LATEST PARTICULARS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3599, 13 April 1886, Page 3

LATEST PARTICULARS.

EIGHT BODIES TOUND. Kbkbbancht, April 12, 11.30 p.m. The three snrvivors from the wreck up to the present are Sergeant Grant, A.C. and Torpedo Instructor j Hutton, a passenger, and for nine years pilot-boatman at Lyttelton ; and McQuarten, assistant, Torpedo Service. Grant and Hutton swam ashore at different parts of the beach. Grant had a life belt, but ■was just giving np hope when bis feet touched the shore.' Hutton- got in one of the boats, which, capsized, and he then, swanr parallel ■with the shore till he reached shallow water. Hutton says he heard one- of the other men in the capsized bo&t cry out, and he told him to strike out boldly for the shore, but nothing more was seen or heard of him.' Grant and Hutton both sfaffer from the effects of their perilous adventure, but are at Mr' Trblove's Woodbonk station, receiving-every attention and progressing favourably towards .recovery. Hutton's watch stopped at two minutes past twelve, which shows that four hours and a half had elapsed between the time the steamer struck, and the time the boat capsized and he swam ashore. Grant's w»tch never stopped, and dry matches were found in his clothes. McQuarten drifted ashore in a boat this morning, on the beach between the River TTre and Flag Point, north of Kekerangu, in company with another man, who was quite dead. The boat turned over and righted itself several times after leaving the wreck, it being a cork lifeboat. McQ.narton was very much exhausted when he reached the shore. He managed to walk nearly up to Kekerangn station and was met by the manager's son who procured a dray and took him tothe accommodation bonse, where he now lies progressing favourably towards recovery. Search parties from Kekerangu, Flaxbcrarne and other' stations along the coast have been out all day looking for the survivors; Up to the present eight bodies have come ashore. Three are at Woodbank station, two being those of seamen and one apparently of an engineer. -Five lie on the beach north of Kekerangn. One appears to be a passenger. Three others of the five are seamen, and the fifth is the man found in McQuarten'a boat and who is in uniform and supposed to be tho second mate. . The steamer is lying steadily with small seas breaking over her. Threo men working at Clarence bridge swam on board, and report that there appear to be no holes or damago to steamer above the water line, the masts

being perfectly firm and stationary The captain's boat got away to sea and reached Blenheim 5 another boat Btill hangs to the line, and tloats keel upwards ; McQuarten's boat came ashore as already described, and a fourth boat containing passengers is supposed to have capsized with all hands, as the wreckage of a boat, such as linings, has been found along the beach. There is not the slightest probability of any other lives being saved. ' The Toiaroa lies on a -beach composed 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 bodies north of Xekerangu will be brought np to Kekerangu station to-morrow to await an inquest. The bodies will be carefully guarded on tho beach to-night. . McQuarten states there were 11 men "in his boatwhen he left the wreck, but nine died of exhaustion before thetoafrrighted itself the. last timer' Thenfghtrwairh'ifterly cold, dart, windy and wet, and nothing but the physical Strength of McQuarten, who is a >Tery powerful man, saved his lif e. ■ , A boisterous S.W. gale set in about 4 o'clock yesterday J afternoon in the Straits, replacing the nor'-wester. It is supposed Captain Thomson hugged the shore to avoid the wind. I McQuarten's statements are somewhat jneoherent afe present, owing to the awful night's, adventure. "Both: Button ani McQuarten Bay' 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 Btoamer was heading direct for Clarence bridge in the month of the river. When she struck, 'MoQuarten considers there were fifty souls on board, all told. The body of the passenger that was washed ashore had a leg bitten off by a shark. The wreckage that has come ashore at present consists, of several life buoys and the remains of the capsized boat. The body of the man found in McQuartern's boat is much knocked about. None of the bodies are actually yet identified. HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED IN VARIOUS CITIEB. Chbistohuboh, April 12. The news of the wreck of tha Taiaroa caused great excitement here, as several Cbristchurch people were among the passengers. The flags on the shipping at Lyttelton were hoisted at half-mast, and a profound sensation was caused in sporting circles when it became known that Mr R. H. Vallance was a passenger. He had been recalled suddenly to Christehurch on urgent business. ' The steamers Wanaka and Wakatu left about 5 p.m. for the scene of the wreck. On the former wero Mr Hugh Vallance, brother of Mr R. H. Vallance, and Mr Murray, who had a brother on board the Taiaroa. Captain Johnston ,vt thej Wanaka ia Very well acquainted with the' locality, having traded for many years along that coast in the Graf ton; Auckland, April 12. The vessels in the harbor had their flags half-mast high to-day for the Taiaroa disaster. '.-, . . : 1 Dunedin, April 12. So for as can be ascertained the following men are married and have families : — John McPbee, W. H. Hill (lamp-trimmer), W. Cain (donkey-engine driver), Morrison (fireman) t Felder (chief, steward).' ■ .The foregoing, startling news, the first line of which was received in town early yesterday morning, created great excitement, which was soon much heightened when it was found that several of the passengers were bound to and had many and dear friends in Timnru. Up to a late hour last evening the accounts to hand wero meagre — not to say conflicting— but about midnight we received full accounts from Blenheim and Kekerangu. It will be seen that the fate of the four boats that left the steamer soon after she struck is fully accounted for in the telegram from the latter place. One boat was Bmashed to piecej opposite the wreck ; another floats bottom upwards, attached by a line to the steamer's stern ; thwenptain took his safely to Wttirau, and the fourth has been washed up four miles north of Kekerangu. The lady passengers and stewardess were said to have been placed in' the^ latter, arid if. this is true there is barely the ' slightest hope that they have got ashore olive. Much sympathy was expressed here for those who had friends on board, and the disaster cast quite a deep gloom over the community. At the local agent's office the company's flag was half-mast high, as also on most of the buildings in town and shipping in port. Tho Taiaroa' was" an iron screw steamer, of 438 tons gross, and 22S tons net register, and was rather a pretty model of a medium sized vessel. She was |built in Lanarkshire in 1875, for (we believe) the Shaw-Savill and Albion Company, and waa by them sold to the : Uriioh Steam Shipping Company about J1877. Her engines were splendid ones, of 110 horse-power; her length JB9ft 3in; beam 23ft 2in, and depth of hold 12ft '6in. From the Register of Australian and New Zealand shipping we find she was classed L 100 Al ; taken altogether she was one o£ tho finest small craft in the Union Company's fleet, and was a great favourite with all coastal passengers.