SHIPPING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XL, Issue 3926, 25 August 1873, Page 2

SHIPPING.

THE TIDES. High Water at Lyttelton for the month of August, 1873: —

The question of overloading vessels has been under the consideration of the Dominion House of Commons, and a bill has passed limiting deckloads of timber to three feet in height for deals and two for spars. No timber is to bo carried as dcckload between October and May. It is mentioned in the Builder that a vessel employed to take a cargo of coal from Cardiff io Valparaiso, in south-western America, had doubled Cape Horn, when it was discovered •that the cargo was on fire from spontaneous combustion, and all attempts to put out the i'"o were unavailing, so that the ship had to ,bc abandoned, and the crow of about a dozen persons, with ten days’ provisions, in an open boat, and in almost continual rain and snow, were exposed to dreadful hardships for seventy-one days, living on shellfish got among .the rocks at and near Magellan Straits, till all died but two men and the stewardess, who were picked up by a steamer. No fewer than twenty vessels with Cardiff coal have perished from combustion of the cargo within the last few years. As the lighter Clutha was going down Dunedin harbour on the afternoon of August 18, one of the men working in her fell overboard, and was drowned. The manner in which the affair happened was related in this manner by King, who had charge of the boat •when they left Dunedin. “Bob,” the name bv which the unfortunate man was known, was the worse for liquor, and as they came down to about Curio’s point the wind calmed, and it was necessary to go into the boat, and tow the lighter. King requested “Bob” to no and do so, which he refused, and then they fell out upon the matter, and a scuflle ensued, “Bob” throwing King into the water, and being pulled over after him. _By this time they were just approaching the islands, where the stream is very strong and full of eddies. King succeeded, 'by hard swimming, in catching the boat swinging behind the lighter, and was thus rescued ; but his mate sank, and was not scon again. On arriving at Port Chalmers, King was taken in charge by the police. A man who was working at a quarry on the side of the harbour came on board shortly after the accident, and helped King to moor his vessel. Robert Moore was the name of the drowned man. — Guardian, Aug. 19. An invention has lately beenpatented by Mr Bremner, of Liverpool, for turning ships without making head or stern-way. This invention consists of an arrangement of a screw or screws athwart the ship near the keel, so that the rotative power is exerted for turning or steering the vessel, either alone or in conjunction with other steering apparatus. It is obvious that a screw thus placed will have a proportionate influence upon the guidance of a ship us the propelling screw has upon her progression ; and so readily does she answer this application of an old principle, that she may be turned completely round without lifting her anchor, and thus the whole broadside of a ship-of-war may be brought to bear with greater facility, and consequently with greater effect, than the single gun of a turret. The vessel is always under perfect control at slow speed, an important consideration when collision is imminent, or when under coast, channel, river, or other narrow navigation ; while in heavy weather she can be kept in position and sot allowed to fall into the trough of the sea, as the Captain did, and eventually founder. To services using the Suez Canal, by the saving of time and lessening the risks of grounding, the invention would be absolutely invaluable. The near is contained in a trunk or casing, and consists cither of a chain-wheel or tooth-wheel

or rods connecting the shaft on which the screw is mounted with the motive power, which may be either a donkey-engine or the main engine of the vessel. The entire gear is simple, and occupies comparatively a small and unimportant part of the vessel, interfering but slightly with the stowage, and in no way with the other machinery, while the addition of the trunk and the* screw tube materially strengthens the stern of the ship. Various methods of arranging the apparatus are provided to meet the construction and other requirements of the ship. A vessel fitted with this steering screw has been completely turned round in forty seconds. It is the property of Captain George William Bremner, shipowner, of Liverpool. The main object of this invention is to enable vessels of war, floating batteries, etc., to be turned round without even lifting anchor, and making broadside ships answer as turret vessels.

The operation of deepening Dunedin har"bour, by means of dredging, is still being carried on with perseverance. The work is a most important one, as it will enable a vessel of moderate draught to discharge and take in their cargoes at the Rattray street jetty. There are two dredges engaged. The first, a large one, which is employed in deepening the channel out by the end of the training wall. This dredge, since it commenced operations has, in addition to the other work which it has performed, dredged a basin of about 200 feet in length, and about 100 feet in width from the jetty. Tbepurposeforwbich this basin has been formed is to afford opportunity to steamers coming in, or going out, to turn round. The second dredge is employed to do work which could not bo done by the large one. As the depth of water is not eulllcient to allow of its working more than tui hour and a half at the highest point where the operations are being carried on, and as the buckets of the largo dredge work in the centre as a matter of course, it could not act within fifteen feet of the jetty. But these uiilleultics have been removed by the employment of the side-dredge, which is so called

from the buckets working on one side, enabling it to excavate close up to the piles. Further, being of lighter drabght, it can be employed with success in the shallow water. The small dredge is at present employed in dredging a channel 170 feet in width and six feet in depth at low water. This channel will extend from the point where the piles which arc to connect Rattray street jetty with the Now jetty were commenced to bo driven by the prisoners, and will continue out into deep water. The mud which is lifted up by the small dredge is emptied within the area bounded by the two jetties and the projected line of piles. The quantity discharged each day from the small dredge is on an average the contents of seven punts, each of which contain about seventeen cubic yards of stuff. The effect of these dredging operations will be that, in a short space of time, vessels drawing twelve feet of water will be enabled to como up to where the piles are being driven. Furthermore, when the proposed area between the jetties is reclaimed, additional jetty accommodation will be afforded, as tile outer part of it will be used as a jetty. When this work is finished, the want of jetty room which is now so much felt will be, to a great extent,

overcome. It may also be added that, in order to provide still greater facilities for vessels loadirg or unloading, tenders arc called for by the Government for the cxl.cn flion of Rattray street jetty. This extension ■will probably bo about 200 yards, and is intended to afford accommodation for throe or •four vessels.— Guardian, Aug. 20.

Date. a.m. D.TB. 25 — 5.40 6.00 26 — 6.20 6.40 27 — 7.00 7.21 28 — 7.42 8.05 29 — 8.27 8.51 30 — 9.15 9.43 31 — 10.09 10.38