The Wreck of the Waitaki.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2061, 29 April 1887, Page 3

The Wreck of the Waitaki.

Eight of the officers and crew of the a.s. Waitaki, wrecked at White Rock laat Saturday, passed through Martinborough on Wednesday en route for Wellington. It appears that the vessel left Napier at 7 a.m. oa Friday, the 22nd instant; it was then tine weather. At about 10 o'clock the wind came ap from the southward, which increased to a gale. The night was pitch dark, and objects within a few yards were hardly visible. At 1.30 a.m. the veeeel (track. She gave a heavy roll and then bumped three times, after which she steadied herself. When she •truck the engines were put on full •peed astern for five minutes, and as ■he could not be got off full speed ahead was put on till the steam was all gone. Soon after she struck the boats were got out and the lady passengers and mails were landed first. There waa no confusion of any sort, I and everything was done with great coolness and in good order. A line waa also taken out and made fast to the rock and her port anchor let go. When everyone had been pot nut of the ship a fire was made, and all camped round it ti 1 daylight. In tie morning Captain Penal and his men again set to work, and everything was got out of the saloon, and as much of the stores as possible. At the time the vessel struck, she was about twentvfive or tnirty yards from the shore, but ia the morning the action of the tide bad brought her a considerable distance nearer, b* ing not more than about 2u yards from the shore. The Waitaki is now lying on a rocky beach between a rocky spit and the I shore. It is reared that she mil I

become a total wreck, as the general opinion seem? to be that her bottom is severely damaged. She is almost full of water ; and all the loose gear in the cabin, such as tables, settees, &e , are floating about. The only probable danger of her breaking up would be in the event of a heavy gale, when the ■ea would break over her. At the time of the vessel going ashore, Captain Penal and the chief officer were on the bridge, and two lookouts were on deck. Captain Penal desires to thank Captain Mclntosh of the Te Anau, for his promptitude in lowering his signal, and also Mr Wuiam Barton for his kind attention to himself, his officers, and lady passengers while at White Rock Station. The nine men left the scene of the wrack at S o’clock on Tuesday morning, and bad to tramp to Hassell's Station a distance of about 30 miles. , Here they obtained a brake, which brought them on to Featbetston, and they went thence by train to Wellington.