"WRECK OF AN OCEAN STEAMER.

Kumara Times, Issue 971, 10 November 1879, Page 4

"WRECK OF AN OCEAN STEAMER.

A wreck, •which threatened to be of a most disastrous character, occurred on Saturday evening, September 6th, near the Lizard. The steamship Brest, of Glasgow, Captain Elder, left Havre on Friday at midnight, bound for Liverpool, with a general cargo, 130 passengers, and a crew consisting of 30 all told. The weather across the channel was thick and foggy, but nothing particular occurred until scon after eight on Saturday evening, when the Bresb struck on the rocks at Polberro Point. Just before striking, and at the time of striking, she was going at full speed, nearly eleven knots an hour, and had foretopsail and fore and aft mainsails set. The wind was fresh from the south-west. The master, who was in charge of the deck, was under the impression that the vessel was some miles wtst of the Lizard, and so, notwithstanding the state of the weather the greatest speed of engine and pressure of canvass was kept on her. The force of her passage through the water may be imagined when it is said the rockß were broken by the blow she gave them, and the noise of the contact first drew attention of the coastguard and others, although nothing could be seeD. koon after, a blue light was observe i coming from he'. Commissioned boatman Lucas and four men went off in their boat to ascertain particulars, and to render assistance. When they got on deck there was a scene of the wildest confusion. The pasaengers, who appear to be all of the lowest classes, and natives of Italy, Germany, and Switzerland, and who could not speak a word of Eng lis'i, were ruehiDg about like madmen. Other boats were soon got to the scene, and the whole of the passengers, excepting four one child and three adults, who are reported as missing—were got on shore: The work of taking them out of the wreck was very difficult, As the boats were alongside tbe passengers came down by ropes, so fast, one after the other, that the greatest risk was run of the boats being swamped. When they were all got on shore thay were made as comfortable as circumstances permitted at the village of Cadgwith. The Brest was iron screw steamer, built at Glasgow in 1874. She was owned by Messrs J. i'urns and Co, of Glasgow.

Stirred up, perhaps by hearing 0 f the new revision of the Bible at present being prepared by the Church of England, the Church of Rome is about to publish a new translation of tbe Bible. Mr Creighton is sending out a pen of Californian mountain quail to the .Nelson Acclimatisation Society. The British Mercury says that Mr B. Kitt, the gas engineer to the Bristol Sanitary Authority, has hit upon a device bv which the lighting power of public lamps can be greatly increased without augmentmg their consumption of gas. Mr Kitt's plan is to substitute for the present single burner a couple of burners, each consuming . only half the quantity of gas per hour, and to Buspend between these two small flames a convex lens, which acts as a powerful tone tor. The plan was submitted to a practical test, and was found to answer perfectly, tha reflector causing each tiny gas jet to appear in the distance like a globe of strong light. Laycock has accepted the challenge of Edwards to pull a sculling match on an early date. The race is to be pulled over the usual champion course on the Paramatta Biver, and Edwards is to have one minute's start allowed to him.