Bluff Pilots and the Bluff Harbor Board.

Southland Times, Issue 4186, 29 November 1881, Page 4

Bluff Pilots and the Bluff Harbor Board.

TO THS HDITOB. < : Sißj— sHaving read the whole of tbo evidence that has turned up to the present time about the wreck of the England's Glory, I begrto make a fow remarks with respect to those that I think ar-e»to blame, viz., the Bluff Harber Board. And these • r ' "arg -toy Teasona for blaming .the Board. •' j^W-hen Thomas Thomson's services were no longer required the Board advertised for 'a man with certificates and testimonials - to take the place of Thomas Thomson, and from all . those that pnt in applications George Thomson was the man that had the largest amount of testimonials, andof course he was the man that took their fancy, but he lacked local knowledge and that accounts for so many mishaps; so . that we can see plainly that it was not the ''"' pilot's fault but the Board's for appointing 'a toad Without local knowledge. I should say that local knowledge was far before certificates and testimonials — at any rate for the Bluff Harbor— and I think that before we can have things on a firm footing f ; %at we must separate the office of harbormaster and that of pilot, and employ a man with the best local knowledge that can be got as pilot, and a man with testimonials certificates for harbormaster: I see by the report of the last meeting of the Board that our local member moved that Mr McDonald be appointed (temporarily) harbormaster and chief pilot, but Mr'Turnbull had 1 not forgotten the words • of Mr McDonald wher on the inquiry, that had he been in the place of Mr George Thomson he would " most likely" have done the same thing. And a little further on in the report we see " other members expressed doubts as to Pilot McDonald's competency ; " and yet a little further on again we see that he is appointed for the time. . ■5- This, Mr Editor, reminds me of the actions of Thomas Thomson when he wanted to get Pilot Smith discharged from the Board's service, and after leaving him ? in charge for twelve months, brought the • charge of incompetency against him. Smith is, beyond a doubt, a competent man to bring a ship in and take one out of the Bluff, and has good local knowledge but, as Captain Elles remarked, he has a peculiar temper. And yet another, with undoubted local knowledge, is Captain Gilroy, at present » , signalman oa the Bluff Hill. I will give you his own words : " I have been in and out of -Bluff Harbor for more than forty years, and have brought ships in when you .could, not see 3'our hand before you." And ' during the whole forty years had only one wreck, and that was with Captain Howell. And now, to turn aside for a while to some other correspondents, the letter of "Master Mariner" calls for some remarks, as he says that the Captain was to blame, first for not ■■... following the sailing directions^ Surely "-Master Mariner" has not forgotten that sailing directions are sometimes altered, - and how did this Captain know that the --' sailing directions were not altered in this case ? He knew that there wr.s a saad spit • : outside the harbor, and he knew that the Band was apt to move and so cause the . sailing directions to be cbang-ed, and most - "likely with these things in v I „•»■/, with the knowledge that he was near the spit, wisely gave way to the pilot's signal. Then he goes* on to say the next question was settled by the boatmen. Now, the fact is that only one boatman was examined, and he did not state positively that the helm was only put a quarter over, but that the _ men in the boat remarked tli at the rudder to be a quarter over. jiNow, I ".., would " Master Mariner" to read the '"'"' report of the enquiry from both papers, and I have notthe least doubt as to the con- :-.„■: elusion that he will come to. As I was -. ptesentat the enquiry the whole day, I - — think that lam in a position to say what - evidence was given, with the assistance o£ ' the two papers. I should like to say more, Mr Editor, but your space will notadmit of it at present. — lam, &c, Locus Standl \Y\> Bluff; No*. 23rd,, 1881.- ,

Leveraged to tell with infirite drollery the follbwibg story of MrMcGlashan, his Dublin publisher, who, by-the way, was a Scotchman : —^At a certain dinner, fearing to be made ..,.» ton " by the : wild Irish authors and scribblers, he left the table, having triken his fair share of wine, to join the ladies in the draw-ing-room. After a while the company heard unearthly, noises in the pantry, just behind tJae diziing-rocrEi. THey listened and. -they :., r; wondered. What could it be 7 Were there ia '' xeally^ _ghqsts in the house, as had been "whispered in its ancient traditions? But summoning courage, .they went en masse and they found that worthy McGlashan had, under the impression that he was going upr.- to the ladies, ascended^ shelf after shelf \ /6£the pan.try, and was at that moment lying at full length on the uppermost, kicking Juriously at the ceiling and sidewalls, and ex- • pressing the utmost surprise that he could not ' get up-stairs.'

sel 2