THE CITY OF CASHMERE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2772, 10 February 1882, Page 2

THE CITY OF CASHMERE.

The purchasers of the hull of the City of Cashmere have had very bad luck with their venture, and a chapter of accidents has apparently been wound up with a final disaster. Since the day on which they came into possession, the sea his very rarely been calm enough to permit of anchors being properly laid for bolding .her against the seas, and the operations of the launching crew have been thereby impeded. On one of the most favorable days a hitch occurred between the owners and the Harbor Board officials, which caused an avoidable delay, but so far as we have ascertained of no great duration. Meantime the surf has been helping the work in the most friendly way by scouring away the shingle on the seaward side of the vessel, and to such an extent was this natural operation carried that there was nine feet of water alongside yesterday. A very little more fixing of apparatus, and she might have been slewed at high water so that her head would have divided the seas, and the work of hauling her off could have been commenced. Yesterday, however, a moderately heavy swell set in and the waves lifting the vessel, she slid down the beach into the trough excavated by the scour. During the night the swell inrceased, and thd vessel sunk still further, unfortunately turning over more and padre on Ker broadside as she went. ~ This morning she was lying , so far in the water, and also so much on her side, that the wave's broke at her deck line, and mast soon damage her deck. Daring the night the hull. was lifted by the waves and pounded down on the beach so violently that the vibrations set up in her were heard in Timaru like the firing of guns, and an imperfect examination at high water in the morning showed that stoat as her planks andframing are they had proved unequal to the strain, and wpre giving way at several points. Her position and condition have so much altered for the worse, that her proprietors, we understand, have now given up, all hopes of getting her off. This 'ivill mean a considerable loss to them, for in addition to the price paid for, her—£2s0 —a mere old . song ,i| they had succeeded in floating hbr they have spent a good deal on labor : and appliances and have also lost an iron surf-boat which they had hired from the Harbor Board to carry out anchors and chains, and for which they agreed to j pay £l5O in the event of its loss. This I boat was sunk ; some time' during;! the* evening, and it 'would seem to ,be?'a matter of'impossibility to recover it. It, is no use crying pver spilt milk, but now [that the 'attempt to launch .the veasql, has ended, in failure ,pne cannot help regretting that, for the credit of the port, which they profess to be so jealous., bf, the Harbor Board did not , offer to render assistance to the enterprising few who undertook the task. It would have been worth risking the loss of a few hundreds to have given assistance in any endeavor to remove whit threatened, and now again threatens, to to bean eyesore for years. The unfor-H tunate officials have come in for a shard *

of blame in connection with this matter/* but unfairly. They were never endowed ' with discretionary power to act in such cases, no doubt for the very 1 sufficient;; reason that occasion had' neve? 1 ' suggested that such' power should be given them, ‘ The history of the loss of the vessel, now presumably total, has been from first to last a ,chapter of .small accidents, whose acdumulatibg : force has brought about a disaster as complete as the most tremendous storm could have done., f