THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1382, 12 May 1881, Page 3

THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Thk steamer Taranta was built at Dundee in 1864, for the old Panama Company, and subsequently when that company dissolved was purchased by Messrs McKcckau, Blackwood and Co., of Melbourne. She was then, with other steamers belonging to the same firm, purchased by the Union Steamship Company, and was in those days a fast boat, having made some very good passages between the BlufF and Melbourne. At this time she was barque-rigged, and there are now to be seen several photographs ot her from a painting by the late Captain Robertson, as she was before being altered. Jiibt before the U.S.S. Company purchased her she was considerably altered ; new boilers were fitted and compound engines of 1.30 h.p. were placed in her and her rig changed to that of a topsail schooner. The spar-deck was carried from the poop to the bridge, which increased her tonnage considerably. Her saloon accommodation was also enlarged. The T.irarua was noted as being a wet boat, and was particularly " lively" in a sea-way. She was an non boat of 828 tons gross tonnage. Her dimensions were— Length, 22 feet ; breadth, 28 feet ; depth, 16 teet. She was frequently consuleied an unlucky boat by her various commanders, and many of them had a superstitious belief that she would sooner or later come to an untimely end. The Wreck. For miles round the sea was covered with wreckage — mail-bags, cargo, cabin furniture, clothing of every discriptkm floating in rapid succession. As soon as possible tho Hawed lowered her boats and sent them away in order to recover the mails and search for traces of bodies ; while Captain Cameron left the .ship in the Tararua's boat, and proceeded along the beach until he reched Boat Harbour, where he landed in order to ascertain how many people had been saved, and to make provision for their comfort. The boats of the Hawea, under Mr Ilansby (the chief officer) and tho ship's carpenter, were busily engaged in recovering mail-bags and other property, and while doing so they picked up the body of a female infant, apparently some fifteen months old. The poor baby had received some severe abrasions about the head and face, and after it was laid on the quarter-deck Mr Carson, the chief steward, called Mr W- Hill, the steerage passenger, who had come aboard by the Tararau's boat, to see if he could identify it. Hear a har- | rowing scene occurred. No sooner was the infant uncovered than Mr Hill recognised it as his own, and, falling on the deck, clasped the little creature to his arms. The poor man's agony was so great that he fainted away, and was conveyed to the fore-cabin, where he received every attention from the fore - cabin steward, who did hia utmost for the comfort, not only for Mr Hill, but for the remainder of the wrecked people, whom he spplied with clothing of his own.

"Lay "of the Land. About Waipapa the sea bottom is remarkably foul, and this foul ground extends quite two miles seawards in a succession of rocky ledges which, awash in some places near shore at high tide, deepen to four and a-half and five fathoms two miles out. Just beyond the extreme edge of the foul ground there is an isolated five fathom patch on which the sea breaks heavily during gale 9. From the Nuggets, forty-five miles nearer Dunedin than Waipapa, the coast line trends south- wefet, magnetic, nearly to Slope Point, then again suddenly trends away about north-west and by west to the Mataura River. These two turns in the coast line form Slope snd Waipapa Point?. From the Mataura the coast takes another turn, and runs nearly straight to the Bluff at about west-south-west. Off Waipapa Point, on a general bearing of south-west, isßuapukuls'and, distant about fifteen miles to its centre. Nearly in this line are situated the Toby Rock, five miles from the qentre of the island, and two miles outside that again is a nasty foul patch, on which the sea brpaks heavily under certain conditions of wind and tide. It is thus Beven miles from the centre of Ruapuka, and eight

miles from Wiapapa Point. But, as foul j ground extends from the point two miles at least, and it certainly is not safe to approach within, three miles of tbe Point. Therefore, of fair navigable channel there , is only about five miles in width between Waipapa Point and Ruap'ul^a Island.' Going from Dun^din to the Bluff, a steamer would, from the Nuggets, steer about S.W., S.W. by W. and W.S.W. to. get fairly into the channel between Waipapa Point and the seven mile patch from Ruapuka, and then would haul up a point or two to fetch the Bluff. Now this is what the Tararua did, only, she was astern of her distance and consequently not in the channel but some twelve miles north of Waipapa. Hence , her course being then altered from W.B.W. to West she ran right into the Waipapa foul ground.

Mr. John 0. Eva nephew of the, Minister for Public Works, who lost his life in the wreck, was insured for £500 in the National. He had only paid one premium. Boat-harbors on the coast, it has been suggested, should be marked on the Admiralty Chart. The necessity of having this chart improved for seamen has been too frequently illustrated. There are two boat-harbours near Otara Reef, and a large number of them along the coast. Ocean currents at this point are said to be variable. Some years ago a vessel with a large deck cargo of timber was in dietress not far from the part of the coast where the Tararua was wrecked. The timber was tbrown overboard, but was washed up on the beach between Porbury Head and the Taieri mouth. It has been suggested that the ourrent may still set in the same direction, and that the police should be instructed to search the beach. Recovery or tub Bodies is excitiDg speculation As regards the small number thrown up, that is not altogether surprising. When the William Ackers waa wrecked at Waipapa Point, eight lives out of eleven were lost. Only three bodies were ever found, and two of these were not got till six weeks after the occurrence. A very heavy easterly gale threw the two up on one day. Wreckage is coming abhore largely towards tbe north. I should mention here that a mail bag has been found at Waikawa, and is to be brought down to Forfcrose. Not a thing in the way of goods has come ashore worth salvage. The only articles almost, either of interest or importance, are tde passengers' boxes. r TnE offical inquiry into the loss of the Tararua will be held before Mr Simpson, R.M.,andisto be conducted and the witnesses examined by Mr B. C. Haggitt, Crown prosecutor Dunedin. A box, evidently a seaman's chest, was, after much difficulty, broken open ; the box was strong, and the lock had to be burst. When opened, to the surprise of all, it proved to be quite empty. Some difficulty was felt in accounting for this, and it was carefully examined, to ascertain if it had previously been opened by force, and it was quite clear that it had not been. There can be hardly any doubt that it belonged to a seaman, and that the owner, in the hope of being able to fetch ashore on it, or to enable someone else to do so, emptiei it and locked it up for that purpose.