull known in Victoria. 11 * • i was a son of the U.iv. John Watorhouso, who cuiuu out from home as general superintendent of tin.' Weslevan missions in thu Polynesian Island-. Thu Ko.v. Joseph Wiitorlumso spent several years :us :i missionary iu Fiji, hut. has latterly ij« ■• -ti stationed in \ ictoriu. In January last tho Wesloyan (\mforonce appointed liini to the Sandhurst circuit, ami In- held the position of chairman of limt district, lie went to New Zealand .1 few weeks since to visit 11 son, vvlio was ill delicate heath. and both appear to Intvti been on hoard thu steamer wliott she foundered. The R...V. J. Watcrhouso was widely esteemed as 1111 übln preacher and a/.i•ahins hardworking minister, who hold u high position in his church. Tliu Rev. John j li. Richardson was president of tin; N'ew 1 Zealand Wcsleyim Conference, ami was stationed at Ullistehurcll. The Rev. John Annitage, of Looston, ' antcrbury, | was editor of (he Xar /(aland Wt'xkyiia. linth ministers had spent their niinislerial ' life in New Zealand. The reverend g<;n- | tlemen, together with Mr. li. -Mitchell' and Mr. Comicll, lay delegates, were on their way to attend''tin.' Wesleyutl Ueucrid Conference, to commence in Adelaide on the 11th instant, \\\\ John Oliver livu was a nephew of tho lion, R. Oliver, the present Minister of Public Works in the New Zealand Ministry, and was general manager of tho Hardware Company of New Zealand, lie was well-known throughout tliu whole New Zml.iml proviuccs, and was 11 magistrate for the Otagu district. II" was ithout to visit his mother, who i.s lying seriously ill in this eitv, when he met his untimely end. His death will In. deeply regretted by II largo circle of friends iii Melbourne. The Tttraruii, after passing into the : hands of the Union Company of New Zealand, was for some time under the command of Captain Malcolm Muir, who wiw succeeded by Captain V. liarrurd, u young shipinast.-'i ..f great promise, and who formerly lield comiuaiid of the Albion. [Captain GlUTiird was a brother of Mr..l. (iarrard, M.L.A, for Hulmain.j Much regret has been i-xpressod for 1 liiptniu Garrard, who bad gained the esteem of ! his pnMOllgero dining the pelli»l he held command, It Istilitl thit be was on the 'eve of being marrrd to n young lady

resident at Eniornlil-liill. The Tavnrun il will ho recollected, came into some notulietr nut Jong iv° "" n ( '''" un ' °f 'be abstraction "fah >s*of .goldvalued at£sooo. She arrived huro under the cauiumuil uf v-'ajitaiti Canard, oa Match 19, her List ippoarnnco in tilts port, and ilie cleared 'it again on March 22, for New Zualaml ports, via Hnbart'Town, with pHSsjLMigerii' uiiil cargo. From New Zealand the Tarnrua went to Sydney, having theio on tlie return voyage on the 14th ultimo. She arrived at Kussell, New Zealand, on the 17th, ami went on from that place to Auckland, leaving there on the 2lst for the southern ports, The locality of the wreck, AVmjia|ia L'oint, is near "the southern extremity of (he Middle Island of New Zealand." It is met with on the inn hy steamer from Duuodin to the IMuH*. and is almost invariably passed very early in the morning, as the time ior leaving lhineilin is usually 4 p.m. Por a considerable distance "after leaving Duuediu the coast line trends iu n south-westerly direction. The shore is bol'.l, with deep water eloso to the strand. One of the principal landmarks is Nugget Point, a bold projecting headland with three pointed rocky islets nearly half a mile off. The lighthouse at the extremity ■>( the point shows a lixed white light 200 ft above the sea, which in clear weather can be seen about >'H miles off. Tlie coast bears the same direction for tho next 2"i miles to Chasland's Mistake, and then inclines morn to the west, live miles to Brothers Point, where the elevation of the cast decreases, and the direction changes still more to the west. Slope Point, which is eight miles from Brothers l'oint, is often j in thick hazy weather or at night mistaken for \V'aipapa Point, seven miles laud a half fllltlier west. .Slope Point, j which is actually the most s mtheri) por- ] tiun of the lliddlo Island, is a low |treacherous point, with a reef running 1 fully two miles out to seaward. It is j lint considered safe to approach nearer | than three miles to this point. Waipapa l'oint, is low and sandt, with iiiunerous rocky ledges, wliic.i 10 icier it imprudent for vessels to appioicli within a league. It is not till elci r ng this point that ti a light on Dog Island can lie seen. There is always a heavy swell on this part of tho coast, and when tho set of the tide, which runs aliout six miles .in hour, is agaii.tt the sen, the turmoil is as »reat, if not greater, than it is at Port Pel lip lloa< a under similar circumstances. Hvun iu calm weather the Sea Within the broken ground is so wild and treacherous that a I ooat can hardly live in it ; but when ! there is a strong S.W. wind blowing it | is almost hopeless to attempt to launch la boat. l.'aiitaiu Garrard evidently imagined he was far enough south t.» I dear this point when he hore up lor the I Will?. On the trip from Diuutdiii to the B.ull there, arc no dangers a mile oil snore except at Slope and Waipapa P.iints. The line of soundings on tho Admiralty chart shows a perteetly safe course to steer by, but it is never kepi by the captains oi steamers, who usually ! hug the shoie too closely, iu order to make ! a shorter course.