WRECK OF THE S.S. TAIAROA OFF CLARENCE RIVER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3602, 16 April 1886, Page 3

WRECK OF THE S.S. TAIAROA OFF CLARENCE RIVER.

LATEST NEWS. (By Telegraph.) : KBK BEAN GIT, April 15. The Wakatu, with the steward of the Taiaroa, passed Kekerangu early this morning without calling. It is believed she will land him at Waipapa Point, 17 miles; sooth of . here. The inquest will have to be adjonrned for hia attendance to identify the bodies. It is improbable that any of the bodies can he sent away, owing to the bad state of the roads between Woodbank and Kekeranga, and Jlaxbourne. They will probably all be buried on the spot, except Mr Vallance's, which will be taken from Flaxbourne to Blenheim and sent away m the Picton steamer to Lyttelton to night. The Taiaroa is supposed to have shifted Bince she struck. The inquest on the five bodies recovered from the wreck was resumed this morning, before Mr Allen, R.M., Coroner, when the following additional evidence was taken :-— Constable Pew described the condition of the bodiep when he assisted to remove them from the beaoh'to the woolshed. He found on Martin's body a silver watch and chain, with a key attached, a briar root pipe, several letters^! certificattr of birth m 1860, four ten pound Tiotea, one five, ten singles, h»lf.B sovereign, and three and, sixpence m silver. : Threepence m a leather purae -and two hand' keKthief.fc.were fpudd: on, i the chief officer's . .body i.aWa toaster'si certificate and several „ other eerjfcificaterin' ft leather 'ponoUi bun no :,: ( w,atch or itortey yfero found; On the sup- ! ppsed engineers body wert i found one : ten ' Jpoafld npte.jfqur flyes, fourtoen singles, t iree " sovereigns ancLa ~eh.eqQa.for £3 ; sb, drawr. by ; jErskine-ftalbniith./.ij) fc>vor pf thcc.Upion jShipping. Company., Notbipg waa found on the other two bodies. There, *rere no mirkß on any pf their clothes by which to idei tify :_iUilis;b6tiie«/;i,; , .•/■ i i;o--. '10 >"*.'?■' (I [ :EdwarrJ;Bfidgero,,XflkeTaogu station, [car- , nenter, deposed fy} iipd intone- of the b/»di?s m :^ne iyater ."anS'arichpfinjgitfc.'afc Sign "water ' fflart'rlfr'i^partbf^legib^teij.ikway. | ;'',,Ser§t.'Cf6rdpn Gr^nt, Torpedo Cprps, A.CJ ' 3)"epOti' Weliingfc*, / Reposed : ,1 iwas a pas- ' senger by tlio Taiaroa, which, left Wellington lon Sunday' ., '.l '^rift i 4. mj'ba^k jwh'e'n, the, ",' rfiip strviok, 1 t^'i i was ta.l^rig. to Jj4;cQuartier. ' Iremarked that the .chip had' grbynded^ I . . ruihcd out and went aft and saw-;thp pasIsengers jjuUing on life-helta. Imet)tfr'i?yard, ourinstruotor, on^he pobp,; and helped 'lim to tie his, life-belt' on. J. then- w'etyf after 'one for myself, and, toc-k oi^e froinythersteward anjj.put jiton.V It was. then. jnidway between 1 and B^ o'clock-. The creiir we're getting* the : boats' oi^'and'i went to.AJje.jfllijpuld be of any' assistance to' theml'"' "thex- had jjust lowered the Btarboard life-boat!' - 1 believe the captain «»ng-jout i "all-passßngerß get intoithe Boatsl" L Pome one m th'e boatlsßid "Goiand ■ fetch; the ladies." ; Half-a-ddzeri'of 'us went aft again, but found the ladies had left j the ; saloon and Wero iiv the boat. I then" got m vit^toyßelP.-sftting neit to- M* Word:"- [MeQnartiefwas right) aff, and four lady-' JDas- - Bcngtars knd the stewardess were blsq m 1 the ' ; [boat. Thrfleof the' otew were also m it: 1 The boat had tarpaulins, 'and life-belts 'but no rudder, sailt irioj>ma»t,' Thtfooaferemainedlfast ■ ; Wthe painter to the gang-wayforeoma time. 