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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1485, 8 May 1873, Page 2

On yesterday morning's tide the s.s Kennedy, after being imprisoned for several days, made an attempt to cross the bar. The channel contained plenty of water, but ran close alongside the north beach, but it is very narrow, and there was a strong easterly breeze blowing. The steamer touched on the South Spit and hung there. She lay perfectly safe until the evening, when she came off easily, and steamed back to the wharf. In the morning the p.s Charles Edward, while passing the port observed the position of the Kennedy, and asked if she could render any assistance.. The reply was in the negative, and she was ordered tp go on to Hokitika and return here this morning. The Kennedy will leave for the. north on this morning's tide. The s.s Rangitoto, from Melbourne direct, arrived off Hokitika at 4 a.ra: yesterday, and was tendered by the Waipara, which landed all the Hokitika and Greymouth passengers, mails, and cargo at that port. The Rangitoto then proceeded on to Nelson, passing this port about 2 p.m. The Jeannie Grey is now in the roadstead and will be brought in this morning. She comes in ballast to Mr Wickes for a cargo of coal for the Manakau. It is not generally known that Captain Stetson, of the ship Polar Star, is a hero. He has been instrumental in saving, during his sea-faring life, no less than 320 human lives. We have not space to particularise the various rescues, but may mention that on one occasion he picked up a mau who had been floating in the Atlantic for several days in a barrel ; on another he rescued a woman who had held on to a portion of a royal yard, not more than five feet in length, 70 hours. Her Jhuaband had been washed off it eight houis UtilOi C SUB Vt aa — ptoA*%rSk-xtjn Ho .M>,i7TPa»«»J. from a wreck a baby six* days old, which was handed down to him from a sinking ship, and both the parents went down in the vessel immediately after. Captain Stetson wears a gold hunting watch presented to him by her Majesty Queen Victoria for rescuing the survivors from the steamship Spartan, lost in February, 1863, when he commanded the William Fotheringhain. The watch bears a suitable inscription. He has received presentations from the Foyal Humane Society for similar acts of bravery. —Auckland Evening Star. The following notice of a screw hopper dredger is from the Engineer, of the 13th of December, 1872 :— "The. following particulars of the actual working of the new patent combined screw hopper dredger Canada, described in the Engineer, of May 5, may be of interest to some of our readers, this being the first vessel of the kind ever constructed. The Canada sailed from the Clyde in May last, and steamed across the Atlantic to Halifax in 17 days. After dredging at that port for some time, she proceeded to Richibucto and other ports, where she cut through various obstructions, and then steamed to Piccou, Nova Scotia, at which place, from accounts just received, she has done her work very satisfactorily, and is a great wonder to the Canadians. She loads her own hopper in an hour and a half with 200 tons of her) own spoil and then conveys it to a distance of five miles, and there deposits it in deep water. Her speed under steam so leaded is from five to six miles an hour, and the consumption of fuel is two tons per twelve working hours. When unretarded, five cargoes, or 1000 tons, are lifted and deposited in two days' dredging, and | this extraordinary type of dredger has lifted, removed, and deposited 20,000 tons in about forty working days ; and, when it is considered that the above work is done with one vessel and one crew this new mode of dredging promises to result in a great saving of expense over the current system of stationary dredgers, barges, punts, and tug steamers, each with its respective crew, cost, consumption, interest, wear and tear, and insurance. The Canada is the property of the Canadian Government, and was designed and constructed by Messrs W. Simons and Co., engineers and shipbuilders, Renfrew."