SHIPPING STATISTICS. [From the " Pacific News."]

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 449, 3 August 1850, Page 2

SHIPPING STATISTICS. [From the " Pacific News."]

Accidents occurring in the harbour of San Francisco, during the year ending April Isth, ]850: — American ship Philadelphia, burnt at her anchors. American brig T. H. Benton, dragged her anchors off North Bench, and drove on shore at Angel Inland. No cargo on board. Vessel t'»tal loss. Hanoverian ship Crown Princess, on beating out the harbour, ttruck on Devil's Point, (having missed stays) stove a hole in her bottoms, was towed on the Eastern Flats, and there capsized, American ship Tonquin, in coming in the harbour grounded on Middle Spit, overlaid her anchor and sunk. Cargo partly lost. American ship Albalioss, fin coming in the harbour in in a fog, itruck on Bird Island, but away fore and mizen mast ; cargo not damaged. Daninsh barque Magdelina, stiuck on Mile Rock in a calm on her passage out and sunk, la all the above, no lives lost. There has been but three severe cases of collision happening during the same period, involving any serious amount of damages ; all other cases have amounted to but thirteen. There has been linre the S. E. season sets in, seven strong south-east blows. The first commenced November 13th, the last ended in March ; and from the 13th November to date, 71 days of rain. The mean of barometer has been 29 deg\ 12 mm. ; thermometer 57 deg. On April 12th, 1849, there was but 33 sail of vessels in thii Poit (exclusive of Government vessels) ; the tonnage Rmounted at that time to 21,627 tons ; at present there are about 360 sail. There are at the present time 57 river craft plying on our rivers, including steamers. Largest near 700 ton* ; the smallest about 6 tons. The United Slates ships in ports of San Frsncisco and Beneeia are : the SavannaAi Vandalia, Warren, Preble, Fredonta, Far West — two latter storeships. Foreign ship of War, H.B.M. Steam Frigate Driver.

A West Indiaman Lost. —On Sunday night another violent gale from the W.S.W. visited London and its suburbs, and, up to ten o'clock on Montlny night, continued with alarming force. On Tuesday the Sarafi, Bridges, master, bound from Jamaica for Londou, made the Margate roads, and in the course of the forenoon was takea m tow by the Trinity steam-

tug. As the day advanced the gale sprnng up with a destructive fury unfortunately too well known. The ship and the tug laboured sorely, and between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, when running thiough the Prince's Channel, the towing hawser snapped asunder, and thejship got adrift. The wind contiuued to increise until it ble v a perfect hurricane, and about midnight the steamer was driven from her anchorage. She lost cable nnd anchor, nnd was compelled to run for safety. The Sarah was then lost sight- of, and from the tempestuous weather that prevailed during the following twenty-four hours, and the fact that nothing has been ssen of her since, although she was right in the track of vessels trading to and from the river, coupled with the ciicurnstan.ee that a quantity of West India produce has been picked up in vicinity of where she went adrift, m also pieces of wreck, apparently of the same class of vessel, there is little doubt that she perished, with all hands] Several casks of rum have been seen floating about ; and Mr. Cullum, the master of the General Steam Navigation Company*! ship Soho, reports having passed part ol the wreck of a ship, a quantity of cocoa-nuts, and himento casks, about a dozen miles to the eastward of the North Foreland, and consequently almost in the very place the Sarah is suspected to have been lost. Whether this wreck belongei to the Sarah or not, however, it is evident that a large ship wai lost iv the neighbourhood. At present the number of the crew has not been ascertained, nor whether there were any passengers ou board. — &ri« tannia, Feb. 16. Mr. Holbrook's New Life-boat. —We have been much interested by the examination of a model of a newly constructed life-boat, the invention of Mr. I. N. Ho'brook, of Hull, and formerly of Nottingham. The hull of the bo*t is broad and substantial, and appears admirably adapted to resist the severest concussions of the waves. The framework of this hull is entirely composed of wrought iron, covered with net. The body of the vesiel cotmsti of six compartments, containing barrels, or "floaters," perfectly air-tight, nnd seperated fiom each other that in the event of one or more of them being punctured, the buoyßnce of the boat would be still preserved. The floaters are warrented not to bleak, burst, or rust. The peculiarity of the veisel consists in this, that — strange as it may sound to some of our readers — it has no " bottom," except a slight framework of cordage or matting ; the object of this arrangement being to allow the water to rite within the boat to the level of that without, and so to secure a permanent ballast of water, which will precluded the possibility of the'vessel being capsized in a heavy lea — the great problem hitherto unsolved by the inventors of life-preserveri. By the plan thus briefly and imperfectly described, the countervailing properties of buoyance .and steadiness are perfectly secured ; the only objection that would appear to oppose itself to the efficacy of Mr. Holbrook's life-boat is the difficulty of manoeuvring a vessel of such breadth of beam ; but we understand that it is intended'to be kept on board ship, and so constructed that it may be stowed away with great facility. Another objection, that the admission of the water would not be exactly conducive to the comfort of those inside the boat, would baldly be insisted on by the most fastidious, with the alternative of an ocean grave before them. The internal arrangements are complete. They include contrivances for carrying fresh water provisions, spirits, matches, wood, and articles of wearing apparel, &c, with an apparatus for boiling coffee and broiling" meat. The boat also carries a reflecting lamp, fire balls, blua lights, a rocket with 300 feet of line, a home, and an alarm bell. It is steared by means of an oar. Additional or extra "floaters," used as bulwarks in smooth water, enclose masts, sails, and oars, which can be taken out an made use of at sea if occasion require. Altogether, the invention of Mr. Holbrook is complete ; all emergencies appear to have been provided for, and every contingency taken into consideration. It has already been appiovad by the Lords of the Admirality, the Masters of the Trinityhouse, and several eminent scientific authorities, and been tested on the Humber, off Southend, and elsewhere. Mr. Holbrook is now collecting a subscription to enable him to conopl? te a larger model of his boat, which he purposes exhibiting on the river Thames, and as he has devoted much time, labour, and money to the accomplishment of his humane object, the patronage of the public is now earnestly solicited on his behalf. — Times.

imerican 'oreign . Males. 49 54-6 10,fi97 females. 1025 954 Total. 50,571 11,652 Total 60,224 1979 02,223

Return of Pa3iengers arriving at the porf of San Francisco, from April 12th, 18-19, to April 15th, ISSO, together with the amount of tonnige and the number of ships :—

PASSENGERS.

NUMBEE OF SHIPS AND THETtt TONNAGE.

American Foreign . Number. 695 418 lonnage. 2R3,539 78,416 rotal 1118 3G1.95J