SHIPPING.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1242, 28 February 1878, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. Weather Report —February 27. 9 a.m.—Wind, calm ; weather, clear and blue shy. Barometer, 30.23; thermometer, 56.00. High Water —(To-morrow.) Morning, 1.49 ; night, 2.11. Arrived— February 27. Herald, schooner, 63 tons, McDonald, from uore Bay in ballast. Master, agent. „ - Rio Lege, brig, 241 tons, Mathews, from Calcutta. C. W. Turner, agent. Passengeis Mrs Mathews and 2 children. Lady Don, schooner, 68 tons, Gill, from Kaipara. C. W. Turner, agent. • if \ if ‘ February 28. , T Margaret, ketch, 21 tons, Rutter, from Little Akaloa. Master, agent. Kestrel, ketch, 20 tons, Mortimer, from Matintosh Bay. Master, agent, f . AVnrnn Amateur, ketch, 25 tons, Neilson, from Akaroa. M SC C Kilfft "s s., 174 tons, Flowerday, from Xixnaru, Oamaru, and Dunedin. Koysc, Stead ana co, *Mary Ann Annison, barque, 297 tons, Hughes, from W A?Mcm, a s.s..-597 tons, Tozer, from Melbourne and West Coast via Wellington. Dalgety, Nxcnols and Co, agents. Passengers—Saloon, from Grey mouthy Mrs King and family (3). From Wellington—Mis Otterson, child and servant, Mrs Perhams and fondly (3), Mr Wright, and two steerage. Cleared— February 27. . Bee, schooner, 31 tons. Shepherd, for Annin Bluff.' Master, agent. ‘ Cleared— February 28. Kate McGregor, schooner, 65 tons, Robinson, tor Auckland.' Royse, Stead and Co, agents. Australian Sovereign, barque, 350 tons, Berry, for Newcastle, in ballast. C.W. Turner, agent. Passengers—Mrs Berry and child. 'St. Kilda, ss., 174 tons. Flowerday, for Wellington and Wanganui. Royse, Stead and Co, agents. - Albion, s.s., 597 tons, Tozer, for Melbourne via South and Hobart Town. Dalgety, N ichols and Co, agents, Sailed— February 27. Annie, ketch, 14 tons. Fisher, ffor Hcathcote. schooner, 22 tons, Marqnet, for Le Eon’s Bay. Master, agent. Sailed— February 28. Alice Jane, ketch, 27 tons, Johnson, for Akaroa. Master, agent. „ ~, Richard and Mary, schooner, 44 tons, Brett for Nydia Bay', in ballast. Cuff and Graham, Wakefield, schooner, 45 tons, Kirk, for Nelson. Royse, Stead and Co, agents. Marion, schooner, 68 tons, Austin, for Picton, in ballast. Cuff and Graham, agents. Imports. Per Colonist—32,oooft. timber. Consignees— Laugdown and Co. , Per Rio Logo—2oo cases castor oil, 16 pkgs coir mats, 38 bales of hemp, 10 barrels of ginger, 46 chests tea, 95 hales cornsacks, 630 bales gunnies, 27,500 loose gunnies. Consignees —C. W. Turner, P. Cunningham and Co., order. Exports. , .... Per Alice Jane—lo bhds ale, 7 barrels, 4 kilderkins, 12 cases bottles, 45 bags floor, 14 sks barley, 63 mats sugar, 5 boxes candles. Shippers—Geo. King and Co., P. Laune. Expected Arrivals. From London —Pleiades, Loch Cree, Malacca, Port Chalmers—Rotorua, March Ist j Taopo, March sth. From Calcutta— Inchgreen. From -Melbourne, via South —Tararua, March Ist t Arawata, March 7th. . , From Newcastle —Italy, Fawn, Pleiades, Vmdex, Adelphoi. •’ . ■ . From Wangaroa—Mary Ann Annison. , Auckland via East Coast—Wanaka, March ot From Melbourne, via North—Albion, Feb. 28th, From Bluff—Seagull. From Auckland—Linda Weber. , Prom Wellington and Nelson—Arawata, March -Prom Wellington sad West Coast-Grafton, M From Northern Ports—Taranaki, March 2nd. . -prom Hobart Town-Empress of-Lhma. . yrom Wellington via Kaikonras, lui, s.s., Timaru and Dunedin —St. Kilda, this day. Projected Departures. For London —Carnatic, Wanganui, Antares, H Po e r°AUcklaud, via East Coast-Eotorua, March Ist • Taupo, March sth: Wanaka 12th--1 y o r Port Chalmers—Taranaki, March 2nd; Wanaka, March sth. lor 1 South—Albion, Feb. 28th; Arawata. March 11th. For Auckland —Fajrlie. For Hobart Town—Albion, Feb. 28th For Melbourne, via North- -lbrarua, March Ist. For Wellington—Carnatic, Spray. For Sydney—Rotorua, s.s., March Ist For Chatham Islands—lsland Lily, cany. For Napier—Esther. . For West Coast, via Wellington—Grafton, March l8 For Wellington and Nelson—Arawata, March 7th. For Kaikonras and Wellington, Tui, s.s,, March 3r 'For Wellington and Wanganui—St, Kilda, Fob. ggth. For Northern Ports—Taranaki, March 7th. For Akaroa—Taranaki, March 2nd. For Newcastle —Loraa Doone. Tbn s e., St. Kilda, from Timaru, Oamaru and Dunedin, arrived in harbour at 5 this morning, and sails for Wellington and Wanganui this a *The°s^s Albion arrived from Melbourne via North at 7.30 a.m. She sails for Melbourne via South and Hobart Town this afternoon The Richard and Mary tor Nydia Bay, Arthur Wakefield for Nelson, and the Marion for Picton, mailed tjtis . , . Tr . . „ The Lady X>oa arrived from Kaiapara .last evenMary Ann Analson arrived from Wangaroa •this morning. ENQUIRY INTO THE LOSS OF THE EXCELSIOR. - ? An enquiry into the circumstances attending the loss of the barge Excelsior was held yesterday, at the Custom House, Christchurch, before A. Rose. Esq., principal officer of Customs at this