SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 117, 12 July 1873, Page 10

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

ARRIVED. JUI.T. 5, Lyttelton, p.s, 86 tone, Scott, from Blenheim. 5, Napier, s.s.', 44 tons, Doile, from Wanganui. Passenger : Mr Betcke. 5, Wanganui, s.s„ 179 tons, Renner, from Napier. Passengers : Mrs Douglas and child, Messrs Cooper, Swan, and Cotter i 2 in the Btreeragy. 6, Luna, p.s., 200 tons, Fairchild, from the North. 6, Rangitira. s.s, 185 tons, Hepburn, from Napier. 9, Napier, s.s., 44 tons, Doile, from Wanganui. Passengers : Messrs, Alexander, Turner, Saunderson, Campbell. 10, Alhambra, 497 tons, Underwood, from Lyttelton. / 10, Wellington, s.s., 262 tons, Carey, from Picton. 10, Cynthia, schooner, 63 tons, Gibbs, from Westport. SAILED. 5, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manakau. Passengers : Mrs Birch, Mr Berry and family, Messrs Smith, Fur by, Matheson, Grubb, j£el)y, Beale, Ward, Littlejohn, O'Neill, Welly, Jones, Hamilton, Walker, South, Spain, and two natives; 12 steerage. 5, Rangitoto, s.s., 449 tons, Mackic, for Melbourne, via tho South. Passengers: Messrs Hoskins and party (7), Richards, Palmer, M'Master, Drake, Burton, Rainie, Buchanan, Thome, Scott, Arnold, Cook. 5, Glimpse, ketch, 38 tons, Mundle, for East Coast.

5, Ottawa, brigantine, 222 tons, Best, for Kaipara. 5, Jane Elkin, ketch, 25 tens, Leslie, for Lyttelton. 5, Elizabeth, ketch, 33 tons, Short, for Picton.

5, G. A. Holt, ship, 1257 tons, Morton, for Lyttelton. 8, Luna, p.s, 196 tons, Fairchild, for Wanganui. 8, Rangatira, s.s., 185 tons, Hepburn, for Wanganui. Passengers: Miss Gray, Miss Hutcheson, Mrs Hutcheson, Mr Wilson ; two in steerage. 9, Anne Melhuish, barque, 500 tons, Davidson, for Newcastle. 10, Wellington, s.s., 262 tons, Carey, for Lyttelton. Passengers : Messrs Prough, Kemp, Sloan, Jobberns, and Masters Coote (3) ; 2 in steerage. 10, Alhambra, s.s., 496 tons, Underwood for Melbourne, via West Coast.

H.M.S. Clio, Captain Stirling, has left Sydney for a cruise, her destination being Fiji. H.M.S. Pearl, the relieving ship for tho Clio, left England on the 11th June, bound for Wellington. The men-of-war new on the Australian station are: —Clio, 21 guns, Commodore Stirling, at Sydney ; Rosario, 3 guns, Commander Challis, at Wellington; Blanche, 3 guns, Commander Simpson, at Melbourne ; Basilisk, 5 guns, Captain Moresby, on a cruise ; Dido, 8 guns, Chapman, at South Sea Islands ; Alacrity, 1 gun, Simpson, at Fiji; Conflict, 1 gun, Renerd, 1 gun, Sandfly, 1 gun, Beagle, 1 gun, at Sydney. H.M.S. Blanche is now in the Government Dry Dock at Sydney, being fitted with heavy bilge pieces from 90 to 100 feet in length, by orders received from the Admiralty. The work is being carried out by Mr J. Cuthbert.

A gentleman long connected with naval surveys is now finishing a complete naval survey of Levuka harbor. The Pacific Mail Company of the United States are building new steamers, screwboats. In reply to a question, Mr Gk>old says this will save half the coal. The old side-wheel steamers will be gradually done away with, as being too expensive and not up to the times.

