THE CHIEF OFFICER'S STORY.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1287, 5 September 1884, Page 2

THE CHIEF OFFICER'S STORY.

The following are particulars of the wreck : — The chief officer, Mr Neale, supplies the following particulars : — The Lastingham sighted the Coast of New Zealand about 8 o'clock on Monday morning last aud m a little over twelve hours afterwards was a total wreck, a'most on the spot where the steamer Rangi* toto was lost. Heavy weather pre - vailed at the time and continued till the vessel was driven ashore. The i gale waß of terrific force, and rain fell heavily for some hours previous to accideit and land was not visible for more than a mile ahead. Great efforts were made by tha officers and crew to prevent the vessel going ashore. At ten p m. she went ashore and became a total wreck m less than two hours. Tl c crew and passengers endeavored to save themselves m various ways, some of them plunging into the boiling sea and >tnking out for the shore. Others sprang from the vessel's side on, to rocks m the vicinity, wnile others attempted to float ashore on any thing *fchat would bear their weight. The scene was one of ii,describable confusion, wind howling, rain fallingpeople rushing' about shouting and screeching, and the sea breaking over the ship's side. About midnight a muster of the survivors was made whon it was ascertained that 18 were missing and no doubt drowned, The captain and wife aDd the whole of the passengers (five m number) being among the number. A miserable night was spent and on Tuesday efforts were made to find a habitation within distance of the shore but ir hout s iccess. Three of the men, Chalmers, Wood, and Alfrey, continued on .their journey m hopes ot discovering inhabitants and were not seen afterwards by those of the surviyors wh« are now m Wellington. It is difficult to say whether they will be found alive. The survivors — four" teen m number, endured great privatiou while m the neighborhood of Jackson's head, owing to their not having saved anything. The captain endeavored to save the log books, ship's papers, etc, but as he lost his life m attempting tp reach the shore with liis wife it is not likely those articles will ever be recovered. The only articles of food which came ashore were 4 lbs of pickled pork and two packages of oatmeal and cornflour. They stopped •'heir hunger by gnawing the raw meal and drinking an oatmeal mixture, fresh water being found close to ihe wreck. The men bad to run up and down the beach to keep up the cir* culation. Wednesday was fine and their c'othes were laid out to dry and the survivors obtained much needed rest, having been withont sleep for 36 hours. Each night the men huddled together Under rocks to keep themselves warm, and on Thursday night they discovered a small vessel passing. A pi3ce of blanket which had come ashore was fixed to a pole and moved to and fro. The signal was observed and a boat' being lowered the survivors were soon on board the ketch, which proved to be tho Agnes from Belorus Sound to Kaiapoi, with timber. . Captain Jensen o? the ketch, attended to the wants of the shipwrecked marriners, and the.i bore for Wellington. At the tinie of rescue the men had almost giveu up hope of being rescued,' as on Tuesday and Wednesday, no less than five steamers were seen pas uricclose to laod, and although signals were made none on board seem to have noticed them- However,' no eff>rt was made to rescue them. Wheu they \yere taken on board they were thoroughly exhausted. The chief officer is qf opinion that had jth^y to kqp au -fhe- night on the coast some of the party would,' haye. succunbed to the privations. T.iose saved are John Neale, chief officer, John Barton, second mate, Diddle, steward, Bob ertson, carpenter, and

Groves, Donbaire, Chambers, Munro ; Donaldson, Chalmers, and Adery, seamen, Thomas and Fryer, apprentices. Tho whole of the passengers were drowned; Their nam-s are as follows: — Messrs M^akin, Burn* 11, Naish, McGinn, and Davis. Ncne of them were married men, aud it is understood they have never been m New Zealand, The names of the officers aad men drowned were — Alex. Morris son, mastei, Henry Groves, third officer, Peter McQuire, cook, John Murray, sailmakor, Bar "ard, Lambert, Grouoan, Matthews, and Watson, seamen, and Sharp and Pearce, two of the complement of four boys, which the ship carried. The wreck of the Lastingham has cast a gloom over the city and flags are lowered half mast as a mark of respect to those who perished. Captain Morrison was about 60 years of age. His wife usually accompanied him on all his voyages. luetrucfcious have bee a issued to send a steamer from Picton to pro^ ceed to the scene of the catastrophe arid institute a search for three of the survivors who were hunting for a habitation and could not be found when the others were rescued. A subscriptions was started this morning m aid of the survivors an d LB6 handed to chief officer to pro« vide clothing for his shipmates. An enquiry into the disaster is being held before the Collector of Customs. It is understood that Captain Morrison, who commandod the Lastingham, had ratired from the sea sometime back but was ruined by the failure of the Glasgow bank and had to go to sea tgain. this being his sooorid voyage. The Lastingham struck head on and immediately broaohed to when her side was exposed «;o the fury of the terrific sea running and the deck houses boats and everything about decks were swept overboard. The sea cont nued making a clear sweep over the ill-fated vessel and m about an hour the decks bulged out and this was the last seen of the vessel . as she then slipped off the rocks and disappeared m deep water. It was with the greatest difficulty any of the crew managed to reach the rocks and they were then m a very exhausted condition and their hands were severely lacerated. Captain Babot of Shaw, Saville and Co has taken charge of the sure vivers and will see to tbeir wants being properly attended to. The shipwrecked crew speak m high praise of treatment they received at the hands of Captain Jensen of the ketch Agnes.