SHIPPING CASUALTIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2073, 7 May 1907, Page 2

SHIPPING CASUALTIES.

1 ress Association.—Conyriglit BRISBANE, May 4. Tlw German Australian steamer Bielfcld, whose cargo of copra caught fire, is still burning. The plates oil the port side are red hot. This morning a hole was cut through tho plates. The water-is pouring in, and the ship is settling down ; by the

The fire on the. Biel fold , has been subdued., alter burning -fifty hours, the principal dauiage was to No. 5 hold, where there were' 140 bales of wool. The damage from fire and wa.„cr w • roughly -estimated -at £SOOO. ■Some ol the plates : haye‘ buckled!

ADELAIDE, May 4. iho steamer. Port Chalmers; entering Kom Hull, struck tlic wrecks of. ic Norma, and Jessie Darling. Slio is making water in' Oho foreliold. Tho extent ol the damage is unknown.

r . ADiiLAJDE, May 6. ihe pilot launch went out to warn tbe I ort Chalmers,- .but her signals were . unnoticed or disregarded till *-* lc steamer’s plates were le “t li° 1 i ° from-the.stern below the water-line. The fore peak is full of water.

- . MJSLHOUItNE, May G. Advices have been recoive’d that tho barque Crompton, bound from Melbourne to Queenstown, with 2700 tons of wheat, has-been beached at Queenstown. Her position is critical. 'Jin; docks wore awash at high water. Tito disaster was due to sitting on the anchor.

STRANDING OF THE INVER AN. Press Association. WELLINGTON, last night. An inquiry into tlio stranding of tho steamer Inveran, 2835 tons, on Point Jorniiigliain, Wellington harbor. during a storm on the nig i of April 24th, was hold to-day before Dr. McArthur, S.M., Captains Anderson and Cray, nautical assessors, and Mr. W. C. Kempton, engineer assessor. Captain Marshall, master ol the vessel, deposed that ho anchored at y4O in 111 fathoms of water, taking tho usual bearings and precautions. At 10.15 lie let go another anchor as tho vessel was sheering. r l wonty minutes Inter tho vessel commenced to drag. He sent word for steam to be put on tho engines, and, going on the bridge, telephoned “full speed ahead.” The engines started almost immediately, but,before they took effect the ship touched ground. They must have drilled half-a-milo. Counsel: To what do you attribute tho Inveran going ashore? Witness: To the tact that there was too much wind for our anchors. Captain Johnson, harbormaster, stated that tho 15 fathoms of chain Ice. out was not enough. Ninety fathoms should have been used. Edward Dorward, tho chief engineer, stated that only a few seconds intervened between the order *’go ahead” and tho moving of tho engines.

Tho court gives ilfc decision tomorrow.