SHIPPING NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6439, 2 December 1881, Page 7

SHIPPING NEWS.

Captain "Williams lias in a manner consolidated his fleet of colliers by including them, steamers aa well as sailing vessels, under the very appropriate n*mo o t the ** Black Diam-nd Line,’* which is probably tho most appropriate that coul Jbe found for them. We notice that the steamer "Westport came out with black diamonds painted on her funnel All the advertisements of the sailings of vessels of this lino ■will in future appear under the one beading ot “Black Diamond Line,”

A very old identity In the shape of the ketch Lucy James reached here from Lyttelton in ballast on Sunday, Nov, 20th. She was built In Port Jackson about S 5 years ago, os a mail boat between Sydney and Wellington, and in that capacity she made some rapid passages. She has recently undergone a thorough overhaul, and has had new topsides, deck, spare. fitted, in addition to which her rig has been altered from a schooner to that of a ketch. She is owned tX Lyttelton. Tho following notice to mariners appears in last week’s “ Gazette:”—“ Nelson Harbor—lt is hereby notified that, from recent sou dings taken on Nelson bar by Pilot Low, it appears that there la now from 1 to 2 feet less water than is shown on the Admiralty chirt. and that at times, during neap tides, the lisa and fall is as Utile as fi feet. On the eastern edge ot the bank or shoal a red buoy has been placed in 7 feck of water, with the lighthouse bearing N. K. £ E., red beacon at entrance to the harbor S.E. by 12., and tho Arrow Kock S. E. SS; This buoy should be kept on the starboard going in, and the deepest water will be found on the Boulder Bank side of the ch snnel,”

Notice has been gazetted of resolution to wind up, voluntarily', the Auckland Steamship Company. H.M.rt. Emerald, under the command of Captain Maxwell, left her moorings for Sydney on the 13th ult, at 10 o’clock a ra. It is probable that she will undergo a slight overhaul an i refitting at Port Jackson, and, her commission being n arlyup, she will proceed via Cape Horn to Portsmouth, wnere she will he paid off.

ARRIVAL OF THE BARQUE UNICORN. The barque Unicorn, Captain Me uUum, from Glasgow, arrived at Wellington on the 7th ult. Sho sailed from Greenock on the 12th of duly last, at 5 a.m., and, without the services of a pilot, proceeded down Channel, where she encountered strong S.W, winds, which prevailed for the first two weeks of the voyage, dll latitude 43deg N., longitude I2deg W., was reached; thence light W. to X. winds, which were carried down to latitude 12dog N., longitude 2tkleg W, The usual S. W. winds were experienced down to latitude 3deg N., longitude 24deg W, The S.IS. Irades were picked up in latitude 2deg N. and longitude 25deg VT.; crossed the Equator on the 26th of August in longitude 24deg W, ; lost the S.E. Trades in latitude 2odeg S., longitude 32deg W,, aud from thence the wind was Bon‘-west to north; crossed the meridian of Greenwich on September 19th in SSdeg S., at which time there was a prevalence of strong westerly breezes. The meridian of the Cape of Good Hope was crossed in 46deg S,; ran her easting down in 40deg, and from thence there was a long continuance of moderate breezes from S. W. round by W. to N. ; sighted Cape Farewell on the sth at 11 a.m., and experienced light and variable winds to the Hoads. The voyage was a calm and particularly uneventful one. No casualty of the slightest degree occurred, and the ptssengers and crew have arrived in perfect health. Th* Unicom sighted several vessels at the Equator, but, during the rua, spoke nothing. She is an iron vessel, and waa built on the Clyde in 1803, her class being Aal. She arrives in excellent condition. The passengers, ono and all, speak in unqualified terms of the courtesy and kindness they received from Captain Mct'uUum. The Unicorn her bed alongside the wharf Tuesday afternoon, and having entoied inwards, commenced discharging. She was consigned to Messrs Zohrab, Newman and Co. She has been chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company to carry wool fr m Dunedin to London, aud left this port on the 30th ult. WRECK OF THE BARQUE ENGLAND’S GLORY. The following telegram win received yesterday from Captain Knight, of the barque England’s Glory, by Messrs Lidbctter and O -oper. Average Adjusters:— “ England's Glory struck on rocks coming into harbor, and sank immediately.” No information has come to hand as to the water the vessel has suulc in, or as to the probabilities of saving either ship or cargo. Tho vessel was of 787 tons regi.-ter, and was built ia Sunderland in 1869, and was owned by Mr M. H. E. Moon. Her cargo was one of general merchandise, from London L>r Nelson and the Bluff, and included 3208 packages and pieces of railway mat.-.rial for the Public Works Department at the Bluff Off the Cape of Good Hope the ves»el experienced heavy weath r, and the cargo - x f iron shined, aud a quantity of the cargo, including ail the powder and fireworks, were jettisoned, aud the cargo stowed ns well as possible ; but tho vessel was forced to put into Mauritius to xo-stow tho cargo properly, and a bottomry and respondentia bond was given on the vessel, cargo, and freight, payable at Ne'son. She arrived at Nelson on the 3rd October, discharged her Nelson cargo, aa 1 left for the Bluff *»n the 20th of tho same mouth, far as we are aware, no lives were lost by the accident, and we believe tho vessel was under pilot s orders.

