LOSS OF THE TAIROA.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2585, 31 May 1871, Page 2

LOSS OF THE TAIROA.

The worst L ars respecting the fate of the steamship Tairoa have been realised. The brief account contained in our Balclutha letter appears to be substantially correct. After being detained for several days by the boisterous weather of last week, the vessel took her departure from Port Chalmers on Saturday, arriving in the Molynenx Bay the same evening, shortly before 9 p.m., the weather being clear, and the state of the tide favorable for entering the river, Captain Mackiimon stood in for the bar, which he crossed safely until over the inner edge, where the vessel touched with her heel and lost steeragewwa r , causing her to cant to port—thus bringing the force of the river current on her starboard bow. She at once slewed broadside o i, and then, freeing herself from the spit, for, cd ahead to a ledge of rooks on the south side of the river. By the lime she had taken the rocks the tide ha I begun to ebb, so that every minute left her leas water and gave loss hope for getting her off, at a’l events before the next flood, fn this position she remained all night. The steamer Tuapeka wmt to her assistance e uly on Sunday morning, and made several efforts to tow her off during high water. All efforts proving fruitless, the cargo was got out as expeditiously as possible. Very little of the ca-go is damaged, and that which is only slightly so. From latest accounts brought to Balclutha by the steamer Turpeka on Monday afternoon, we learn that the Tairoa is a total wreck, being twisted in such a manner as to give her mainmast an angle of 45 degrees, her foremast remaining pe fectly upright, 'i lie wreck will probably be sold at once for the benefit of whom it may concern. It appears very doubtful whether her insurance was not vitiated hy Ihe. act of crossing the bar after sundown ; but of this matter our knowledge of marine insurance is too limited to enable us to form an Opinion. —Bruce Heiald.