ANCHORS AND CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 178, 11 June 1862, Page 4

ANCHORS AND CABLES.

The following letter f-ora the Manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, we extract from the A'ew Zeahmder of the 24th ult. :— '

To the Editor of the New Zeai-axder.

Sir, —The subject .of testing Anchors and Chains has, since the -loss of the Koynl Charter, caused no little discussion in Englrnd, and a Parliamentary Committee stit to investigate the subject, and made Lsome very valuable suggestions thereon. Since then I little has been done in the matter, till the " Committee of Lloyd's Register of Shipping " have just passed resolutions, regulating according. to a fixed scale, the weight of anchors, the length and size of chains,- and :the. proof strain to which both anchors and chains must ba subjected, ill order to qualify vessels to be placed upon "Lloyd's Register." By these new regulations it . hns been decided amongst other things "that the recognition of the test for chain cables known aa the '• Ordinary or Merchant " proof shall be discontinued, and that all new ships bo required to be supplied with chains that have been submitted to a proof straiu equal to that known as the " Admiralty test." A shjp of 500 tons must henceforth, if classed at Lloyd's, bo provided with three bower anchors—one stream and two kedges. Ilwo of the bowers taken together must not be of less weight than 23 ewt., and must each be capable of bearing' a proof strain of 23 and ons-eifditb tons; she must have besides, hawsers and warps of prescribed length and size, 270 fathoms of 1 7-16 inch chain tested up to 37 2-10"tons, or 1 5-16 inch, chain if tested- up 'to 40.9-10.tons. Those regulations, so far as they relate to the weight of anchors, will come into force as a rule on the 23rd July next, but the regulations respecting tho testing anchors and chains \ will not bfl enforced until the iir&t <>f Jan., ISGH. In ::11 probability the Marino Insurance Cuinpuiiitui and Lloyd's will not accept ri"-!;s. on vessels unless supplied with anchors nndcii!«if\s of •' Admiralty tcdt;" it will be neee^ary; therefore, for shipowner.; to provide thai™ voasels vith pro;jeily tested ground tackle. Our merchants and impoitcrs in Auckland would do well to order in future anchors nnd ehi,iiif< which have been submitted to the prescribed proof, and may thus assist in thi-j very desirable and lon'.; needed precaution, which, will prevent many dis>abters among our dripping. I have. &c, Gi:okgi: P. Pimicn. Manager New Zealand Insurance Company. Aucklaad,"ll:iy 22nd, 1802. Tins Richest Stoxb Vi:t. —Last Friday the propiietors of claim A'o. 3 north, Slorniiig Star Reef, cleaned up at the Sir Hoary Baikly Mill, 2:2-1 oz. of gold from 50 lons of quartz. On the sirae day, in driving1 north, at a depth of 100 feet, they struck a patch "of Hie richest quartz we have so.m on Tuglowood. This will 'be 'mixed v.ith a considerable width of stone not &o rieli, and will be crushed to- I day or to-morrow.- "One stone which we say/ ycotcr- i day, aboui two feet + iv length and one foot" wide, weighing- nearly""""2 cwt., was yellow with gold. Doody, of the Albert Mill, bought afbuyihihfue jn this claim for £10. One half oi/this-s^Mß^eue-* rously gave to a friend. The frieria'sqfrip^pSn^tion, and Doody purchased 'it for £85' ' La>;£Y?eek Doodv liad a dividend of £-17Z.—Inglcicood Advertiser, May 20 •