(ONIT2I> PIIESS ASSOCIATION.) Bluff, November?.

The barque England’s Glory, from London to the Bluff, via Nelson, is a total wreck in Foveaux Strait, about two miles from the Bluff. After discharging a part of her cargo at Nelson, she aiiled for the Bluff, and arrived off the Heads this morning, with fine weather. The captain stood close on to Look-out Point to receive the pilot aboard. The mate took charge of the wheel, and put the helm up and trimmed the head sails, but the vessel would not pay off, but ran ashore on Look-out Point. A hawser was then run out with a hedge from tha quarter, but the attempt to haul her off failed, and as she was making water rapidly the crew launched all boats and got their effects away, and in a few minutes after the barque listed to the starboard. Wing with her beam ends all undt-r water. She is dry alt low water, but the sea breaks over at high water, she is fully exposed to the sea, and must break up with the first gale. November 18. The inquiry into loss of England’s Glory was concluded at 10 p-m. on Saturday, before Captains Thomson, of Dunedin, EIID, and Henry McCulloch, R.M. The captain’s and officers’certificates were all returned. Pilot Thompson, who was in charge, sold he could only account for the accident by the vessel not paying off, and supposed somethin ■ wrong in the steering gear. Junior Pilot McDonald stated that he believes the counter current running along the shore prevented the vessel’s head paying off with the flood tide, and the wind on the p rt quarter, although the rudder appeared to him as he sat in the boat not to be hard up. The decislo of the Court exonerates the Captain and officers of the England’s Glory, and blames Pilot Thomson for directing the ship in shore in order that he rnight board her. this course bringing her within the influence of eddies, with her head in shore. The Court vm of opinion that as a last resource the anchors should have been let go.

STRANDING OF THE S.S. PENGUIN After 10 o’clock on the morn! 'gof the 18th ult., Mr Allen, the assistant manager of the Colonial Insurance Company, telegraphed to the Wellington Office from Nelson that the Union Company’s steamship Penguin was ashore near the French Pass, The intelligence rapidly spread, and the news naturally caused considerable excitement. Mr Aden was a passenger by the s.s. Hawea which left Wellington for Nelson on Thursday afternoon. The Hawea passed the stranded vessel early in the morning, and it is presumed that, finding the position of the Penguin was not critical, she pushed on to Nelson. The details of the occurrence are singularly meagre, and even up to a late hour of the night the intelligence related merely to the barest facts. The telegrams received by Mr Wheeler, the local manager of the Union Company, stated that the vessel is not in a dangerous position, but this was contradicted by a subsequent wire received by the Press Association, which stated that the steamer “is jammed in one « f the * swash ways,” or breaks in the reef.” The telegram went on to say that “ she «s straight through the reef, and is fixed by rocks on both sides about abreast of the mainmast. Telegrams received early in the day stated that it was probable the Penguin would float off at high tide in the afternoon. When the time for high water bad long passed, and no intelligence was received by the Company or the Press Association, the gloomiest views were entertained. And telegrams received before midnight failed to relieve the gloom of the dismal picture, and it was feared that this splendid vessel would add one more to the long list of vessels which have been ioitouour coasts. Happily these fears were unfounded. A late message reached town after midnight, stating that th.- p s Wallace arrived at Nelson at midnight, and reports that the Penguin got off the reef at the French Pass abou' half-past 6 p.rn. The Wallace arrived in the French Pass at about 4 o’clock a.m , and endeavored to render assistance to the Penguin, but could not get near her till the aftersoon. At about 5 o clock, she took the passengers from the steamer, and a hawser was got out and the Wallace attempted to tow her off; but after moving her about forty feet the hawser snapped, and the Wallace could do _no more. The Penguin was, however, in a setter position, and shortly after six she appeared to be floating, and soon after that she went light off the reef. It was found that she was uninjured, and the Wallace then returned the passengers to the Pengum, which vessel proceeded on to P<ct'*n, The pcjsangers were much alarmed, and thisfeeling increased on finding that neither the Hawea, which_carae through the Pass or Fr;day morning, nor the WalJacecould get near enough to take them off. At low tide the ship s stem was high out of the water, and some thought ahe would not let off. All were, therefore, greatly rejoiced when she went over the reef all right, and steamed for Picton, arriving there at 11.30 p.m. At the official inquiry, Captain Malcolm was censured for commi.tng an error of judgment.