SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 525, 3 July 1869, Page 2

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

WEST POET. HIGH ffATEIt. This Day ... 4.24 a.m.. 4.44 p.m. To-morrow 5.8 a.m., 5.32 p.m. Monday ... 0.0 a.m., G. 20 p.m. PROJECTED DEPARTURE. Kennedy, s.s., for Nelson, this evening. All who hear of the accident to the steamer Bruce at Greymouth will hear of it with regret, on account of the trade of the coast and of her commander, but most especially on account of her new owner, Mr Harper, to ■whom the occurrence of such an accident immediately after his acquiring the boat is a greater misfortune than it might he ut any other time. It is sincerely to be hoped that the Bruce will be got oil' the strand, but, Under any circumstances, there will be delay and expense. Even for the trade of the coast, it is particularly unfortunate that the ac ideiit should have happened at this particular time. Since the withdrawal of the John I'enu, and the absence of the Charles Edward, passengers along the coast have had hut an indifferent time of it. The comforts of the Kennedy are occasionally negatived by her inahility to make great headway under "adverse circumstances." The Murray was never very pretentious in the way of passenger accommodation, though an excellent little sea-boat. And theLyttelton—excellent, useful, clumsy, stupid-looking, active, but slow-going little boat—has such a mixture of merits and demerits that nobody can say one word against her without saying ;n tlier word for her, and at that apex or base of popular estimation she remains. Of course there is the Waipara, but, however numerous her qualifications, she cannot be übiquitous, and with her at Okarito or Jaekson's Pay and the Bruce on the strand, and with the Kennedy at Hokitika, while the Lyttelton and the Murray are at Nelson, intending travellers from Greymouth or West-port have to participate in something worse than llobson's choice. There is room for improvement somehow or somewhere. Since the gale of Wednesday, the brigantine Mary has stood out to sea. She may now be hourly expected to return, and as soon as she reappears the Lioness will, no doubt, endeavor to leave Hokitika. The Murray is understood to ho now out from Nelson for some days, and the Lyttelton left for Wcstport on Thursday morning. Probably both will have arrived by the time the WeatpoH Times reaches its readers' hands this morning. The steamer Wallabi was expected to leave Wanganui for We-tport last evening. It will be seen by the telegrams that the steamer Beautiful Star, on her way to Westport, has arrived at Wellington. During the recent cruise of IT.M.S. Blanche, when under steam at full speed, the sudden alarm of " a man overboard " called every one to their stations. A boy had fallen from the fore-rigging. The life buoy was promptly let go, engines stopped and reversed, life-bo it lowered, the first lieutenant, boatswain, and the boy picked up, boat hoisted up, and ship going ahead at full speed again in nineteen minutes live seconds. This we may call smart work. Lieut. Markham and the boatswain had both jumped overboard to save the life of the youngster.

HARBOR WORKS AT WESTPORT. The following recommendations are made in the report of Sir Lowe, the lute District Engineer:— In the port of the Bailor there is a great deal requiring consideration. The pr itection of the river huiks is no doubt the first question, but that being in the hands of the Provincial Engineer, I will say nothing of it here.

Tlio harbor is, however, in my opinion, still farther threatened by the sea itself on the South Spit. This Spit is composed of sand and shingle, and is simply a bank, which encloses the tidal waters, called the Buller Lagoon. This lagoon comprises one of the chief portions of the harbor accommodation, which the West Coast of this Island can ill afford to spare. In one part of this, the sea threatens to break through. It is difficult to calculate what events might ensue, if this ■were to take place. One consequence would, I think, follow inevitably, that the bar would become shallower as the river gained more outlet, and this alone would be an incalculable mischief to the port. The breach of the sea into the lagoon would possibly sweep away the spit altogether, and the refuge for shipping in times of flood—the quiet haven for fitting and repairing vessels tiiat now exists, would be gone irretrievably. The means of preventing so great a disaster, I think are neither difficult nor expensive. The action of sea waves upon a beach is altogether different from that of a flowing river on its banks, and to be differently treated accordingly. I should propose to form groins of strong posts, sunk deep in the sand or shingle, with birch or manuka sticks and brushwood ■wattled between them ; these should run out from high water to low water marks at an inclination to the most prevalent winds, and currents in the sea. It' properly planned, these would accumulate sand and shingle, both from the sea itself and the drift of sand before the wind, which is almost equally to be looked to as a resource as the other.

Such works are not costly, and may be quickly constructed ; and their efficiency has been tested with known success on various parts of the English coast.

Some resistance will be found essential to the encroachment of the sea on the South Spit, and at a part of the north beach, nearly opposite the K »man Catholic Chapel. I consider £6OO would be ample for all need in this respect. The advantages and accommodation of the port would be immensely increased by the deepening of the channel entering into the lagoon from the river. At low water there is a bar laid dry which might be easily cut away, and by working at lowest spring tides a sufficient depth could be obtained to admit vessels drawing from eight to ten feet of water. The bar is entirely composed of shingle, and should be cleared by 50 feet wide and 3 feet deep, and perhaps the length of two or three chains.