TRANSHIPPING PASSENGERS.

West Coast Times, Issue 106, 19 January 1866, Page 2

TRANSHIPPING PASSENGERS.

TO THK EDITOH OF TUB " WEST COAST TIMES." > Sin, — 111 your issue of. the 12th instant I notice an article commenting very str. ng!y, and I must say quite as ignorantly, on the manner in which ladies are transhipped in Ilokitika roadstead. Those reruaiks imply a gross amount of carelef6ness and unfeeling barbarity on the part of officers of steamers towards thoso whom they are bound, not only by a sense of du'y, but also .by every gentlemanly feeling, to piotect to tho utmost of their power ; therefore I tm&t that, as an officer of- a steamer regularly visiting Hokitika, you will allow me to occupy your space in vindicating the character of a class of meu that I am proud to belong to, and who are generally well esteemed on the coast-

In the artiolo in cjuestion you strongly advise \ the use of n cliair lowered from the yard-arm of \ the vessel as being, in your estimation, (lie ye» \ prewUittve of all that k safe, coitiinotiioua, and

expeditions for tli>s tiaiibhipaicnt of fomalcs. 1 nm glad you mentioned expeditious, f s it is n Ihingofno small moment in a place whoro the old saying of " Time and tii'c wait lor no man," or woman is especially applicable Allow hip, Sir, as a tcamnn who wishes to do tilings in a seamanlilio manner, and as a gentleman who would not wilfully hurt the feeling* or canso inconvenience to the poorest ,-jr meanest of the fair sex, to coircct your ideas on ihis subjeot, by assuring y»u in the Hist place, that of all modes of transhipment, lowering hy a chair from the yardarm is decidedly the inoM> dangerous, and liy far tlio most tedious that could bo used in an open ioiul<tcml whnro there is a constant and heavy swell setting in . In the second place, I would observe that, although ladies aro not now lowered in a chair, still, as a mle, they aro transhipped without .their feel ! »gi of modtsiy expeiieneing the shock you would havo us believe thoy do, and that the mode now in u.se is by far the niosts ifo and expeditions. \Yith regard to lowering in a chair being the most dango.ous as well as the slowest method 1 can only say that snon a method in such a placo is without precedent, no ono ever saw a lady slung in a chair when a bhip was rolling heavily, it is bad enough to sling cattle under .such circumstances, witniss Taramiki, although in that instance, it is not necessary to be careful in the lowering as they are lowered into the water, but the idea of attempting to lower a lady into a small boat with tlio ship rolling lo an angle of 30' or 40" is simply ridiculous, and if such were to be the practice I am afraid the numbers who would meet their death or be maimed for life by striking violently against the fhip's side, would indeed give you just cause lo complain of tho carelessness and unseainanlike conduct of thoso who adopted such a method. Sometimes in spite of every precaution, and whcio we aro nob obliged to bo so tender in the handling as wo should havo to be with ladip.-s a sling full of go"ds will swing 20 or 80 feet from the ship's siue, and then come in with a crash. Suppose this were to happen to a lady only once in three months, it would he quite enough to condemn a system so little, under control.

