SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 107, 22 February 1873, Page 10

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

ARRIVED. February. 14, Wellington, s.s, '299 ions, Carey, from the South. Passengers : Cabin —Mr and Mrs Coupe and child, Mrs Biddle, Mrs Robertson, Mrs Brent, Messrs Robertson, Jackson, Barr, Decley; 5 steerage ;17 for the North. 14, Syren, brig, 159 tons, M c Ewen, from Launceston. 15, Elizabeth, ketch, 42 tons, Short, from Kikerangi. 15, Emerald, schooner, 40 tons, Whitby, from Lyttelton. 15, Nebraska, p.s., 2144 tons, Harding, from the South. Passengers : Cabin —Hon J. Bathgate. Miss Bathgate, Mr and Mrs Keith, Messrs Campbell, Fraser, Hall, Blake, La Nauze, J. O. Lord, and the Hon Mr Peter. 15, Rangitoto, s.s, 448 tons, Mackie, from Melbourne via the Coast. Passengers : Cabin —Messrs Seed, M'Clellan, Litchfield, Driscoll; 22 steerage. 17, Napier, s.s., 44 tons, Doile, from Wanganui. 17, Ruby, schooner, 24 tons, Fraser, from Kaikoura. 18, Wanganui, s.s, Linklater, from Wanganui. 18, Taranaki s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, from Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manukau. Passengers : Cabin—Miss Hay, Mr and Mrs Gavin, Mr and Mrs Charles, Mrs E. Fox, Dr Cotterill, Messrs Reid, Dando, Compton, Leeshmarf, Biddle : 4 steerage. 20, Rangatira, s.s., 182 tons, Hepburn, from Napier. SAILED. 14, Wanganui, s.s, 179 tons, Linklater, for Wanganui. 14, Rangatira, s.s., 185 tons, Hepburn, for Napier. Passengers : Cabin—Mrs Tabateau, Miss Gardnei’, Mrs Lyndon and child, Mr and Mrs Styles, Messrs Marks, M‘Dowell, Jobbsrns, Coate, Carswell, Mudgway. 15, Wellington, s.s., 262 tons, Carey, for Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manukau. Passengers : Cabin—Mr and Mrs Cameron, Mrs Anderson and child, Miss Palmer, Messrs Valentine, Blundell, Hickson, Hartmann, 17 original ; 9 steerage. 17, Rangitoto, s.s, 448 tons, Mackie, for Melbourne via the South. Passengers : Cabin —Mrs Watt, Mrs Taylor and child, Messrs Blake, Bell, Smith, Aston, and Woodward. 18, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for Kaikoura, Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers. Passengers ; Cabin —Mr M'Gowan ; 2 in the steerage. 19, Wanganui, s.s., 179 tons, Linklater, for Wanganui. Passengers: Cabin —Mrs P. Bell, Master Bell. 20, Rangatira, s.s., 182 tons, Hepburn, for Greymouth.

