WEST COAST TIMES. THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1865.

West Coast Times, Issue 35, 24 August 1865, Page 2

WEST COAST TIMES. THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1865.

In the House of Representatives, a few days since, Mr Houghton, one of the goldfields members for the Province of Otngo, moved for a return of the wrecks which have taken place at Hokitika since the commencement of the rush. Thereupon the Nelson " Colonist" jots down a column of .remarks on the same subject, some of which are not truthful, and are, therefore, calculated to do far more harm than good. We are rejoiced to find that a member of the House of Representatives has thought it worth his while to draw the attention of the General Government to the state of our port, and we sincerely hope that this honorable gentleman's motion may lead to the appointment of the Commission which

we spoke of in a former article. Before any change for the better can be effected, it is necessary that the circumstances should all be thoroughly investigated, and Mr Houghton has taken the first step in the right direction. We wish our contemporary, the Nelson " Colonist," had commenced in a somewhat analogous manner, and set himself first to ascertain the facts before he gave judgment in so authoritative a manner, about what, it is quite evident, he knows very little. He is right, of course, in his statement that a large number of vessels have been either totally wrecked or stranded at the entrance to the Hokitika River. Everybody is aware of that part of the business without running to the Nelson " Colonist" for the information, but when he proceeds to tell us that there " must be some reason in addition to the natural dangers or" the bar, which tend

to cause all these accidents," he speaks without being able to prove his words — nay, in the face of very clearly established evidence. It is greatly to be regretted that some attempt has not been made to improve the mouth of the harbour; but that not being done it is worse than useless to endeavour to account for the wrecks by shifting the blame, if any, on to the shoul" ders of a signalman. This is what the Nelson "Colonist" does, or tries to do. The case of the Titania is taken merely as an example of what is said to be the usual method of proceeding, and in order to complete his story — to make it hang together properly, the decision of the court of enquiry into that wreck is objected to as unsatisfactory. The judges are accused of having gone dead against the facts of the case and the general feeling of the outside public. According to the Nelson " Colonist," tho wreck of the Titania and of many other vessels was caused by negligence or stupidity on the part of the signalman, a statement which we beg to dissent from in the most unqualified manner. We will quote a paragraph from our contemporary, only premising that from the tone of his remarks it seems probable that whilst writing he must have had some unfortunate master mariner at his elbow — some one who had lost his ship going into the Hokitika River regardless, very likely, of the signals flying from the flag-staff : — " It is a notorious fact that masters of some of the steam vessels which enter the port, place , so little reliance on the signals from the flagstaff, that they have resolved to disregard them altogether, preferring to trust to their own experience and acquaintance with the bar rather than depend on that which they consider erratic and untrustworthy The consequence is> that some of the steamers take the bar without any attention to the signals ; and there are numerous instances of this being done with safety and success when the signal ' bar dangerous, do not attempt it' was flying at the flagstaff." There is a good deal more nonsense of the same sort in the article, but we will not weary our readers by reprinting it. In the very case that the " Nelson Colonist " selects, it is well known to all here that the signal-man was not in fault. The vessel was steered on to the beach, many yards to the south of present channel, the captain having entered at that point on a former trip, since which time the channel had shifted. The signalman did his best to apprise him of his mistake, but without success, for he blundered on until his keel was hard and fast in the sand. We have blamed the Government for not causing enquiry to bo made as to whether, by any means, the bar can be improved ; and we object to the only safeguard that is afforded to masters of vessels entering the port being rendered of no avail by the stupid and ignorant comments of a person who never saw the place, and seems disposed to run-a-muek ot every body and every thing connected with it. So far as wo can ascertain, the code of harbor signals in use at Hokitika has been carefully prepared, and is as plain as can be reasonably desired. It has been printed and circulated, and each master of a vessel coming to the port should possess a copy, and it is his own fault if he does not. Tho signal-station is in charge of a steady careful man who understands his business, and is constantly watching the changes which tako place. He has the benefit, moreover, of the experience of the harbor master, who is a duly certificated master mariner, and has done his utmost since his appointment, to provide for tho safety of vessels frequenting the port. We do not know of any well authenticated instance of a mistake on tho part of tho harbor-master in marking out the deepest water; or on the part of the signal-man in giving tho state of the tide, the water on the bar, ox* in

directing a vessel by the arms attached to the signal staff. On the other hand, we do know one instance, at least, in which the master of a vessel outside Hokitika read wrongly a signal from Marryatt's code ; but we are certain that nine out of every ten wrecks which have occurred have been caused solely by the dangerous character of the entrance, and that neither the captains nor the signal-man, nor the harbor master have been blame-worthy. To write, therefore, what has a tendency to shake the confidence of captains in the signal arrangements of the port is foolish and wicked. Very hard up for something to say must the editor of tho Nelson "Colonist" have been before he penned the article we have been discussing. The great rush to this place which has so long been talked of is surely approtiohing. The Lady Darling brings three hundred and fifty passengers, and they are but a very small portion of those who arc anxiously waiting to come. Now that the two small tug steamers— the Yarra and Uno — have arrived, these new-comers will have a far better chance of landing speedily than they formerly would have had. The same vessels have proved themselves of great service in bringing in small craft, but they are not large enough for the requrements of the port, and in heavy weather would be useless. Until we can have the channel improved, a work, which many consider practicable, we must have a powerful boat capable of going out in almost any weather. We have before pointed out — that to spend many thousands on the road between Hokitika and Christchurch, and to leave the port — the natural point of ingress and egress — without improving the entrance, or providing a powerful tug, is folly of the very worst description.