THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1098, 10 April 1911, Page 7

THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH.

UNPLEASANT SURMISE PROVES GKOUNDLESS. A report gained currency in Wellington on Saturday morning to the ell'eot. that the coastal steamer Queen of the South, employed, in tha Welliiigtoii-Foxton trade, had met with a mishap on Friday whilst endeavouring to negotiate the Foxton bar inward Iroui Wellington. It appears that nbout 5 p.m. on tlie (lay in question, as tl\e vessel was making towards the entrance, a "southerly" sprang up. and, to those watching her, the "Queen" appeared to go towards the South Spit. Tlie night turned out very dirty, and, wlicn morning broke, there were no signs or tlio vessel. Inquiries made on Saturday by the local office of Messrs. Levin and Co. at Foxl.on and al Otnki anil I'acknlinrilsi, ns to whether the Queen ot the South could lie seen sheltering under Kapiti Island, met with an answer in the negative, and some mieasinoEP was beginning to be felt regarding the vessel. However, at 7.15 o'clock on the same evening, a-special message came through to TIIK DOMINION, which rond:-"llcporl from Willisana* states that tlw 'Queen' is anchored (iff Kapiti." A turthcr message was received from Foxton by Mr. Fuller, manager of Levin and Co/s coastal shippin? department, on Saturday evening, which stated that it was reported that a "boat supposed to be the Queen of the South was Fhclß-ring under Kapiti." Although She arrival of the vessel at Foiton wan not shown on the "Telegraphic Shipping" notice-board at the General Poet, Office la's I night, it would appear from the abovo Uiat all Iβ well with the littlesteamer.

BIMUTAKA REPORTED. News has been received Etnti-ng that Ihe Kew Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Itimntaka, which cleared Lyttelton for. London on March 15, arrived at Monte Video on April 5. LIVERPOOL TO NEW ZIiALAND. The local agent* of the F.-H..-H. Line advise that the next, dispatch from Liverpool t-> New /calami, tinder their fine, will be llio slcamnr Xiurnshire. The vessel is to leave the Homo port on May 0 direct for Wellington, and is due hero about June .30. She afterwards proceeds tn Auckland, LyltcHoii, Duncdin, and the Bluff. RAX FRANCISCO SERVICE. Pome time to-morrow tho Union Company's R.M.K. Aorangi is expected to show up at Wellington from San Francisco, via way ports. The Manuka, which left Wellington for Kan Francisco, via way ports on Wednesday last, continued her journey from Auckland at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Information has been received intimating that R.M..S. Maitai left, the American port for Wellington, via Papeete and liarotonga, on Wednesday last. She is due here on April 27. The vessel withdraws for survcv on arrival, and the Aorangi will take her run to Kan Francisco, leaving Wcl-li-ngton on liny 3. RUAPEHU'S DISCHARGE. « TOSS IN THIRTY-FIVE HOURS. Some excellent work has been done in connection wish the discharge of the Kew Zealand Shipping Company's R.M.S. ll«a----pelw at Wellington this voyage. When shn berthed at the Queen's Wharf on Thursday morning, the vessel had some <OCO tons of general cargo in her holds for this port. Work was commenced at 10 a.m., and by 8 p.m. on Saturday, the whole of this quantity had been landed, and the Runpchu was ready to proceed to Lyttelton it slie had been required to do so. Taking into consideration the fact that only 13 hours overtime were worked, out of a total v.-orkiiig time of 35 hobrs, tho Harbour Hoard have shown that its officers and workmen arc capable of doing something which it is said no other port in Kew Zealand could accomplish. It speaks well for the equipment of thu Wellington wharvea.

POET OP WESTPORT. MARCH BETTJBNS. Returns for the month of March in connection with the port of Wcstport ahow that the output and export of coal were :i6 follow:— »■•• Output Export tons cwt tonn cwt Westport Coal 00., Uα. 51,974 4 49,502 17 State Coal,: Mines 3,876 16 3,666 12 L'EBCttes and Briquettes 150 16 149 16 Wcstport - Stockton Coal Co., Ltd 7,592 19 7,495 7 63,594 15 60,614 12 Of this amount 2487 tons were shipped to .foreign ports, viz., to Fiji, per s.s. Kavua, 301 tons; to Holmrt, per s.s. Kniapoi, 21E6 tons.

The export, of. timber amounted to 130,614 superficial feet. During tho month 101 steamers, represent' ing 55,231 tons, entered tho. port, and 101. fctcamcra, representing 56,707 tons, left the port. Tho total tonnage for the month was 112,938.

CHANGES IN LIGHTHOUSE-KEEPERS. Tho Marine Department announce the following changes in principal lightlioUEClteepcrs on tho New Zealand coast:— Mr. J. .W. M'Arthur, assistant-keeper at Cape Fouhvind to principal keeper at Jlolioliinau; Mr. K. K. J. Duthie, from Jloliohinau to Waipapa Point; Mr. Creig, from Wnipapa Point to Cape Campbell; Mr. li. 11. licigliton, from Cape Campbell to Taial'oa- Head, in place of the late Mr. P. K. Lyall; Mr. W. Hurray, from Akaroa Head to Jackson'? Head, in place or the late Mr. ll'Gahey; Mr. C. IC. Wileon, from Manukau Heads to Akaroa, llcade; Mr. J. Anderson, from Bean Hock to Jtaunkau Head:;.

