A SUPPOSED SHIP ON FIRE.

Evening Star, Issue 4231, 18 September 1876, Page 4

A SUPPOSED SHIP ON FIRE.

It was reported in Greymonth on September 2, that a vessel on fire had been seen off the Saltwater about 4 p.m. on that dny. The Saltwatw is about Ave miles siuth of Greymouth. The person who broHf ht the news to the latter place stated that the ftre was seen to run up the ringing, and that the vessel, so far as he could jndge, was about ton miles off shore. In reference to this report, the •Grey River Argus' in its issue of September 5, (rives the following confirmatory items: —"Mr Edward Butler, residing about four miles from town, on the South Beach, saw a large fire out at aea about 4.45 p.m. on Saturday last, Ssptember 2. It burned for flre o- six minutes, and then disappeared. Mrs Butler and a man named O'Donnell also saw the fire, and they all felt sure that it was a large ship en Are. Mr Bugg, Superintendent at the Grey Hirer Hospital, states that between half-past four and fire o'clock on Saturday afternoon last he was standing on the bank im front of his cottage and saw a large sheet of Ire about ten or twelve miles out at sea, almost due west. It lasted for several minutes, at least five, and Mr Bug* thought he noticed very thin black threads, as if it were up and down the sheet of fire. His first impression was that it was a ship on fire, and he is almost certain that it was. A lady residing in Tainui street south saw a quantity ef smoke and fire out at tea, and it struck her at the time to appear as a ship on fire; this was also about five oolook. Two cattle drovers, camped at the Xapitea Creek, south of Teremekau, saw a great flare in tho direotion of Greymouth, and they thought it was a house on fire at the Grey. However, it does not seem probable that any flare or Reflection of light over the township could be soon from where they were camped; it is moro likely fihat the light seen was the burning hull of some vessel drifting to the north. Singularly enough, mone of the captains of vessels in port, nor the harbormaster or signalman, have seen the blare." lb was subsequently statsd that a body had been washed ashore, but this was not authenticated, and mothiag further seems to have transpired to prove the correctness or otherwise of tho report that a vessel i»ad been burned. At that time, however, the coast northwards had not been searohed for wreckage. .