ARRIVAL OF THE SCHOONER MEDORA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2735, 15 August 1906, Page 60

ARRIVAL OF THE SCHOONER MEDORA.

ONE OF THE CREW LOST OVERBOARD.

On Monday forenoon, a, small fore-and-aft schooner was seen becalmed about seven or eight miles off the Heads, and about noon the lookout made out what appeared to be a flag flying at half-mast. As the wind remained calm, Captain M Callum (who was engaged taking soundings from the tug Plucky) was communicated with during the afternoon and. fearing that the little craft might be in want of assistance, at once despatched the tug out to investigate. The vessel proved to be tbe schooner Medora, bound for Dunedin. She has had a most .eventful passage since she left Auckland, timber-laden, on June 14. A short time prior to leaving for the south she was purchased by Mr Dickson, of this city (formerly owner of the cutter Margaret Casey), who entrusted her to Captain Scurrah for the voyage. Shortly after leaving Auckland she met with * succession of adverse winds and southerly o-ales, which tested her seagoing qualifies very severely, and also proved disastrous to the Aotea, Haeremai, and other small craft about the same time. Several times the Medora was hove to for a couple of days at a time, but on Ju y 6 she had got as far aa JRanks Peninsula when it was found that -water and provisions were running low; and as the weather looked bad Captain Scurrah deoided to run back to Lyttelton. She sailed again on July 10, but on reaching the Heads a southerly gale was blowing, and on the following day she was hove to, during which her starboard bulwarks were stove 111 when abreast of Akaroa. On the following day the pump was found to be broken and once more she put in to Lyttelton. Here she remained for two weeks, and her crew were paid off, Captain Scurrah retaining command. On August 2 sh« made another start the crow consisting of Captain Scuridh. Janiosr Aritchell, and Thomas Thomas. A B "s. On reaching Lyttolton. Heads the wind was blowing hard from the N.E., and she put back, and waited a couple of days, again at 10 a.m. on August 4. Ihe following day- the wind came Jip strong from the southward, and on August 7 the Medora was abreast of Akaroa for the -,o\enth time. Here she picked up light airs from the north, which- lasted until last Friday morning, when it came on to blow a stiff breere from the N.W. By 10 a.m. die Medora was about 40 miles off the Heads, her foresail and mainsail goosewinged to catch the fresh fair breeze. Captain Scurrah and Mitchell, who had been on watch from 2 a.m., went below to have a re->t, leaving Thomas in charge of the wheel. Mitehell turned into his bunk, but Captain Scurrab decided to lie down in bis clothes to snatch a little sleep, and had only been below about five minutes when he heard the mainsail jibe with swiph and roar, and on looking up 1k» caucjht sight of Thomas, who appeared to be running forward as though to cast lose the weather gag or haul on the toppiuer lift. Shouting to Mitchell he jumped on deck just as ho heard a cry for help, and, grasping the helm, he ordered Mitchell to throw over the lifebuoy, which was done before the unfortnuat* man had boon left 100 yards astern. When the lifebuoy was thrown Thomas could be seen plainly swimming towards it. The vessel was at once put about, but, although she passed and repassed the lifebuoy four times within an hour, the poor fellow was never seen again. Ob Saturday the wind thoDued. and the Medora lay becalntfed until towed in by the Plucky, and was borthed at the Raitray. street wharf about 7.30 on Monday evening.

The total tonnage of vessels which made Wellington their firfefc port of caH or port of <feparture from the colony was considerably larger for the June quarter of this year than for the corresponding- quarter of 1905. The tonnages were as follow (the figures for 1905 beinz given in parenthesis* : Shipping inward 81.500 tons (61.533); outwards, 100.253 -Eons (86,626). Auckland, on the other hand, shows a considerable falling off in the amount of her shipping. The tonna<re entered inwards decreased from 142 172 to 1^949. and the outward tonnage from 91.624 to 78.484. Thfi Bluff h the port which comes next to

* Wellington and Auckland in tie *moiE» of oversea shipping entered *nd cleared. Captain Connor and. mate, of the steamec City of Cadiz, which arrived at Swansea on June 29, reported that the previous night, while off St. George's Head, in the Bristol Channel, ther saw, four miles ahead, a small cargo- srteanier with a red funnel. By her side was a schooner. Suddenly both vessels disappeared. The City of Cadiz steamed to the spot, but could fine? no trace of either vessel. The officer* attributed the disappearance of the vessels to the effects of an earthquake. This at first looked like a veritable " ocean, mys- ■ tery," but the affair was soon explained. The steamer that foundered proved to be the Courier, of London. 600 tons, with, stone from Carnarvon. She struck a reef off Linney Head on the afternoon of Juno 28, and foundered in an hour. The evaw ct 10 hands got into the boats and stood by the sinking vessel. The? were picked up> by the ketch SoJtan, of Bernstaple, whichs transferred tham to the trawler SpTy, of Milford Haven, where they were landed. As an instance of the effect of the French navigation bounty system, it ia stated that .the ship Rene Kerviller, of 2290tons register, has cleared from Dunkirk mr ballast for Hobart for orders, the bounty on the distance sailed compensating theowners for the absence of an outward freight, and giving them the choice of ordering, their ship from Hobart to Australian coal-loading ports, Chilian nitrateports, or San Francisco, according to the state of the freight markets, besides recetv-'' ing the bounty orr the entire distance sailed. The Rene Kerviller, it may be added, i» only one of 11 French vessels now on the way to this port from various parts of the*workl. Most of them should arrive heret during the current month. — Hobart Mercarv

To meet the requirements of its trade, the Union Steam Ship Omvpanv of New Zealand has lately "chartered three larger tramp steamers — viz. r the Tweeddale, 4432ttons; Port Stephens. 3554- tons ; and th» Auehenerag, 3908 tons. The Tweed-dale lefl* Newcastle for New Zealand on Wednesday The Port Stephens is in Newcastle loading coal for a New Zealand port, and the Auohencrag has left Singapore for New-, castle or Sydney,, to load 1 coal for Fiji^ thence Auckland with, sugar. The works for the extension of the ha** bour at Port Said are vow being put ir. hand, and in five vear>' time they will, ifc' is hoped, be 90 far completed that the harbour will bo twice as large as it is now. A large basin for colliers and petroleum ships has been dredged out on the easfr side of the canal ; the Cherif Basin wiH be- made double its present size' jind deepened to 30ft, and spacious ware-houses will be erected in its vicinity. It 13 also proposed to extend the eastern mole in ar westerly direction in order to afford greater, shelter for vessels in ' the winter. The R. U. Rickmers, the bigjfesi; saiiine vessel in the world, which is barque-risked and has five masts, sailed from the port of New York, U.S.A.. last motrfh for Raneoon. India, having on board the largest cargof ever stowed in a sailing vessel 1 . Tho cireo comprised 2,000,000 gallons of oil in 200.000) cases, and the gross earnings of the vessel? on her ravage will amount to* about 34.000)" dollars at the in-evniling rates, of charters. This is one of the largest oil shipments ever made from the port of New York, or any other port of the North American Continent, and if its transportation on a sailing ressel proves satisfactory to the trade, it is likely that in the future some of tho steamship lines will lo~e a part of their cargo which has hitherto been very profit able to them.