Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening GISBORNE : WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1852.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1202, 15 November 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening GISBORNE : WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1852.

The mysterious foundering of the Orient steamer Austral at her anchors in Sydney harbor is creating much query and excitement in New Zealand. Up to the present time we are in absolute ignorance of the circumstances. The Austral was a new ship of about 5,800 tons, built and furnished in the newest and most approved style, and had, not without reason, been pronounced by competent judges, through the medium of the English Press, to be “the ship of the day.” Her commander, Capt. Murdoch, bears the very highest of characters and professional reputation. His officers are all men of ability and tried character ; the chief engineer bearing an exceptionally high character in his particular department, while no officer from chief to fifth, is accepted unless he bears an ocean going master’s certificate, This magnificent vessel is laying at her anchors, with two colliers alongside, in a small and well-sheltered bay on the North Shore of Sydney harbor, when, at about 4 o’clock in the morning, she •uddenly fills and sinks in 45 feet of water. The cause of her so doing has yet to be ascertained. It has been stated she had a heavy list to starboard, and that list brought her ports under water. We don’t believe that, because her ports are far too high out of the water for any list, except a “ heaving down” one, to bring them on a level with the water, in such a place as she was laying. Again it is stated that some valve had been left open. This we doubt, for we only know’ of two valves which could affect her, and had they been open she would have gone down the night previous, and again the fact of those valves being open, had such in reality been the case, would very speedily make itself known by the noise the water rushing in would make. Is it possible that she could have started a plate ? Such things have happened before and we suppose will happen again. As the matter conies before us at present we are totally at a loss what to think. Divers will doubtless ere long discover something that will throw a light upon a matter which at present appears to us inexplicable. Remembering the loss of the Union Company’s magnificent steamer America whose screw-shaft carried away and opened up her stern frame by the fan wrenching the bearings out, we can hardly think anything impossible. A flaw in iron may remain undetected for many voyages, but surely it will show sooner or later and perhaps |at the very most unpropitious place and moment. True, the America was steaming fast in mid-ocean, but the flaw existed nevertheless and that in the, apparently, most powerful piece of iron aboard her. Had an equivalent flaw been present in a plate or a waste pipe of the Austral identical consequences might very easily have arisn. At any rate we do not’think that as yet we know the real cause of this serious disaster to one of the most magnificent steamers sailing ©ut of England. We look anxiously for the result of the necessary enquiry.