THE STEAMER AIREDALE.

West Coast Times, Issue 662, 7 November 1867, Page 2

THE STEAMER AIREDALE.

The following telegram -was received yesterday by the hon. John Hall, who very courteously placed it at our disposal : — " Bluff, " November 6. "Airedale broke nir-pump rod off West Cape. It was sufficiently repaired to enable her to proceed to Wellington, where another is being got ready."

Mr Balfour, the Colonial Marine Surveyor, has not been idle during his short stay in Hokitika, as shown by the voluminous report compiled by him, upon the river and beach, and which we have published with much pleasure elsewhere. We quite concur with the greater portion of it, especially to that part arising the extension of the river-bank protection woik at. t' 1 © end of Eevell street, for the purpose of pres^i'vmg the North Spit from t'>e action of floods. No timo should be lost in commencing the work, and although the estimated cost of L3OOO at first night seems a large sum, the work will bo cheap at the money if it answers the purpose of its construction, the spit being the port's only safeguard. • • The rain and gale of Tuesday night produced, the usual effects upon the bar, which yesterday morning was pronounced unworkable, being "assailed on the one hand by a strong freshet, and on the other by a heavy surf that extended a long distance sei> wards. The tugs accordingly kept their moorings fast, and so did every other vessel at the wharf, notwithstanding that all the Quay berths were occupied by empty vessels, whilst others in the ontier tier wore loaded, and waiting to get iusido to discharge. The fresh was, however, too rapid to permit tho required change of position to be effected with any degree of safety. Bar permitting, thero will be a gre.it clearance made this morning, as no fewer than nine large vessels are ready for sea. We aro glad to notice the increasing favor with which tbe Panama route is regarded by the public, no fewer than five passengers for New York and Southampton having booked through at this port. Their names are Messrs J. Pousford, Gr. Park, and W. Park, for New York ; Mrs Frye, and Mr V. Laborde, for Southampton. The unfortunate mishap to the Airedale caused mnch disappointment and inconvenience, but so far as it was possible to do so, tho difficulty waa met by Mr "White, the agent here, who at once made arrangements to forward both passengers and mails to Lyttelton by Cobb's coach, which left here on Tuesday evening, in time to connect ' with the steamer leaving that port this afternoon, to connect with the Ruahine afc Wellington previous to her departure to-morrow for Panama. The late floods made sad havoc with the North Spit, several yards of its inner face Laving been wabhed away, and the position of tho old Gratitude so endangered tlaat the harbor-master considered it expedient to, as soon as possible, get the new signal-station upon the north beach in working order. We may remark that tiie Gratitude has for some time past been used for thai purpose, and has proved a very great convenience to the port. The lower mast of the new flagstaff was erected yesterday by the harbor-boat's crew, and the arrangements for signalling and hoisting tho light will, we expect, be completed in a day or two. But can nothing.be done to conserve the North Spit, and preserve the Gratitude from becoming an intolerable nuisance and an obstruction to the nnvigation of tho port, which she certainly will be if washed off the spit and deposited in the foirvny. The astounding intailigeuce reached town yesterday of the stranding of the p.s. Charles Edward, at Greymouth, at a point upon the north beach, opposite the TJno Hotel, ahout half a mile from the signal station. It will be remembered that the unfortunate steamer left Hokitika on her first trip in these waters on Monday evening, in company with the s.s. Kennedy, both vessels having to call at Greymouth on their way down the coast. They arrived off tho bar too lato on tide to enter tho river that night, but next morning ;it daybroak the Kennedy ran in, and notwithstanding the heavy fresh, managed to gain the wharf. Not betug acquainted with the navigation of tho entrance, Captain Patrick hcsitaled to risk his vessel in so heavy v flood, and accordingly remained outside to await its subsidence. She was kept under canvas, and was sighted several times during the day from the Hokitika Signal Station, ap° parently making good weather in tho heavy sea running. It appears, however, that she

sprung a leak iminedistely under the engine, and in a very short thno the wator rose abovo the furnace bars, and extinguished tho fires. By extraordinary efforts on the part of passengers and crew, who toiloi incessantly at tho pumps, it was reduced sufficiently low to allow tho relighting of the fires and so steam was again got up, hufc only to the amount of nine pounds, as the fires burnt badly in consequence of tho coal being saturated with salt wator. We presume- that the steamor must have havo been in a desperate plight ns Captain Patrick considered it necessary to either gain tho Greymouth wharf, or beach her, and accordingly on Tuesday ovening's tile ho pushed for tho bar — but so far as wo can ascertain — failed to even cross ifc, so heavy was the freshet running out, and the \ alternative of botching her was therefore j adopted. She washed high and dry upon tho beach, aud yesterday morning was out of tho surf's reach, th-j next c^Vj being to Bave tho cargo — with was landed during the day, and excepting in the ca3o of two smrll package quite undamaged. We have gleaned the above facts from various sources, and believe them to be substantially correct. This morning Captain Turnbull, the Harbor Master, aud Mr Staite, tho agent, will proceed to Greymouth to adopt measures lor her release,' winch, we fear, will be scarcely effected buc by the expensivo process of wi ovorland journoy .