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Grey River Argus, Volume XXI, Issue 3141, 9 September 1878, Page 2

Although the channel is not in good condition, it is expected that most of the vessels at the wharf will be towed to sea to-day. The s s Wallabi was towed over the bar on Saturday night's tide. She sailed for Wanganui direct. She s.s Star of the South arrived in the Toadßtead on Satnrday from Dunedin. She will be brought to the wharf to-day. An accident happened to the machinery of the s. s Mullough yesterday morning, which will detain her in port for a days. The vessel was berthed at the end of the wharf, and while turning to proceed to sea, the current, which was very strong in the river at the time, caught her bow and sent her stern on to the protective works. Her propeller caught on some of the stone work, and the. sudden jerk broke the connecting rods, the piston, and the covering of her cylinder. This rendered her helpless, and she drifted down the river to the bight below the protective works, where she cast anchor, and from whence she waa brought back to the wharf by the Dispatch. It is not known whether the blades of the propeller are broken, but she will be examined to-day. The Alhambra sailed from Melbourne on Friday, and will arrive here on the 10th inst. THe Tararua sailed on Wednesday, and will leave for Melbourne direct, on the 15th inst. The ship Sonthminster, with 2300 tons of cargo for Dunedin, Lyttelton, and Welling, ton, arrived at Port Chalmers from New York last week. At Hobart Town, on August 11, there was launched from the yards of Mr J M. M*Gregor, a barque, built of blue gum, with kauri pine topsides and decks, and copper fastened throughout. Her length overall is 130 ft, depth' 12ft, and beam 26ft, and it is expected that she will register about 260 tons and carry between 360 and 400 tons. She } was named the Loongaiana, and after making a trip to Calcutta, will be put in the New Zealand trade' The Bella Mary, barque, from Hobart Town, arrived at Auckland on Saturday after an exceedingly stormy passage. On the night of August 17, when the ship was hove-to, between seven and eight o'clock, a tremendous sea broke on board. The captain and mate were on the poop with a man at the wheel at the time. The captain and the steersmau were washed from their places, but being made fast to the vessel by a rope, were saved from going overboard ; the mate, John Morgan, not so secured, was washed overboard and never more seen. The Eaipara Steam .Navigation Company have successfully floated the shares allotted. The applications were in excess of the supply ; 61 shareholders have 4000 stock allotted to them. Two thousand have been reserved to be sold at a future date, when the shares are quoted at a premium; The company have bought steamers and plant of Casey and Son, and have been running boats since August 1. A Parliamentary paper containingcorrespondence respecting the affairs of the Suez Canal has'been issued. Among the documents is a report from Mr Standen to Lord Derby, dated the 28th of March, 1878. Mr Standen states that last winter, in company with his French colleagues, MM. Frevile and Spement, be made a visit of inspection to the Canal, and had since returned to Paris to resume his duties on the managing committee of the company. The result of this inspection, was to convince him that the Canal, properly speaking, as distinguished from the harbor and roadstead, is in a thoroughly efficient working Btate, and that, with the , addition of a few improvements which are very desirable, if not necessary, it can be rendered quite capable of satisfying all 'demands that are likely to be made upon it by the navigation for some years to come. With respect to the possibility of the Canal being blocked by a sunken vessel, Mr Sanden reports that the chief engineer has turned his attention to the question. He Btates that in the event of a vessel being sunk in mid-channel, he can dredge away a canal of equal depth outside it, ' and of . sufficient width to allow the navigation to pass, in the space of some five or six days. With so speedy a remedy, the apprehensions of. a possible blocking up of the Canal in this manner loose much of their importance, and the idea of an attempt being made to blow up the banks is considered by the company's engineer as too absurd to be entertained.