NARROW ESCAPE OF A STEAMER.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2469, 6 March 1882, Page 3

NARROW ESCAPE OF A STEAMER.

[PEOM THE COBEESPONDBNT OP THE " PBEBS."J WELLINGTON, March 4. A curious occurrence has just come to light, indicating that some steamer has had a very narrow escape of total destruction through colliding with the new beacon in the Frenoh Pass. The master of the steamer Star of the South recently reported to the Marine Department that in going' through the French Pass one day last month, his steamer had slightly grazed the stone beacon erected on the reef on the low or northern side of the Pass. Accordingly Captain Johnson, of the Marine office, proceeded to the spot to ascertain whether any damage had been done to the structure. He found it in such a condition that whatever steamer did the mischief, it most certainly was not done by "a slight graze." The beacon, whioh is a substantial erection of stone, shaped as a truncated oone, had evidently been struok in tho middle full stem on by a straight stemmed steamer. The force of the blow had been so great as not only to cant the massive pile of masonry bodily over several degrees, but also to out into the solid stone a great gash some seven feet in vertical length and fourteen inches in width, extending right into the midst of the masonrj, and nearly cutting the whole structure in two. The wonder is that the steamer which was in collision with the beacon escaped being totally wrecked. It ia quite certain that had she strnok on the rock whioh forms the foundation of the beacon with anything like the momentum of her contaot with the latter, she must have filled and gone down at once. Captain Johnson has brought back some sketches representing the present appearance of the injured beacon, and I was courteously afforded an opportunity of inspecting these appearances, and it ia impossible to help feeling extreme surprise at the escape of the steamer, seeing the wreck whioh the concussion has made of a solid mass of substantial masonry. I understand that some further investigation will take place into the circumstances.