The Jessie Headman has been waiting since Tuesday morning for a fair slant of wind to take her out of harbor, but since taking up her position in the fairway the wind has been southerly. Although we cannot yet boast of a rapidity in loading and discharging ships equal to the Bats of the highly-equipped stevedore organisations in the Australian ports, it is still congratulatory to observe a marked improvement in the expedition used in the dispatch of each English ship that leaves the port. The Jessie Readman arrived on the 15th December, with the largest batch of immigrants which had been brought to Wellington in one bottom, all of whom were landed in splendid health, a result attributable in.the principal degree to the splendid accommodation of the vessel, and next to the unremitting care and kindness of her commander, Captain Strachan, who was ably aided by Dr Husband. She turned out her cargo in a short space of time, and by the 15th February she had stowed her outward cargo, the extent of which may be gauged by its value, £90,595. The vessel was, therefore, ready to proceed on her homeward trip in exactly two months after she dropped anchor, a period, it should be borne in mind which embraced the Christmas and New Year holidays. Of course a great deal of this expedition is due to the unassuming but systematic business qualities of Captain Strachan, who has up to the present voyage been engaged in the Dunedin trade. We hope, however, to hear of the ship, when she arrives home, being again laid on for this port, and should Captain Strachan again pay us a visit we feel that we merely express a Tory general opinion when we say that he will receive such a welcome as will fairly shako his attachments for the port of Dunedin and its people. The following is a list of her cargo : 125 bales wool, 90 bales phormium, 16 casks tallow, 2 casks beef, 3 do suet, 7 do pork, 7 kegs butter, Turnbull and Co ; 1429 bales wool, 6 pkgs Bkins, 45 bales phormium, 23 sacks bones, 3 bales horns, 2 cases meals, 22 casks tallow, Levin and Co j 6 bales wool, Stuart and Co ; 324 bales wool, 41 do phormium, 2 do pelts, Johnston and Co ; 18 pkgs leather, Hirst; 26 bales wool, G-. Crawford ; 39 bales wool, Bethune and Hunter ; 32 bales wool, Mills; 362 bales wool, 121 bales phormium. Krull and Co; 76 bales wool, Joseph and Co; 10 bales wool, Bould ; 13S bales wool, Young; 607 bales wool, 102 bales phormium, 1000 sacks wheat, 100 do flour, 1 case clothing, 2 pkgs. Pearce ; 179 bales wool, W. W. Taylor; 72 bales wool, O’Shea; 115 bales wool, Vennell, Mills and Co ; 152 bales wool, 19 bales phormium, 2 bales leather, N. Edwards and Co; 24 bales wool, Gibson ; 21 bales wool, Rhodes ; 1 case effects, Parker; 19 bales wool, Martin ; 134 bales wool, T. W. Pilcher.

Captair\9 of vessels trading to Newcastle harbor are informed by the office of the Marine Board, N.S.W., that the temporary buoy placed near the position of the Big Ben Rock at the entrance to Newcastle harbor, has been replaced by a permanent bell buoy in 34 feet water, at a distance of 600 feet, E.N.E. from the entrance of Nobby’s,

