The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1875.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 60, 11 March 1875, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 1 1 , 1875.

We publish to-day the narrative of one of the most terrible disasters that has ever occurred at sea, one, too, that has a special interest for the people of New Zealand, since the Cospatrick, the ship whose loss is recorded, was bound for this colony, full of emigrants who iotended to make it their future home. On a beautiful nighf, with a liglt breeze and a calm set', and while her crowd of passengers, over 400 in number, were peacefully sleeping, she was quietly failing towards her destination.

At midnight smoke was observed issuing from her fore-hatcb, the alarm was given, in a few minutes her deck was crowded with a terrified mob of men, women, and children, and in three hours' time Bhe was a mass of raging flames from stem to stern. Of the 476 individuals she carried, sixly contrived to get away ia boats; of those sixty, but three liveJ to tell the awful tale, and over what (hose three had to narrate it is hetler to drop a veil, for what they underwent is too horrible to contemplate. The story of the destruction of the chip and her freight of human | beings is heartrending. That of theexpeiiences of the survivors is revolting. A perusal of the sad narrative cannot but lead to the inquiry, Was the tremendous loss of life that occurred inevitable; could the sufferings of those who escaped in the boats have been lessened? It is all very well, we admit, to sit quietly in our snug rooms and criticise the actions or the apparent neglect of those who were in command of the ill-fated ship, but the unpleasant reflection will arise, that all that might have been done was not done. We can, perhaps, in imagination picture to ourselves the deck of a burning ship crowded with a maddened mass of human beings having before their eyes the prospect of an immediate and awful death, and we can fancy how almost powerless must, have been the captain — a single individual among a terrified mob — but we cannot refrnin from asking whether everything was in a state of preparation to meet such a disaster as occurred in this instance* and may at any time overtake I the best regulated ship that ever crossed the seas. Were all the boats available, were they in such a state Unit they could be used at a few minutes', notice, did they contain such provisions as would be required by ihe large number that, in the event of an accident, would be stowed in them? To these queries, we may, we fear only too correctly, reply by yet another. Are the boots of a passenger ship ever to be found in such a state of readiness? Had those of the .Cosputrick been ready to be launched at a moment's notice with such a small modicum of food and water as they were able to carry, and had such prevision been rendered uselesß by their being rushed, and smashed or capsized by a. panic-stricken mob, no blame could .have attached to those in authority but — well, we refer our to the miserable story to be found elsewhere. Thp Melbournevlr<7ws in commenting upon this shocking disaster, concludes its remaiks as follows: — "]t is jußt possible that the awful calamity which we have been describing may prove the means of saving the lives of future emigrants. Shipowners and shipmasters cancot overlook so pregnant an admonition as the Cospatrick's case affords, and the Board of Trade is not likely to let the experience pass unimproved." Let us hope that such may be the case. The Argus has some further rejnarks relative to the outbreak of the fire, which, as being deserving of consideration, are worthy of re-publicatioc. They are to the following effect : — The cause of the fire will rover be known Only three nun survive, acd tlieir evidence, already before us, (supplies no clue. She louli not have been set on fire by the spontaneous combu tion of wool, as it has been supposed that homeward bound Australasian ships sometimes are; nor by the spontaneous combustion of coal, since s 1 c would only J>ave a small supp'y of that substance on board, and in an ai ces<ible place. The fi-ecan scarcely have been wilfully raised, since ie put in danger every life on board. Conjecture on this point is of little use—the important fact is, that before the fire was discovered it had grown to such a hrad as to Le altogether beyond c ntrol. Pouri- g water down the fore hatch only caused flames to burst forth. Flames toon arose from the main hatch a'so! )n such m emergency no ordinary fire extinguishing agency could have been of any use. Expedients that are effectual at the commencement of a fire, or in its early Btages, wouli have proved utterly futile in a case like this. The fate of the Cospatrick was determined before any one on board knew that she whs threatened with danger. How was it that the fire was not discovere I sooner? It had probably been burning for r'ai s before the 17th. But the liability of ships' to catch fire, and to remain on fire, and no one on bou-d know anything about it, whs not observed forihu first time in tlu Cospatrick's case. It is fami iur to all concerned with ship*. '1 he quesion is, Should there be such a liability, or thould the liability b&permittoi to continue? We can scarcely think bo. There are means that miphtbe used by which fires on shipbonrd woul I bo discovered, if n< t ftt their very commoncemear, certainly before tlyy had hai time to acquire formidab'c dimensions. 3Tor instance, every accessib c part of tt.e ship nvght be visited a f . intervals. But, it may bj s<id, the parts where fire ;s mist likely to arise cannot be got at. They (•an be got at if provision is made to that end in sfc.iwiug the cargo— at some ox ny trouble, no doubt, and some sacrifice of space; tut ihese i-re not considerations to which tho safety of human life should be subordinated Or there might be v.ntllating shafts <y,mmenciog at the ship's bottom and leading into the open air, which would prevent spontaneous combustion of her cargo, and give early notice of fire arising from any other causes. It would even be a useful precaution to have at all times a ready means of ascertaining the tempciature ot a ship's hold at any depth between t> c main deck and the l<e'son, and this would be a very easy matter Ventilators like those already mentioned would answer the purpese, or vertical tubes might pierce the contents of her hoi f, into which a thermometer nvght be dropped us oc asion required, when it would be as Bimple a process to ascertain whether a sh p was cool bekw as it is now to ascertain the depth of water in her well.

