THE WRECK

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3604, 19 April 1886, Page 3

THE WRECK

OS THH -8,8. TAIAROA. ♦ ' —

LATEST NEWS. (By Telegraph.) Bienheiw, April 17. Mr Vallance's body was buried at Flaxbourne yesterday, the Hot. T. S. draco of Blenheim reading tho service. Mr Vallance's brother and Mr Mason, his late partner, were present. There ia no further news from the wreck, and no more bodies havo been recovered. Mess™ Grant and McQuartier, two of tho survivors, reached hera last night, ■where they remain under instructions from Government until AlcQuattior, who is still Buffering from the night's adventure m the open boat, is well enough to travel. Bvery attention to tho wants of -tho survivors is being Bhown by the Government and the J Union Shipping Company. ENQUIRY INTO THE WRECK. Wellington, April 17. Tho official enquiry into the wreck bogan this morning before) Mr Stratford, R.M., and Captain Morris, Nautical Assessor. Mr j Travers appeared for Captain Thomson, and the lattor was first examined. Tho followingarp tho principal points of his evidence :— When the vessel got to Wellington Heads she was Btarted to west threequarters, the usual course, till she reached Cape Campbell. Sho then deviated threoquarters of a point from tho true course. The Taiaro'a was swung and compasses were adjusted about eight months ago. The card, which was m the cabin, showed three-quarter west of deviation. A nor'-west wind was blowing when she left, but it gradually died away abreast of Cape Campbell. The Hauroto pasßed the Taiaroa seven miles this side of tho Capo on the inside about a mile from tho Taiaroa. Tho wind changed to south after passing Cape Campbell and blew fresh with heavy rain. Witness was on deck till six^o'clock, when he wont to tea. He could see' tho land till between 4.60 and 5 p.m., but after that the clouds obscured it and he only got occasional glimpses. There was a patent log on board, and it was put out at Wellington Heads. During tho north-west weather the steamer, was going 10i knots, but after 6 p.m. only nine knots. About 9.25 be went on deck again but could not see land. He told the mate to keep a sharp look out, and changed the course about 4 p.m. to S. } W. Shortly after seven land was reported, right under the port bow, but it was too dark to say what it was. Witness rushed up on to the bridgo and found that the helm was being put down hard-a starboard. He gave tho order " full speed astern," and at the same moment she struck. When witnpss got on tho bridgo the telegraph pointed full speed ahead. She would not go astern, but bumped heavily several times. He told the carponter to let off rockets and blue lights, and he sot off one of each. He supposed the rest got too wet. He had none of Holmes' deck lights on board. The boats were dropped astern of tho gangway, not astern of the ship, so as to get the protection of the. hull. The sea broke over the ship now and again. Ho sent the second mate m tho gig to try and get a line ajhore, but he returned saying tho beach was too steep, 'and ho could not land. Ono of the lifeboats was lowered on the weather side, and taken round under the stern, -bub she stove herself m a little m the operation. When his own boat (the pinnace) broke away they could only get one rowlock to work. They found a Bpike nail m the bottom of the boat, and tied en oar to it, but even with the two oars slje could make no way. He afterwards made rowlocks out of yoke lines ; again tried to get back, but without avail. He* never knew where tkey had struck till he got to Blenheim, and heard no passenger ask him where they were j but the mate did ask him, and he said, ." Probably about twenty miles frem Kaikoura." Ho would swear, he did not say " five miles from Kaikoura,'* or that they were m Half-Moon Bay. He did npt think that if he had looked at the compass he would havo known' ho was ashore on Waipapa.. Point, and even i£ ho had, he -would still have put tb# passengers m the boats. He intended, iftie had not been blown away, to let the boats hang on to the ship and see if she resisted the waves, and then return on board m the morning if it had WrY s^fo tp do so. fife could not tell the court how he.oamo to run ashore. Hp never looked at the compass after four o'clock. When ho alte.*ed his course at Capo Campbell ho did liot enter it is the log, bnt m a note-book, which' was m tho clothes ho left at the ship. He did not take the bearings of Capo Campbell when he altered hi» course, and could give no explanation of the oause of tho accident, unless it was faulty steering, or a strong current setting into the land there. He had beard of itsinco tho wrockj but there was nothing about it on tho cjjart. He had made the same voyage once a fortm'gh/; for nine months.. He only know the helmsman by his height not by his name. He was drowned. There were threp compasses on board and, the jhjp had some iron m the forebold and on the foredook, but not enough, to affect them. The usual course was not adhered to as far as Cape Campbell, on account of the' strong nor'-wester. He did not hear the look-out man eing out. He had never before been close to' tho shore between Cape Campbpll and Waipapa. So far as witness knew tho helmsman stpered properly. The wind came up' suddenly when the aocidenf; happpned.. W"?" he l etb *>« deck a f ten minutes to «ix fhe vessel was 22 or 23 miles south of Cape Campbell. Hp bejieyed that' had the vessel been stopped at once instead of waiting to give the alarm she might possibly have been saved, as allowing for the rate of njine knots she would hare been 540 yards from shore. Hp di 4 not think it neceisary to alter the course half a point southerly to provide againet the south-east roll and strong southerly wind. It was a standing rule of the company that tbo officer of the watoh was to give the alarm to the captain. . This closed tho captain's examination, ana

the enquiry was adjourned till 10 a.m. on Monday. A LIBBBAL DONATION. The Seamens' Union hare resolved to subscribe £50 towards the fund for the relief of the widows and childron of those lost m the Taiaroa. FUNEEAL OBSEQUIES. Dunedin, April 18. The funerals of Chief Officer Monkman and Mr Morrison, late a fireman of the Taiaroa, which took place to-day, were very largely attendod, tho Druids, of which Morrison was a member, mustering strongly.