SHIPPING.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 786, 28 December 1876, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OF LYTTELTON, Weather Report : Dec2B—B a.m., wind N.E, light; weather, cloudy. Barometer, 30.02; thermometer, 63. High Water : ■To-morrow —Morning, 1.49 ; afternoon, 2.23. arrived. Dec 27— Catheriua, brigantine’ 156 tons, John Heitmann from Piston. _ Dec 27—Flora, brigantine, 130 tons, Hughes, from Picton. Dec 28-Hawea, s.s., 462 tons, Wheeler, from Northern Ports. Passengers—saloon : Mesdames Dunstable, Misses Palmer, Crowe, Stableford, Misses Crowe, Pack, Lawson, Pudney, Mr arid Mrs Meyer, Mrs Millar and three children, Mr and Mrs Richards, Mr and Master Biss, Dr Fitzgerald, Messrs Johnson, Quinmas, Hornman, Gardiner, Hornwick, Buck, Daly, Stuart, Craig, Neilson and Grumsley; 27 in steerage, and 34 for South. CLEARED. Dec 28—Jessie, schooner, 38 tons, Robbie, for Picton, Dec 28-Hawea, s.s, 462 tons, Wheeler, for Port Chalmers, SAILED. Dec 28— Taranaki, s.s, 279 tons, Andrew, for Northern Ports. Passengers—Saloon: Mr and Mrs Duncan, Mr and Mrs Cooper and family (5), Messrs McGowan, Lockstone (2), Heath, Becker, Lloyd, and McKellar, and original. Owing to the strong north-easter and difficulty in discharging and loading, the s.s Taranaki was detained till to-day, when she sailed at 11.20 a m for Northern Ports. The s.s Hawea arrived from North this morning at 10. She sails for Port Chalmers this afternoon. The s.s Wakatipu was not signalled when our express left port at 1 p.m to-day, ARRIVAL OF THE BARQUE SOHIEHALLION FROM LONDON. ’This fine barque, which has been now some time expected, was signalled yesterday morning, and anchored ofl the Quarantine Station about 10.30 a m having powder aboard. At noon the nealtn Officer proceeded to the ship, and speedily passed her and the reporters and agents went aboard. Ihe Schiehallion is too well known here to need description, and has arrived in fine order. Her trip was rather a long one, ninety-nine days from land to land, but it was a fine weather one throughout. She brings nine passengers, amongst which are Mr Hunt, of the Chatham Islands, and his daughter. We are glad to say Mr Hunt has been successful in the object of his journey, having perfectly recovered the sight of one e>e since undergoing an operation in London. The Schiehallion is consigned to Matheson’s Agency, and sails under Shaw Saville’s flag. About half her cargo is for this port, and the rest for Napier, to which place she proceeds as soon as the Lyttelton cargo is discharged. The following is the captain’s report:Left Gravesend September 13th, had light N. winds and fine weather down Channel, passedUshant 16th, and from that date till October 9th had a succession of light S.W winds and frequent calms, catching N.E trades on that date in 28N, and losing them again on the 16th in 9 N. The S.E trades were met with on the 22nd in 4 N, and the equator crossed on the 24th in long 28 W. Passed Tristan D’Acunha November 10th, and had flue weather and were off Cape on ovember 21st in lat 40.37 S. The easting was run down between 48 and 49 S, moderate westerly winds and line weather being experienced throughout, no ice being seen. Passed Snares on 24th December at 2 am. and had a fresh S.W breeze along the coast to Otago Heads, alter which light north-east winds to sighting Lyttelton light at midnight on the 26th, and ran into harbor before a light, easterly breeze, anchoring a . 10.30 a.m. large and valuable cargo, consigned to Matheson’s Agency, and her commander, Captain Levack, and the officers, are spoken most highly of by the passengers, who all testify to the great kindness shown them on the voyage. Mr Tompkins, the chief officer, is well known here, having been in the Langstone last voyage. The following vessels were spoken during the passage October 16th, lat 9deg 41min N-, long 27deg 41min W., spoke barque showing signal letters J S M G, from Iquique, bound to Falmouth, sixty-five days out; October 19th, British barque Paduthrathew, from Dee, bound to Valparaiso, thirty-seven days out, lat 6deg lOmln N., long 26deg 2imin W ; November 16th, lat39deg 6min S., long Bdeg 27min E., ship Lewis Fletcher, from Liverpool, bound to Neganatam, sixty-eight days out; November 30th, lat 47deg 33min S.. long 55deg 13min E., barque Alfred Russell, from Boston, bound to Melbourne, seventytwo days out. __ THE S.S. GAZELLE. A preliminary enquiry as to the state of the s.s Gazelle’s boiler was held In Lyttelton yesterday before Alexander Rose, Esq, Collector of Customs. The following evidence was taken : Sheppard Giles stated—l am master of the s.s Gazelle; I hold certificate of competency under the Board of Trade ; we proceeded on a voyage from Lyttelton for the Auckland Islands on the 