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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1111, 19 February 1872, Page 2

The p.B Charles Edward left oil Saturday forenoon for Hokitika. She is expected to return here this morning, and is announced to sail for Weatport and Nelson at four p.m to-day. The Ceres was towed from her anchorage in the river, to a berth at the wharf on Saturday afternoon by the p. a Dispatch. The schooner Wild wave was towed to" sea yesterday morning, bound for Lyttelton with a cargo of coaL The 6.s Murray left on Saturday afternoon for Westport and Nelson, crrrying a supplementary English mail. Several disasters to shipping, some of them attended with loss of life, have been reported. A lugger has been lost off tbe coast of Norfolk, with eleven hands ; and three of the crew of a schooner which went to pieces at Shields on Saturday were drowned. There was another collision off tho mouth of the Mersey on Saturday mornins between the steamers Sidon, from Alexandria, and the Windermere, for Newport. The Windermere sustained considerable damage. Two or three hours afterwards the Dock Board tender Alert got foul in tho ri/er of an incoming steamer, the Elena. Both vessels were so much damaged that it was found advisable to beach them. The Liverpool Mercury says that the suspense engendered by doubts as to the identity of one of. the vessels which recently foundered off the mouth of the Mersey after collision has been intensified by circumstances certain. Tho other was supposed to be the brigantine Arrow, from tho* West Coast of Africa. Within the last day or two, however, several articles recovered from the supposed wreck of the Arrow have been recognised as belonging to the barque Chipchase, which sailed from tho Mersey for Bahia a few hours before the collision took place, and which has not since been heard of. Three men named Turner, Murphy, and Howard, the only survivors of the crew of twenty-five and two passengers on board tbe Nonpareil which was lately wrecked' on her voyage from Bombay to Quebec, have arrived at North Shields. They give distressing accounts .of tho. shipwreck and their sufferings. Tho ship was caught in a terrific gale, became unmanageable, and at midnight fell over, throwing the crow and passengers into the sea. Their cries for help are said to have beeu must piteous. Ten of the crew seized portions of the vessel, but were gradually washed away and drowned. Turner, Murphy, and Howard, after being dragged down, rose to the surface, with great difficulty got on the forehouse, where they remained seven days and nights, Buffering great hardships. They were at length picked up almost in a dying condition by an American schooner, and taken to Martinique. A letter from Alexandria gives detailed accounts of the accident to a pilgrim steamer in the harbor on the 22nd ult. The steamer was the Assyrian (one of the Anchor line of steamers plying between Glasgow and Alex- ' andria), and hod on board 600 pilgrims on their way to Mecca. They were principally from Algiers and Tunis, and were in a very filthy state. As a measure of precaution the ship was placed in quarantine for -some days. But there beiug no sickness on board the Assyrian, lighten were ueut out late in the evening of the 22nd November to remove the pilgrims to the quarantine at "Maks," till they could be forwarded to their destination. But no sooner was the Arafc lighter alongside than the " hadjis" began toning their baggage into it, and to rush into it in such numbers that the lighter capsized, and in a few minutes between sixty and seventy were drowned. Several women and children were among the dead. Although the accident was entirely the result of their own disorder, the "hadjis " began to threaten violence to the crew, who had to escape as best they could —some by swimming ashore, others by mounting tbe rigging; A series of interesting experiments with a phosphoric light, under the direction of the Commissioners of Northern Lights, was, says the Scotsman, conducted from their steamer Pharos in the Firth of Forth. This light, if brought iuto use, would supersede the ordinary bluo light now universally ' used as danger aud other signals in the naval and mercantile services. Tho phosphorated snb« stance is contained in a tin lamp, holding about half a pint, and before being tisecLfi hollow tube at tho top anifllmttom of {he lamp is opened. The lamp is then suspended by an ordinary piece of wood, which is thrown into the sea. A bright light immediately flashes up, and continues to burn very brilliant v for upwards of three-quarters of an hoar. Ihe light was also exhibited from the, masthead of the Pharos, by placing the lamp in a small can containing water constructed for the purpose. It is expected that the light will he very serviceable for indicating the position of a life-buoy at niglit. While the experiments were being made, the Pharos was going at full speed? From the time the lamp and life-buoy were thrown overboard, tho engines of the steamer stopped and reversed, and a boat lowered, to tho time when the buoy and light were picked up, only three minutes elapsed. During the past year tho powerful fleet of <

the Peninsular and Oriental Company has been reinforced by five new j steamships of a larger and superior class to those previously employed, having, in addition to the elegant accommodation provided, for passengers, great capacity for carrying cargo. Of these vessels, the Indus was 'built by Messrs Denny Brothers, of Dumbarton, and the other four by Miessra Caird and Co, of Greenock. The Indus, Khedive, and Mirzapore are now successfully running in the eastern seas, the Pekin had her official trial trip on November 11, in Stokes Bay, and the Peshawur was kunohed in December. The whole of these vessels have been added to the fleet without any additional call on the shareholders, and it is believed that the same remark will apply to four more steamships of a similar class, for which the directors have just concluded contracts.