PORT OF GREY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1779, 18 April 1874, Page 2

PORT OF GREY.

UIGH WATER. Tms Day- 11. 1,0 a.m. ; 11.32 p.m. To-morrow— ll.s2 a.m. ; 0.0 p.m. ARRIVED. " —April 17— NiL SAILED. April 17— Titan, p s. 28 tons, M'Meikan, for Hokitika. Kennedy Bros, agents. •'•' EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Charles Edward, from elson. . i . Murray, from Nelson; ; Wallace, from Nelson. Cleopatra,' from Lyttelton. Gleaner, from Melbourne. Tararua. from ■At elbi iurne. Otago, from Melbourne. Wanganui, from Dunedin. Kennedy, from Nelson. VESSELS IN PORT. Dispatch, tug steamer. Alice Maud, from Melbourne.

The S.S. Otago may beexpecte I off the bat-to-night, but it is doubtful whether she will be tendered before Sunday morning. She proceeds to Melbourne direct, and, we understand, takes' a fair number of passengers, though not as many as was anticipated. The 8.8. Albion, from Melbourne direct, is due in the roadstead to-morrow, when she will have immediate despatch for northern ports. Quite a valuable device, judging from what it is claimed to have done, has been invemVd for freeing sea-going steamers from the excess of water taken m by leakage or through accidental injury. It js an attachment to the air pump, and consists of a pipe, of suitable dimensions, leading from the hold of the vessel to the top of the former, and connected therewith with a valve. Water is taken up through thin conduit and on the top of the air pump buckets, with every descent of the piston, and is discharged, with the 'condensed water and air. overboard through, the usual channel. . The, inventor, Mr ' Daniel Barrium; of No. 225, Halsey street, Brooklyn,. N.Y., claims that the entire power of the air pump is thus utilised to clear the vessel, and this without interfering with the working of the engines. The arrangement has been placed in two vessels, in one of which, the Saratoga, .after she had been pierced with, quite a large aperture below the water line, it was, in connection with the other pumps, instrumental in keeping her afloat until repairs could be made. The ship in which, the device was most recently placed is the Niagara; of the Old Dominion Company's line, now lying at her wharf in this city in a damaged condition from injuries received during a severe gale encountered during the passage from-Ber-muda to New York in February last. The storm, according to the statements of the officers, was so violent that the vessel was caused to leak and also to ship large quantities of water, so as to cause serious fears for her safety It is state! that with the "air" pump attachment in operation, together with the* usual ship pump, little difficulty was found in keeping the vessel free from water, so that her surviving the gale is large y ascribed to the efficacy of the former apparatus.: Mr Barnum informs us that the device was patented as far back as 1858, but that he has met with much opposition to its introduction from the steamship owners and engineers, owing to their belief that it was impracticable. He considers the two cases ; above cited to fully prove its efficiency ; and from the views j expressed to us by officers of both vessels, there appears to be considerable foundation for his claim. Scientific American. ,