SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 28, 5 August 1871, Page 10

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

aesitsd July. 30, Crest of Mie Wave, schooner, 58 tons, A. Bell, from Napier. August. 2, Buby, schooner, 24 tons, Fraser, from the Kaikouras. Passengers—Mrs Evans, Mrs Hamilton and family (2 ) 2, Lochlee, three-masted-schooner, 247 tons, Boig. from Newcastle, N.S.W. 2, Lady Bird, three-masted-schooner, 302 tons, Holm, from Newcastle, N.S.W. Passengers—Mrs Page, Master Dransfield, Master F. G-annaway. , 2, Wanganui, s.s., 164 tons, Lmklater, irom Wanganui. Passengers —Cabin: Mr * Carter, Miss Brown, Messrs Fraser, Bussell, jraimer, Coote, Comber, Spindle, Little, Drew. 3, Luna, p.s, Captain Fairchild, from the Manukau. Passengers—His Excellency Sir George Bowen, Lady Bowen, three children, and suite. SAILED. 29, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers. Passengers: Saloon— Mrs Blair and child, Mrs Laird and child, Messrs Kent, Gannaway, Baker, Wood, and nine original. 29, Phoebe, s.s., 416 tons, Worsp, for LytPort Chalmers, and the Bluff. Passengers : Cabin— Mr and Mrs Pogson, Mr W. Sigley, and eight steerage. 29, Wanganui, s.s., 164 tons, Lmklater, for Wanganui. Passengers: Cabin—Miss Wilkinson, Miss Hackett, Inspector Atcbeson, Messrs Wilson, L. Daniell, Fraser, Barr, .and one in tbe steerage. 29, Camille, barque, 400 tons, Tucker, for Newcastle, in ballast. Passengers—Mrs and Miss Kennedy. 29, Falcon, ketch, 37 tons, Morrison, for the Wairau. August. 1, Annie Melbuisli, barque, 344 tons, D. Williams, for Newcastle. 2, Amateur, schooner, 25 tons, Norgrove, for Wairau.

It was rumored last week that the s s. Lord Ashley has been sold to a Sydney company, and that she will proceed thither immediately on her arrival at Auckland. The information was brought to Lyttelton by the barque Novelty. We understand that, after having new boilers placed in her, she is to be employed in running between Sydney and Batavia. The Lord Ashley is the oldest steamer on the coast, having been one of tbe pioneer vessels of the Panama Company, and her being removed will be a source of regret to many. The cutter Cornstalk, which capsized off the Bean Bock during the recent gales, has been successfully raised and towed up to Auckland. The barque Lion arrived off Hokianga lately from New Caledonia after a smart run of five days. The Prairie, brig, from Auckland, went round to Hokianga in five days, but in consequence of the recent heavy weather she was detained outside for twelve days. The schooner Letitia was outside Hokianga on Tuesday, the 25th instant, twenty-six days out from Auckland.

"We are exceedingly glad to say that the wreck of the cutter Patea on the South Spit is not so bad as we feared when stating the fact in Thursday’s “ Chronicle.” The crew are all safe, and if the weather would moderate the larger portion of tbe cargo might also be got safe, although necessarily in a somewhat damaged condition. The vessel may be got into the river when tbe cargo is all out ; indeed, this has been partly effected already. Mr Du thie, who was a large shipper by the vessel, had men employed all night in getting out cargo.—“ Chronicle.” The steamer Omeo has been chartered for Port Darwin. One vessel is to leave Sydney with stock, and another is to sail from Brisbane. Mr Hart, the Treasurer for South Australia, after making the above arrangements, left for Adelaide. He is confident the line will be completed by the end of the year. —lbid.

The prize schooner Challenger arrived in port on Sunday morning in tow. of the Paterson, which had picked her up, dismasted, some distance to seaward. The history of her capture is as follows ; —The Challenger had been some time engaged in the Island trade, when her crew, falling out with the master, informed the British Consul that the vessel had been concerned in slaving. The Consul seized her at Ovalau, and held possession until the arrival of H.M.s Blanche, when she was handed over, and a prize crew consisting of Lieutenant Maunsell, a navigating lieutenant, sis seamen, and a marine, were put on board with orders to take the schooner to Sydney for adjudication. She left on the 10th June, and on the 4th inst, when 250 miles to the eastward of Sydney, was dismasted; in this condition she was picked up and towed for several days by the schooner Prince of Wales, but on Saturday last, during a heavy north-westerly gale, the tow rope parted ; shortly afterwards, as we have previously stated, she was found by the Paterson and towed into this port, where she now lies waiting for orders.—“ Newcastle Chronicle, 18th ult. On Saturday morning, at about half-past oeven, as the Dandenong was proceeding up the North Channel, where there is usually plenty of water for vessels of her draught, with the ebb making, and the wind blowing hard from the westward, she canted on to the Horseshoe bank, and hung there until the Prince Alfred and the Bungaree, coming to her assistance, towed her off. The Dandenong then steamed down the harbor to cant, and, returning, took up her anchorage. * The 8.8. Albion is under arrest by order of the Yice-Admiralty Court, Melbourne, in consequence of two claims against the ship, one for material supplied, and the other on behalf of the late Captain M, F. Dunn,

