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Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1933, 16 October 1874, Page 2

The s.s Gothenbnrgh left Nelson at noon yesterday, and may be expected early this morning. She will be tendered at ten o'clock a.m. ; ' A i splendid deep water harbor is to be fanned at Dover by the Government. . The largest dock in the world has been opened at Cardiff. It bas been constructed by the Marquis of Bute at a cost of Li,«W,OOO. An unusual mishap occurred on the 31st July at Millwall, on the Thames. A large ironclad was being launched there, when from some cause or other— it is said from the foreshore giving way under her enormous weight — she stuck fast, partly in and partly out of the river, the water washiag over her deck at high tide. She is a steam ram. of 5000 tons, builders' measurement, with 12-inch armor plates, and her weight &k the time of launchiuu was between 6000 and 7000 tons. She is insured for a quarter of a million, and it is stated that it will cost L 60,000 to float her. Her name is the Indiependenzia, and she was built for the Brazilian Government. A. similar, mishap occurred about eight years ago to H.M.S Northumberland, which was eventually got off safely. The " Register of the Australian and New Zealand Shipping." compiled and issued by the Merchant Shipping and Underwriters' Association of Melbourne, from returns furnished by the Customs authorities in each Colony, will be ready this month This work contains a complete list of all vessels registered at the various ports in Australia, , Tasmania, and New Zealand, giving particulars of tonnage, place and date of build, port and date of registry, official and port numbers, ownership, &c, and where practicable, the name of the master and number of his certificate. A leading feature of the list, and one which it is believed will make the work especially valuable to all connected with Colonial shipping is the prefixing to the names of those vessels which have been classified, letters indicating the register in which information regarding them may be found — the registers referred to being Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, the Liverpool Underwriters' Registry of Iron Vessels, Veritas, American Lloyd's, Germanic Lloyd's, and the Australian Register of Shipping. As numerous changes constantly occur in our mercantile navy, we understand that it is proposed to issue corrected editions of this work annually, as soon after 30th June as the necessary returns can be obtained. "^Egles" writes in the "Australasian :" r— "In Friday's journals the Eastern and Australian Mail Steam Company, Limited, advertised (by its agents) the sailing of the Jeddah, from the Sandridge Railway Pier, for Saturday, 12th September. But the ship didn't come to the pier, and she Slipped off in the most unceremonious way without waiting for mail, goods, or passengers. >nd why ? She had been on fire, and in order to extinguish the fire she was scuttled in Twofold Bay, and sunk. After being patched a little, she was raised and came to Melbourne to earn her freight. The cargo was tea, and valueless. The owners of cargo, acting on a well-known principle of marine insurance, considered that the ship was liable to contribute to a general average ; the cargo having been destroyed in order to save the hull. But the company (by its agents) avoided any direct assent or refusal. And whist the owners of cargo were gettiDg into motion the lumbering machinery of law, the astute company (by its agents) coaled the ship in the graving dock, got steam up, cleared her at the Customs a day earlier than expected, and sent her to sea in- the night. So the ' company (b> its agents) has accomplished the brilliant feat of paying the claimants with tha foretopsaiL The appreciation of the cleverness of this steamship company (by ifca agents) is most; pronounced in commeTciai circles— the ptoiwmti&tion ocmiou&ity rather harshly accented."