SHIPPING.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 568, 13 April 1876, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. April 13 —Ringarooma, s.s, 023 tons, J. McLean, from Melbourne, via Bluff and Dunedin. Passengers - Saloon : Rev Mr and Mrs Taylor and family (4), Messrs Proudfoot, M Ivor, Solomon, Hamilton. Steerage: T. McDonald. CLEARED. April 13—J-liba, barque, 324 tons, Scoular, for Newca-tle, N.S.W., in ballast. April 13 —Ringarooma, s.s, 623 tons, J. McLean, for Wellington. SAILED. April 13—Kate McGregor, schooner, 65 tons, Armstrong, for Auckland. April 13—Himalaya, ship, 1008 tons, Grant, for London. .New Zealand Shipping Company, agents. Passengers Saloon : Mr and Mrs Duke and two children, Mrs G. Everett. Steerage : Mr Haughton. April 13-Australian Sovereign, barque, 363 tons, Burch, for Sydney. The fine s.s. Ringarooma, Captain Jobn McLean, arrived in harbor this morning, at 7 o'clock, from Melbourne, via Bluff and Dunedin. She sails for Wellington this aftejh on. The hue ship Himalaya, Captain Grant, sailed early this morning. The strong S, W. breeze favored the vessel, and at 11 was well clear of the heads. Two brigs were signalled this morning ; one from the North, and the other from the South. The latter is expected to be the Albion, from Dunedin. " ARRIVAL OF THE ABAWATA AND COLIMA AT PORT CHALMERS. Tbe following is an extract from the " Ota«o Daily Times" of the 11th inst : "Messrs McMeckan and Blackwood's steamer Arawata, with the crippl d mail steamer Colima in tow, arrived at the port yesterday morning, safely deposited her charge in safe anchorage aoove the ahipping, and so completed a feat unparalleled in colonial annals. As our readers are aware, the Colima broke downjoff Banks' Peninsula, and was towed into Lytteltou by the Alhambra, on tbe morning of the oth inst. It was subsequently ascertained that her propeller-shaft had parted close to the stern bush, and, with the propeller attached, fell away aad sauk. To make good the damage was the next consideration, and as Dunedin •was the only port in tbe colony possessing a dock capable of accommodating a vessel of the Colima's size, it was decided to bring her round here for repairs. That she would have to be towed was certain, and as the Arawata was the most powerful steamer available, her services were secured for the occasion, and her thorough effectivenessto perform what was a most arduous and risky undertaking was triumphantly demonstrated yesterday, when, notwithstanding head gales and : she put in an appearance at the lieatts at 0 a.m., having towed the heavy Colima, a steamer very nearly 3000 toDS register, and drawing 18ft 6in water—a distance of 193 miles in the remarkably smart time of thirty-five hours. Captain Underwood, of the Arawata, is to be congratulated and S raised for the successful accomplishment of an unertaking that put bis seamanship to no meau test, and was equally trying to the steame he commands. The reputation of the Arawata has been vastly enhanced by it, She must have been well bandied, both on deck and in the engine-room, and must also have been fit as a fid He for the emergency that brought her powers into play. Mr Waugh, the engineer, comes in for his share of applause, for upon his department fell the bruut of the task, and if the engines had not been in tin-top order, they would scarcely have withstood the immense strain they were pnt to when the staunch Arawata, hampered with suun a tow, did battle with gale and sea from off Oamaru until she fetched port. Her . capabilities, however, would bare been of little avail but for the careful and skilful manner in which she was handled. We can quite believe Captain Underwood's assertion that he never spent a more auxious time in his life, and when the weather changed so suddenly for the worse wished himself well out of the business.