At Napier leading lights, capable of being shifted as occasion requires, have been placed on the Spit, for the purpose of guiding vessels into the inner harbor at night. The French barque Surcouf sailed from Newcastle on 24th December for New Caledonia, with a cargo consisting of 280 tons coal, 16 horses, and 460 sheep. On the 7th instant, she wont on shore on a reef 4 miles from the Dambea Pass, abreast of Noumea, and became a total wreck ; all hands saved ; stock all drowned. We believe she is insured in England. De Beer’s Shipping Circular, speaking ot the strike among the colliers at Newcastle, says :— ■** The dulnesß referred to in mv last with respect to coal freights from Newcastle, N.S.W., has been intensified during the month, and, in fact, this important branch of our trade may be said to be brought to a standstill, owing to the general strike of the miners at the above place, which began on the Ist inst, and still coniinues, where at present a fleet numbering at least 70 to 80 sail of vessels, many of large tonnage, are detained in idleness, with but slight prospects of being speedily loaded, the difference between the colliers and coal-masters not being likely to be quickly arranged. When the strike commenced our stocks of coal here were unfortunately unusually light, the’small amount of tonnage for some time previously available having considerably lessened our usual imports, and, consequently, the value of this indispensable commodity has been run up to famine rates, the price delivered from the wharf being now 60s per ton, which must exercise a baneful influence upon many of 'our young private manufacturers, as well as many of our public companies. The annual consumption of this important article in Melbourne and throughout Victoria is of considerable magnitude, absorbing as it does about 200,000 tons, being fully a fourth of the entire production of the Newcastle mines. Our China and San Francisco friends depending, as they have done for several years past, for a considerable portion of their supplies, will no doubt feel this disastrous interruption of business in common with ourselves —and should such continue to occur in future, they, with us, will be compelled to look to other sources of supply—and as the mineral referred to is believed to abound not only in Victoria alone, but over the continent of Australia, no doubt fresh fields will be brought to light—and already the present position of the article has given an impetus for renewed search. Owing to the above circumstances, not a single engagement lias been made during the month to load at Newcastle or Sydney, and the following quotations are, therefore, purely nominal : Shanghai, 42s ; Hong Kong, 35s ; Yokohama, 425; Manila, 40s; Singapore, 325; Saigon, 30s; Java, 265; Bombay, 345: Mauritius, 25s ; and San Francisco, 375.” A sea-going turret ship, Peter the Great, was lately launched from the Admiralty Dockyard, St Petersburg, Russia, in the presence of a great concourse of people. The wedges were withdrawn simultaneously, and the gi’eat ship glided without check or noise into the Neva. In a few days she will be lifted into a floating dock, which will be towed with its enormous burden over the shallows to Cronstadt, where the engines will be fitted, the ship’s sides and turrets sheathed with massive plates, the four great steel cannon shipped ; and in less than a year’s time Russia will have at sea by far the most powerful man-of-war yet built. The vessel was designed by Admiral Popoff, an officer of the highest distinction. His ship differs in many respects from the American and English turret ships, and the design is said to have many excellences. She is, in size, height, form, buoyancy, stability, and engine power, ab ! e to make a long voyage of 17 days at a high speed in any condition of weather. The Peter the Great is 329 ft Bin in length between perpendiculars. Her greatest outside breadth is 63ft. The builder’s measurement is 5,352 tons, and the displacement, with coal, stox*es, and water in boilers, will be 9,665 tons, at a mean draught of 23ft 9in. The plates on the ship’s sides and on the raised building amidships vary from 12in to 14in, and the armor-plate protects the ship to a depth of 6ft below the waterline. The vessel has no spur, but' the upright stem is heavily plated and of enormous strength. The strong straight stern of the Peter the Great will, it is supposed, deliver a most effective blow with little or no risk to herself. The ship has two large turrets, which are plated with 16in of iron in two thicknesses of 14<in and 2in. Sheflxas no masts, but depends entirely upon her engines, which were built at St. Petersburg by the widow Baird. The engines are on the compound principle, and in construction resemble Messrs Rennie’s latest types. Each engine is of 700 horse-power, and connected with two four bladed screws. Thei’e are twelve boilei’B, which will require at full speed 132 tons of coal in twenty four houi’se, and, at this rate of consumption the engines will work at ten thousand effective horsepower, and the ship will be driven at fourteen and a half knots speed per hour. If the engines are worked at the second grade of expansion, she will have coal for seventeen days, steaming twelve and a-half to thirteen knots per hour. With the exception of the teak-wood backing, all the materials of the ship, engines, and armanent have been produced in Russia, by Russian workmen. — “Scientific American.”

The British barque Severn, which ai*rived recently at San Francisco from Newcastle, England, in 344 days, reports a most tedious and calamitous voyage. During the month of March last a tei-rible gale struck hei% washing ovei’board an apprentice boy named Lindsay. The boy was drowned. One of her boats was also smashed to pieces. Sighted Cape Horn April 15th, and was off the Cape until May Bth, with a succession of terrible gales. On the date last mentioned she was struck by a heavy sea; her channels were split fore and aft on both sides, and her fore-

