THE STEAMER ALBION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 319, 26 September 1874, Page 2

THE STEAMER ALBION.

officer, who so energetically seconded your efforts and displayed such prompt seamanship —conduct and qualities which we feel satisfied must ensure him the success in his profession he so richly merits. As a alight token of our appreciation of conduct such as we have' endeavored thus shortly to describe, we re- , quest your and his acceptance, severally, of the purses now handed to you; and, with every good wish, we are ' [here follow the *! _ signatures of the passengers].

Wl. $fie' tlie ; following report of the Albion's last trip 1 to Melbourne 'from the Argus of #$_} l{h mstantV--Tbe s_s. Albion, which was fully expected to ha»_ arrived here from New Zealand on Tuesday last wifha mall for transmission by theßJd-S.S.NuWa.dia not reach the Bay untCM^r^y afternoon. The causes of her de!a*.aW^tpfiputable to heavy weather, and the TOrryihg away of the rudder shaft, and thelJufpriseis tbat she should have survived the pera in which she was placed. Her escape from the destruction which threatened herfclßtle less than wonderful, and there was'-a? feeling of thankfulness amongst all on boara yesterday at their safe arrival. The Albion, to leaving New Zealand, was guaranteed £200 if the mail was put on board the Nubia in time, and being a splendid sea boat, it was considered a certainty that she would be able to accomplish this, if not at esse/at least that she would save the mail. Th_.%(ea_ber'w f a_.moßt forbidding when she left tbe Weai Coast, and knowing thi., the chief engineer, Mr Mat hieson, had everything in rs__Bne_3 in the engine-room for the extra de___Jid which was to be made on the steaming capabilities of the vessel, and right well the engines performed their work, driving the Albiotfagbod seven knots fair in the teeth of aa&bpgialeXThe steamer left Hokitika at 5 pfhl. off' the 2nd inst., and steamed away at oncejagainit heavy westerly piles, which continded'untll Sunday, the 6th inst., when the^rjjnjcl increased in lor ce, and raged with hurricane ' Violence until 9 p.m. on the Sth iasti At 2 _____ on Mo .day, the 7th instant, whfo the hurricane waa at ita worst, and tbe •rtea^r,#a^ lutuinerin^ away her hardest at it, the nidder "shaft broke, and she fell off the winA'^.Thuririaain lat. .Odeg. 20min. S., and lon^iSldeg. 1&, about 350 miles from Port Phillip Heads, On account of the unusually tempestuou-iiweather, it was altogether impoanfeia to turn her round, and she lay helplesalxitiq the trough of the sea, which was rudnbg at a fearful height Had the Albion _e____deeply,Jadea it would have fared ill with her at this juncture, but having little or no carge on board; she was light and buoyant. -The gale moderated on the night of ijb^i __&_.' instant, and strenuous exertions were made to connect steering chains with the .after part of the rudder. There was great tiak.to life in the attempt, and Captain Underwood and' bis passengers give great praWto Mr Corbett, the chief officer, and, indfeedVto-all the officers and crew, for tbeir norile aerrioDs. -The efforts, however, were unsuodfessful, and when the yards had been sent down,* there- was nothing for.it but to let her drift until tbe wind sbifieJ, or the weather abated.' Fortunately the gale, which had moderated!- -shifted more into the southward, and the v(*Sel'i head having been got round, sh&'wia steered by her canvas, easing and hauling on the jib and main sheets as required In'Hbis fashion Captain Underwood got the Albioii for about 170 miles, and just as be goi within a mile of Flinder's Island the wind fell light/ I'tod:1 'tod: be had to drop anchor. A raft was then made, and chains fixed to the ruddei-, aod with the help of a spar, temporary boi very effective' steering gear was rigged up. and the Albion '■ resumed her voyage, leaving Flh.d&'s lilandat s pm. ou Wednesday, the 9th instant! "After a quick run across cf 20 ho_rsJ>ab*- arrived in Hobson's Bay. Tlie ptftedgetSj with regard to their estimate of Cabtarha Underwood and his officers daring the emergency* -have -expressed themselves atft>ngly,as wißbe seen by an address in ojr shipping advertisement columns, tbe wording of ' whfcb -has been followed up by a _üb_ta_ti__ expression -of opinion, in the shape of a purse of'ioo sovereigns to Captain Underwood, and aribther of fifty to Mr Corbett; The following is the letter referred to above:-?-" To Thomas Underwood, Esq.— Dear Sir— Belore resuming otur voyage to .Melbourne we desire, in this interval Of rest, 'pending the necessary repairs toj, the good snip under your command, to record ouT'deep __n*»e of the ability and coolness displayed by you in ber navigation durirg and«pce"the terrible gales of ,6th, 7th, acd B_c instaiit, iu the midst of which she loat her rudder, and bectttne- for a considerable time utterly unmanageable. To your energy and skill we owe, under Providence, our. escape from a!p&ii which might, io lees able han is, have proved disastrous, and we sincerely hope ttu-fcth-eae nudities Will receive due.recogmttoo at; ther hMda, ; ot the important and infioeutiat _a_apasy>.T.ou to worthily serve. The coaflu*<* Jbtw pflle«»> one and all, has been beyond praise; hut we mwt. particularly D_ec_ioa the name ofMr A, Corbwt, tha chief I