"Nothing likely to aid success was omitted in the way of preparation before the steamers left Lyttelton. Tne Colirna was lightened of part of her coal, until her draught was as above given. On board the Arawala elaborate pains were taken to improvise effective towing gear. Her two bower cables were brought along aft from forwards, one on each side, passed round the waist and quarterdeck iron side bits, and passed through the iron quarter chocks. The ends were then brought together and confined in a heavy iron shackle, and the bight thus formed with the shackle in the centre was paid out to a sufficient distance from the stern. Each of the bits wt're tommed off, to prevent them being brought together by the strain, the cables were hove tight at the windlass, and the preparations completed. Towing hawsers were then sent aboard from the Colima—one of them being a four and a half inch steel wire rope, from the manufactory of Messrs Bullivant and Allen, of Millwall, London, the other a ten-inch manilla hawser. These were securely fastened to the shackle of the cable bight, and then a start was made,the Colima's anchor beiug soon lifted. Upon the wire rope fell the burden of the towing; the hawser being merely a preventer, in case of accidents. It was 1 p.m. on Saturday last when the word to go ahead was given, and the two steamers left Lyttelton—weather calm, but after clearing the harbor a nasty N.E. swell was met. Art 8 p.m. a short stoppage was made to adjust the tow lines, and at 11 p.m. the barometer commenced falling - , and the wind came out of the N.W. and blew freshly. The Colima spread her canvass, to it, and at 1 a.m. they were off Akaroa, making goou eightknot headway. This was kept up until 4 a.m, when the Arawata and her charge were forty miles ■outhof the Peninsula. There the wind fell light and became very variable, with dark sky and threatening weather appearance", glass falling steadily, and sea making a little from the southward. At 8 a.m. Timaru was passed, and the glass went down to 29.20- the lowest register during the passage. Two hours later it commenced to rain steadily, and the wind flew at out, going round and round the compass—sure indication, under the circumstances, of a coming blow. The Waitaki Kiver was passed at noon, and four hours later the steamers breasted Oamaru, having travelled 146 miles in twenty-one hours, the Arawata thus averaging seven miles per hour. Here her good progress was checked. The wind suddenly came strong out of S.K, and rapidly Bent up. a heavy sea. Tne Colima, which had steered indillerently from the outset, behaved still worse as her way deadened, and the utmost circumspection on board the Arawata had to be used to keep her going and prevent a break. The towing gear, however, held splendidly, and by midnight she had struggled along to abreast of Shag Point. Here the wind chopped into S. W, and blew a fierce gale, and foi a time the engines had to be slowed down, just permitting the two steamers to bow the sea. The Arawata was then hauled in for the land, and soon found a partial lee and smooth water. She again began to slip through it, and keeping up a five-knot speed, reached the heads at 6 a m yesterday. Pilot Kelly soon boarded the Colima, and meanwhile those on board the Arawata gathered in the slack of the cable bight astern, cast off the Manilla hawser, and with the wire rope close enough to Hie stern to bring the lashing within reach of an axe, prepared to tow in against a stron r ebb tide. The tide was half ebb, and without hesitating the pilot gave the word Go-ahead, aud the bar was crossed cleverly, the Colima not even scraping. So far not a rope-yarn had been earrit d away on board either steamer, so perfect were the arrangements. Two hours were occupied steaming up harbour against the gale and tide, aud at 8 a.m. Ihe steamers were above the shipping, There the only mishap of the passage occurred, The Colima took a broad sheer in the tide, and whilst the Arawata was tugging away to straighten her, the starboard iron quarter chock gave way, and the towing cable surging violently [carried away a portion of the starboard rail and netting. was then given to cut adrift, and the next instant saw the connection between the two steamers separated by one stroke of the axe—the Colima let go her anchor, and the Arawata headed for the pier, but ere she reached it unfortunately took the ground on the sand bank we have so often spoken of, and Btuck there for a i short time.. She subsequently fetched the pier ar,d moored. She had been absent from the port since the 3rd instant; went round the coast to Nelson via Lyttelton and Wellington, and returned via the lame ports. At Lyttelton she shipped 1100 bags of wheat, for the Melbourne maiket. We thank Captain Underwood for the details of the towing passage, and Mr Miller, the purser, for files and repot t. The Arawata leaves this afternoon for Melbourne via Bluff, with the outward Suez mail. Passengers are to join htr by the 2.30 p.m. traia ftom Buaidia,