SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 15 May 1901, Page 4

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

Captain Owen, of (he ship Celtic Race, which arrived at Frcemantlc L ; rom London on 16th April, reports that when in latitude 41deg onrin west, longitude 25 deg 23min west a series of very heavy gales were encountered. A number of sails were blown away, and 1 lie vessel whilst driving before the wind, struck a derelict. The impact proved a very serious one, and the pumps had to he kept continually going, the vefsi l.'s condition greatly impeding her progress.

The new Port Adelaide lighthouse on Wonga shoal will be lighted on Ist July. The light will be of the first order and will be visible for a distance of 17 miles.

The sand-pump in New Plymouth harbour is just now a subject of strong comment by the New Plymouth papers. The 'Herald' says that from first to last, "the pump has cost close on £SOOO, and it has not done 500 pence worth of work, nor does it seem that success is any nearer achievement to-day than it was six months ago."

Foreigners appear ever read}- to purchase old British sailing vessels, and within the last fen' years a large number of merchantmen which used to visit Australia have passed over to Norwegians, Russians, and Germans. The Norwegian owned barque Ryirngen, which reached Melbourne recently, was until Iter sale, seven months ago, known as the Tcndsscrim. and was owned in Liverpool. A squad of engineers, boilcrmalcers, etc., are now busily engaged disconnecting the gear of the •Rotamahana. It is understood that the four new boilers (weighing about twenty-eight tons each) are coming out from the Old Country by the New Zealand' Shipping Company's new steamer Ruapchu, which is not due in New Zealand until July, in which case the overhaul to the Rotomahana will probably not be completed much before the end of September. Last week's westerly gale raised a big sea in Auckland harbor, and the yacht Thetis, which was moored to the eastward of Ponsonby wharf broke away from her moorings during the blow, and went on the reef off Campbell's Point, carrying away the telegraph wires connecting with the north side of tho harbor. The yacht suffered some slight damage by her contact with the reef, but was got offlater,

A steamer in a passage from Amsterdam through the Zuyder Zee was gripped in ice-floes and could not he extricated. The passengers walked over the ice and reached shore after a march of two hours and a half.

The 'Frisco " Call" says that there will not be a dozen vessels in the Arctic this year hunting whales. Not so many years ago there were from 40 to 50 steamers and wind-jammers fitted out at San Francisco for whaling cruisers, but year after year the industry lias dwindled until now seven or eight steamers and half a dozen wind-jammers comprise the full ileet. Most of the steamers will winter off the M'Kenzie River, stopping two seasons; while the sailers will return in September.