AMONG ICEBERGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 36

AMONG ICEBERGS.

Wellington, May 14.— The ship Earnock, from Liverpool, had an exciting time among the ice. For six days from April 11 she was almost entirely surrounded by icebergs, and at one stage Captain Yates had to steei due north for 12 hours in order to obtain a clear passage. It is estimated that the vessel passed between SOO and 900 bergs, some between two and three miles long and 600 ft high. She escaped without injury. The Shaw, Savill. and Albion Company's barque Himalaya was towed clear of the heads on Friday afternoon by the tug Plucky and sailed for Lytteltou at which port she loads for London. 'Jhe barque MAus, which has beeu posted as missing at Lloyd's while on her passage from Sydney to London, was an iron vessel, built by Earle and Co., at Hull, in 1864. and was owned by Messra H. Bisdioff and Co., of Bremen. Tho ship Sikette, which was burned at sea on April 14 while on her passage from London to Melbourne, was an iron vessel of 1614 tons net, built in 18SB by Messrs Birre'l, Stenhouse. and Co.. of Dumbarton, and owned by Messrs J. Shepherd and Co., of Ljndon. Her class at Lloyd's was Auiongsk other cargo taken by the s,s. Waihora from Dunedin on Thursday was one of Messrs Andrews and Beaven's patent agricultural machines for Eobart. During the week ending May 12, 10 vessels, with a tot*l of 6798 tons, arrived at the Dnnedin wharves-, and 9 vowels, registering 5786 tons, left them. The barque Kate F. Troop is landing her cargo in excellent order at the cross wharf and meeting with eood despatch. Including her tranship-

ments to the barquentine Ocean Ranger, sho hag put out 11,000 cases of ke.oseneand 250 tons of general cargo. Among the expected arrivals from overseas are the barque B. W bser, from New York, now 89 dnys out; the barque Ea-nork, from Liverpool, via Wellington. 103 days out; and the barque Fiith of D iruoob, from Glasgow, 8:3 cUys out. The s.s. Inveic*rgill experienced a short l ;p 11 of extremely rough weather on her trip from Prtservation Inlet on Friday. When just ..ff Puysegur Point a heavy sea, following closely after an other which she had negotiated in gallant style, broke on board, d maged the bulwarks, stove in the frout of the saloon, and flooded the cabius. lor a time there was consternation among the pasaongen, but when the steamer got out of the rip all went well and the Bluff was reached about midnight.—Southland Time*. An extraordinarily large cargo is that of the llswaii*n barque John lino, now on her way from Port Gamble to Sydney. She has no le3s than 2,603,06.ift of rough timber on board Grave fears are entertained in LyfcfceUon ror the safety of the ketch Uoraet, which left Lyttelton 27 daya ago for Greymouth, with 401) sacks of produce The vessel was commanded by Captain Thuiiip-'on, win has had a long experience on the N-w Z-al.wd coast, and left Lytteltou shortly before tho E »ster gales set in. It is thought *he may have los some of her cirgo and liben klown off the shore, in which case she would take a long time to work back again. , The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's barque Hnd-on is expected to leave Lyttelton next Saturday for London. She appears to have met with quick despatch at the northern port, as up to the 12'h inst. she had taken in about 1200 bales of wool, 70J cj.sks of tallow, and over 1000 ba»s of grain, so that by all appeal ances she should be ready for . ea on her advertised date. The baique Eangitiki was towed over the Groymouth bar on the 7th inst. with something over 3UO,OOOft of timber, drawing l«ift of water. There wai about 20 ;t en the bar. The Waikawa coi respondent of the bouthlana Times reports, th it a largo steamer was observed close in shore during a denso fog last Thursday uisht ; ao clone that th« v.dees of those on deck conl-1 be i>lainly heard, as if in eager conversation, and the electric lights showed plainly from her portholes. Had Rhe touched the Moki reef another Wairarapa catastrophe would have occurred, as the breakers would have crushed any boat that Captain Knud-.en, of the Norwegian barque Sydney, which has arrived at Java, reports that on January 17, in lat. 41 S., long. I£o IS., he passed the derelict barque Dumbartonshire, of Glasgow. She was still intact with mizzenranst standing, and a most serious obstruction to navigation, being just in the track of vessels bound out. Tho Dumbartonshire was ab mdoned on July 17, 18 U, in lat. 29.39 S., and 'ong, 39.30 W. One of the most powerful dredges in the world has lately been constructed in Pcotland. Formerly, when it was necetsavy to make a channel thiough rock, it was customary to shatter the object by blasting and then di edge out the bmken material, but recent dredges are sufficiently powerful to cut the way through the rock without tin; necessity of preliminary blasting. The new dredge in question has been constructed to meet the requirements of a new and important channel at Bermuda, and is of special workmanship. It is also described as being the largest in the world, having a displacement of 2200 tons, and is built entirely of steel; its length is 208 ft, beam 4oft, and its depth 17ft 3ia, dimensions which enable it to go anywhere and face any weather. The dredging gear, ladder, and bucket chain weigh about 100 tons, and are represented as the strongeat in the world; the gear has such an excess of strength, indeed, as to enable it to pull up the eng'iio if any insuperable impediment is met with iv working, and disaster will thus be avoided. The bucket ladder is fitted with 10 powerful buffer hprings to ciuhion any shocks that may be experienced when the dredger is woiking in a sea awell. Tho vessel will dred&e to a depth of 45ft below water level.