TAINUI DISASTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12748, 18 September 1919, Page 7

TAINUI DISASTER.

A COMPLETE LOSS. THREE BODIES MISSIHC. DIFFICULTIES OF SEARCH PARTIES. (Special to “ Star.”') CHEVIOT, September 17. All that remains of the coastal steamer Tainui is a mass of twisted iron and piping and a few feet of timber at the stern and nose. What is left of the vessel lies in an almost inaccessible part of the coastline about nine miles from Cheviot. Even after throe full tides had broken over the wreck, there still remained yesterday smouldering embers of tho fire which had been raging so furiously. The stern part of tho steamer has completely broken away from the keel, and the portion aft of the en-gine-room was lying 10ft higher up the beach than the forward part. Not a trace of the wmoden house which had enclosed the refrigerating machinery remained, but the machinery and ammonia coils and other piping still appeared to be intact. To get to the scene of the wreck, the party had to walk four miles along the rough coastline. Part of the journey was done on the beach, but at certain places it was very difficult to make progress except at low tide, as the seas came right up to the high, precipitous cliffs. In making the tedious journey to the wreck, the party had to ascend numerous cliffs, some of which were so steep that they had to go upon their hands and kudes. Gullies innumerable were encountered, each one appearing more formidable than the preceding one. The coarse shingle on the beaches added to the discomfort of the journeyThe heavy rain of the previous night rendered the task of climbing tho slippery hillsides both tiring and dangerous, and the last two miles took the party about a'couple of hours. A FRUITLESS SEARCH. A diligent search was made for the bodies of Captain Cowan, Stevens (tho mate) and J. Howard (a seaman), but no trace of them could he discovered yesterday. The body of Seaman C. Williams, which had been lying under the shelter of a tree at Rocky Point, was unable to be reached tho ryreyioua day, but yesterday it was recovered. - ter in the d TO taken across the halls into Cheviot by Sergeant Scott and a party who arrived with a packhorse. Tins was the only way it could be removed owing to the verv rough nature of tho countii’v. The bodies of Greenwood (engineer), 3TrT (firem f n) ’ T( ™ nd (fireman) and M’Lean (seaman), which had been ° n T? esda L wore all found washed up on, tho beach southward of th ~? (urt tiost awav being SnSS Imies i frcm u bllG P kc ® w here the laipui was beached. The search tSdav 5 3dies W!7l resumed te-day, and if they are not recovered it may bo assumed that they were carned out to sea by the tide, ,' A would sink and it would prcmbly bo over a week before the sea gives them up. NO HOPE OF SALVAGE. Company will aband ° n the Tainui to the °\ 1?g t0 iiie ina(*es&ibility or the position of the wreck. If rt were possible to remove the reaerating p l ai?t to the railway it S T^nn ia Vmi aloi i° woul<i be worth aixmt L-00. _ Only about thirty intact cases of benzine have been found up S Hie present, of which a few are in Gore ??\ and S*?, be taken into Cheviot twLte Y ?l R p Cky ?“ nt * wlier « about twenty cases have been cast up together, it would ho altogether too eosiu Vk em over tho hills, to make it worth while. On either side of the J™* I l iui l drcds . of empty tins, blown Kha ?f S v y ex Pl os ion, are littered on the beach. Amongst tho cargo were several ploughs. hat S hope aLSS. CS ° 1,6011 practba % bJ? G f ? rvva / d part of.the Tainui. from undgo to bow, waw burnt out riobt work and battered tins remaining on this portion of the vessel. 'The Junnol had completely broken away and iTv * & o-orsl wreck. J lie aft water tank and the inachincry appeared to he intact, but above what had been the tbc iro “work wastwistel v? d deate f- almost out of recognition Not a blade remained on the propS S'tCS *° tta Tesscl