mast went by the board- With great difficulty the mainmast was saved by the aid of hawsers and chains. A jury foremast was rigged, and on the 18th of June the luckless ship arrived at Valparaiso in a very dilapidated oondiition. At the lattes, place she repaired damages as far as possible, and on the 10th of August was ready for sea. But a greatei* calamity was yet in store. While lying in the bay, with both anchors down, a heavy northerly gale sprang up, and the Severn was driven violently against the British iron Bhip Deva, causing the latter to sink immediately, carrying six men down with her. The Severn had her mizen topmast and mizzen rigging carried away, and both quarters badly stove in. She repaired again, and finally sailed October 26, arriving at San Francisco without further calamity. The London correspondent of the “ Australasian” writes :—I must not omit to describe briefly what has been going on in the scientific woi*ld. Ou? large monster ship, the Devastation, has been fairly put to sea in very rough weather, and lms been found to answer all expectations. She is a monster vessel, a mass of 10,000 tons, and as ugly as it is possible to make a vessel : but although, in the trip round the Isle of Wight she raised at her bows a sheet of water 25ft high above her deck, which was consequently invisible, she herself was as impassive as though on a duckpond. So far, she is a rare triumph over old Neptune, particularly if viewed merely as a lighting ship, and it is to be hoped that she will always behave as she has done now. The next great triumph is the completion of your telegraph saystem, although I do not think that English people know or appreciate a tithe of the difficulty or of the importance of the fact. After the fashion of Englishmen, we hope very soon to celebrate the laying of the Australian telegraph by a dinner, when the feast of l’eason will be still further made intei’esting by holding telegraphic convei’sation with yourselves during dinner-time. The Government of the United States has generally been the first in the field with novelties of every kind. A recent experiment at Schenectady, on the Hudson River, with a new torpedo boat, is generally regarded as a success. The trial took place in the presence of a commission of naval officers. This boat is small, and is intended to be navigated by a person standing on the shore, through the medium of telegraphic cables- The navigator is reported to have stood on shore in this case, and by means of telegraphic keys tlie vessel was propelled and steered at pleasure. As no one is to be on board this new style of torpedo boat, there is no l’isk of loss of life to those using it, and it is easy to imagine the numerous phases of river and harbor warfare in which it would be available. But, further, if it can be navigated from tha shore by means of its electric bridle and reins, why not from the deck of a ship ? The few indications of the character of this invention made public arc extremely interesting and suggestive.

A NEW INTERCOLONIAL STEAMER. Regarding the steamship Victoria the “S. M. Herald” writes :—The arrival of this vessel on Saturday last, after an excellent passage of seventy days from London, has placed at the disposal of the A.S.N. Company the largest carrying steamship in the colonies ; and Captain Munro, the company’s agent, has displayed great judgment in pi’oeuringa vessel suitable for almost any trade. Although essentially a large ship, her steaming speed has not been lost sight of; and when it is considered that she will steam nine knots per hour on a consumption of only nine tons of coal per day, carrying 1800 tons of cargo, the valuable acquisition to our steam marine will be at once admitted. The Victoria was built in 1871, by Messi’s Wiglii-am, Richardson and Co, at Newcastle on-Tyne, for the Italian Government, and, after making ji voyage, was laid up for sale. She may therefore be considered a new vessel. Her length is 250 f t; beam, 30ft; depth of hold, 24ft. She is spardecked, and carries 300 tons of water ballast when required. On deck are three powerful screw wipches for working the hatchways, and in the centre of the ship is a raised bridge from which she steers, and unier which, on either side, ai’e the officers’ quarters, cookhouse, chart-room, &c. The main saloon is aft, and is a most convenient apartment, although small in comparison with the size of the ship, but still large enough for the accommodation of thirty passengers in enclosed berths, independent of a very prettily-finished ladies’ saloon: there is also a fore cabin, weli-ar-l’anged. The engines, built by Messrs Hakes, Crawshaw and Son, of and on the compound principle, of 120 horsepower, with inverted cylinders, socketed and surface condensei’, are capable of working up to 600 horse with 601 bof steam. The Victoria steamed a little way from England, going about two-thii*d speed, and only consumed 600 tons coal. The new steamer ha 3 been brought out in first-class order, and her commander, Captain 3ullivan, who has long been connected with-the co'ony, reports highly of her as a sea boat.