'J? assisted to keep ber ; off as' the sbip {was working'' every time'the say struck- 'her. The ' other boats'were got out and the captain bent . the second officer in- : the 'gfg with a small iline ! t6 Bee if -he could g«tashdre. -We burped a blue light and - a rocket to 'show- the position '■■•■ of'theland' ASfter d little while the second ' ofScer eam# back and' laid 'there w'aa a steep batik aahore, I ' and'he could get flo landing. - The gigwas then made fast'astern'by a rppe. I think the eecond officer came aboard again. The port lifeboat wds then lowered full of people.' The IJ pinnace ' was ; also ! "go6' put. Kriffing ow'-Vokt 'filling' with'watery we. got them to make it fast by the painter astern ' where we lay' solno little 1 tinte,. Afterwards we got; the painter and 1 , took 1 bold of the line ! to 1 which <lhe'-gig- wag fastened. I saw: the '"poWlifebbat and pinnace; leave the ; sbip, and na our own boat had no' officers we'halle'd (the pinnace, 'aod'tho first officer got out of it into our boat. Before we left the ship's!, aide any - -number of blankets - were given ua-io which the -men., wrapped the, ladies. The people ' m" ' the ' "gig told Ui the other two boats had got adrift. Ufa bad to bale our -boati and a heav>«e» snapped the line sending ua adrift. We got out the oa»sj - > and pulled' -up again,! the people m. the | gig • giving us thfl.end of the line. 'We made fast again and upceme thai port Jifoboit which made fast- jusJ ahead of n«. -A- sea shortly .afterwards struck tke port lifeboat and upset : ■ her. We picked up BODM^of the people, and : another 1 bi^- sea capsized our boat throwing us 'all into the water. 1 I got j»mmsd under the keel when tlierighted and got clear -with come ' (difficulty. I saw ncr' one when I came to the ' mnttace.' I «warn for the land which- loomed ' ahead and got on the beach; 1 threw away : the life-belt and started walking along the . beach. Losing the track. I turned back and ) ■■•' fetched; Woodbank where I wa»; very. kindly > received 'and treated by Trokive. I sent a telegram to Captain Coleman informing him ihat the Taiaroa was lost, and to tha beet of ' ■mj knowledge I was the only survivor;' Ahpuf; .6.30 a.m., the other survivor, Gilbert Hut(on, .another, steerage passenger, turned up. 1 Beplying" to-a queetion, Grant Baid ho could not say wbere^the- captain was when he came ■on deck. Pc heard him giving orders to gel; " -the bOaW c-ut. At first there was a sort of butihe«rr«iigementß afterwards were out without" .confusion. He believpd .everjbodyjeft the yosvl. o fp was" pitch .dark, •anci lie' could not see if ' -tri«r passengers took any luggage away wilh them. : - In reply to th» foreman of the jury, jtbe witness said, that when he first saw the wreck «pn Monday aiorniDg there was g steep bank

of boulders as described by the second mate. Evidence continued : Could see the loom of the land when the vessel struck and hear the back- wash of the surf. A terrific sea was running, and a giilo of. wind blowing, but I cannot say which way the current set. I was carried to leeward by the wind while swimming. I was pretty lucky and found little difficulty. I have no idea how far I swam or how far the steamer was from the shore. The others could have swam ashore as well as I did. The port lifeboat capsized half an hour bofore ours did! To the best of my belief, everybody but the chief officer m our boat had life belts on. Eeplying to Sergeant White, witness said : We had a fair wind when we left Wellington, and we set all sails except the foretopsails. It was blowing half a gale of wind and the sails were taken m about 330p m. A southwest head wind gradually came up after that, and the weather came on thick and rainy. : I Went into the forecastle and took no note of the land or lighthouse. I did not see the captain after he took the steamer but of harbor. The second mate relieved the carpenter on deck at 4 o'clock. I saw the chief officer on the forecastle only when jnst leaving the wharf. All the officers were perfectly sober. When she struck no one. appeared to know the locality she was m. I heard the people m the boat; ask the chief officer, who replied, " About five miles from Kaikpura." I should pay the Taiaroa was "going- at the spoed of eight knots from four o'clock till she struck. I identify one of the three bodies at Woodbank as the second mate, named Powell. No