The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-11-02
THE WRECKED WARAPAI
Stories Of the Disaster Told BY
Survivors.
STRUCK ON A RooKBouND COAST.
A Brave Steward Swan to the Shore with
q Life Line, and by the Aid Of This Line
Over Hundred Were Rescued-Thriii-
ing Experiences.


ing Experiences.
AUCKLAND, N. e., Nov. 2.-The surviv-
ors of the wreck Of the steamer wairapa
tell thrilling stories of the wreck. Second
Onicer Clark says that thick fog set in
Of noon Sunday, obscuring everything.
The shock OF the stranding awakened the
passengers, and many OF them rushed
from their cabins in only their night
clothing, making their way as quickly as
possible to the deck. The sea was then
making clean breach over the after part
Of the steamer, and as the afrighted pass.
engers came on deck many Of them were
carried overheard before they had a chance
to catch hold Of anything to save them
selves
When daylight came It was found that
the steamer had struck at the foot Of a
precipitous cliff that doomed several hum
dred feet above the vessel. To effect a
landing on the shelving places of the cliff
was most difficult and dangerous under.
: Taking.
Those aboard the steamer could see
floating in the sea around the wreck a
large number of corpses. Some persons
by means of floating wreckage managed
to reach the edge Of the rocks. The main
and fore rigging were then filled with
being swept into the sea by the huge
waves that were combing over the vessel.
About sixty of them were standing on the
ratlines or cross trees. Others We're hang
ing with most tenacious grip to the dayits.
The outlook was very dark when an en-
| gineer and fireman volunteered to swim
ashore with line. They took the rope
and jumped overheard but had not gone
far when the pounding sens compelled
them to relinquish the line. They then
swan for the rocks, which they reached in
terribly bruised condition. A Scotch
man then volunteered to make the at
tempt to get the line ashore, but he too,
failed. Then one of the stewards said
that he would try to get tho line ashore.
Divesting himself of nearly all his cloth
ing, he boldly sprang into the foaming
sea and grasped the rope. Time and again
1t appeared MS though he had gone down,
but he finally reached the rocks with the
line still in his grasp. Aided by those on
| the rocks, the line was made fast, and it
was by this means that most of the sur.
| vivors were saved.
young girl, Jane Williams, says that
she was in her cabin when the steamer
struck. She heard the thud and reused her
sister, who was sleeping soundly. Each of
the girls seized life belt and rushed in
tH'iA hiBht uitssts, W tue hurricane deck.
The vessel suddenly listed, and the pas
sengers on the lower side were swept from
the deck. Miss Williams said ..
| II and my sister climbed up the steep in
cline of the deck to the railing, to which
| we chung with nll our strength We were
repeatedly submerged by tho waves and
were nearly drowned. The vessel pounded
dreadfully, and thought that every mo-
ment she was going to break up. had in
the meantime caught hold of rope, which,
when large wave struck me, snapped and
was thrown into the sea. 1 was unable to
swim, and caught hold of pieces of wreck
age. was buffetcd by tho sea until was
driven, with others, clinging to the wreck
age, close to the cliff.
when day began to break the spectacle
was appalling. I was hanging to spar,
around which my hair was twisted Nearby
saw men and women torn from the
wreckage to which they were clinging and
drowned before my eyes. Some reached
ledge only to be again drawn back into the
sea by a receding wave. Finally was tho
only one alive. My sister, while attempt
ing to escape by the life line, became en-
tangled in the line and was strangled
| After had been in the water twelve hours
and was almost completely exhausted,
was perceived by the survivors ashore
| One of them swan to my rescue. He fast
ened a rope to me and then we were both
hauled ashore"
Another passenger describing the scene
on deck after the vessel had struck SAYS
that 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 We're carried into the sea-
Reports previously cabled to the Associ-
ated Press that IL passengers and twenty
three of the crew were drowned are con-
tirncd. Over hundred were rescued.