port. Subjoined are the deposition* on oath, of the captain and the two A.B. seamen comprising her Atkins Payne, having been sworn, states —I hold a New Zealand master’s < ertifleete of service No. 2283. I was master of the barge Excelsior, official number 32141, poit number 7. of 1871,, Lytfolton New Zealand; registered tonnage, 34 91iff ’ On the Uth February, 1878,. at tne usual anchorage off Amur! Bluff, the weather was not bad alight. N.E. breeze coming ia with a short iobbling s. a: wfien suddenly, at about half-past 4 um broke the ■beet bower chain, the only anchor clown and began to -drift direct.upon Lie rocks; ,lhe coast there is rook-iound. The vessel was moored about one mile from Ihe shore. _ I and my -xew of two men were ashore engaged in assisting to vet cargo for the vessel from .the Limestone minW We ran down to the boat and shoved off r th .a vessel, unfortunately breaking a» oar, waV By the time we reached the sbo was close to the rocks. We let go the second anchor, but she struck the rocks before *ho anchor brought her up. As soon as she struck, the false keel was broken to pieces. Jhe rocks .soon broke through her bottom, and she became a fompKand utter wreck. Next morning at low tide we clambered on board, and found her bottom completely gone. We saved some spars. At high •tide: the wreck was driven right up on the rocky beach, having panted from her second anchor. The vessel was insured in the .South British. Company for the sum of £350. 1 belffiyo. The vessel was sound, tight and well found. X hud no reason to suppose that the chains were in any way defective, having ridden out heavy gales there with ip. same ground tackle. I can only imagine that the olum; must have fouled a rock at the bottom, and the movement of the vessel surging must have caused the chain to have siapped under the sudden tension. It is a custom to leave the vessels without •>uybodv on board during the process of loading ■the/n with the limestone, all hands being employed in th' large boat bringing the limestone off from -the ehw I have been about seventeen, months in this trade, tffd have had no previous casualty in it. It. is not the practice to put down both anchors unices there ig'fe. sign of a heavy gale, when the ves«ei is abandoned ride out the gale if she can, because if the vessel broke adrift there is no ; ossi.biiity of saying life. I have fit sea 26 years. I hold a private exemption certificate, go. 103. lam an Amercau by birth, and have never been ■naturalised as a British subject. The vessel is owned by Major Arthur Hornbrook, of Christchurch, Charles Type, having been sworn, stated—l was au A.B. on board the Excelsior, 14th February, 1878 at Amuri Bluff. The day that the nofisel went <jn shore, we were ashore getting the limestone from the quarry to the boat, nobody being left cm hoard the vessel. In fair weather, it is the practice to get cargo on hoard as fast as possible whilst ffhe weather holds good, and so all the .crew aye whore. The vessel was properly moored by tne uest bower, and the vessel was well found iu gear in every way. The anchorage is rocky bottom, and I .can only imagine that the chain got foul of a rock at the .bottom. I have been three times to this anchorage in the same vessel, with the same ground tackle, and ju a far heavier sea. Wc always anchored iu the same place. I have bo£u at tea ten years. As we pushed off from the shore to save the vessel wc found we were too late. Before the second anchor was down the vessel had Btl*b*Ck I Gustav Carlson, having been sworn, stated that— I was seaman on board the Excels or on the 14th February, -H7B, at Amuri Bluff. Whilst wi- were ashore embarking limestone to the vessel she wen* ashore on the rocks, and although we got to the vessel just before she struck and let go the second anchor, before the chaiu paid out shewas onthe rocks, I have been ten times ju the Excelsior to Amuri Sjutf with the same ground tackle, riding out far heavier seas at times. The ground tackle appeared to lie perfectly good. It is the practice always to leave cho vessel without anyone on board, gpd asViat at the loading. On bad weather coming of/. .vye put both anchors down, springs to the cables, j >ut i leave the vessel to ride out the gale, as, if the VCS26 1 breaks adrift no life could be sawed, <or "e caps possible. I have been afiou* seyoa ■month": in the trade. lam a naturalized British 81 rrnox'f forwarded by A. Rose, Esq., ppia, ciji d Customs officer at Uus port, he rays-" 7u ujv opinion no carelessness is attributable to any one belonging to the vessel. If two anchors were down it is difficult to Vlip away in a hurry, but the second •anchor is maintained ready to let go. . .When the weather is threatening they let go the nccond anchor, and all hands go ashore because of •certain death if the vessel gets acUdfc from her ground tackle. Tbfi woathtl’ was pot Uixe&.cuisg oa this occasion,''