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Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 540, 3 July 1869, Page 2

The p.s. Bruce, Captain Hepburn, left the -wharf on Thursday morning about six o'clock to proceed on her usual trip to Westport «nd Nelson. It was not light enough to *Uow the state of the bar being scon from ihe wharf, but it was supposed that the sea had gone down considerably during the night. When the bar was reached this was found to be a mistake, for the sea bad risen considerably, and there was a tremendous surf rolling home on the beach, the heaviest that has been seen on the coast for Inany months. It was deemed advisable to make an effort to regain the river, aud the vessel was put about for this purpose, but when broadside on to the breakers a heavy sea hroke on hoard, smashing in the cabin-doors, flooding the vessel with wafrr, and .driving her in the direction of the no; t\ beach. She was now fairly in the midst of the surf, and from the w eight of water that was in her was partially unnavigable. Full .steam was kept . on the vessel, and every effort was made to regain the river, but of no avail. After nearly an hour's struggle the Bruce had drifted about a mile and a half up tbe north beach from the Flagstaff, where she took the beach. The passengers, officers, and crewlanded, and even-thing was done that could be under the circumstances to secure the safety of the vessel. This was successfully done, for at low water an inspection w.- 8 made, when it was found that she was uninjured, although she had received a severe dressing from the surf. The sea fe'l rapidly ' throughout the day and night, and yesterday the Bruce was all right. It is proposed to raise her on ways and launch her sea-. wards, with the assistance of the p s. Dispatch, and should the weather continue' calm we hope to see the handy little craf b once more alongside the wharf. We sincerely nympathise with Messrs Harper and Hough, ton in this, unfortunate affair. An inquiry will beheld Into the matter by tbe Collector of Customs as soon as the vessel is off. The 8.8. Alhambra, Capt. M 'Lean, from Melbourne, arriving last evening in the roadstead at six p.m. The p.s Dispatch was out waiting for her, and transhipped her pas. eengers, bringing ashore ten, and putting she on board. The Alhambra at once steamed away for Nelson. ■ . The s,s. Gothenburg is expected to-day from Melbourne, She is announced to leave immediately after arrival with gold and passengers for Melbourne direct, forwarding passengers to -Sydney and Adelaide. . The SB. Kennedy, Capt. Whitwell, returned from Hokitika yesterday aftsrnoo i, and was to sail for Westport this morning at four o'clock. The p. 8. Yarra, Capt. Kerley, from Hokitika, arrived at the wharf at seven o'clock last night. The schooner Storm King was loading at Melbourne for this port when tha Alhambra left. The smartest instance of discharging a vessel in this port occurred in the case of the brig Magnet. In this case, as we have already noticed, steam power was brought into play, anil 240 t-ms of cargo were landed on the wharf in the short space of twelve working hours. She took in a cargo of coal yesterday, .md was ready for sea last evening. She will be towed out this afternoon at four o'clock by tbe p.s. Dispatch. She will take passengers for Melbourne direct, and has excellent accommodation for that purpose. We understand that the outer bar at Otago Heads has again silted up, and that the leading beacons have been done away with tor the present, Such being the case, it is therefore desirable that vessels exempt from pilotage, drawing more than 10ft, should avail themselves of the services of a pilot until the old channel again opens out. There is every indication that this will shortly take place, when we may expect that it will continue open as formerly with some degree of permanency. At present we understand tlwt there is no channel over the oute-* bar having a greater depth than 12 feet at low water. Consequently all vessels of heavy draft will have to be brought through the North Channel in which there is 20 feet at low water. This channel being well to the northward exposes vessels for a considerable distance to a cross sea, which is often very heavy, and should not be used if it was found possible to cross the other bar. in the meantime masters of vessels should be cautious, as continued and sudden changes have recently taken place. It has been suggested that the reclamation in Dunedin Bay has had something to do with the silting up. —Daily Times. A London paper gives the following suggestions for a "ready raft" from a correspondent :— I beg to suggest a plan for saving life at sea from foundering ships in violent storms. A portion of the deok to be secured to the ship's frame (two thick bands of india-rubber to be laid' between to prevent collision) by three stout bolts on each side. In the hour ' of danger the nuts to be partially unscrewod, j and at the critical moment the bolts to be j knocked out. It would then floab off and away with its living freight ; the bulwarks at each end would afford some protection to the poor creatures thereon, and it would not upset. A striking instance of the proper distribution of steam-power has been exemplified in a steamer recently altered at Greenock. The vessel in question was a paddle-steamer of 350 borse-power, with .cargo space for 401) tons of goods Her consumption of fnel was

twenty -four tons a day, and her speed 74 knots. She was converted into a Bcrewsteamer, and fitted with a twin propeller, and the con-equence has been that with engines of si-yentyifive - hors.e-pnwer she steams at the'-ate'* of -lOJ^ knots, and carries 800 tons of cargo, with a daily consumption of about eight tons of onal only. There wag lately launched from the yard of Messrs Hall, Aberdeen, a large steam corvette, an order fmm the Japanese Government. The vessel is a flue specimen of the workmanship of the builders of the famous clippers, and ia greatly admired fur compact strength arid beauty of outline. The corvette, which was christened the Iho-Sho-Maru (the whirlwind), is of 1500 tons register, with engines of 250 horse-power, measures 210 feet keel, 38 feet beam, and has a depth of 29 feet from the upper anil 21 feet from the main deck. The Iho-Sho-Maru is to carry ten guns of large calibre, and is constructed after the model of a firstclass British man-of-war. The vesel is built of British oak and teak ; will be full ship rigged, and is intended to sail under steam and canvas combined, or either singly. The upper deck is laid on iron diagonals for lightness, while between wind and vater for a depth of 4£ feet the corvette is to be iron plated 44 inches thick, this shield being backed by 7 inches of teak. Thelho-Sho-Maru is the second vessel built by the Messrs Hall for Japan, the orders being secured from Aberdeen through Messrs Glover, the local auents for the Japanese Government. The corvette, which is to be commanded in the first place by Captain James and Lieut. Inglebach, has been built at an expense of some L 65.000.