HEAVY FLOODS, LOSS OF THE BRIG ORAIGIEVAR, AND SCHOONERS DOLPHIN AND SARAH.

West Coast Times, Issue 66, 4 November 1865, Page 2

HEAVY FLOODS, LOSS OF THE BRIG ORAIGIEVAR, AND SCHOONERS DOLPHIN AND SARAH.

Never sinco tho settlement of nokitika have wo been visited by such a flood as tho ono which rolled down tho on river Friday: and tho destruction it has caused amongst tho shipping, and tho inconveninnco and excessive ditcomfort it has entailed upon tho residents in Gibson's quay, Sowoll street, and Weld street, havo been commensurato withVils volumo. Moveovor, it is our tad duty to record tho lc-s o f one lifo, and very considerable fcara nro entertained that others havo beon sacrificed as well. Tho torronts of raiii which fell from midday on Thursday up to day .break on Friday morning prepared us to expect a heavy freshet in the river, but wo certainly did not expect such a vast rush of water as mot our gaze gaze when wo visited tho wharf at eight o'clock. From bush to bush on cither side nothing was to bo seen but a turbulent mass of {discolored wator, its surface covered with snags and heaps of bush wood, and quite on a levoi with tho highest part of the wharf, making its way with headlong rapidity to tho sea, causing tho many vessels discharging at Gibson's quay to quiver from truck to keel through tho unusual Btrain upon their moorings, neccsaitatiug tho utmost caro on tho part of their crews to prevent them breaking adrift. Tho first intelligence of any import that wo heard was to the effect that- two schooners, tho Dolphin and Sarah, which tho night previous wo had scon safely lying at tho loworend of the quay, had, during tho night, but at what hour no man can tell been torn from their lastonings and swept ovor tho bar. At first it was roported that neither had beon seen or heard of sinco ; but this, however, was incorrect, one, the Dolphin, having been scon to go ashoro on the beach, just nt tho back of tho Shakspcaro Hotel, in Revel -street, at about 6 am , whore in half-an-hour sho was reduced to a heap of indistinguishable wreck. Nover, in our calondor of wrecks, was tho destruction of that, which but a few hours before was a sightly vessel, so speedily and so effectually accomplished, for sho was literally torn pl.ink from plank ; her stem, ribs, timbers, lying in v chaolio mas 3, mingled with tangled cordage, broken spars, and bulwarks. In this instanco at least tho loss is indeed a total ono, Her sister in misforluno, tho Sarah, has not beon seen, and it is impossiblo to tell whether sho broke up on tho South spit in crossing it, or washed up on tho beach to tho South or North. Much nnxioty is felt, for it was well known that ono man at least was on board of her, and for aught wo can tell ho may have bad companions. However, gono sho is, and wo fear tho worst has hnpponod . Wo wish this was tho oxtont of tho disasters wo liavoto chronicle, but unfortunately another, a much larger vessel than either of tho othors, lias wo very much fear sailed her lrfst voyage. Wo allude to tho brig Oraigovar that during tho past fortnight has beon lying in tho river, nearly abreast tho flagstaff whore nhe discharged her cargo, took in ballast, and on Thursday night, being all but icady for sea tho Lioness towed hor into tho lagoon, whoro sho would be more out of iho way, and also more handy to piok up quickly when tho day of^sailing came. In this instance, unfortunatoly, it camo sooner than was expected, for at daylight on Friduy morning tho unfortunate Craigievnr was scon, with both anchors ahead, unable to withstand tho irresistible foroo of tho ourront, slowly dragging on to tho south spit. Sho soon Btruck, and for fome hours rolled helplessly on tho sand, gradually working nearer and nearor to tho edgo of tho bank. At last about nino o'clock, sovoral heavy rollers having moved her considerably, causing hor to nearly dip her yardarms in tho water, she washed clear of tho spit, and, catching the full force of the frcshot, was' carried ovor the bar into deop water, where, both anchors holding for a time, sho remained, although it was ovident to those on shoro that hor fate was sealed if sho conld wot succeed^ in gotting still furthor off shoro. So apparently thought thoso on board of hor, for ono anchor waß hovo up aud tho other olmiu slippods in" hopes that tho trotnendous current would havo powor to overcome tho sot of tho surf, and carry hor so far out that sho would be nblo for n timo at least to anchor in comparative safoty. Tho current, howover, ran too closely to tho shoro gradually weakening as it spread, and whon fsho was abreast of tho slaughter yards the surf obtained tho mastery, and tho unfortunato Craigiovar was tossed like a nut shell on tho beach, and in half an lioiu lay nearly high and dry. An itnmonso crowd nssomblcd to witness tho catastrophe, and somo rathor amusing opisodes took placo through an occasional roller causing thorn to scatter in all directions. Part of the crowd, however, wore so closoly packed as to rendor retteat suficionlly rapid to escapo tho coining wavo impossible, and consoquontly tho foremost rank recoived a ducking, for which they wero anything but thankful,if wo may nssuino so much from tho expressions mudo uso of by not a fow of tho unlucky onos. To say it is impossiblo to launch tho Ornigiovnr into tho rivor again would bo incorrect, but to do so tho oxpen.se would bo onormous, and considorinig the sovoro shaking sho has recoived it is questionable whether it would jbo advisablo to wusto lnonoy in suoh an undertaking, The only wondor is, that sho did not breakup, and hor strength must bo great indeed to have enabled hor to withstand fciich a fonrful trial, tho surf that washed her up boing tho heaviest wo lmvo Boon hero. Truly hor carcor ha 3 beon an unlucky ono ; airtl fato seems to havo determined that sho should nftor nil leavo ho bones hero. Tho flood, which had been steadily rising all tho morning, at ten o'clock may be wild to lmvo culminated, although for a couple of hours afterwards its decrcMSO wns hardly perceptible, and

tho consequence was, the greatest difficulty was experienced in getting along the footpath on Gibson's Quay. At ono timo a boat was plying backwards and forwards, and certainly there was water enough to havo floated a moderate-sized cutter. All tho houses in that locality (Sewell and Tancred streets,) wero flooded, in somo instances to tho depth of two and three feet on tho ground floors. Not a few of tho storekeepers have been loosers to somo extent through the water reaching their stored goods. Mr. Eagear, the contractor, has also, wo aro sorry to say, suffered considerably, having lost an immense amount of plant and timber, which was carried away during the night. We hear that two hundred pounds will hardly cover bis losses. The heaviest loss, however, has fallen upon tho owner of tho two schooners ; they constituted all his property, nearly every shilling ho possessed was invested in them,- and thoir wreck has entailed a loss upon him that ho will not easily recover. Tho grentest commiseration is felt for him by all ; and what renders his loss tho moro aggravating is tho fact that ho had but just succeeded in launching the Dolphin across tho spit into the river, she having been cast ashoro once before Last night the flood had considerably abated, but some timo will clapso ere portions of the town will bo thoroughly droinod of tho water deposited by it. Wo hope it will bo long ere such another takes placo, and that tho warning this one baa given us will inducotho Government to set about extending the Wharf both up and down the river, and by a judicious expenditure of capital strivo to prcservo tho town from such inundations. A succession of such floods would, in the present state of tho river-bank, seriously enclanger its sifety, and no timo should be lost in remedying such a disgraceful state of things.