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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 982, 19 September 1871, Page 2

It is seldom that the wharf presented •nch a busy appearance as it did yesterday forenoon, the numerous arrivals of' the previous two days being busily employed in landing goods. • . The p s. Cbarles Edw; r«l sailed yesterday afternoon for Nelson and Westport. ' The s.B; Waipuvileft Grtym>u*h ca-ly on yetterday morning's tide, and arrived in" Hokitika about noon. The reports from the various telegraphic stations represent the weather and bars as bsinggnod. Barometer was highest at the Bluff. 30.70; and lowest: at the Henley, 2815. Thermometer was highest atTaupo, 54 ; and lowest at the Bealey, 39. The Murray arrive i in Nelson on Saturday evening. Ihe wreck of the vessel H.M.S. Megjera,: announced in the Suez summary as having taken place between the Cape and Australia, is the source of paiuful anxiety to the ships on the Australian station, as it appears not to have been known in Melbourne what lives had been lost.' The Megsera was bringing' out relief crews for the Blanche and Eosario, and must have had upwards of four hundred men on board, several of whom wete relations of the men cruising on tho Australian coast An interesting and important trial trip has recently been made, which serves to exhibit the advantages of the screw over the paddle as a means of propulsion, for ocean -going steamships. In 18G3 the steamship Syria, of 1998 tons, was built for the Peninsular and' Oriental Company by Messrs Day, Summers and Co, of the Northern Ironworks at Southampton, and fitted with paddle-wheels of 450-horae power. The Syria then attained a speed of 13 038 knots per hour on j her, official trip, and the consumption of coali was at the rate of forty-five tons per diem. ; This vevsel was sometime since sold out of the Peninsular ami Oriental Company's service, anil purchased by the Union Steamship Company to reinforce their fine and increasing fleet, engaged in cairying the mails between Southampton and the Cape of Good Hope, and has since been converted' into a screw steamer by the firm who built her, who, without in any way disturbing the configuration of the hull, have fitted the Syria with compound inverted engine* of 300 nominal horse-power. These engines have two cylindera respectively of 30-inch and 72-inch diameter, with a stroke of 4 feet 2 inches. At the official trip, the Syria attained an average speed of 12*637 knots, with a consumption of coal equivalent to eighteen tons per dicrti, thus showing a dif- . ference of only 0.401 knots per {hour, with a lessened power of 150 horses, and a saving in consumption of twenty-seven tous per diem, while the carrying capacity of the ship,, arising from the economy of space in the engine-room, has been enormously increased, as she can now stow 1200 tons of cargo, against 500 tons, leaving excellent accommodation for first and second-class passengers. The success of the conversion of this vessel has been considered so great that the directors of the Union Company invited a large party of gnntlemcn associated with the Cape colonies, and the most influential merchants connected with the trade, to a further trial of tlie Syria, on which occasion the ship went rouml the Isle of Wight, her behaviour being in every respect satisfactory. The ironclad Cerberus, having been pnt into lighting trim, has made her trial trips down Hobson'a Bay. On tho first occasion there was a heavy sea on, an>l she proved herself perfectly fit for her destined duty— namely, the defence of the Bay. The turrets worked well and smoothly, and competent judges assert that the vessel in every way comes up to tho eulogiums that have been passed upon her, The Cerberus is at piesent stationed in Corio Bay. and in an object of attraction to ihe' people of Gcelong and t the neighboring localities.