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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1094, 30 January 1872, Page 2

The s.s. Kennedy is announced to sail for Westport and Nelson this evening. The barque Melbourne, Captain Crosby, which has arrived at Philadelphia fromTroon, had a vory narrow escape from foundering during the voyage. The following report of the hurricane through which the ship passed has been furnished by Captain Crosby :- -On October 12, at noon, the barometer stood at 29.90 ; at 12.30 p.m. stowed foresail, and wore the ship's head to north-east, the gale raging with great violence ; stowed lower foretopsail, the ship at the time lyiug-to under lower maintopsail and storm main spencer. It was blowing so hard that it was impossible to take in the main lower topsail ; At 1.30 p.m. the ship was taking the sea aft the beam— the water making a clean breach over her. At two o'clock the wind was blowing a perfect hurricane, the barometer going down to 28.90. The starboard mainroyal backstay parted, the mainmasthead broke off at the eyes of the rigging ; the maintopmast, mizentopmast, foretopmast head and all attached, went to leeward, breaking mainyardnear the slings, staving port-quaiter boat, damaging poop, deck and rails, tearing maintopmast coating and springingthe mainmast fourteen feet from the deck, damaging lower rigging, foretopmast, topmast, backstays, and carrying away all the portbead braces. Tbe water was now pouring into the ship through the mast coating being damaged. The decks were full of water, but, by getting canvas and tarpanlings around the opening, the water was stopped from going down into the hold. At half-past two the ship bad Bft of water in her ; the glass fell to 28.80, the wind blowing furiously, and it was impossible to stand against tho wind. As soon as it could 1)e done everything that was alongside was cut away, so a* to clear the ship of all wreckage before dark. At one o'clock the ship's head came to S.S.E., with a fearful sea on the vessel, rolling and pitching tremendously. On the 13th it blew a fresh gale, with a sea running beyond description from the south round to the north-west, and at two p.m. the vessel shipped a sea which hove her nearly on her beam ends, started the cargo between deck to leeward, and knocked the chain out of the lockers, and save the ship two or three streaks of a list. The weather modified, and the Melbourne reached Philadelphia in a most disabled stato.

One paragraph in " Anglo- Australian's " letter in the European Mail will be read with considerable interest and satisfaction by many members of the community. It is as follows :— "Many of my readers will remembet Captain Richard Boaden, of tho ship Star of Peace. Well, it appears that during his last voyage home ho snipped what may be called ' a lawyer of a regiment ' as an A.B, When the ship got to sea the captain found the fellow could not steer. He remonstrated with him, and got ' cheek ' for bis trouble. In the end the ' sailor ' was put in irons, and soon after the arrival of the ship in dock tho captain waited upon the magistrate at the Thames Police Court, and obtained a warrant for the man's apprehension. The case was heard, and the prisoner was sentenced to one day's imprisonment, When he was released from durance, this worthy brought a charge of false imprisonment and cruelty against Captain Boaden, who was ordered to find bail. As, however, the prison van arrived before the bail, the captain was taken off to Holloway Prison, where he was subjected to tbe same treatment as a felon would receive. Now, it appears to me that the magistrate might have let the captain off on his own recognisances, and bo Bayed him this indignity, especially as the Recorder when the case come on at the Central Criminal Court for trial, without hearing a word of the defence, signified his appreciation of the paltry — not to say unfounded— nature of the charge by directing tho jury to acquit Captain Boaden. . The case has excited much interest among the shipping community here, and hundreds nave shown their sympathy with the captain by offering to defray the costs of defence. There can be no doubt that this is a very banl case, and that the magistrate might have disposed of it at once by dismissal. Iv one sense, however, it was fortunate for Captain Boaden that it was remitted to the sessions, for in the view tho magistrate took of it he might have committed him to prison with hard labor for two months. Here indeed is another instance of the 'glorious uncertainty of the law.' I congratulate the worthy skipper on his escape." On Saturday [next tbe s.s. Somersetshire will again take her departure from Hobson's Bay for her return voyage to London. During tbe time she has been m port she has not been idle, and in addition to discharging her inward cargo she has taken in a large home freight of wool, tallow, &c. She will leave here a full ship, and her saloon passenger accommodation, which, by the way, is supplied with every requisite for^yoyagers, is already quite run upon . Tbe Somersetshire, it may again be mentioned, will return via the Cape of Good Hope route, and hsr present voyage it is believed, will be one of the best she has ever yet made. Her chief engineer has the machinery in beautiful working order, and a cargo of Bulli coal has been token on board. This coal is said to be highly suitable for steaming purposes, and she has, moreover, got on board some 50 or GO tons of Wollongong coals, which are to be tested on the voyage as to their superiority or otherwise over the Bulli coal. Since being in port the Somersetshire, as usual, h»s been largely visited, and her passenger accommodation very much admired. — Argus, 22nd instant.