PORT OF WELLINGNTON.

Southland Times, Issue 1054, 9 November 1868, Page 2

PORT OF WELLINGNTON.

ARBITER. Not. 7 — Airedale, s.s., for Picton. « ■

Thb Ibon Clad Fleet — Collision in Ihb Channel. — The Channel squadron left Portland on the 14th August for Ireland, and passed down the Channel off Plymonth the same night under Bail with steam up, but not steaming. The Pallas put into Plymouth for supernumeraries, and to make good defects. A strong gale blew from the south-ward, a heavy sea was running, and the night was dark, with rain squalls. At eleven p.m., when the reat of the squadron, was ten miles S.W. of the Eddystone, a serious collision occurred between the Warrior and the Royal Oak. The squadron was standing to the westward in the following order : — Starboard division — Minotaur, Bellerophon, Achilles, and Defence. Port division — Penelope, Royal Oak, and Warrior, with the distance of four cables betweet the vessels in each division. The gale increasing, a signal was made from the Admiral's ship to take in a second reef of their topsails. While the ships were so employed, the Warrior forged ahead, came up under the lee of the Royal Oak, and ran into her starboard quarter. The approach of the Warrior was seen from the Royal Oak, and the Warrior was hailed by Captain Hollyard, but the hailing was apparently not heard. The Warrior's bowsprit and cutwater carried away all the Royal Oak's starboard boats and davits, as well as four chainplates in the main-chains, cut adrift her lee mainrigging, damaged some chain-plates in the mizenchains, and loosened the lee mizen-rigging, tore away the bridge and engine-room telegraph, stove in the starboard berthing and channels, carried away one fluke of the etoro anchor, and drove the other fluke through the Royal Oak's side. The engine-room telegraph when being torn away was, by the collision, turned, to 'go ahead,' and this order being immediately obeyed from the engine-room, added to the confusion, some minutes elapsing before the machinery could he stopped. The vessels were twenty minutes in collision, and were only freed at length by the Warrior steaming ahead. The Boyal Oak went on during the night with the squadron, and through the thickness of the weather could not communicate her damages to the Admiral until the following morning. At 10 a.m. on the 15th she received orders to return to Plymouth to repair damages, arriving the same' night. She left the squadron fifty miles W.S.W, off the Lizard. The Warrior left her figure-head on board the Royal Oak, and is believed to have had her jibboom carried away, and her bowsprit damaged. She had gone on with the squadron, and will probably be required at Milford. No lives were lost, nor was anyone injured by the accident. — ' Scotsman.'