SHIPPING DISASTERS.

Colonist, Issue 795, 9 June 1865, Page 6

SHIPPING DISASTERS.

THE BURNING OP THE FIERY STAR,

In our Eighth Page will be found the distressing narrative of the burning of the Ship Fiery Star, the following are the particulars of the RETURN OF H.M.S. BRISK AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR THE BOATS. H.M.S.S. Beisk, Captain Hope, arrived in Auckland harbor late on tho night of tho 30th May. The New Zealanderuaya :— " Although every effort was made, no trace could be found of tho missing boats of the Fiery Star, as will be seen from the following report of the voyagej: —The Brisk, Captain Hope, left Auckland on the 16th for the Chatham Islands, in search of the pas- j sengers from the ship Fiery Star. Had fair weather down, and arrived at Waitangi on the 20th, and communicated with Captain Thomas, Resident Magistrate there... Experienced a heavy gale from Jlie S.W., and parted the starboard cable during service on Sunday morning. Had to put up steam to ease tho anchors all tho time the gale was blowing. Hap a report that some , strangers had been seen on the island, but it proved untrue. On the 23rd went to Port Hutt, or Wangaroa, at the other end of the island, where we lost a boy, named Moore, overboard. On the 25th went back to Waitangi, and there a meeting of natives-was got together by Captain Thomas about the Pai Marires, as th«re were two suspected Pai Marires there. The chiefs said that they had nothing to do with the Pai Marires, as they feared that the Brisk had come to take possession of tho land there. From the time they first arrived they had natives on horseback searching for tho missing boati, but no signs were. seen. On the 26th left Waitangi, and -went to Pitt's Island, about 30 miles away, and could hear nothing of the boats. The officers received tho utmost kindness from Mr. Hunt and his family at Pitt's Island. Left the Bame afternoon. Came round the east side of Chatham Island, and was off the East Capo on Monday morning, with a fair wind. The Brisk arrived here last evening, at about 10*30 p.m. On coming round the North Head Bhe came into collision with the ship Dublin, bound for San Francisco, and carried away her martingale stays and back ropes, but did her no serious damage."

Death of Captain Moobe of the Dauntless. —Tho New Zealand Sera Id announces the death of this gallant seaman, which occurred yesterday eveniug, at the house of Mr. Hooper, on Smales' Point, whither he hud been conveyed on Saturday evening. Captain Moore had been suffering for several days from intermittent fever. The Fiery Star was not the only vessel succonred in his last voyage by Captain Moore. In the Bay of Biscay he bore down on a vessel showing signals of distress, which proved to be the Phoenix of Liverpool.

LOSS OF THE PASSENGER STEAMER CITY OE DUNEDIN, WITH ALL ON BOARD.

Theee is no doubt that this large steamer, with passengers and crew numbering it is believed about 70 persons, has gone to the bottom with all on board, in the storm of 20th May. The subjoined are the particulars : — .

(From The Colonist, May 80.)

Considerable apprehensions prevail as to the fate of the paddle steamer City of Dunedin, commanded by Captain Boyd. That vessel arrived in Wellington from Otago and Lyttelton, on Thursday week tho ISfch instant, with four saloon, and ten steerage passengers for Wellington, and sixteen steerage passengers for tho North ; which we presume means Picton, Nelson, and Hokitika. She had also, according to Dunedin reports, cargo for those three po.rts, and when she left Wellington on 20th, she had one saloon pasßenger from that port, the Eev. Mr. Driscoll, and "16 for South," according to the Wellington Independent ; but the Spectator's report of a day's later date, the 24th, says "11 for South." She has not arrived here, and it is known that on the 20th and subsequent days, heavy gales prevailed in Cook's Straits. What gives colour to the fear that the vessel has gone down in the storm, is the fact reported in the Wellington Advertiser that near Wellington Heads a barrel of pitch addressed "Steamer Hokitika," was discovered stranded on the beach. When in Nelson lately the master of the Favorife informed Mr. Gibbons, the wharfinger at the Government wharf here, that he expected a quantity of tiir, oakum, and oher material of the kind to be sent to him by the City of Dunedin. It is true that such fcoocb would likely form deck cargo, and may havo been washed overboard, without the vessel being lost; but there 13 still ground for great uneasiness as to her fute. Tho City of Dunedin stood high out of the water, and was ill adapted for buffeting with such Revere storms as have lately been met with in the Straits. She has not been seen since she left Wellin ;ion, and has not been heard of neither here nor at Pieton, and it is scarcely probable that she could have gone through the Straits to Hokitika. The only chance remaining is that, finding it impossible to come on to either Picton or Nelson, she may have stood out and gone south to Lyttelton. We shall learn by the Airedale, which is expected to-day, whether she has succeeded in reaching that port. If not we greatly fear she will never more be heard of.