gun was fired when the vessel struck, nor did the steamer whistle. I believe everybody on board was sober. Replying to further questions, the witness said: The boats seemed m a seaworthy condition, and I heard no remarks from any of the crew as to their ontfit. The captain's pinnace got stove m, and the hole was filled with" blankets. I cannot say if the engines were reversed, but I heard the telegraph go once, just as she struck. I believe it was the captain giving orders, but it may have been the chief officer. I am certain there waa no rudder or steer oar m our boat. I cannot say about the other boats. I ascertained by enquirj that it was the carpenter who was relieved by the second officer. I could not see the whole deck. The captain may have been aft beyond the bridge. One rocket was no good as a signal of distress ; several should have been fired at short intervals. Had I been on shore and. seen the blue light and rocket I should have taken them as signals of distress. I think rockets con d have been fired and the passengers safely attended to at the same time. A blue light and rocket should have been lighted when the Taiaroa struck if it was intended as a' signal of distress. The man who I . think was the carpenter had no uniform but a peaked cap, and a long beard.' I saw him remove the gangway at Wellington. I cannot say if soundings* were taken after she struck. I have been aboard the wreck and '■ got my luggage from the steerage. There does not seem to be deep water anywhere near her. The life-belt I wore waa good and serviceable, and I should never hare got ashore without it. I believe everything waa done to save the passengers and crew; and that everything was m fair order. The captain and the ohief officer were the last to leave the ship, and I believe the engineer also. There were 15 m our boat before the mate came. William Henry McQuartier, torpedo corps, who was evidently suffering from the effects, of the wreck, deposed': I was m my bunk m the steerage when the Taiaroa struck. Half-an-hour previously I went on deck for a amoke and could see land but no lighthouse. When aha struck I went up and got a. life-belt. I then assisted to launch the boats, and jumped into the first that touched the water. I assisted at the gangway to put tho women m the boat. A good deal of confusion existed, and our boat went aßtern hanging to the line.' I cannot say how long it wagbefore we broke away. There were four boats altogether, two went adrift. We afterwards got back to the line. Soon afterwards the boat" capsized'ahd I kept oh top of the water, passing ; a. lot of people. I came to the boat bottom upwards and covered with people sitting on the keel. I sang out " Make room for me," and got up, my weight bringing her over again and righting her. Over 20 got into the boat, which capsized again. A quarter of an hour afterwards she righted herself and twelve got m along with me. All the twelve complained of pains m their legs and cramp. They groaned and at intervals all died m the boat. I think I was 11 hours m her before she went ashore. As tho men died they washed underneath tho thwarts. Some floated overboard and others were put ovejrby myrelf and the man that died. At last I washed out of the boat into the surf and got ashore. I had half on oar with which I tried to k«ep her. broadside on so as to drift m easily. lam sure the mate was m the boat and 'died "about- two o'clock) The third engineer was there; also, and ho was the second to die. I heard other men address them as " mate "and 7 " engineer*' I was speaking to the mate up to the time he died. All died of cold and cramp. None were put over until they were dead. I think there were two passengers besides myself m the boat. All seemed very drowsy before they died. They ■WBretlcit'DleedTng, or'ihjurfd lfTany way. I had nothing but half an bar to control tho boat with. The oars got under the thwarts, and could not float up again. All m the boats, except the mate- and one" man, had" life-belts on. That man afterwards took abelt from a dead bejdyiami lived the longest, dying ton minutes Ij§or<F\l 'got j ashore. '.I continually shifted .mytie.l& m position as I Bteered,;ti^ v ba^ti'wltl7the half-oar. I wa&fhe qnlK'^ne^whafJ'did not remain stationary. •Whfen^[«inie .an; defk, the passengers' were, r'tsftnyng about 'on' the- bridge andrdeok/ I Baw' no luggage m their hands'. ' I' heard no order given to the passengers and crew to, get into the tffiattr.