Mr Webb had an interview with the Government of "Victoria with reference to a subsidy for his uncle’s line of steamers from San Francisco to New Zealand. Mr Duffy said that he must consult Parliament in the matter and it would probably stipulate that Melbourneshould be tbe terminus for the steamers. —“ Newcastle Chronicle.”

The Queen of the South, barque, left Lyttelton on the 27th June. Capt. Adair reports having experienced very rough weather for the first few days of the passage, afterwards light and baffling winds. On the 10th July, when abreast, and five miles to leeward of Seringapatam, or Elizabeth reef, the wreck of a vessel of about 900 tons register was observed lying high and dry on the reef, with her head to the eastward, a list to port, and all the masts gone by the board. As the wreck had been evidently long abandoned, Captain Adair, being to leeward, did not think it worth while beating up to her. The Queen ot tbe South brings five released Fenians, who bad twenty-one dayß allowed them to leave Canterbury, and who are going on to Sydney to take passage to San Francisco. Their names are John Flood, Thomas Baines, Thomas Fennell, Edward Kelly, and John O’Neil Golding. She was towed in by the Paterson, and comes consigned to Messrs J. and A. Brown. —Ibid. The “ Greymouth Evening Star” of the 20th says :—The recent gales and unusually boisterous weather on the Coast resulted this morninc* in the wreck of the schooner Waterman. The Waterman is ieported to have left Melbourne on the 10th instant for this port, with a large and valuable cargo of merchandise. She reached the offing two days ago, but owing to the heavy surf on the bar was unable to be towed in. The tempest increasing, she was compelled to put to sea, where she weathered it with one or two other crafts until this morning, After lying at anchor some little time she was found to drag on her chain?, and before she could be got to sea the break began to make a clean breach over her, and in about half an hour the Greymouth craft was high and dry about two miles north of the Hokitika bar. As may readily be supposed, the receipt of the intelligence in Greymouth caused considerable excitement, as several of the merchants had received part invoices, _ and others had a general knowledge or suspicion that some of the cargo on board would have been shipped to their order. The schooner was the property of Mr Coates, of Greymouth. Both ship and cargo were only partially insured. No lives were lost.

The “ .Recorder,” of Halifax, Nova Scotia, gives, on good authority, a report that after the treaty is ratified by Great Britain the naval command on this station will be reduced to a commodoresliip, and Halifax will no longer be a rendezvous for war vessels. It further says that Lord John Hay, now a member of the'Admiralty, is to be the first commodore.

The latest curiosity in ship building is the new steamship Oceanic, which arrived from Liverpool at, New York on March 28th. Since tbe Great Eastern was launched nothing has been seen to rival tbe Oceanic in size. Her length is 432 feet, breadth of -beam 41 feet, depth of hold 33 feet, entire burden 6000 tons, engines 3000 horse power, and she draws, at the load line, 25 feet of water. Her four masts tower above all the shipping on the Jersey side. The decks are entirely of iron, cased above and below with wood, and she is furnished with that “ great Yankee improvement” a straight stem. The saloon is elegantly furnished and upholstered. Four large tables run the entire length, with seats cushioned in magenta colored silk velvet, and the whole saloon is resplendent with silver plating and mirrors. Two coal grates with marble mantels surmounted by delicately-fashioned bronzes, are in the aft and near the entrance doors. Between these stand the library and secretary. The ladies’ cabin, 10 by 18 feet, situated on tbe starboard side, directly aft of the saloon, is upholstered in green velvet. The smoking room —finished in buff—on the spar deck, affords from tbe window a complete view of tlie decks. Tbe state rooms have perfect ventilation, which those lying in the upper berths have it in their power to control. Each state room is furnished with eight life-preservers. An electric bell, leading to the steward’s room, is fitted to every sleeping berth. These vessels are undoubtedly the largest, handsomest, and best furnished of any now plying in the trans-Atlantic service.

