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Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1859, 21 July 1874, Page 2

Owing to the heavy sea running on the bar yesterday there were no arrivals or departures at this port. A fine steamer, called the Durham, sister ship to the s.s. Northumberland, aud being owned by Messrs Money Wigram and Co:, was to be launched on the 16th May, and would leave for. Melbourne on the 20th July. Should the Durham be at all fortunate, she may be expected in Hobson's Bay about the middle of September. . We extract from the Greenock Telegraph, a Clyde shipping gazette, of April 2th, the following notice of the ship Cartsburn .— " This fine ship, which sailed from the Tail of the Bank early yesterday morning for Otago, x ew Zealand, with about 500 immigrants and a large general cargo of merchandise on board, was the s .me day left by Mr Robert Lee, pilot, between Pladda and the ' Craig, proceeding down channel under sail, all well, wind west, strong breeze The Cartshorn, which is 1257 tons, is owned in Greenock by Messrs Shankland and Co., and is commanded by Captain J. Young." The Australasian of 30th May says : — "The fact that within a few weeks three Slendid new iron clipper ships came into is p <rt dismasted, can hardly fail to raise the question as to the suitability of iron masts for sailing vessels. Many explanations have been offered for this strange series of disasters, which, it is felt, require some special explanation other than that of the ordinary casualties and perils of the ocean. It is maintained on some sides that the present disposition is to build vessels of great carrying capacity, and with an undue exteut of sparring, with the view of carrying at any risks the greatest quantity of oargo at the' greatest possible speed. Very likely. This, indeed, seems the end and aim of a merchant ship, and the only question is, whether this very proper object is sousht by equally proper means. By others, the accidents are attributed to the 'scamping' work of the builders, who in theae times of dear iron use inferior metal in the ships whenever they get a chance. This would be fraud of a highly criminal nature if it could be proved, but it is very questionable whether there is any greater average of dishonesty among shipbuilders now than at any former time. The real point appears to be the the fitness of iron for the masts of sailing ships. One authority argues that iron . masts rigidly fixed in the deck must, from the nature of the metal, inevitably tend to ,• acquire, by the vibration caused by the rolling of the ship, something like a crystal- . line texture at the part near the deck. The effect of this weuld be that the iron would . lose the tough, fibrous character of wrought iron, and assume the brittle nature of cast iron. All the*e, however, are matters for the consideration of experts. But that such consideration is urgently demanded, the , recent accidents appear to show in a very unniistakeable manner." . They are constructing some giant ocean steamers in America At Chester, Philadelphia, on the 18th March, the City of Pekin was launched, and on the 11th May a siste : vessel, the City of Tokio, first entered the . water. They were both built for the Pacific Mail Company, and are stated to be the two .largest iron steamshiys afloat in the carrying trade. 'iheNew York World gives the following as the dimensions of tht> vessel recently launched : — "The City of Tokio, like her sister ship, ' when loaded to the waterline will displace 8000 tons of water. Her carrying capacity is 5500 tons, with space also for 150 cabin and 1500 steerage passengers. She is 423ffc long by 48ft wide and 38ft deep, and has four decks and six watertight compartments. Her total cost, exclusive of steward's department, is 1 025.000d01, and her speed will be nearly 19 miles per hour. — Argus, 9th inst.