The s.s. Star of the South, Capt. Andrews, returned to Auckland from her maiden trip to the Fijis on the 25 th June, after a total absence of eighteen days. She made the passage down in six days four hours, remained at Levuka for five days, and made the return passage in sevea days two hours. While at the Fijis she was visited by a large number of people, and a dinner was given on board, to which the most influential men in the island were invited. Speeches followed dinner as a matter of course, and a good deal of kindly feeling was displayed on all sides, while it was agreed that Auckland, if she availed herself of the' opportunities now presented of trade with Fiji, would yet snatch a good share of the profits which Sydney was at present reaping. On the whole, the pioneer trip may be safely pronounced to have been a success. Particulars of a fatal boat accident near Levuka come to hand in our Fiji files. It appears that H.M. schooner Alacrity had grounded on a coral patch, and that two boats were sent out with the best bower anchor for the purpose of getting her off. By some means or other, when the anchor was let go, the chain caught the boats, dragged one under water and capsized the other, precipitating the whole of the occupants into the water. Many of these were Fijians, who could not swim, and the night air was rent with the cries of the poor fellows. There being no boat on board, Lieut. Callaghan leaped into the water, carrying with him a line and a long oar. His example was followed by one of the men, and ultimately all the men who had been in the boats were rescued, with the exception of a man named Ledner, who, although picked up, was too far gone to be resuscitated, notwithstanding that every effort was made that medical skill could suggest. He was afterwards buried on the island. — «• Auckland Herald," June 26.

The oldest steamer in the world has just been presented by her owners, Messrs Steele and M'Caskiil, to the Glasgow Chamber of

Commerce. The vessel is named the Industry, is 54 tons register, and was launched from the building-yard of Messrs John and William Fyfe, of Fairlie, on the Clyde, in May, 1814. She was the seventh steamer built on that river. Latterly she has lain sunk in the East India harbor at Greenock, but she has since been floated and beached to be caulked, thereafter to proceed to Glasgow, where she will be preserved as a memento of the early days of steam navigation. The " Otago Daily Times" of the 25th June says :—" The vessel reported at the in yesterday's issue, supposed to be the 4gra, proved to be the Horatio Sprague, 112 days from New York, with a cargo of notions, part for this port and part for Wellington ; from thence she is expected to proceed to Auckland, and fill up for Boston, U.S. In the ab§enee of a pilot the barque was boarded on Monday afternoon by one of the Heads boatmen off Jones' Head, Waikouaiti, who, after taking a few tacks out of her, brought her up to an anchor about seven miles off the Heads. Pilot Kelly took charge yesterday morning, and during the forenoon sailed her up with the flood to a close anchorage off the Railway Pier, where she was brought alongside and berthed by Pilot Louden in the afternoon. The barque, save the fact of springing her upper maintopsail yard, and carrying away her port after main shroud, comes into harbor in splendid order, neat, clean, and tidy in all parts, notwithstanding a lengthy passage, reflecting credit on both officers and crew. Of her passage, she left New York on the 3rd of March, and had heavy, nasty weather till catching tho north-ea9t Trades, which proved light, and were lost in 10 N. The Equator was ci-ossed on the 2nd of April in longitude 29 west, and the south-east Trades were picked up in latitude 6 south. From losing the north-east Trades till 6 south a continuance of doldrums, with much rain, prevailed- The south-east Trades enabled her to lay her course to latitude 27 south, when variables became the order of the day till passing Greenwich on the 2nd of May, in latitude 38 south, and the Cape on the 9tb, in latitude 42 south. From thence had favorable winds to 45 east, when westerly winds and thick foggy weather set in. Passed to the northward of the Crozets, sighting them through the fog on the 18th of May. Easterly winds continuing, drove her down to the southward of Kerguelen's Land ; from thence her easting was run down on a general parallel of 47 south, and was characterised by variable northerly weather. On the 20fch instant eneountei'ed a heavy gale from the north, and hove-to under close-reefed maintopsail ; the gale veered round westerly next morning, and the Snares were passed the same day. Nugget light was made at 4 a.m. on the 23rd, and the Heads reached same afternoon. The Horatio Sprague was built in East Boston in 1866, is a good wholesome vessel, carries a large cargo on a light draft of water, sails well with small ballast, and altogether she is a good poor man's ship. Captain Small, to whose courtesy we are indebted for furnishing memoranda, brings his wife and two sons, who, together with the crew, have enjoyed good health throughout the voyage." A short official return of vessels not armor plated has just been issued, from which it appears that during the past year no less than fifty-six vessels of this description were being built for the navy, and eight were ordered to be built. Of the former, thirty-five are being built in Royal Dockyards; one at Messrs Green's, Blackwall; two at Messrs Wigram's yard, Blackwall; two at Messrs Rennie's, two at Messrs Napier's, on the Clyde; two at Messrs Mitchell's, Newcastle-on-Tyne ; four at Messrs Campbell, Johnstone, and Co's, North Woolwich; five at Messrs Laird's,Birkenhead; one at Messrs Maudslay's, East Greenwich ; and four at Messrs J. Cuthbert's, Sydney, New South Wales. All those ordered will be built in the Royal dockyards. The engines of those building will be supplied severally by Watt, Humphreys, Penn, Rennie, Maudelay, Napier, Laird, and Ravenhill.