* I 1 saw "neither the captain, nor •joffic'ers;on. deck yrhek she struck. I cannot gave orders, to get out the boats. 1 hflard. the telegraph go once m the engine room, and the engine instancy stopped, and 'fi'evex ] m.6v r e'd'.ag'am, ! . , -.- ' Jl' 0 Implying tp questions, witness said: I hold ca; second mate's certificate. I passed m Liverpool. I remember "the second mate relieving. the carpenter at4/o' clock." I cannot gay whose watch . it was when the vessel struck. I'aaw none ofthe men the worse for liquor, and heard no/one .when-the vessel shrunk ria}r rwhere we/were,. Our boat had no"i-ud3er ijhijjp'od. lamnot.puro that that class of^bqat carries.a rudder. I would not know fhe engineer again if I'saw him. I am car tain this, mato'^bodywas'jn tba boat when Fleit. -.'■ '■ ■■„.- > '•,"■'' Sergeant White explained that the mate's body- v wa3nlrflady identified as one i of those pioked up on tie boaoh. The body, found m the v boafc referred to bywitppsa waa m the uniform of the engineer or 'purser. Sergeant White added that the. witness .McQuartier had been taken to ace the bodies but he was id' too weak agitate to look at them. Williajh.:.DaridßOfi,' laborer, Woodbank, gave - evidence: as to picking jip the three bodies' now lying at that station. ,All three wer« a' -mile and a half of the wreck. He^sffreardToij the wreck at 6,30 o'clock on M^da£-jn<^Dg.frpm'B.ergeaiit: Grant. Had, a* gun Seen fired ,tho, Clarence, Bridge men must haye heard it;' ■ Hd- heard- ane of iheso men say he saw a light which must havo ■been-that-of-the-Taiaroav - -- The^nqaegt was then further adjourned till four'o'clock. . 7 p.m. ■ The inquest ;,waa- resumed this,. afternoon when the following" additional evidence was taken;.— ..--.,..- . ■ „. . . i '/Joseph Fielder, 'chief steward, ' deposed : I w"as on deck a quarter of an hour before the Taiaroa struokV '• It wa» raining heavily ; jraa very dark and was blowing". I could sea no land. I was m my room writing when the vessel struck. -The stewardess, came out and asked me if .there was any danger and what was the matter. I said there was no danger and told- her to go _ back to her room and pacify the lady passengers as much as possible. I. .went, to. the Ealoon door and , heard the captain gjve tbfi command to put the boats out, I heard the telegraph "stop her," and "full speed asjtern. Theoaptapacame along and told mo to get the women ready. ' I did so, and fixed life-belts on them. There were three saloon passengers besides the stewardess. I think there waa. a femalo m, the steerage as wejl jnd a child, with bor. 'Not having got the tickets from the purser I cannot say how many passengers were on board. ;It was too roujgu\^oif ;£jia,m to coirie" to the" table. Mrs JJiUgeraldj" Galbraith and Vallance

were tho only ones that sat down. I took the women to the boats, having trouble to fix tho life-belt on the Salvation lass. I gave them blankets after they were m the boat. I cannot say if any of the passengers m the boat had luggage with them. I heard no order given about luggase. I extinguished the aft lamp m the saloon, and left the fore and sideboard lamps' burning. I lent a hand m getting the other boats out. Everybody got into tho boats. I waa the last to leave, m company with the captain, the chief officer, and tho carpenter. There were the three passengors, the second engineer, and three of the crew m our boat, which dropped astern and hung to a line with the rest. The captain