SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 592, 11 December 1869, Page 2

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

WBSTPOBT. HIGH WATER. Hiig Day ... 3.37 a.m., 4.0 p.m. To-morrow 4.24 a.m., 4.48 p.m. Monday ... 5.18 a.m., 5.42 p.m. ARRIVALS. Dec. 9—Murray, s.s., from Greymouth. Dec. 10 —Lyttelton, ps., from Greymouth DEPARTURES. Dec. 9—Murray, s.s., for Nelson. Dec. 10—Lyttelton, p.s., for Nelson.

Captain M'Donald, of the cutter Satellite, reports a serious accident oceuring on board his vessel prior to his sailing from Mohuka for Greymouth. One of the hands was ordered to the mast-head 1o scrape it, and warned as to making his footing secure, which he said v.as all right. The poor fellow had, however, scarcely commenced his work, when he fell on the deck, shattering one of his arms and frightfully bruising one of his sides. As the schooner Three Sisters was passing at the time on her way tj Nelson, the unfortunate man was put on board other and conveyed to the Kelson Hospital. The steamship Great Britain sailed from Melbourne on Nov. 25th witli a full complement of passengers. John Dunn, the comedian, and Captain Kerr, of the ship Victoria Tower, were among the passengers. She had 24,000 ounces of gold. Alfred Chason, tmder-steward of the steamer Hero, has committed suicide at Melbourne.

The wreck of the schooner Creole, bound from Launceston to Invercargill, supposed to have been lost off Waterhouse five years aero, is being washed up on the north coast of Tasmania, between Waterhouse and Bridport. At Quecnscliif a seaman named E. Wilson, suffering from delirium tremens, jumped overboard from the baraue Elizabeth, at half-past two on the morning of the 19th, and was drowned.

A daring piratical attempt was made on the barque Atenrade off Macao, and the captain and second officer were wounded, and one of crew was killed.

On September 23, Messrs Seott and Co. launched from their yard at Cartsdyke, on the Clyde, an iroa ship of 10;'0 tons register, intended to form one. of Messrs P. Henderson and Co.'3 line of Clyde and New Zealand packets. The ship was named Christian M'Ausland. A new process of launching of this vessel was adopted, an ingenious contrivance, by which the cutting of a c rd frees the dogshores, so that the lady officiating not. only names the ship, but actually does all that is necessary to put the ship into the water.

The ship Commodoie Perry, the loss of which by fire and explosion has already been reported, entered Bombay harbor on October 28th. The cargo was discovered to be on fire August 24, and the hatches wore battened down on the 27th. The fire continued to increase, and the men were unable to live in the forecastle, and could scarcely go belovr. The steward, who was in the cabin at the time of the explosion, was suffocated. Another of the crew was a good deal injured by the explosion, one of the hat clips being driven on him, and severely hurting his arm. After the explosion the ship was anchored near the inner light-ship, and, Captain Black obtaining assir.t.in,./'. the burning shin wa3 subsequently run before the wind into shallow water, ana llien scuttled, but with little avail, and she was burned down to the water's edge and totally lest.

The loss of the Red Jacket, laden with coal for iioir.hay, from Cardiff, seems certain. It has already been stated that, at Exmouth, tlicre was thrown up a quantity of wreck including the quarter-board of a "ship, with the letters " Eed Jacket " painted on it, and also a portion of the poop of a large ship. Part of a poop, piece of a topgallant rail, and a black name-board in gilt letters cut out Red Jacket, were washed ashore at Weymouth, October 1. All on board are supposed to have been lost.

Cheat Destruction ov Shipping.—A most disastrous fire, caused by the explosion o! petroleum in a lighter, occurred at Bordeaux on September 28. The flames spreading rapidly, fanned liy a severe hurricane from the south, caught the vessels in the river, seventeen of which were destroyed and seven others injured. Two men fell into the water, one of whom was drowned. The scene at Bordeaux is thus described by an eye-witness: —" The spectacle of the fire was truly infernal. A mas 3of Greek fire, driven by the rising tide, sought out the ships at anchor, attacked their flanks, mounted their cordage, burned their rigging, and tumbled their mast? with a fearful crash. The river was crowded with steamers trying to tug away the flaming Vessels, and this scene was enacted on a dark night to the melancholy sound of tho tocsin, and in presence of 100,000 spectators. From timo to time heartrending cries were heard uttered by men who whilst trying to save some ship had been overtaken by the fire, and had plunged into the water, where the flames still pursued them as in Dante's hell." Another tremendous fire broke out at Bordeaux on October 5, in the ship-building yards near the harbor.