BLUFF HARBOR.

Southland Times, Issue 4490, 30 November 1882, Page 2

BLUFF HARBOR.

Ttt^e w«rß no arriyalfi'or departures at this port yesterday. r ; .-; ->; ;| , . ' v v , :; ;,[_._ .'■ ■iPiCTkfa'AEEITALB. From. Melbourne— Te Anau. :<\,; ; / v , Fr6m Northern Ports— Rlngarpoma., „. f Ffom a liondon— Elizabeth Graham and TenFflntf West Coast—Annie Hill and Sarah and MarVjibrigantines ; WjlUarn and Jane, Crest of the and Alert, schooners.

Captain' Morwick. of the collier Woonpna, which was alongside the Austral when she sank, statejß.that.he was asleep.at thetisie of the disaster, as, he considered that thework was going on safely, and, satisfactorily, and that there was no cause for any special watchfulness or supervision. At about; half-past four o'clock he was awakened by, the men on deck shouting out that the .Austral' was listing over towards them. He liurried lip, and found everything in. terrible confusion! The Austral washeeling over rapidly, her coaling ports being then just under water, and .through each .of them a great stream was flowing into the ,hold, ef . the vessel. All his efforts were required for : saving his own ship, onward of which everything was in a state of panlfc and confusion, the men throwing planks and hatches into the sea, and leaping after them, declaring that it was each man's duty to savefcis'^wn life, as the Austral-would certainly crush down the collier, and everybody on board would be f 109t." By personal efforts and much persuasion Captain Morwick got Jaome of them to work, and getting clear of the ropes and moorlrigr,.taey hurriedly cut their vessel adrift ; but the maßt getting entangled *with the A.ustral's" stays, while every moment the whole bulk of the latter was sinking down stern foremost towards them, it was necessary to turn oh all steam to get away at any risk, and the propeller was put in motion. The sides of the little collier grated ominously against the Austral, and the mainmast was wrenched away, leaving shattered splinters of wood and tags of rope flying in all directions. Atter a moment or two of terrible excitement a satisfactory breadth of water was placed between the two ships. In 10 minutes from the time the collier got clear the Austral had gone down.