ordered the chief officer to get into the boat containing the women. He did bo. Tho third boat had the Becond officer m it. The carpenter lost hold of the rope, and we drifted to sea. Wo tried to pull for the ship but could not reach her. The second mate came aftor us with a boat and made us fast to him. ' We pulled some considerable time, but could make no heat! way, drifting all the time northwards. The second mate sang out that if we could not keep the line he must let go. We hung on some considerable time, and being afraid of Smashing together the second mate let 'go by the_captain'B consent. The second mate pulled- for the Bhip, and we tried to do so bnt could make no headway. The captain finding it no good ran with tho wind and continued that way until he reached Cape Campbell. We then made for Wairau bar, and landed at the pilot house. 1 knew nothing of what happened to the other boats. All were stuck on the line when we left. Our boat was properly found and had plenty of oars. We loßt one. We had four or five buckets, but no mast. Our boat was store m m launching. We nailed a piece of blanket over it. There was no confusion on board; everything was done coolly and m order. Everything was done for the best to save the passengers. No one knew where wo were. The Captain determined to hang on astern till morning, and put a line out aft. Rockets and blue lights were fired when we struck, but I can't say how many blue lights wero burning when the passengers were being put m the boatß. We carried a couple of guns, but none were fired. I waa not much on deck, but saw no land nor Cape Campbell lighthouse after leaving Wellington Heads. Beplying to Sergeant White, witness said — 1 cannot say what ships' guns are for. I saw only one rocket fired. I saw the blue lights when serving out the blankets to the women, and about the same time as tho second officer went to explore the land. Tho Taiaroa struck twico, and then went further on and stopped I heard the captain say he thought we were somewhere about Kaikoura. Tho captain and officers were cool and sober. I havo seen three bodies at Woodbank station I identify them as Peter Haneen and John McPhee, seamen, and James Powell, the second mate. I have seen five bodies at Kekerangii. No. lis an elderly fireman, who was a long time m tho sbip r but I do not know his name ; No. 2 I cannot identify, but he is believed to be a passenger named Martin ; N0.3 has been hitherto supposed tj be the chief officer ; I cannot identify the other, but he was a seaman who joined the vess-1 m Dunedin to relieve a man named Jones ; No. 4 has been hitherto supposed to be the engineer. Tt is, without doubt, tho chief officer, Robert Boyle Monkman; No. 5 is Robert Morrison, a fireman. Replying to a juryman tho witness said : — I cannot say who was m charge of the ship at twelve to fonr, nor whether the captain was on deck when the ship strnck. The carpenter is a short man, with a beard all round his face. He wore a peak cap, but no uniform. I am quite sure the carpenter took m the stage at Wellington -when tho Taiaroa sailed on Sunday. Sergeant White asked if the witness thought it right for the captain to leave m his boat when tho other boats were still hanging astern. Witness replied we broke away and could uot get back. Replying to further questions the witness said he was quite sure there was a ship's crow m the boat which contained the women. We had no rudder m our boat, which was supposed to be the worst boat of the lot. I can t say what steering gear the others had. The women were m tho big life boat, which held 30 persons. I only joined the Taiaroa m December. The compasses were not adjußted whilst I was m the boat. The telegraph can be heard all over the ship. Constable Smart, of Kaikoura, said he searched the bodies when he reached Woodbank at fivo o'clock on Monday aftomoon. There was nothing on Hansen and McPhee. He found on James Powell a second mate's certificate, a gold watch