NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11401, 19 April 1899, Page 4

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

NEW PLYMOUTH, April 18.—The harbour master's report submitted to the board to-day. shows an increasing depth of water within the harbour, also in the channel. The berth also has heen dredged between the wharf and the breakwater, giving accommodation for a third steamer. The board voted special gratuities to the staff of the dredge for the excellent work done, and also accepted the tender of Seager Bros., of Auckland, for a new sand pump to be worked from the breakwater. • — » The Union Shipping Company's new steamer Yukner (now renamed the Koonya) left London on March 29, and will probably make-Melbourne her first port of call on the voyage out to Tasmania. The s.s. Monowai is due at Port Chalmers early .this morning, and sails again in the afterrioon for Sydney, via Wellington, passengers joining her by the 2.30 p.m. train. Both the Herald and the Corinna, from Westport, -are due to-day. The s.s. Mararoa went down to Port Chalmers yesterday morning, and sailed in the afternoon for Sydney, via Auckland. , Tho barque Devonport, from Garden Island, with a cargo of 160,000 ft of hardwood, consigned to Sir H. Guthrie, arrived yesterday afternoon, and was berthed at the Rattray street wharf. She left Garden Island on the 4th inst., and' cleared Tasman's island on the 6th. She then fell in with strong E. to S.E. winds, woth heavy seas and rain squalls, which cojitimsxl till the 12th. Tiie wind then changed' to trie south and blew hard to Foveaux Strait, which was entered on the 17th, with a strong W.N.W. wind. She had a strong S.W. wind up coast to arrival, and was towed up by the Plucky, arriving at 2 p.m. The s.s. Rotokino sailed for the Bluff yesterday at 4.30 p.m. She returns north from there, loading at Oamaru and Timaru for Auckland. The s.s. Rimu arrived at Port Chalmers at 6.30 a.m. yesterday, and after taking in transhipments at the Bowen pier, steamed up lo Dunedin, completed cargo, and leaves again for Invercargill this morning. Inquiries often arise ns to power of Board of Trade surveyors with respect to life-saving appliances. It is enacted in the .Merchant Shipping Act, section 431, that "(1) A surveyor of ships may inspect any ship for the purpose of seeing that she is properly provided with life-saving appliances in conformity with this act, and for the purpose oF that inspection shall have nil the powers of a Board nf Trade inspector under the act. (2) If the said surveyor finds the ship is not so provided, ho shall give notice in writing to the master or owner, pointing out the deficiency, and also what, in his opinion, is requisite to remedy the same. (3) Every notice so given shall lie. communicated in the manner directed by the Board of Trade to the chief officer of customs of any port the ship may seek to obtain a clearance in transitu, »-n _ t.he

ship shall be detained until a cortificalo tinder Ihe band of any such surveyor is produced to the effect that the -ship is properly provided with life-saving appliances in conformity with this act." *•