The record-union., 1894-11-02
WRECK OF THE wEIRAIpA.
Survivors Tell Thrilling Stories of the
Disaster.

AUCKLAND, Nov. 1.-The survivors of
the wrecked steamship Weiraipa tell
thrilling stories of the wreck. Second
Officer Stark says a thick fog set in at
noon Sunday, obscuring everything.
The course of the steamer had been laid
SO that she would clear Hen and Chicken
Island, when at midnight she struck on
Great Barrier Island. The shock of the
stranding awakened the passengers, and
many of them rushed from their cabins
clad only in their night clothing. The
sea was making clean breach over the
after part OF the steamer, and as the af-
frighted passengers came on deck many
of them were carried overheard before
they had chance to catch hold of any
thing TO save themselves. When day
light came it was found that the steamer
had struck at the foot of high cliff that
loomed several hundred feet above the
vessel The efforts TO get a landing on
the shelving places on the cliff was
most difficult and dangerous undertal<-
ing.
Those on board the steamer could see in
the sea around the wreck large number
OF corpses. y large number of persons
by means of floating wreckage, managed
TO reach the end of the rocks. The main
and forerigging were also filled with pas
sengers, who had gone alott 20 escape be-
ing swept into the sea by the huge waves
that were coming over the vessel. About
sixty Of them were standing on the cross
trees. Oihsr~ were hanging with most
tenacious -, 20 the davits. The out
look was ysry dark, when an engineer
and tirema,. olunteered to swim ashore
with line. they took rope and jumped
overheard, but had not gone far when the
sea compelled them to relinquish the
line. They then swan for the rocks,
which they reached in a terribly bruised
condition.
Several unsuccessful attempts were
made by others, when finally one of the
stewards said he would try to get the line
ashore. Divesting himself OF nearly all
of his clothing, he boldly sprang into the
foaming sea and made straight tor the
rope that was floating outward. Grasping
it with one hand. he struck out strongly
landward. Again and again it appeared
as though he had gone down, but then his
head would appear on the crest of a wave,
which would sweep him nearer and
nearer to the rocks. His skill as swim
mer stood him well, for he reached the
shore, if shore it could be called, with the
line still in his grasp. The line was made
fast, and IL was by this means that most
of the survivors were saved.
A young girl, Jane Williams, SAYS she
was in her cabin when the steamer
struck. She heard the thud and aroused
her sister. who was sleeping soundly.
Each of the girls secured a life-belt, and
rushed in their night clothes to the hur-
ricane deck. In the intense darkness
could be seen atfrighted passengers strug-
Cling together. The vessel listed, and
the passengers on the lower side were
swept from the deck.
Miss Williams said: "My sister and 1
climb bed up the steep incline TO the railing,
TO which we clung with all our strength.
al h,,, u l.
waves, and were nearly drowned. The
vessel pounded dreadfully, and thought
that every moment she was going to
break up. a large wave struck me- and
l was thrown into the sea. / was unable
to swim, and / caught hold of pieces of
wreckage. l was butfeted by the sea un-
til was driven, with others clinging to
the wreckage, close to the cliffs. When
day began to break the spectacle was ap-
palIing. l was hanging to spar, around
which my hair was twisted. Near by
l saw men and women torn from the
wreckage to which they were cIinging,
| being drowned before my eyes. Some
| reached ledge, only to be again drawn
back into the sea by large waves. Finally
l was the only one alive. / thought
every minute that my time had
come. I had managed to seize
two life belts. By this time it
had become light enough for me TO see
those being saved from the wreck by
the life line My sister, while thus at
tempting to escape, became entangled
in the line and was strangled. After l
had been in the water twelve hours and
was almost exhausted, l was perceived
| by the survivors ashore. One OF them
SWAN to my rescue. He fastened rope
to me and then we were both hauled
ashore. / was unable to stand"
Another passenger, describing the
scene on deck after the vessel struck,
says number of persons were singing
and praying. Several of them were
kneeling, and had hold of nothing, and
therefore when the first big wave swept
over the steamer they were carried into
the sea. When the bridge was smashed