and chain and a locket. There was a gold ring on his finger j £3 14s 2d m cash ; a silver locket with the monogram " J.P.", and v note-book containing a letter to deceased from his brother. A pair of gold sleere studs belonging to deceased wero found and given to witness afterwards. Powell had a brother, who left by the last trip of the Aorangi. Tho constable had been watching, but saw nothing taken from the wreck except a box and bag belonging to Grant, which he recovered. Powell's watch had stopped at eight minutes past twelve. Two bundles were picked up to-day, believed to belong to McQuartier. Several men went on board before ho got there. Continuing witness Baid : On my way to the wreck "I met them carrying some clothing, which they said they had taken from the wreck as a change, being wet through. I made them return the things. The captain of the Wakatu intended removing all the passengers' luggage from the wreck.; , j- . > Walter /Coward, \ ploughman at Keke-. rangu, -said He was withy Constable Dew when the bodies at the woolshed^Jtekerangu, were searched. Ai bundle -qf certificates m thename.of Robert ( Boy le wonjrinjin; were found m thif stopking ofj the left 'foot of the body hitherto supposed to be Monk'raan's, but now stated by" the' steward to be tbat.of a seaman. ; Constable Dew, gave BimUari' evidence, and added'that two, stockings were) on, tho foot. The certificates •'■jret^ inside. tfiift ankle of ttia under one. : ' vJ ' -■ -' >: -^. ; TMa completed, the. evidence 3he coroner, summed up and said matters «oro perfectly clear, no suspicious circumstance^ attending" the death- of any of them. In order that all the-Jacts.'inight be before tne jury he hai. thought it right.to collect the fullest evidence, obtainable regarding the wreck. ; The jury "instantly .returned a verdicß of found drowned. - . The coroner than" issued .certificates for the -burial of'Jjthe fire bodies at Kekerangu, the three at> Woodbank, and "one at Flaxbourne. Tie ; thanked,, the jury^fortbohpattendance, and the proceedings terminated: ~^~ - ■ . ■ NO MOBE VqDIES FjifakD. , '•'""' "'.-.' '..■ - l :.^l ß P' m> The beach from Cftjpe^Canjpbeli tp Waipapa Point bftS^been, thprougMyTrsjirched, and no'mdre'bodies have been. foundVjThp Taiaroa's signal box, containing flag was picked upY also 'a woman's cloak;- some blankets, and spveral'lbow flags. ./l'hjewreckiVas thoroughly searched yflfiterday'by' thaWakatu's crew, on b.ehalf of the ..Underwriters;;: Tho Bh}p*s linen,; stupors clothes from : the '. forecastle, . Galbraitii's; '. cheqge book,' Mrs /Fitzgerald's bag," and a .Salvation -Array -bonnet have baen recovered. Beve'rat.bakieftof liiggage are still iv the, hold, 'and a portmanteau supposed to contain a, large sum of monoy waa washed overboard. . ; ' The -steamer Wakatu called m -here, this afternoon to take the chief officer's body to Lytttlton. ■ ' Mr Vallance will be buried at Flaxbourne to-morrow, instead of being sent to Christchurch. .--"--' . ' ! .-'■■ . T The. wreck,, is gradually settling down and is greatly 1 strained. ' It is thought she must inevitably break up.. There is no onei m charge on. board. ■ :j - ?: V.. '■": MAIL. BAG 3 FOUND... ■_ '.'■■.' ;,,-;'; WEiinrcwoH, April 15. ■-- The Postal Department has received infimation from. Kekerangu ; that .seven! mail bags were recovered from the. Taiaroa at six o'clock this morning. Tb^ey .are expected jit Blepheim by,Fridaj'a coach. . \ MAGISTERIAL .ENQUIRY. "' The magisterial enquiry into the wreck of the Tdiaron' will commence at "10 a.m. -on Saturday.' ■ ' ' . ■" Vi-. ■■ : '"■' '. 'SORROWFUL ;FUNERALS.' i ■ Kekbbanou, April lS.'j'ji ■ . ; The bodiea.of the c.hief.officer and Morrison,, the fireman, were sent away by the;Wakatu

to Lyttelton this afternoon. The other three bodies were buried hero, tho Rev. T. S. Grace, of Blenheim, and W. McAra of .Kaikoura officiating. The three bodies at Woodbank, and Mr Vallance's at Flaxbourne, will be buried to-morrow.