HOKITIKA DISASTERS.

West Coast Times, Issue 73, 21 November 1865, Page 2

HOKITIKA DISASTERS.

• (From the "Australian Maritime Register," Nov. 1,) The wreck' intelligence from the West Coast of ' the past fortnight is of so*' serious ■ a character, " that it is impossible thht we "can pass it over in ■silence. No less (ban three steamers have gone ■ 'dii shore, and of these one is a hopeless wreak, nnd the launching of the remaining two is a matter of questionable success, which, if nccom- ■ plished, can only be done at heavy "dost. We say nothing of the wreck of a valuable schooner on Ilokilika spit, beeiiuge, unfortunately, deplorable as such an accident may be, it is of too 1 Common an occurrence to nee"d any spec'ial'comment. We shall first direct attention to tho wreck of -the -Nelson, at the 'Grey. Here was a vessel •tuilt specially for entering such harbbrs as'tbose of the West Coast; of light draught of water, an acknowledged j^ood sea boat," pdsf essing plenty of power, and having, it was thought every requirement to run successfully in the Weat Coast trade. Vet this vessel, on her very first trip, after eostins wo do not know how large a Bum in launch* ing her from the spit at Hokitika and rendering ber again fit for sea, is. driven on shore at the Grey when leaving the river, and having nothing 'on board but her coals, she must have been in 'good sailing trim. 'As far as we can make the ' circumstances out, the Nelson crossed the Grey 'bar In ''the face of "a heavy sea, but not heavier than those the Wallaby and Lyttelton havo 6ometime3 faced. . She is said to have touched the ground with her heel, and ns the vessel was light, she roust therefore have been out of the channel. . This slight accident 'was the cause of all the mischief that followed. By losing way, her head could not be kept against ' \he seas which rolled in heavily ; and being driven towards the shore, sho of course caught the seas on her .broadside, and although quickly got afloat again, had lost her steerage and become so unmanageable that- she drifted on to the beach outside 'the bar. To what are wo to attribute this accident ? Captain Walker is a steady and able coasting waster, but has had little experience with fteamers. No blame is said to ittach to him. Is there anything faulty about tho vessel, to account for the accideiit Occurring? Being a paddle-wheel vessel, she 'is condemned, by spine on that account, some people assorting that nothing but a screw will do for these bar W--Hour*. Then tho floats of the Nelson are said to be faulty— they are too close together. Now, it aeeras to us the explanation of the disaster is plain enough. The moment the vessel was catiglit by the heel, and her head slewed towards the shore, •her fate was sealed, and wo "question whether screw or paddles mattered in the least, as with the seas which broke acVoss her, it must have been next to impossible for men to have stood ' steady at the wheel. How the Nelson got out, of the channel, so as to touch on thefepit, wo haVe not been told. All we know is, that a fino new vessel, which cost upwards of LBOOO, now lies on the beach, to the northward of the Grey bar, and if not speedily got out of her peHldus position will be buried in sand and mud. The wreck of tbo tug steamer Saofson at Hokitika, two days after the Nelson went on 'shore at tho Grey, is much moro easily explained. This vessel draws six feet nnd n-half of water, nnd whatever may have been her other qualities, «bo was a of too great draught for the service sho was engaged in. The present channel at Hokitika hay a low bank in its centre, which vessels of more than usual draught, entering or 'leaving tho river, cannot pass ovor. On this bank tho. William Miskin grounded on tho preceding Wednesday, when leaving Hokitika for Bruce Bay, and remained fast until Friday, when the Eleanor having lightened her of her coal, tiho cimo off. On either &ide, the channel is deop, but narrow, and ns it is always shifting, the Samson may have mistaken its true position, and gottoonpar the north spit; or, perhaps, ■caught suddenly by the strong fresh, she yielded tJigbtly to it. and by that means got out of her proper course. From her heavy draught, the Sattuion has been considered a doomed vessel by those who know tho charaoter of the baY at Hokitika from the moment she sailed for the West Coast. But so little did bur ownere understand tho dangers into which >lhey were runninjj, that they gave L 5.000 for tbe vessel specially to j>end her to Hokitika 6n)y two or three weeks ago, and have not a penny of insurance on her ; and now sho lies on the spit, with her back broken, and only realised L 277 ss, The Yurra steamer wo bavo also heard de' scribed as scarcely suiicd for tho service, drawing as she docs >oo much wntor. Wi h a few exceptions, the steamers used in the West. Coast trade both for lightering and tug Fervieo are not prop»rly adapted for tho woik. A maximum draught of live feet ii nd a half is the greale.st a. steamer should )cavt>, intended t> outer mush rivers us Hokifeiku and the Grey. If it lie worth while to pay high prices to send unsuitable vessels to the WcstXtouut to lie lost, it must surely be worth while Hgfruild Miituble one; that will be likely to perform; what 'Is rurjtiirid. ''■