TUESDAY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 51, 16 April 1886, Page 11

TUESDAY.

The steamer Taiaroa, bound from Wellington tor njiwiwu, went ashore near Clarence River on Satnrday. The vessel is on her beam ends. The following is the statement by Mr. W. Trolove, of Kekerangu Station :— " On the first news that there was a steamer ashore I and some of my men immediately proceeded down, and fotrad the Taiaroa on the beach. Two of the survivors came up to the station about 6 o'clock this (Monday) morning and told us about the wreck. Their names are Sergeant Grant, of the Armed Constabulary, and Mr. Gilbert Hutton, a passenger. When we reached the spot we hailed the steamer, but there was no one on board. We then went along the beach and picked up some bodies. These were all found about thres miles to the northward. We then turned back. Some of our men are now searching the beach further north." Three sur▼ivers from the wreck up to the present have renched the shore at Kekerangu, namely, Sergeant Grant (A.C., and torpedo instructor), Mr. Hutton (a passenger, for nine years pilot boatman at Lyttelton), and Constable M'Quartier (assistant torpedo service). Grant and Hutton awam ashore at different parts of the beach. G» n * h ** » lifebelt, but was just giving up hope when his feet touched the shore. Hutton got into on 9of the boats which capsized, and then swam parallel with the shore till he reached shallow water. He says be beard one of the other men in the capsized boat cry out, and be tola him to strike out boldly for shore, but nothing more was teen or heard of him. Grant and Hutton both suffered f rom the effects of their perilous adventure, but are at Mr. Trolove's Woodbank Station, receiving every attention and progressing favourably towards recovery. Hutton's watch stopped at two minute* past 12, wiucn

