ROUGH WEATHER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12759, 12 January 1905, Page 4

ROUGH WEATHER.

Napier, Jan. 12.— The bargiientine Bio. from Newcastle, experienced rough weather in Cook Straits. She had her fore and main top-masts kxarried away. A boat was stove in and one of the crew injured so severely that he had to be moved .to the hospital on* arrival- .'.-■. Messrs Hafcrick andcCWa Wo new steamers built especially lor the Wanfanui Jliver • service "Ho Tauinarunui aye been launched/and are now making- their maiden trips. During . this month the presemt twice weekly service between Pjpiriki and Taumarunui will bo increased to three .itimes a week from the 15th inst. The proprietors find increased running' is required to cope with the large number of passengers, who are making uee of this magnificent scenic route. \ The distance is 150 miles, and down stream passengers reach' Wellington the .second day after leaving Taumarunui. ,The popular excursion irip cm, the Now Zealand BWno is now the four days' trip from Wanganui to the houseboat and return, mileage 240 of lovely scenery/ at tiie nominal fare oi A')s, equal ib 10s per day. The houseboat is ; furnished with all comforts and conveniences, and isr stationed at one of the pretti* "feet places on. the river, close to the Ohura Falls. The houseboat is the, largest and most unique of its kind 'in, * Ifae world.

The Union Company has arrangeothe follo\ving ch-ariges aoanongst the officers of the service :— -Captain Lambert, of the Pengdin and Pateena, will gp south next Friday to take charge of the Moura, which is to make a relieving /run in the East Coast, service. Mr Tait,- chief officer of, the Mararoa, will relieve Captain .Kennedy, of the Kotujku,, who will transfer to tho Penguin .and Pateena. "1 Mr Aldwell, chief officer of the Pateena, is to transfer to. the Mararoa as chief officer. Mr Naylor, chief officer of the Pengum, will relieve Mr Aidwell on the Pateena> and Mr Hood, second officer of tho Penguin, will take 'the position of chief officer of that vessel. Mr Dutton will arrive from South to join the tPengium as second olfficer. Mr Harris, chief officer of the Pukaki, will join the Mararoa as chief officer for one trip to Lyttelton so as to permit of the changes being facilitated. Steady progress is being mado with thte 'outer harbour at Light's Passage, South. Australia, which has been "under, contract for the last three years, and the anticipate tha-fc within nine months the harbour will Toe ready for use by mail and other, large oceangoing steamers, arfcbioiigh the complete work will not have been carried out until nearly 1 two years hence. The reclamation area is fast filling. up with silt/ dredged from th&bed of tine channel and the approaches of tite; 'harbour. The breakwater running for a 'mile out from the site of th<e old lighthouse, will be -finished in about five months, *a«cv the staging is already out about 4200 ft, .with stone work following close, belwuwl. The- new wharf, which ;will extend along 1500 ft of frontage, ia finished. Over 100 ft and a depth of 33ft at low* water has been dredged out. As the construction will involve nearly £500,000, the public are anxious as to whether the Jrarbour will be used to the full extent by visiting vessels, and the general opinion among the shipping and ; mercantile community is in the affirmative. Moat of the -commanders of the. mail steamers Itave bad an opportunity of inspectang the work and have expressed themselves satisfied .with 1 the accommodation which will be provided. V . The Otago Daily Times states that H.M.S. • Phoebe is expected to reach Port Chalmers between January 7 and 9, ana- will remain in the lower harbour for twp months. No doubt she will during her stay enrol a number of men for the Royal Navy Reserve, and her coming will supply a long felt want to young fellows desirous of entering bis Majesty's' service. Commenting upon the steaming capabilities of the Union Company's new island steamer Navuay the Western Pacific Herald of a recent date says ':— The a.s. Navua gave passengers an idea of what she is capable on her present voyage from Auckland! to Suva. She did the trip in three days 17 hours, her average run being 310 knots. .Although she was not pushed in the; least, she averaged 13 knots an hour, aTfinough she is only supposed to be a 12^-knoi boat. The engineers are confident tha-t they can, if occasion requires, lower the Jffbura's record teIween the twp gorts,"