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Grey River Argus, Issue 119, 16 October 1866, Page 2

The smart schooner Mary Stewart arrived off the river on Saturday evening, and, favored by a full fair wind sailed in over the bar on Sunday morning without hitch or accident, She left Melbourne on the 30tk nit, and had strong breezes and heavy sea until the 4th; after which light wind and cloudy weather. Sighted the land at six p.m. on the 13th, and arrived as above. The s.s. Keera has arrived at Hokitika, »nd is announced to leave this i o.t today. We heard yesterday that the p.e. Bruce has agaim come to grief, having run ashore on the South Spit at Hokitika, some distance south of the Persevere, Our informant describes the position of the Bruce as being rather a perilous one at this season of the year. We trust however to hear that the jnisfortune is not so bad as reported. Whether it is worth the while of the ocean .^ steamers to call at Greymouth or not may be ""gathered from the circumstance that had the Egmont called here on her last trip, the .Company's agent could have booked between 40 and 50 passengers for her. • The schooner Breeze from this port arrived . At Dunedin on the Bth insfc. The p. 8. Yarra was launched again at Hokitika on Wednesday last. She Mas found to have sustained little or no damage, And has since recommenced work. There will be no steamer from Panama on the 21 8t of this month. This is owing to the fact that, in order to effect the change in the date of departure from Sydney, the Bakaia did not leave until the Ist September, instead of the 15th August ; she would, therefore, not reach Panama until the end of September, and start on her return voyage on the 26th October, arriving on the 21st November. On Saturday the schooner Fancy, whilst Bailing up to the Cobden Wharf to load coals got too much into the full current and losing steerage-way was beached a short distance below the wharf, where she now lies. It is not expected that there will bo much difficulty in getting her jnto deep water again. When we last saw the Persevere on Thursday night, she was lying on the north side of the South Spit, bow up the stream. Excepting she was ashore, there was nothing unusual in her appearance, and, although it wob exident that her position was one of great peril, we trusted, as she was well secured, that she would tide through the night in safety. But it was fated otherwise ; for yesterday morning, viewed frpni the North Spit, she looked a complete wreck, as nor thing could be seen standing above her covering board save the port paddle-box, and a part of the bridge, surmounted by a fragment of the wheel. It was at once evident that she had been fearfully knocked about, for she lay (bow down the beach) far to the southward of her original position. In the afternoon, our reporter visited the wreck, and learnt from Captain Macmeikan that at 10 o'clock on the previous evening the bank upon which the Persevere laid was •was washed frpm under her by the tremendous current which set dead against the • spit. Being thus caught by the stream, she slued across it, and although moored forward with a chain cable and warp (which held good), the strain tore the windlass and hawse-pipes completely out of her, and she then swung jo the current, and hung by her PteTO-jCoorings and the waip, which was still fast to the bitts forwards. For some time she lay afloat close into the bank, and as Mr Akerly (who contracted to relaunch her) and a gang of hands were in attendance, strenuous efforts were made to save her from being carried out to sea. Tackles were rigged and ran out from the bow and stern to further secure, and yet, at the same time, to allow' her a moderate range, as the seas rolled in. Ihe warp, which now led along her starboard and teauard side to the flagstaff, was bridled across her stern to the ?>ort quarter bitts, to bind her close to the iank ; and as she rode pretty easy, hopes >were entertained that the night would be - weathered thi ough safely. But just before *-•> jnidnieht the flood came down with mrr creased violence, cut a pan age between her and the shore, and again slfu sheered across the stream, snapping the smaller lines like , lacMbreiid. / t this critical lament the, I j?i&-tf%e vxip paitcd, aud the lattir

slipped up over her stern, making a clean sweep of everything before it. The stem, and port quarter bulwarks and stanchions, cabin companion, main mast, towing-bridge, funnel, and steam-pipe, starboard paddle-box and bridge, and half of the wheel were gone in les3 than a minute. The warp in some incomprehensible manner passed over ihe port bridge and paddle-box, and being fast to the foremast, brought her up all standing with a sudlen jerk, which was more than the spar could bear, as it carried away close to the deck ; and her last holdfast gone, the unlucky little steamer was whirled into the breakers. Fortunately all hands left her a few minutes befoie the final catastrophe, Captain Macmeikan being the last to jump ashore, and only just in time to save himself. That her fate was sealed no one there present had the slightest doubt, believing that her hold being open she would fill in the break and go down ; but to their astonishment her black hull rising and falling, and keeping head to sea, could be plainly distinguished against the white surf. For a time she was lost sight of, and when next seen had drifted some distance to the southward, still, however, high out of the water. At length, when clear of the river current, she was swep close in shore by the surf, and being caught by an eddy running to the northward, was carried back to nearly abreast the position she occupied on the beach. This again brought her within theinfluence of the river, which again swept her to sea, when she was once more drifted south, and then came back on the eddy. For nearly four hours she made this round, keeping head to sea all the time, and was at last deposited on the beach about 100 yards south of her former berth. The sea hove her well up, and as the tide receeded she was left high and dry, when the crew, who had never ceased to watch her,' found to their amazement that, save the havoc made by the warp, she was but little the worse for her rough handling. The hull was wonderfully sound, not a beam having started ; but the rudder was gone just below the trunk, the gudgeons having been torn from the stern post. In the after, noon, Captain Turnbull, the harbor master, Captain Smith, of the lona, and Mr Nancarrow, Inspecting Engineer, surveyed her, and we believe their report will be favorable. If so, the work of transporting her across the spit will be at once commenced, and we hope to yet see this useful vessel, which has on more than one occasion proved of infinite service to the port, again pursuing her avocation in the river and roadstead.— lP. O. Times, 13th inst.