As to the oilier methods mentioned by you — gangway or accommodation ladders and side ladders — I would observe that a gangway ladder suited to the ivork would require to bo twice the length of an ordinary one, otherwise more boats would bes'oveand more passengers drowned in one rough d.ty than would be the case in two or tin eo years by tho present sys'ein. It* it is bad for a boat to get ur.dera ship's channels— which, by the bye, few, if any, of the .steamers visiting Ilokitika carry — how much worse and more dangerous must it be for ft boat to got under a gaugway ladder, and most likely Imve it go cras'i through her bottom : — so that a gangway laddor is quite out of the question. And then, as regards the common side or Jacob's ladder, it is not woith mentioning, as few passengers, be they male or foinalc are quick enough for it, ns they lcquirc to step into the boat the moment it is level with their feet, or risk getting their leg broken by the gunwale of the boat jamming them against i lie ship's side. The last two methods I have seen tried, and can truly say, that they have been weighed in tho balance nnd found wanting. As to slinging in a chair, nnd lowering from tho yard-arm, I a&siue you, I have never even heard it hinted at before, as being applicable to such v place as Ilokitika roadstead. I have already trespassed very much on your f-paco and patience, still, before I conclude I should like to explain to you the manner in which females aro put into the boats from tho steamer to which I belong, nnd >vhieh method I have no doubt is nearly the Fame as other steamei shave adopted. In the first place, ladies do not stand on the gangway preparatory to being put into the bouts, and such an assertion is apt to mislead an ignorant or uninitiated person, but tho gangway having been unshipped, the lady is carefully spitted, with her face outward, and her feet hanging over tho side ; when I say carefully seated, I mean that not only is their bodily safety cared for, but also that ovciy attention is paid, and great solicitude shown that those ieelings) of innate modesty which thoy possess, , and which you truly say, aro tho brightest wuamcnl of the sc.x, shall not bo outraged. The SMgjhaviiig been carefully seated, with an oilicer SfigBnah^iolding each arm. a favorablo opporin£s^^B}itcd for to place her in the boat, tffnflßK^NßpkVen keel the gunwale of the very littlo danger ti£e! lt&§ lSS^r Jiinb for tho oilicer in the boat l o HiMnTjlpurty, jft-his arms and place her in the botloju-qf fi^'-jfrhilst the other two help to Me.idy Ihoui^oli) (ill tho lady is safely landed, ni'ljr which t^o in handed lo a scat by the boat's crew, who vie with cacli othor in paying her cvirv iittcnticni nnd seeing that no harm coined lo her. I am happy to say that hitherto wo have had no accidents lo report, nor have wo had nny complaints us (o tho manner in which passengers Imvo been treated, nnd T can only sny thai I hope we shall bo equally forlmmlo for tho limo to could not only in landing I lie Indies in safety, but nlso in landing (hem without prejudicing thorn against ns by any indelicate want of attention to those feelings of modesty which they so happily possess. This, Sir, is a truo find faithful account of tho method now in use, imd I can nsuivc you it is fur boforo tho chair. Thcro is ono remark you make with regard to tho said chair which 1 ennnot help noticing. You say that after wattling for a calm moment, and Hie ehniv having been landed in tho Lo-al, •' (he danger is pnst, ns tho tackle would ' unreovo ' as- she descends." Now, Sir, to say nothing of your confounding iinreeving with overhauling, I would obsorvo lluit it would bo impossible half tho tinioto hit tho exact moment when to lot go, remembering that it must bo dono on tho instant or not nt all ; nnd another thing, should tho Vessel roll heavily whilst tho chair was suspended, and it commenced to swing, tho only plan would be when it swung out, to let go and j allow it to drop into the water, nothing else couldsnvo tho lady from being seriously hurt porhaps maimed for life. And now, Sir, in conclusion, I can assure you that this has been thn subject of thought, and lias occupied the attention of many cipinins and ofticcis visiting the roadstead, but at present in other plan of transhipment presents itself, ii which safety, speed, and delicacy towards Ihos concerned are so nearly combined. I hope you will excuse any sentences in II foregoing which may .seem to relied too strong on anything you have, advanced, plo.ise rccolle that I am a sailor, and, therefore, am allowed littlo latitude. I can, however, nsstuc you lh whatever I have written lin«becn in a spirilogf couitesy, meaning only to correct what I tho nl to be mistakes, not forgetting that I am lisble t them myself. • I am, &c, "Second Dick." 18th January, 1860, [We boliovo it would havo been nn act of kindness, on our part, to the writer of iho above lettor to Imvo suppressed it altogether, tho arguments ho advances being very shallow. Ono passage almost inclines ns to believe that iiibtcud of being tho second ollicor of n large passenger steamer, ho must belong to ono of tho " harbor boats," tho " gunwhalo" of which, when tho vessel is on an ovon keel, would bo some three or four foot nbovo thnt of a boat lying alongsido of hor. Perhaps Iho writer, however, meant ono of his ship's port holes, when ho iilhulcs to tho gangway, ifher dock is pierced for guns, outsido of which gratings wore rigged, for -tho " two ship's ofllcors " to stand when in tho net of lowering <ho lady into tho arms of "another oilicer" stationed in tho boat to receive her. Certainly tho fow pteamors wo havo visited lay much highor out of tho wutor than three or four feet, but ,his vessel may ho ono of thoso singular exceptions to a rulo which astonish when they aro peicoived. Allowing, however, a vessel to bo only threo or four fcot higher than a bout, wlnit h jmtflion lor ft My to be placed in ! I