Major I'almkr, who has been pointed to examine and report upon Ihe surveys of the coloor, arrived by the Pi ocbe lest ui»ht, raid Las commenced an examination of the plaus in the Survey Office. Abkival of the Sufz Mail. — The Albion with the Suez mnil arrived at the Bluff shortly befoie noou to-day, being four days before her time. We are only able to-day to give that porticn of her telegrams which refers to the

loas of the Gothenburg. Captain Underwood telegraphs to the agent here : — " Eleven passengers and eleven of the crew were caved. The captain, officers, engineers, and stewards were all drowned. Ninety-nine were lost." New Zealand Loan. — The following is the m(Ht important cablegram brought by the Albion : — "London, March 4. — The New Zealand loan has proved successful, and the subscriptions are closed." Mr Gillies passed through Nelson by the Pboebe this morning on his way to Wellington, where he will be sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court, and return to Nelson on Wednesday next. He will sit in banco on the following: Friday. The Hon. Dr. Pollen, the Colonial Secretary, was a passenger by the Pbcobe this morning on his way to Wellington; Nrlscn Institute.— A number of books, we are informed, have been added to tbe library of the Institute, having been brought by the Tararua from Melbourne. Yacht Race. — We have received an interesting account of this race from a gentleman who was on board one of the yachts, but are compelled to hold it over until to-morrow. Telegraph Stations.— The following new stations have been opened : — Kawakawn, Pukorokoro, Russell, and Waipu in the province of Auckland, Hastings in the province of Hawke's Bay, and Southbridge in the province of Canterbury. There are now 118 stations opened to the public in New Zealand. Faster Encampment.— The Po&t of Friday last says : — "The arrangements of the Wellington Artillery Corps for their part in the npproaohing Nelson Easter Volunteer Encampment are now nearly complete, and we understand that two detachments, each consisting of nine men, with a gun, will leave for Nelson on Thursday, the 26th instant. Originally it was intended only to send one detachment, but Capt. Pearce succeeded in inducing the Government to pay the passages of both. The Government provide all camp equipments, aud also allow Is Gd per day for rations. In addition to this, £100 has been granted by the Nelson Provincial Government, and a further sum of £100 has beeu raised among the Nelson volunteers, thus there is every probability of a very pleasant holiday being spent, and some useful instruction in field work being acquired by our volunteers. We learn that Lieutenant Fox will be the officer in charge of the Wellington men." From private sources we learn that the Wellington men are steadily practising in order to make a respectable appearauce here at their gun drill. It is reported that on an occasion of a similar nature they <: look the shine" out of their brother volunteers at Christchurch. Are they to be allowed to do Ihe same heije? ,The Nelson Artillery has the reputation of being one of the smartest corps in the volunteer service, but it will behove them to look to their laurels if they do not mean to content themselves with playing second fiddle to their visitors from across the Straits. There is plenty of time before them to practise, of which it is to be hoped they will avail themselves, for "Sleepy Hollow" will not be pleased to see her representatives beuten, even at gun drill. A deal of interest is taken in the forthcoming volunteer display, and a large number of visitors may be expected at the camp during the Easter holidays, all of whom will naturally desire to see the local corps establish their superiority over the representatives of the neighboring province. Obituahy. — Died, at Norwich, England, on the 2nd January, Sir Samuel Bignold, Knt. Deceased^had been for more than half a century actively engaged as Secretary of the Norwich Union Insurance Societies, in whose service he was most highly esteemed. The veneruble Knight waa greatly be--1 ived in his couuty, and bis loss will be widely felt and deeply deplored. The Gcelong Advertiser has the following on the properties of the eucalyptus, or blue gum tree: — "Gum trees are found to exert a purifying influence in malariouß districts, but it would appear that the virtues of this valuable agent are still far f«om being fully known. It. is said that gum leaves placed in mattresses with the ordinar}' stuffing, operate as a powerful disinfectant, and tend greatly lo prevent the spreading of infectious diseases, particularly among children. The experiment, wo are credibly informed, has been tried successfully in preventing the contagious effects of measles— an epidemic from which very few families in this town have escaped." Referring to a silly fracas that recently took place in the WestlaDd Provincial Council, the West Coast Times remarks in language more plain than polite: — " If (he members of the Council would endeavor to maintain the I roprieties within their Chamber it would be better than by making asses of themselves about questions of * contempt.'" StraDge things turn up at times, remaiks "Peter the Pedlar," in the Nsio Zealand Mail. Ho says : — '• Who would have thought that the English girl who gave Dickeus the idea of Dolly Varden, and who sat for the well-known pictor •, fhould now be living at Blenheim? Yet, so it is; and sho was present at the Rev. Charles Claik's late lecture there on the wot Its of the popular novelist who made co great a favorite of pretty and wilful Mrs Dolly Vardeo, the' locksmith's daughter.