{From The Colonist, June 6.)

A-8 we feared, nothing has been seen of this vessel at Lyttelton, which port it was her only chance to have reached in the storm which was raging in the Straits, on the 20th and 21st of May. Tho following paragraph from the Wellington Advertiser of Saturday, tends to show that the vessel has been wrecked. We have further evidence in a description of the binnacle and skylight mentioned below. The mate of the William' Miskin who was at one time an officer on board the City of Duuedin. was interrogated by a gentleman who made a drawing of the binnacle and skylight, and he described it to the letter, maker's name and all, as the same as that which belonged to the City of Dunedin, and being shown the drawing he confirmed it. No doubt, we are sorry to say, exists that the vessel has gone down with every soul on board. It is surmised that Captain Boyd, who, with his mate was an excellent and careful seaman, had hugged the shore too closely, and had struck on some of the rockß outlying Cape Terawiti, and if so there was no chance of escape. The Advertiser says :— " Inourissue on Tuesday last, we noticed that sundry pieces of wreck had been found on the beach near the Heads. We have received from Captain Kennedy, Warden of the Marine Board, who, in company with Mr. Aylmer, Light-house Engineer, paid an official visit on Thursday, to Pencitrrow Light-house, a description of the fragments already found, and which, we regret to say, leave no room to doubt that a serious catastrophe has occurred. Among other things are a mahogany binnacle stand, bearing the maker's name ' David Heron, Glasgow,' portions of a circular Ekylight, pieces of shoe-trunks, some cabin fittings painted in imitation of birds-eye maple, a large sky-light flap with heavy brass hinges and supports, _ and a half-cask of pitch, marked ' steamer Favorits, Hokitika.' From some peculiarities in the construction of the binnacle stand it is proved to have belonged to an iron-built steamer."

WRECK OF THE GRACE DARLING AT NELSON.

NARROW ESCAPE OP PASSENGERS,

{From The Colonist, June 2.)

At about four o'clock yesterday morning loud cries ■were heard, proceeding from the port, and upon several persons (principally called together by Thoma, Allen), proceeding to the beach, at the harbor mouths it was found that'a vessel, in going out at quarter ebb, had got across the channel, and grounded on the reef of rocks behind the Arrow rock. The pilot boat having been brought from the station, proceeded to the spot when' the craft was discovered to bo the Grace Darling, just proceeding out to Motueka, with half-a-seore of passengers ou board, and who, alarmed for their lives, were calling loudly for assistance. Their fears' were not idle ones, for a heavy swell was coming down the bay, setting round the rock, and breaking! Over the grounded vessel with some violence, and the whole of her lee side was badly stove almost immediately after striking. With much difficulty and considerable danger from the broken water, the passengers were taken from the wreck into the pilot boat, and conveyed ashore; after which hearty exertions were made to get the cargo out of her by

boat and into a cutter anchored as close by as the water would allow, under the superintendence-of Mr. Cross, who remained on the spot until all had been got out of her, and she was got off and drifted up the harbor to the Government wharf. The fact of there having been more than the usual number of lights at the port at the time of the occurrence, would lead to the supposition that there had been some carelessness in the management of the craft, and if so that some enquiry is requisite into the way in which livesand property were so seriously jeopardised ; for if it had not been for the arrival of the pilot boat, there is no doubt that serious consequences would have ensued. The cargo for the most part was got away from the vessel by the strenuous exertions of Thomas Allen,ai/.d assistant, who worked unremittingly with his boat in the hazardous business. The vessel was uninsured and is hopelessly damaged, the loss with cargo probably amounting to about £400.