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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 775, 5 January 1871, Page 2

The s.s. Murray, Captain Palmer, returned from her excursion trip to .Hokitika -on Tuesday night, with a large number of passengers. Yesterday she discharged her original cargo from Nelson, and left at nijijht for Westport and Nelson. The schooner Isabella, from Hokitika, was brought in yesterday morning by the p. s. Dispatch. She brings some, cargo transhipped ex Melbourne steamers, and will take a cargo of coal to Hokitika. The City Committee of the Captain" Relief Fund held a meeting at the Mausion-house, London, on the 2nd of November, the Lord Mayor presiding, Mr Gibbs, the hon. secretary, reported that up to that afternoon L 234 > had been received by the committee. The report of the sub-committee upon the scheme of Captain Peile, chairman of the Portsmouth committee, was brought up by Mr Gassiot. The report was unanimonsly adopted. Mr Gassiot stated that he had received an estimate of upwards of L 36.291 as the amount to be required for investment, to secure a yearly income of L 1341 to tbe widows and LlOOB to the children. The committee had received L 32.000, and about L5OOO was now wanted. Afterwards, however, about L 23.000 would be required to meet the cases of the officers' widows and orphans and the dependent relatives of the men. After some discussion the committee adjourned.— Home News. . • A storm of fearful severity raged at Carnarvon lately, driving several vessels from their anchors on to the beach. Mr Richards, the coastguard officer, was on the promenade, and, observing a schooner part her cables, he exhibited blue-lights, to enable the crew of the vessel to Judge of their position. When the storm was at its height, Mr Richards stood on the promenade, and observing that the schooner was about to strike, he held up his arms, and called to the crew to jump ashore. At this moment he stepped to the jught, and not observing a breach in the wall, •was washed away. The poor fellow clung for some time to the broken cables of the ■chopner, and, despite the effortsof the crew of the vessel, who hooked him frequently with the boathook, he was washed away. The promenade on each side of* the club-house was breached in several places, and so great was the storm that the sea-water was sent like a shower-bath over the tops of the old town walls. Mr Richards was an energetic officer, and his loss is much deplored.— Home News. The following details of tbe loss.p&iihe Betsy Douglas are {rgm- a £&&cKarieBt6)i--i?eraMi^_A«-«.cciae"nT occurred yesterday, one mile off this port, about the hour of two o clock, p.m., which might have resulted in the loss of life, but for the timel> assistance of the Surf Boat Crew. It appears thaH . about one o'clock, the Surf Boat Crew proceeded to tow out the schooner Betsy Douglas, which arrived here the day previous and discharged cargo, and after succeeding aa they thought in safely placing her in the offing, with a steady leading wind, they retnrned to port and moored their boat, anticipating no difficulty in the way of their late charge. They «vere not long ashore, however, when they were summoned by the Harbor Master to man the boat as the schooner, was in distress, to which they responded in remarkably quick time, and pulled for the scene of the disaster with a right good will, where they found the crew, consisting of the captain and mate* clinging to their little dingy, and the vessel all under water except a little of her masts. Having safely traushipped them into the surf boat they all returned safely to port amidst the deafening cheer* of the by■"ianders, who by this time congregated around the bay and on the heads. Shortly after the men were taken on board the surf boat the vessel began to drift to the southward, with her bowsprit just above water, and her _ stern down, thereby conveying the impression that while she was going out ■In struck Jier stern against sunken rock, which causeda leakage/whereby she was filled wrth water so as to shift her ballast and prevent her rigUing herself again. The vessel is owned by a Mr Morgan of Lyttelton, but we cannot stsfte whether she is insured or not, we may, however, assume she is not, otherwise she would have carried a proper crew. »