THE LATE SHIPPING DISASTER IN TIMARU.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 641, 20 May 1882, Page 2

THE LATE SHIPPING DISASTER IN TIMARU.

Last night was a great one for Timaru. A. public meeting was held at the Theatre Royal, to consider Harbor Board matters.*The attendance was very large, the house being packed. Some hot speeches wej«r made, in which the obnoxious members of / the Board came in for a good rainy com- ' pliments. In the course of his remarks,.one speaker, Captain Cain, an old sailolc himself, said (according to the Herald) that he had had 25 years’ experience * of, Timaru, and had been connected with the working of ships nearly the whole time. . He never saw things so mismanaged as! they had been during the last few years. If.. the Harbor Board hid conspired 'o ruin' Timaru they could not have done more to effect thefr object than they had done. When the Board took the shipping into: * their own hands the port had a good reputation, but it had been going to the bad ever since. Ship after ship had been lost ; the City of Cashmere was thrown away for want of a tug. and the other ships were lost because they were not got * away as they should have been; if the Board had had proper appliances they would have been away weeks ago. ; ; It was resolved that the present position of the administration of the Haroor'Board was highly unsatisfactory, and that ' - it was desirable that the constitution of • the Board should bo altered to provide for the people having direct representation on it, and that the Covornment be respect-" fully requested to introduce a Bill to thiir effect. If was decided that a suitable memorial to those who perished should be erected, and also that the names of

thosa volunteers who risked life bo recommended to the notice of the Royal Humane Society. After the public meeting, we learn front' ’ the Herald, the efligies of three members • of the Timaru Harbor Board, as well as that of one of its officials, who have by ’ their late actions made themselves partioii- ’ larly obnoxious to the public, were carried round the town and thence to the end of the breakwater, where they wereburntamidstthe hooting and yelling of several hundred people. Their last remains were consigned to the deep. Groat efforts wore made yesterday to : tow out the City of Perth, the s.s. Wai-- ■ taki having the stranded vessel in tow for 1 over two hours. Owing, however, to a sand bank having formed in front of her, the attempt had tobe abandoned, although 1 very strong hopes are entertained that* d second trial will prove more successful • r