About five o’clock on May 6 a collision occurred about two miles off the Tyne, resulting in the total destruction of a new steamer, the David Bui'ns. There were on board from 80 to 100 ladies and gentlemen. After proceeding about two miles, the vessel was brought to a standstill, to adjust the compasses, there being a dense fog at the time. When she had been five minutes in this position, there was suddenly seen to emerge from the mist a large screw steamer, which was bearing down on the David Burns, and in a few seconds struck the latter with a fearful crash right amidships, cleaving her to the centre of the deck. It was seen that the David Burns would sink immediately, and the people were hurried on board the oilier steamer, which proved to be the Earl Percy, plying between London and Newcastle. A cry was then raised that this vessel would sink with the weight of the David Burns dragging upon her, and then another lamentable scene ensued: but fortunately at this moment a tug steamer made its appearance, and the people re-embarked on board her. In four minutes the David Burns went down stern first. The David Burns was built at Sunderland, and belonged to Mr Hindhaugh, of Newcastle. She was 1200 tons, and valued at £15,000, and was insured by her owner at noon on May 6 for the full amount. She was out for her trial trip when the disaster happened. The clipper ship Thermopylae arrived at Shanghai on May 10, after a good passage of 41 days from Newcastle, N.S.W.

A case has been heard before tbe Admirality Court Melbourne, in which four seamen of the ship Bichard Busteed preferred a claim for wages. The defence was that the men had been insurbordinate and insolent to their officers, and also that the contract had not been fulfilled. The men had shipped on a voyage from Boston to Melbourne and back, or other port of discharge, and it was contended that they had broken their contract, and were not entitled to recover, as they remained in Melbourne. The judge adopted this view of the case, and dismissed the suit, with the costs. The contract for dismantling the Cerberus, which was taken by Mr James Deane, has been satisfactorily completed, and the vessel is now taking in coal preparatory to her trial trip, which was to take place on the 15th July. Three vessels have just left the Clyde bound for San Francisco, upon which considerable interest is being centered as to the result of their respective voyages. The first of these is the ship Glen Sennox, 1581 tons register, Captain Jenkinson, which sailed from Ardrossan on Friday, and was left off Bengore Head on Saturday morning by the tug steamer. The Glen Sennox is a magnificent vessel, built towards the end of 1869 by Boyden & Co, Liverpool, and is owned at that port by Messrs Johnston & Co. The second ship is the Africa, 1444 tons, Captain Poe, which sailed from Glasgow on Saturday forenoon, and proceeded direct to sea in tow of the Clyde Shipping Company’s tug Flying Meteor. The Africa was built last year by Messrs Connell & Co. Glasgow, and is owned in this city by Mr J. H. Watt. The third vessel is the well-known ship Dunfillan, 853 tons, Captain Gamble, owned in Glasgow by Messrs W. Boss & Co, and built by Messrs Aitken & Mansell in 1808. She also left the Broomielaw on Saturday, shortly after the Africa, and likewise proceeded direct to sea in tow of the Glasgow and Greenock Company’s tug steamer Vanguard. The two first-named vessels are laden with coal, while the Dunfillan has a general cargo. The sailing merits of the respective ships, it is expected, will be fully tested, and considerable speculation has already taken place in the result. —“ Glasgow Herald.” A new monitor for the Danubian flotilla, built at the expense of tbe Austro-Hungarian government, was launched at Pesth on the 17th instawt. It is 164 feet long, 28 wide, 6 deep, and draws about 3| feet of water. The engine of 80 horse power, turns a double screw-. The monitor will be provided with two rifled twenty-four pounders, a rotating turret, plated with iron inches thick, and special turrets for the captain and steersman.