THE WRECK OF THE ATLANTIC. The inquiry at Halifax into the loss of the Atlantic has terminated. The principal points of the decision of the court are thus summarised in the telegrams : The steamer put to sea with a dangerously insufficient supply of coal; the decision to put into Halifax for a fresh supply was forced upon the captain by this circumstance, and for the calamity that followed the firm iu Liverpool is held responsible. From the time of the ship altering her course to the moment of striking hei management was glaringly defective, and a more crushing charge against the competency and good judgment of the captain could hardly be imagined than the blunder he committed by wrongly estimating the ship's position at midnight, his going below, taking officers off their vigilance, and neglecting to use the lead. The decision is we are informed, " ridiculed and condemned by all the New York papers, and a unanimous hope is expressed that the Board of Trade will order a more satisfactory investigation in England." All the surveyors are said to regard the captain as solely responsible for the catastrophe. A Board of Trade inquiry into the circumstances attending the loss of the steamship Atlantic has been held at Liverpool, before Admiral Schomberg. Captain J. F. Mackenzie, chief emigration officer to the Board of Trade, stated in his evidence that the vessel had a considerable excess of stores when she sailed. As to the coal supply, he could not personally vouch for the definite quantity, but he held the certificate of the owners that 960 tons were put on board; and tbis, in his opinion, was ample coal for the complete voyage. Mr Harvey Bissett, Board of Trade surveyor for the port of Liverpool, said that he thought the Atlantic was one of the most substantially built ships he had ever boarded. He had n 0 k scruples as to her safety on account of her

length and breadth, and had never heard of her steering badly. In February last, when he surveyed her, she was in every respect ready for sea. William Crees Taylor, principal surveyor for the Board of Trade at Liverpool, spoke to examining the outside of the Atlantic when in graving dock in December last, and said he never saw a vessel with a fairer bottom ; in fact, he found her altogether in excellent order.

On Tuesday, Mr J. H. Ismay, of the firm of Messrs Ismay, Imrie, and Co, the owners of the White Star line of steamers, gave evidence. Mr Ismay said that the Atlantic was in all respects equipped in accordance with the Passengers Act when she left the Mersey. She was properly coaled for over sixteen days, at an average daily consumption of from fiftyfive to sixty tons. All the Atlantic's officers held captain's certificates, and had commanded vessels, and she was well officered and manned. She carried more boats than the act and her tonnage required. Mr John Foxley, chief engineer of tho Atlantic, stated that to the best of his belief there were 927 tons of coal on board when she left Liverpool. The consumption of coal on the voyage was larger than it had been before in his experience. When the ship bore up for Halifax there were, as nearly as he could estimate, from 155 to 160 tons of coal on board. It was stated that the builders of the ship and engineors were present, prepared to give evidence as to the construction of both, and to show that they were properly constructed and fitted ; but the Court intimated that this had been so fully borne out, there was no necessity to go further into the question, and Mr Ismay also expressed himself satisfied to have the matter left where it stood.

The verdict was one commending the conduct of the officers after the ship had struck, but condemning her management from the time her course was changed, and especially the captain's conduct in leaving the deck at midnight. His certificate might have been cancelled, but considering the efforts he had made to save life, it was only revoked for two years. The fourth officer was suspended for three months.