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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 8, Issue 693, 21 October 1865, Page 2

The N.Z.S.N. Co's boats have lately been rather unfortunate. No sooner is the Queen laid up though breaking her shaft, than the Lady Bird, on \ her voyage from Otago, meets with a Bimilar j accident. The following account of the disaster is from the Independent of the 10th inst.— The Lady Bird left Port Chalmers at 1.15 p.m. on the 29th, experienced light north winds and smooth water ; at 9.30 p.m. the same day, when about seventy miles N.N.E. of Otago heads the crank shaft broke, made all sail and stood td'the N.E., about midnight the wind backed round to the south. Shaped a course for Banks' Peninsula ; during the Ist and 2nd last., kept beating to windward against a moderate N.E. breeze ; on the 2nd at 1 p.m., when about two miles off the east end of Banks' JPeninsula, the wind shifted round to the S.W,, and carried tbo vessel to the entranoe of Port Cooper, when at 5.30 p.m. it fell oalm ; at 6 p.m.. a light breeze sprang up from the N.E. which oarried the vessel up to the anchorage at Lyttelton by 9.30 p.m. same date. Disoharged oargo on the following day, and prepared to start under sail with the first favorable wind, as nothing could be done at Lyttelton to repair the maohlnery. At 5 p.m, on the 4th, sailed from Lyttelton with the first of a strong S.S.E. gale, about midnight the gale abated ; the wind veered round to west on the Sth, and had light baffling winds throughout ; at 4 p.m, on the Gth experienced a strong gale with violent squalls from S.S.W., which towards midnight fell oft to moderate breeze, and oarried the vessel about twelve miles to the N.N.E. of Cape Campbell ; by daylight on the 7th at 8 a.m. spoke the s.s. Wonga Wonga ; the vessel about twelve miles off Pencarrow Head at 6.15 p.m. About eight miles south of Pencarrow Head the s.s. Storm Bird took the vessel in tow. and arrived in this harbor at 9.80 p.m. The Adelaide Baker, ship, 156 days out from London, arrived in Wellington on the 6th inst. On a recent trip of the Alhambra, steamer, from Hokitika to Dunedin, two fatal accidents ocourred, whioh are thus narrated in the DaUy Times of 2nd inst.— Off West Cape a tremendous oross sea was encountered, and the engines were consequently slowed and the ship hove-to until daybreak. The storm continued to inorease during the night, and at 7.30 on the following morning, one of the heavier seas struck the ship, and proved fatal to one of the passengers. A miner named Charles Boxall, a native of Sussex, whose brother was on board, and who was one of a party of several diggers proceeding to Hokitika, missed his footing as the vessel gave a lurch, and was thrown down the fore-hatchway. The poor man fell upon his head, and by the concussion his skull was fractured, presenting an indentation large enough to admit a man's hand. He survived in an insensible state only half-an-hour. In less lhan two hours afterwards, the second fatal accident ocourred. Mr. Arthur Mangin, the second offioer, was washed overboard by a fearful sea, whioh also swept the decks of about thirty sheep, with dogs, hen-coops, water-casks, and life-buoys, There were few on deck to witness the accident, but a rope was immediately thrown to him. He succeeded in seizing it, and, as he was drawn to the ship's side, he looked up and smiled, as if in gratitude for the fortunate chance by which the means of rescue had come within his reach. There were a few moments of intense hope as to his safety, but another heavy sea swept along, and swept with it all ohance of rescue. The vessel gave a luroh, and before the willing hands on deck could pull him above water, he was drawn below the ship's counter, and was compelled to release his hold. As he drifted to leeward, the engines, which had been stopped, were reversed, and the vessel pointed towards him. He continued to swim bravely over the raging sea, and onoe more approaohed the vessel, at the bow, when he was again nearly saved. At the moment, however, he sank suddenly, his weighty olothing having become so saturated that he could manage no longer to keep himself afloat. Once or twice, life-buoys were almost washed over him, and he was surrounded by other floating objects ; but he was powerless to avail himself of their proximity. In about a quarter of an hour afterwards, the gale so suddenly moderated that it would have been possible to have lowered a boat, an expedient which, at the time of the acoident, dared not be attempted. On the night of Sunday, the Ist inst., the heavy rain which fell oaused a great flood in the Hokitika. The Leonidas, whioh had been launched from the spit, and was anchored in the river, was swept away by the flood, and carried on to the islands at the mouth of the river, but she was subsequently got afloat a second time. Before the week had half expired, the flood had cut for itself a straight channel to the sea, and so good had this become on Friday, that seventeen vessels were able to enter the river on that day. Only one of them suffered any disaster, the Maria— a threemasted sohooner from Melbourne, which being the last of the fleet, went on shore. . The arrival of suoh a large number of vessels, many of thembeing from Melbourne and Sydney, must operate considerably on the market. The Omeo, whioh had been ten days off the port, with 450 tons of cargo, had only succeeded in landing 24 tons, as the Yarra, whose services to lighter her had been oaloulated on, had been wrecked. Tho p.s. BaUaarat, whioh arrived here only a few weekß ago for the purpose of participating in some of those good things which are to be had here by a handy steamer that can manage to keep afloat, has begun her career most auspiciously. She left for the Grey last Thursday with a threehundred pound freight on board, picked up one of the vessels lying in the Grey roadstead, and towed her over the bar, whioh she crossed safely. Left the Grey with about fifty pounds worth of freight, and arrived off Hokitika on Sunday in time to reoeive nearly three hundred passengers from the Barwon, Omeo, and the brigantine Susannah Booth. These she brought in at one trip, and, as the oharge is one pound per head, besides freight on luggage, she has netted a very nioe sum on her first trip out and in. Being heavily laden, she steamed but slowly against the heavy fresh, and on arriving at the turn to the entrance' through the North Spit the current caught her bow and sent her aground. A line, however, was quickly sent on shore, and there being two or three hundred willing hands in readiness, she was soon pulled off again, amidst the oheers of those on shore and on board. Capt. White informed us that the Grey bar (although there is a muoh heavier sea on it than is running on ours) is easier to cross, there being a straight entranoe. Six sailing vessels followed him when he entered the Grey, and no mishap ocourred to any of them. He reports the Grey township to be in a flourishing condition.— West Coast Times, Ootober 3.