In regard to. assistant-keepers the following changes aro announced:—Mr. W. L. r.dmonds, Rngget Point to Pencarrow Head;

Mr. N. SeoU. from Capo Snunders to Nug. gel Point; Mr. I'. W. Grcnfoll, from Ktcplicu Island to Cape Foulwind; Mr. Hailcy, from Capo Campbell to Stephen lt'laud, Jlr. ■I. Singleton h;is been appointed assistantkeeper at Capo Naunders, mid another as-sistant-keeper will bo appointed to tiio Urotlicm light. It lias been derided by the Marine Pcpnrtment to make Hcui Ilork nn amomath; light shortly, and, in the meantime, Assistant-keeper Woodlmry ifflcp from I'eucarrow Head to take charge- of the light. At Foxlnn on Wednesday next- Captain Munley rejoins the llimilaiiffi, and Captain ltodpcr, who lias been relieving him, ieBinnps his old charge—Hie Gertie—now at Wellington.

En route from Home to Melbourne, tho new sUamcr ihumaUi has arrived at Port Httid. At the Victorian port llio vessel discharges her cargo of tvmher, and then enters the Australian-New Zealand trade in conjunction with the Inga. Thoso two steamers are the pioneer vessels of llio recently formed "I" line.

Mr. liaw rejoined llio ciißinc-room stall of the, Mararoa on Saturday, and Mr, Townsond bar, gone on holiday leave.

An arrival in port ut 7.30 a.m. on Saturday was the Knpiei'-owned Htram tra-vyler Nora Nivcii. The little vcsfcl left Wellington on Tuesday morning last, and has been engaged in trawling operations in Cook Strait from Kanili Island to l'alliter Kay. She is to bo placed on the Patent Klip at 9 a.m. this morning for cleaning, paint/ing, and overhaul, and mibsctiucntly proceeds an to ll'xwke's liny.

Tho Kew Zealand Shipping Company'e steamer K.ikaia, which arrived at Port Chulir.crs from London on Thursday at noon, has the following officers on board:— Captain 11. C. li-.n-ne*. H.N.K.; chief officer, Mr. S. F. Martin; second, Mr. M. Howaton; third, Mr. llarnctt; fourth, Mr. ]!. H. Walley; chief engineer, Mr. W. G. Thompson; second. Mr. Woodal); third, Mr, Mack; fourth, Mr. K'l-icod; fifth, Mr. Cleave; first refrigerating engineer, Mr. Prophet; tsccond.'Mr. Hughes; third, Mr. Johnson.

An old and trusted servant, has just retired from the service of the Union Steam Ship Company. Mr. Peter Findlay, i'oremnn' carpenter, entered the service of tho company hi April 1877, and he retired in. April of this year, his term of fcrvicc being thirty-three years, seventeen of which wore spent at Port Chalmers and Eixteen at Duncdin.

At noon on Saturday the Tyscr Lines steamer Whakarua left Wellington for Gifiborne, where she continues Homeward loading to-day.

The plates for the new Government steamer for Lake Wakatipu arc now on their way out from Home, and are expected at Duiicdiii ill a. fortnight. In the meantime Iho contractors (Messrs. John M'Grocqranrl Co.) aro engaged in conslructinc machinery.

Tho IVH.-S. steamer Norfolk, now en. route from Liverpool to Wellington, via. Auckland, should put in an appcarawo hero this afternoon. She bertliß at tho Kiug'o Wharf to discharge.

Instead of soing to Greymoulh, as originally intended, the collier Kittawa proceeds to Wcstport from Wellington to-day. This morning tho Wanaka is expected to leave Wctstport for Wellington with coal. Tho Poherua, which was expected nl Wellington on Saturday, has be=n barbouml at Greyinouth, and no word of her leaving had reached Wellington last night, Messrs. Bannatyne and Co., local agents for tho Tyeer Line, advise that the steamer Ncrchana wil* reach Wellington, from Liverpool, via way ports, on Saturday next. Mr, H. W. D. Bold, chief officer of the Arahurn. having been granted holiday leave, Mr. J. liyan joined tho vessel on Saturday. With a cargo of 600 sacks ot maise on board, tho auxiliary scow Magic is due at Wellington from Gisborne. Mr. llowio, second engineer of the Him!tangi, has conic ashore, and his place has been taken by Mr. Clark. On Saturday afternoon both Iho Mana and Aorere, bound from Wellington to Patea, were compelled to run for shcllcr into Wangauni. This was owing to the heavy Eea on the Patea bar. Last night an acrogrammo was received from E.M..S. Aorangi stating that the vessel would reach Wellington from Han Francisco on Tuesday morning—her duo date.''.