MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 3, 20 May 1878, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Nowg roaohod London of tlio wreck of iho Eurydico off tho ]*]a of V^ight, almost within flight of Spithoud,. for which plug* iho was atanding at tho ond of n plonsant and successful oruiso to, tho West Indies. Tho Eurydico was a training ship for sontnon. Sho had 36$ sailors on board at tho timo, ond was bringing a number of military officers suporanua.tod and invalids from tho Wost Jndios. Tho Eurydico was q wooden sailing fully i-iggcd flhip, 021 tons displaoomont, and was at ono timo conYidorod ono of tho smartest and qiokest 'iG-^tyi frigate.* in tho service-,. Sho was built about tho year 18^1 Sho sailed from, P,>rt*mouth on November 13th, with a crow of about. 300 ordinary saanion and offers, all of whom worq lost with tho exception of «two soamon, Quptam H^ro had boon commandor.'of tho St. Vineout training ship at Portsmouth, am] was selected for command from his knowledge and os< porionooofyouiursoumen. The Eurydieo loft tho Bermudas on March 6th. Nothing was hoard of hor until sho was soon by tho const gqard ut BiHijny on IVI iroh 2^h, hoaring for Spituoal under all plain sail, hor o'-jjot beiu n ' ojoarly to arrivo at tho anohoriigo at Spit*head boforo nightfall. Thoro w,is an ominous stillnoss provailling at this timo. A hoavy black cloud was coming down irom tho nortli«woßt and tho glass Tallinn rapidly. Such wind as thoro was, cumo j from tho westward, and blow on tho port quarter of tho ship. Prom tho direction iv which sho was steering, she would bo in comparatively smooth wa'or, so sholtorod would she bo by tho Downs until ' sho rounded Dunoiso Hoa<l, whoro tho disastor oocurrol. Thta ciroumsfanco oxplains the fact that Iho Kmmi, schooner, which was nour at tho timo, wns no* aft\jolod by thu galo. JuU boforo 4 o'clock tho wind suddenly veered round from tho wost to tho eastward, and a galo necom* paniod by a blinlihg frll of snow, eamo down irom tho highlands, striking tho Kurydico jint a littlo boforo tho beam, '.driving her out of hor courso, whioh wns heading to tho north-mist, and turning her bow to Iho oast. This is what acorns probablo, though from t(ho manner 'in which tho ooa was concealod by snow, nothing w,ns soon of hor at iho, momont when sho oapsir.nd to starboard. Tho sky cleared suddenly as it bocamo, overpast wind sinking awny ;attlio same timo. So soon as atjythiijg; could bo soon, the masts and top Uan.por of tho ship woro djacoverod, above wator, about two and throo- quarter miles E%N.E. off- Dunpisp. Tho sh^jp lios in olcvo^ fathoms of wator, and from hor ponition appoars to havo righted going down. Of »H tho souls on board, only t»wo porsons flnopoodod in reaching tho shoro alivo Thinso nro an able seaman named Benjamin Cuddoford, a nativo, of Plymouth nnd Sydnoy l?lotohor. an ordinnrv flrstolsa seaman, aged 19, bolonging to Bristol. Lioul. Laborn, who was rofcued.from tho so*, diod 1 . bofpro reaching the shoro. Ono of tho Rurvivors states that when tho squall struck tho vessel they woro taking, in soil. Tho, captain orderod tho men to, comp down from aloft, Tho water was thon running along tho ncttincr. Ho canght hold.of.tho weather netting and, oould boo tho vessel's keol. Tho vessol righted. n littlo boforo settling down nnd thon wont gradually over, from forward, tho groato part of tjiohanls being on thst forward outsido. Tho construction of tho fortifications ot Port Phillip Heads is proceeding with vigour, strong working parties of tho Artillery, Enginoprs, Voluntopra," having boon ongugod in the battorios at Queenscliffo during tho Eiister reeoss. Tho Artillery djd somo rpally good work in connection with tho now battory, in wliioh. havo boon mounted three Oin I^-ton Armstrong guns, each of whioh carry n, projectile 8001 b. This is ono of tho works rocommondod by Sir William Jcrvoifl. Tho throo guns— weighing 12 tons each— havo boon mounted on barbetto on a vory solid foundation, tho rncors having baon fixed upon a substratum of 2ft of bluostouo placed above 3ft of comont con* crete. Each of t^oso conoroto foundations contains over 20 cubic yards so that sonio idea may be gained of Iho aolidity, of tlio work uoccssnry for carry-

ing such hoavy guns. In front of tho ffuns thoro will bo a sloping pirnpet of OOft, and from thonce a ' burm ' 3ft talling to a ditch 22ft wide at tho top iimj sloping to tho bottom on both sides to a width of 12ft Cnn ; wbilo in front of thi* will bo .1 glacis, so Hint it will bo almost an impossibility for tho battery to bo storraod in front. Tho battery is royottoij with tarrod sand bags, and an tljoso arq rammed down bard, thoj b,eoomq almost ns solid as §ft)no. To tho 101 lof this, [leavy battery is one mountod with 80. pounuor ftung of oxtromo range Anotljor. ijnttcry is to bb crootod «t Point Nopoan, so that any hostile cruisor attempting to ontor Tort Phillip would bo onbjootod tq n cross fire, Tho Torpedo Corps fynrq also boon busily employed of lato. O») April 29, Mossrs Qunn and Spnnoo coalpit atLawronoo completely subsidod. Tlio shaft has boon giving way moro or loss for tho past two yours, but no iminodiato danger apprehondod nntil within tlo la»t (o* days, whon tho tin^lwrt ga?Q warning of tho coming catastropho wl^iet| took plaqc at thq timo Btntc<|. Tho wholo, of tho plant, consisting of trucks, tram, ways, turning tables. &0., woro buried ij| fho debris. 'JLho shaft is qui^o sound for oonsidsrablo distuned down, until tho stratum of pipeclay is roachod, at which placo it h,«s burst in. on all side-?, Tim' pipeclay form's a deposit of 25 foot in, nud is of ft soapy nature, and no doubt' has boer) tho mnii| causo of tho subsidbneo. J(, is calcuktod ttiat at least 2Qop| tons of Jignito' are thus lost, bosidos nn actual monotarv danrigo of £400 or £500, being inflintcd.