MOEE GREAT GUNS FOR THE NAVY. On February 25th was completed, at the proof butts of the Royal Arsenal,' the proof of six 25 ton guns of llin bore, the only guns of that calibre at present in the service. They were manufactured at the Royal Arsenal some time back, and are now ordered to be brought forward for trial with all convenient speed. The guns have been tried with varying charges up to 87#lb of powder and with 6001 b shot, the proof cartridge being, as usual, onefifth more than the service charge, which, for this gun, is 601 b. In appearance they are nearly as large as, and not unlike, the 35-ton gun (the “ Woolwich infant”) which still lies in front of the proof butt, the principal difference being in the outer coil or jacket, which is much stouter in the case of the heavier gun, and covers more of the inner tube. Tbe bore of tbe 35-ton gun is Him in diameter, only half an inch more than these guns, which are 10 ton less in weight, but the additional halfinch allows of the charge being increased to 1501 b, and the projectile to 7001 b, and renders the big gun theoretically capable of throwing a shell of that weight about six miles. The 11-inch guns are built on tbe Woolwich principle, the system now universally adopted at, the gun factories for guns of all sizes. Between thirty and forty 10-inch guns, each weighing 18 tons, are lying near the New Pier Royal Arsenal, ready for shipment, some for land service at various stations, and some for mounting on board ironclad vessels. Ten more of tbe 35-ton guns are to be manufactured with all speed, the first having been already commenced. They will be used in the navy, and will probably be first used in the three large breast monitors now building. Two of these ships, the Thunderer and Devastation, are of 4400 tons burden, and the other, the Fury, of 5000 tons burden. Each vessel is to carry four of the 35-ton guns in two turrets, two guns being placed side by side in each turret.

THE LOSS OE THE WILLIAM 111. (From the Times ) The burnt-out hull of the iron built screw steamship William 111., which vessel was destroyed on May 21, arrived at Spithead, and was afterwards placed on the shoals off the entrance to Portsmouth Harboi’, and scuttled there, to extinguish the fire which was still raging in the unburnt residue of the coal forward of the engine room. The fire broke out in sight of land on a beautifully calm night; other vessels were near at hand to render help, and every man, woman, and child on board found a secure means of escape from the burning ship. One gentleman and lady who were passengers on board, Germans, have recently been married, and were on their way to Batavia to there, taking with them all they possessed in the form of general stock to open a store there, to the value of £ISOO. All this was lost, and was most unfortunately for them uninsured.

once kept away before it for the position where the signals were seen, the pilot’s usual answering flare signal being at the same time made, and kept repeated in answer. The cutter making but little way with the light wind, the boat was put ahead and manned by two of the crew, who towed the cutter for upwards of an hour, and until they reached the spot from where the signals had been made, and where for some time now the cutter’s crew had seen that a large ship was burning furiously from stem to stern. Several lights were seen around the ship, and these proved to be lanterns in the ship’s boots, which were lying off from the ship, with all the passengers and part of the crew in them.

Mr Coote, the pilot of the Mary, states that about 10 p.m. on Friday, the Owers lightship then bearing N.E. about eight miles distant from the cutter, white red and blue lights, burnt in rapid succession, evidently as signals of distress from some ship, were seen to the southward. The wind was very light at the tim© from the N.W., but the cutter was at

Upon inquiry from the passengers the burning vessel was bound to be the William 111., from the port of Amsterdam bound to Batavia via the Suez Canal, the pioneer of a new line of steamships started under contract with the Government of the Netherlands to open regular steam communication between Holland and Java. She was of 3000 tons measurement, and bad but quite recently been handed over to the company by her builders, the Messrs Elder, of Glasgow. The Cambria, London steam tug, which ran down to the William 111. from the look-out station off St. Catherine’s Point, took the unfortunate vessel in tow. and arrived with her at Spithead. Port Admiral Sir James Hope was soon alongside the William 111., and superintending energetically the measures being taken for the suppression of the fire. The fire is not; yet entirely extinguished, notwithstanding the continued wash of water through the iron hull of the ship, the remainder of the great mass of coals carried by tlio ship still retaining a “ heart of fire” under the wreck above.

As the ship lies now on the Spit shoals she presents a most extraordinary appearance. Her iron sides above the water lino are bent out of all their original lines by the intense heat to which they have been subjected. On board the general view is still more extraordinary. All, forward and aft, from the stem to the taffrail rail, is one confused forest of tangled iron. Everything combustible is burned right out; the iron deck beams are twisted out of their places, broken, and bent downwards as from some vast volcanic effect.

The fire appears to have been first discovered on board the ship in one of the state cabins. A child is said to have first seen flames, and some other person found smoke in a large volume between decks. A hole was cut through the timber planking of the deck over the state room, and water in large quantities poured down ; but from the moment of discovery the fire kept the mastery, and spread with astonishing rapidity through all parts of the ship. Some of the passengers speak of “ pipes” connected with the engine room passing through one of the state rooms uncovered, and giving out great heat, and pointing to this by inference as the cause of the fire. This, however, cannot be accepted as anything more than mere surmise. The actual cause of the fire and the ship’s loss can only be arrived at from the results of the usual official enquiry. —'“ Times.”