doited on v ste.iuici'.s dirty covcriii'4-lm.ud, with her fact! turned outward. Occasionally, -is (ho vessel tolled, she would bo seven or ei','hl feet above the gentleman below hor. A soimau who could bo at a lo^s for an improvement upon such a plan is not- woilhy tho name. In his remaiks upon the inadaptability of the ladies' chiir, the writer is specious, but shallow, for who over heard of ono being used wliou there was anything of a sea or, without " gu\s" attached to it, lo prevent the " swing" fioin the ship's side, which he s-o deprecates as dungorous lo life and limb .' We still nninlain thai in moderate weather a chair can bo u^ed with siuioo-is, providing, of course, tho madia Ojicriiiidi is understood by tho officer in chaigo of it. No small amount of puiolico is, it h true, required to handle a "chair" cleverly. A properly-con* s-lrucled ac:oin modal ion ladder can, however, bo used whenever a humatio man would deem it safe and prudent thus to tranship hi.s lady passengers ; and if it mint bo "twice the length" of an ordinary laddor, why should not first-class seagoing passenger Ptcamcr.s bo provided with Mich a convenience ? Wo mentioned nothing about the length of a ladder in tho article that has so milled "Second Dick," merely hinting that, a little more consideration might bo shown than ladies usually receive in the Ilokitika loadatead. As for our "ignoranco "wo bow to tho gentleman who makes uso of tho term. Ho doubtless understands much bolter than ourselves tho literal meaning of, thoso technical explosions " tin reeve" and "overhaul." Iv our humble opinion, the former, as applied by us, would bo more comprehensive to a landsman than tho kit' or. Wo wished our remarks to be understood by all who read them. " Hecond Dick" adopts a peremptory tone, which might lead one lo supposo ho had sailed in every strainer which visits tin? port. Throughout his loiter is this perceptible , but especially towards tho end, whero ho affirms, " Liulius do not stand on the gangway.' 1 Wo bog to assuio him that ho is mistaken, if wo are the to believe our shipping reporter who was an eye witness of one of these disoinbai kings, and whoso veracity we have no reason to impugn. Moi cover, complaints innumerable have reached us of tho treatment ladies rcneivo under snoli circumstances, the only aim apparently of tho ships company being to rid themselves of such oncuinbianccs as quickly as possiblo Instead of striving to coiifutc our assertions, it would bo more considerate in the writer lo ponder upon the advieothey contain and endeavour to introduco a better system than Iho one wo complain of. Should ho net upon our suggestion and succeed, ho will find wo shall be readier lo congratulate nnd piaiso than wo have been lo censure and condemn.]

The Star of llic livening, under the command of Captain 'l'urner, arrived oil' lliis port on Monday morning, hut, in consequence of the bad state of the bar, sho was signalled on to Hoki* tikn, nt which place she landed some of her passcngerH and cargo, and prococded again for the Uvey the same day, arriving in the roadstead in the evening. At about a quarter to nine o'clock yesterday morning she weighed anchor and prepared for taking tha bar, tho weather lining flue and calm, bub a heavy sou from the S.W. was breaking on tho bar. Sho gallantly entered the breakers, and seemed in a fair way to get safely over, but a sea struck her and laid her broadside on to tho rollers, which impelled her rapidly towards the* north spit, on which sho touched with herslcrn,whon she slewed round, losing steerage-way, and appeared inevitably doomed to go iisAkoro on the bench to the northward. At this critical period, Oaptnin Colson, with a volunteer crow, pub r 11' in a boat, and with much dilllculty reached her , side and took a lino on shoro, the intention being to fix it on bliorc, and return with it to the vessel, nirl afterwards to slew her licud round up stream. However, when tho boat slnvtod again (horopo gol onlnnglod on a snag, and it was J'oimcl impossible to lynch tho steamer in time. Tho bout was caught by n son and thrown up high and dry on tho beach, and no access to (ho steamer was then left. By this limo sho had nltered hoi 1 position considerably for tho worso, hnving got into tho channel, nncl was being vapidly driflod to the northward. Tho captain, with consummate coolness and skill, put full steam on astern, with tho viow of backing out to sea, and for &omo timo "it was a sheer cluol bolwocn tho ship nncl tho sea. Al times the steamer approached so uloso to tho shoro that her salvutiou appeared impossible) j but sho bravely plrugglod on, nncl although tho waves broke continually over hor, sho managed to mako an oiling, to tho thankfulness of all who witnessed her critical position. Everyone admits that tho vessel was only savod by tho skilful seamanship of hor commander, and Iho cool and intrepid manner in which ho handled he. Sho now lies at anchor in the vo.uls, and will possilly enter at tho neU iiivov.iblo lido. — Girl/ Ilivcrjlr«iii i^^^^^^ m