shows foar hoars and a half between the time the steamer struck and the time the boat capsized and he swam ashore. Grant's watch never stopped, and dry matches were found in his clothes. M'Quartier drifted ashore in a boat yesterday morning on the beach, between the River Ure and flag Point, north of Kekerangu, in company with another man who was quite dead. The boat turned over and righted itself several times after leaving the wreck, it being a cork lifeboat, but M'Quartier was very much exhausted when he reached the shore. He managed to walk nearly up to Kekerangu Station, and was met by the manager's son, who procured a dray and took him to the accommodation house, where he now lies, progressing favourably towards recovery. Up to the present eight bodies have come ashore. Three are at Woodbank Station — two being seamen, and one apparently an engineer. Five lie on the beach north of Kekerangu. One appears to be a passenger. He wears a brown tweed suit, and is about 35 years of age. He wears a moustache, is of middle height and stout build. Three others of the five are seamen, and the fifth is the man found in M'Quartier's boat, and who is in uniform and supposed to be the second mate. The Taiaroa at low water yesterday evening was within about 10yds off the shore, lying steadily, with small seas breaking over. She was leaning seaward. There was 7ft. of water by the bows. Three of the men working at the Clarence bridge swam on board and obtained dry clothes from the forecastle, and rescued a cat and monkey, which were the only living things aboard, and fixed two warps from the mastheads to the beach. There appeared to be no holes or damage to the steamer above the water line, the masts being perfectly firm and stationary. When the Taiaroa struck, the captain ordered the crew and passengers into the boats, which were fixed astern by a line. The captain's boat got away to sea, and reached Blenheim. Another boat still hangs to the line and floats keel upwards. M'Quartier's boat came ashore as already described ; and the fourth boat, containing the passengers, is suppossd to have capsized with all hands, as wreckage of a boat, such as linings, have been found along the beach. There is not the slightest probability of any other lives being saved. The Taiaroa lies on a beach composed of boulders and sand, and it is feared she has a hole in her bottom, as Hntton, one of the survivors, maintains the steamer was full of water before he left her to go ashore. The five dead bodies north of Kekerangu will be brought to Kekerangu Station to await an inquest. M'Quartier states that there were 11 men in his boat when she left the wreck, nine died of exhaustion before the boat righted itself the last time. The night was bitterly cold, dark, windy, and wet, and nothing but the physical strength of M'Qunrtier, who is a very powerful man, saved his life. At 2.15 p.m. yesterday the Union Company received the following telegram from their Blenheim agent .—"The captain and 10 men (including three passengers) have turned up in their boat at Wairaubar. lam sending the Waihi down for them." The following is the list of those known to have been saved in the captain's boat :— Passengers : Thomas Oliver, Robert Henderson, John Harper (of Christchurch). Crew : Captain Thompson, D. Dalrymple, engineer ; William Quinn, boy ; William Cain, donkeyman ; James West, carpenter ; John M'Kay, A.8.; Duncan Campbell, steward ; Joseph Field er,chief steward, The preliminary inquiry into the cause of the Taiaroa disaster was held at Blenheim yesterday evening, before Mr. Pasley (collector of customs) and Captain Lambert (nautical assessor). Captain Thompson stated that the ship left Wellington at 11.30 a.m. on Sunday, the 11th inst. A strong N.W. breeze was blowing; he steered S. by W. The usual course was 8. J W., but on account of the strong N.W. breeze he kept £ point in more than usual till 3.30, when they were abreast of Cape Campbell, and the course was altered. The wind then fell slightly, and came down from 8.8. suddenly. Kept to 8. \ W. It was raining heavily and blowing hard, and the sea came up very suddenly. He was on deck till 6.30, and she then, as far as he could see. seemed to be a good distance off the land. The mate was on watch on the bridge. Before going below at 6.30 he told the mate that if he thought the vessel was getting closer in, or the weather came on thick so as to lose sight of land, to let him know. About 7 o'clock the mate came and told him that he could see land on the port bow. He ran up immediately on to tbe bridge. They were putting the helm bard astarboard when he got there. He stopped here and went full speed astern. She took tbe ground at the same time. The chief engineer came up and ■aid it was of no use going any further astern, as she was making water. He gave orders then to have the boats out and the passengers put into them. He told the second mate to try and run a line on to the beach. He could not effect a landing at all. He got a line over the stern, towing tbe boats on to that. The boats were fast to it, except the captain's. Tbe mate got into the captain's boat, and they let her drop astern alongside the other boats. When they got alongside tbe first lifeboat, he told the mate to go into her and take charge. Then ha dropped farther astern, and when they came to the last boat the carpenter missed it, and they drifted away. The second mate was in the last boat, and he came after them to give them a tow back. He towed them for about an hour, but could not make anything of it, and sang out that he would have to let go. He told him to let go, and the boat drifted away. He kept as clo&e into the shore as he could to avoid being blown to sea. There was a heavy sea running. He tried to make Cape Campbell, but could not, and steered for the Wairau bar, where they arrived at 2 o'clock on Monday. Everyone in the boats had lifebuoys on. He did not take any soundings, but the usual precautions were taken. There was nothing wrong with tbe compass so far as he knew. They were corrected seven or eight months ago. Some magnetic influence, with the strong current setting in, may have caused tbe accident. The wind, when the Taiaroa struck, appeared to come more from the south, but the sea set in strongly from the S.E. Two lady passengers and the stewardess were in No. 1 life boat.— Jame* West, carpenter, deposed that the vessel was steered 8. by W. all the way till Cape Campbell was reached, when the wind changed suddenly to S.E., blowing bard with a heavy sea about 5.30. The weather thickened off Waipapaat6.3o ; and between 7.10 and 7.15 she struck. The boats were got out in rotation. The captain got into bis boat last, and I was told to bold

on to the line, but was not able. The Taiaroa was drawing lift 7in aft and 9ft 3in forward. The sea was breaking right over the bridge, and there was a heavy sea on deck before we left. She thumped heavily the whole time after she struck.— Samuel Dalrymple, chief engineer, deposed that everything went well in the engine-room till the vessel struck. He was on watch then. It was 12 minutes past 7 by the engine-room clock when she struck the telegraph rung " Fall speed astern." He obeyed tho order promptly, and went full speed astern for about 12 minutes, the ship bumping heavily all the time. When the engines were stopped, there wa» about 4ft of water in the engine-room and stokehole. As soon as the engines were stopped be went on deck. The boats were being cleared away. He again went down to the engine-room. There was then about sft or 6ft of water, and the fires were out. She was taking in water in the engine-room and stokehole doon on the weather side of the deck. Not being able to do anything below, the second engineer and himself closed the doors and went on deck to lend a hand to lower the boats. All hands were off the deck at that time except the crew, who got into the captain'H boat. The boat we took was on the weather side. We launched her across the deck and lowered her on the lee side. The captain and officers did all that it was possible to do. The beach seemed very stony, and the ship commenced to leak immediately. The French Press approve of Mr. Gladstone's Irish proposals, bat both the German and Austrian Press condemn them. The Daily Nems expresses the opinion that Ireland is not yet ripe for Home Rule, and it doubts whether Mr. Gladstone's land-parchase scheme will pass. It considers the amount should be reduced by £60,000,000.