THE LATE ACCIDENT IN THE HARBOR.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4970, 26 February 1877, Page 2

THE LATE ACCIDENT IN THE HARBOR.

Further particulars have been received of the catastrophe that occurred on Saturday niorning, an account of which was published in that day's issue of this paper. It appears that the steamer Taupo, which left the wharf at twenty minutes past 12 o'clock, ran into the hulk. Various opinions were expressed about this, and naturally there were many who censured Captain Carey even on the strength of the rumor. A telegram was sent to him by the agents, and a reply was received to the effect that a collision had taken place. The following Press Agency telegram received in reference to the affair will speak favorably on behalf of Captain Carey : " Captain Carey's account re the Eli Whitney is that after leaving the wharf—it blowing very hard and the night being very dark at the time—he saw the schooner's (Clio ?) lights ahead. Cleared her, and then saw the hulk, which had no lights burning, ahead. The steamer was going easy at the time, and the engines were reversed immediately to full speed astern. The Taupo touched the hulk so lightly that .the passengers standing on deck scarcely felt the shock. Carey immediately sung out to the mate and carpenter, asking whether any damage was done, and they replied, ' Not to any extent ; but to the bulwarks.' They stood by the hulk for> five minutes, all hands forward singing out at 'the top of their voices, asking whether there was any one on board; but got no reply, so steamed on. Carey was greatly Bhoeked cm hearing the result, as he had no idea of the collision being serious or tbat there were any people aboard. Everybody on the steamer was equally surprised." The following telegram has been sent to ! collectors of customs at ports whence vessels may be expected to sail for Wellington : " Warn masters of vessels sailing for Wellington that the halk Eli Whitney has sunk in the harbor. She lies about a cable's length E.N.E. from the wharf. The mainmast stands about 25ft. out of water, on which a white light will be hoisted." A mistake occurred in our report with reference to the number drowned. Davey distinctly stated that there were two children, and in reply to a question put to one of the women in the house where Davey was lying the answer was that the ages of the children were sixteen and four months respectively. It appears, however, that there was only one child, four months old. Thus there were two lives lost instead of three. Davey had been married only about eighteen months. His wife, whose maiden name was Amy Price, was only twenty years of age, having been formerly at service in the family of the Right Rev. Bishop Hadfield. Davey had furnished the cabin of the hulk, and of course had lost everything. With reference to the collision, we may state that she was built in such a way that a steamer with a straight bow running into her, the chief damage would be sustained below the water-line, as her sides fall out towards the bottom.

The Eli Whitney was an American-built barque of 540 tons, built at Boston in 1840 of pitch-pine. She was purchased by Captain Williams about six years ago from Messrs. Pickett Bros., of Melbourne, and was brought down by him to this port, where she has been used as a coal-hulk ever since. She had two powerful steam winches on board, one forward and the other aft, the two being valued at several hundred pounds. The coals on board were worth upwards of £I2OO, and the hulk herself about a like sum ; thus, as there was not a penny of insurance on either the hulk or her contents, Captain Williams is a loser to the amount of fully £3OOO. Captain Williams states that the hulk was thoroughly overhauled only three days ago by several shipwrights, who pronounced her sound in every part. ■