THE WRECK OF THE MOUNT ALEXANDER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 318, 26 December 1862, Page 4

THE WRECK OF THE MOUNT ALEXANDER.

The following* official report upon, the. wreck of the schooner Mount Alexander, at the mouth of the Clutha River, is published in the Gazette of Wednesday:—

Harbor Office, Port Chalmers, 20th December, 1862. To the Provincial Secretary.

Sir, —I have the'honor to furnish a report for the information of his Honor the •Superintendent relative to the wreck of the schooner "Mount Alexander" at the mouth of'tlie Clufcha lliver.

On enquiry I find that on the morning of the Uth instant the aforementioned vessel came in over the Bur all right, when abreast of the inner point of the sandspit, the wind failing- a little, and the fresh being very strong 1, the vessel was at a standstill. The Signal Master, seeing that there was a confused hurrying- ahout tie deck, feared that attention would not he paid to the signals, immediately ran down on to the beach, and gave orders how to steer, too late, however, to save the vessel irom taking- the ground on the south side of the river, where she lay until the following tide, floated off at high water, and andiored in mid-channel.' On the following day, vthe wind blowing frosh from the N.E., the vessel was again get under weigh, and before being clear of the narrows, the wind*suddenly shifted to the S.W., taking the sails all aback. Under such circumstances the anchor should have been let go at the moment, which not having been done, the vessel drifted on to the snndspit. About midnight the vessel was abandoned, the master and crew deeming it unsafe to remain on board, the sea was breaking over the deck. On the morning of the 11th inst., the Signal Master, Mr. Woods, owner of the vessel, and part of the crevV, went on board, and landed two horses that were upon deck, and which was done in safety. At this time there was about three feet of water in the hold; the square sails were all set, with a view to shoot the vessel off the spit at high water;' in^the meantime all hands went on shore. A little before high water the Master of the Steamer Planet and the Signal Master, fully expecting that the vessel would float off, were desirous to £'0 on board, and offered their services, but were refused the use of the boat, and the crew would not volunteer their services. There not being another suitable boat at the place, and no seamen available, nothing could be done. As expected, the vessel floated oft and ran across the channel, grounding abreast of the Signal • Master's house, on the south side of the channel. Being past high water, any further effort to get the vessel afloat was useless. The following tide the vessel was full of water; the crew employed at low water discharging cargo. The vessel is strained about tha top-sides, and part of the bottom planking I believe to be started. Can be hauled up where she now lays, repaired, and launched in safety. It would appear to me that the grounding of the " Mount Alexander" schooner, in the first instance, was owing to the master losing all presence of mind, thereby unable to manoeuvre his vessel in the narrow waters and strong current, in the second instance the same want of selfpossession to decide at the moment that the anchor should have been let go. In the matter of the refusal of the boat, not encouraging the crew, and not going on board himself to save the horses, I consider that the Master did not do his duty. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, Wm. Thomson, Harbor -Master.