MELANCHOLY EVENT AT SEA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2161, 25 July 1895, Page 43

MELANCHOLY EVENT AT SEA.

The full-rigged ship Argus, which arrived at Sydney on July 1, from Glasgow, reports the following casualty : — "The Argns was running down the easting on her way to Sydney from Glasgow one of the most courageous yet saddest events recorded for some time happened. After rounding the Cape of Good Hope in the expectation of a - grand run to the eastward in 41 and 42 south latitude, some enormous iefbergs were sighted, and the ship to clear them went 300 miles out of her ' course* Hardily had these obstructions been cleared when the ship found herself ma gale from the h.E. jliarometer, 28 93. Jt was during this storm that a sea swept htr decks, and in its course aft washed over the third mate. The captain says that every man aboard was ready to man a boat, and that between the cry ' Man overboard ' and the manning of the bo*t was exactly 12 minutes. 'It was the most frightful thing ever happened to me,' said Captain Laird, 'and I have spent my life bince a buy in sailing ships. I felt as though I would lather have spent a week, bad as the weather was, cruising about the spot where those boys were lost than have left them. Tou know she was rolling rails under, decks full, ship under reefed fore and main topsails, so you oan imagine what it was.' On Monday, the 27th May, at 2,30 p.m., blowing hard and a heavy sea running, said one of the ' crew, the third mate and the port watch were on the forecastle head putting the pin in the clamp of the whUker boom ; while doing so she dipped and puTher head under. When the water cleared away we found that the third mate was missing. Immediately the cry was raised, ' A man overboard. 1 The watch ran aft, throwing lines as they went. As he passed the stern two lifebuoys and a mark were thrown to him, and the captain ordered two hands aloft* to watch the mark. Immediately the accident happened the captain \ called all hands on deck to clear away the port lifeboat, and called for volunteers to man her, which was responded to by the mate and five men. Mr Kelly was chief officer, Mr P. Findley steward, William Sharp A.8., Duncan M'Lean A.B , John Robertson A.8., Findlay M' Donald A-B. The boat was successfully lowered from the ship under great difficulties, and passed clear of the ship without any accident occurring. The boat was behaving well in the water while proceeding to his rescue. The captain gave them a reasonable time to reach the man, then veered ship. There was a man aloft all the time watching . the boat while -going round on the other tack. : The boat was lost seen on the starboard quarter, and then suddenly disappeared. It was setting , dark then,, and there was a hand up each mast but could not see anything of the boat. When it got dark we hoisted a bright light at the mizzen • crocstrees. The captain .ordered bluelights and . rockets at intervals, and a flare-up every half hoar, but nothing more was seen of the men."

.Eleven vessels with a total of 7984 tons net arrived at the Dunedin whaives during the week which ended July 21. Of these four with a total of 2510 tons were arrivals, and seven representing ■ 5474 tons departures. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's steamer Rangatira left the George street pier at 11.30 a m on the 17th for London, via Lyttelton, and will leave Lyttelton on the 24th inst. She took on board the following additional cargo :— 4732 carcases frozen mutton, 33 crates rabbits, 299 tales wool, 16 do sheepskins, 72 do rabbitskinß, 33 do basilß, 9 do leather, 2 do horsehair, 130 sacks grass seed, 40 casks pelts, 46 bags zinc ashes, 343 ingots spelter, and 5 pkgs sundries. The success that has inarkc i the use of petroleum as a steam producer on sea-going vessels bids fair to make its influence felt very speedily. Several well-known firms Of marine engineers are already preparing to cater for anything that may be required from them in this direction, and further developments will be watched with the greatest interest ' '» The British Government is testing a new" plan for signalling at sea. It consists merely of an ordinary gong fasted to the bow of a ship below the water line. Ihis a;ts as a transmitter, and the receivers are gongs of exactly similar tone and rate of vibration, oneon each side of the ship below the water line. The receiving gong will ■ take up and reproduce the sound of the sending gong from a long distance. Signals have already Been clearly transmitted 10 miles. There is a bill before the Imperial Parliament to provide for the better reporting of floating derelicts. TJnder this bill every British shipmaster who Bights a derelict must give notification to the proper authorities upon his arrival in port, or, on lailute to do so, will be subjected to a fine. Later on perhaps the Government may see ihe fitness of Bending out cruisers to destroy the derelicts reported. The American champion yacht the Defender will have 65 tons of lead in her keel, and will be of aluminium plates with an alloy of about 10 per • cent of copper. Below water, however, Bhe will ybs plated with manganese bronze. Even her deck Aeams will be of aluminium, strengthened by <'beams of light steel, and struts of similar metal •"■•ill run diagonally to the bilge. Great strength .With lightness of hull and sail area will be relied upon by the Americans to keep the cuo at home.