PORT OF BLUFF HARBOR.

Southland Times, Issue 1045, 26 October 1868, Page 2

PORT OF BLUFF HARBOR.

. . . ABBIVBD. Oct. 22— Kate, 46 tons, Clarke, from River ton, with oats, for transhipment to Melbourne. Ocfc-22-^-Why Not, 30 tons, O'Brien, from Biverton, in ballast ■ SAILED; Oct., .2*— Flying Scud; 12 tons, Cross, for Stewart's Island.

;she clipper barque Japan sailed from the wharf tiiis morning at daylight, bound for New- * «aatle, New South Wales, in ballast. A somewhfc remarkable eminence took place ! fct-MiuwaU, on Thursday, July 2. A large ironbttilc ship, called the Conflict, 1160 tons register, has for some time been in Messrs Carter's dry <3ock,,nnde*gtting painting and repairs, preparatory te taking out emigrants for the Government to Australia. On Thursday, at high water, preparations: were made for towing the vessel out into tbe river, and a steam-tug had a tow-rope secured to the ship for that purpose. She towed her oat about orty feet over the sills of the dockgate, when the ship showed signs of being topHeavy. She gave a great list to starboard, and aU of a sudden she capsized, and fell with, a great" crash on the side of the dock, while the yards drove through the roofs of the worksheds on the quay. Fortunately the riggers on board the Teasel escaped without injury, as also did the workpeople connected with the yard. The force with; which, the vessel came down on the edge of the quay was so great as to 6tave in some of her plates, when the vessel immediately filled with water, and settled down in the dock on her beam ends, apparently a wreck. Gangs of laborers were immediately employed to Unrig the ship of her yards and upper spare, bo as to lighten her j and' as the tide went down, workmen could get: tothe stove plates in the bilge to patch the holes tip and made the ship buoyant.- At the next flood the abip floated, and she was hauled back into the dock, where she was subsequently, by removing her ballast and strains ; put on her masts, brought upright; but it is needless to •ay that the ship is supposed to have been much attained, besides the damage to -her starboard side. s It is said that the cause .of her capsizing was^substituting 250 tons of coal instead of 200 tons of stone. The coal having been shot in formed a pyramid in the centre of the vessel, and was allowed to remain in that condition without precautions being taken, to trim it. The result was, that, when the ship commenced moving the coal shot down the starboard aidej and thus caused her to capsize. It is fortunate the casualty occurred in tfie dock ; for, had it happened in the river, the vessel would have been totally wrecked. —♦Daily Telegraph.'