21st December; we had;fine weather until Saturday, 23rd; at 1 p.m on that day it began to blow very hard from theS.E., which was dead against us ; our position was then about 15 miles to the N.E. of Otago Heads, and the heavy sea running at the time rendered it advisable to either heave the vessel to or run her; not having room to heave to in safety, I determined to run the vessel, shaping her course so as to clear the Peninsula; at 4 a.m on the 24th the weather moderated, and her head was turned again to the south; at about 4.30 a.m Mr Armstrong,the engineer, reported to me that there was a hole in the boiler, and that it would be necessary before long to bucket the water out of the bilge of the engine room compartment, as the pump was choked, and he strongly advised me to go back to port, as he would not be responsible for anything that might occur, the engine pumps being out of order and working badly ; I therefore decided to bear up tor Lyttelton to repair boiler. After reporting the bad condition of machinery, I saw the engineer in what appeared to be a fit, struggling on the deck, and had him removed to his berth; he was unable to resume his duties till arrival here ; previous to this illness he had been working an excessive number of hours in the engine room, on account of one of the firemen being sick; before this the engineer appeared to do his duty in a proper manner, hut on several occasions had complained of not being able to get up sufficient steam, it being impossible to work up to an average pressure of between 121 b to 151 b steam. On the Saturday morning, the wind beingthen fair, the engineer reported that the backs of the furnaces over the bridges were choked up, and advised going into Port Chalmers to clear them; I gave permission to have thv tiros drawn at sea, having a fair wind; half an hour afterwards the engineer reported that he was rea.'y : > steam again, and proceeded on course till th<- S.E. gale obliged us to bear up for Lyttelton, on arrival at which port the engineer left the vessel unwell. Thomas Grange>tated—l am a practical engineer (certificate produced). On Sunday, December 24th, I was called upon by the owners of the Gazelle to examine the boiler of that vessel, in order to ascertain if there was any hole in it; I did so, but found non£; I ascertained this by means of various tests, and>m satisfied so far that no hole exists, and that there was no leakage of any kind; the local inspector ot steamers and myself will; subject the boiler to a further and more severe test. I am satisfied that tne boiler and machinery are in good Order. George Croll stated—l am local inspector of steamers. I inspected the boiler and machinery of the s.s Gazelle on December lath, and gave special permit under 15th section ot the Steam Navigation Act, 1866, to make a passage to the Auckland Islands without passengers, having satisfied myself that the machinery and boiler were) in repair I have examined Mr Armstrong for the post of river engineer, and he passed most successfully; he had been aboard the s.s Kennedy for twenty months as second engineer. • Clement Richard Armstrong stated—l am engineer ot the s.s Gazelle; I have passed the examination as engineer for river service, and am prepared to be examined for the post of second class engineer for sea going steamers ; I was overworked on board the Gazelle, one fireman being ill (tem the commencement of the trip, and the other ifttr bow day*’ work fainting in the etoke hole.

not being equal to the work; I had therefore to take the fires myself, there being no one else aboard who could act as fireman. On Saturday, when her head was turned towards Lyttelton, the fireman on watch with me and myself remained on duty until I stopped the engines at midnight, the vessel being then off the Peninsula; as we were running before the gale on the 23rd the fireman, and myself were drenched in the engineroom by the sea coming down, and it took the fireman all his time to keep the steam up. whilst I was engaged cleaving the bilges and paying attention to the bilge pump, which was continually getting choked. On Sunday, December 24th, I reported to the captain at 4.30 a.ra, that there must be a hole in the boiler, as the water was gaining on us in the engineroom and was warm, and that it would be necessary to bucket the water out of the bilge of the eugiueroom, as the pump was choked with ashes and small coal, caused by the action of the water running over the stokehole plates and carrying ashes and small coal about. I thought there was water escaping from the boiler because of its warmth, and its gaining on us so fast. Before leaving port 1 had the stokehole plates up and the bilges cleaned. The pumps were in good order when we left Lyttelton, and all the other machinery.