WRECK OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4913, 13 May 1887, Page 3

WRECK OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND.

Little now remains to bo told in connec- j tion with the Northumberland disaster. The . wreck presented this morning an appearance I very similar to that of yesterday, not much 1 more cargo having come ashore, and the l ship does not appear to have been much i more knocked about. Yesterday afternoon I was a lively one for the Customs officers J who were busy unearthing "plants" 'which I had been made the night before when the i liquor was being , washed up. Several of I these were discovered and tho bottles im- j pounded. A smart piece of work was I effected by Mr J. E. Proyis and Detective J Grace who had been keeping a bright look i out all the afternoon, and had most of the j suspicious characters "marked down." ' Just about dusk they observed a boat put ( off from the shore manned by five men who pulled in the direction of one of the low lying islands in the inner lagoon. Their movements there could not be distinctly traced, owing to the darkness, bnt when she left the island it war noticed she was considerably more " by the stern " than when she went there, which convinced the vigilants on shore, that there was '' more in her than met the eye."; The men proceeded then to pull in the. direction of tho Spit, stealthily stalkedbybur ftionds on shore, who, on reaching the brid{fe''-a!nct observing that the smugglers werepulling in shore, laid lowand prepared tp give thema fitting reception. As soon asihe boatlft,fc:3l grated on the beach Messrs ProTis and Grace sprang upon them and succeeded in securing three of the men and their plunder, which consisted of two casks of rum; ne other two men managed to make their.escapo, but we understand that the police aro in possession of their . names, and. .have no doubt they will all be sorry' for themselvos before they get out .ofl,--Jit.-. The rum was conveyed to the, Customs shed, and will bo sold on Monday with the rest of tho salvage. Messrs Shaw, Savill and Co. havo made freight arrangements for all the wool, tallow, and skins which were lying in the port awaiting shipment by the Northumberland. This will all bo sent to Auckland and transhipped to their ship Hermione, now loading at that port. Captain Babot is up, and no doubt arrangements will be made with him to relieve Messrs Nelson Brothers of the 15,000 sheep which are in their chambers ready for shipment. The merchants at the port met this morning , , and it was decided to open a " Northumberland Disaster Fund" for the relief of the unfortunate seamen, and others who have suffered by the wreck. The proceedings were quite of a preliminary character, and a more representative meeting will be held at an early date. Up to the present, those watching on the beach have not succeeded in recovering the body of George Kilvington, although it is said to havo been seen in tho break yesterday afternoon, when Bain's body was washed up. All tho business places at the port aro closed this afternoon so as to allow employes to attend the funerals.