SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 809, 6 May 1871, Page 2

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

WESTPOIiT. nioir water. This Day ... 10.57 a.m.. 11.20 p.m. Td-morrow 11.41 a.m., 0 0 p.m. Monday ... 0.25 a.m., 0.00 p.m. ARRIVALS. May s—Kennedy, s.s., Whitwoll, from Givvmouth. DEPARTURES. May S —Kennedy, s.s., VVhitwell, for Nelson. PASSENCIEU LTST. Per Kennedy, from Hokitika and Greyniouth—Mrs Cooper, Messrs Seaton, Mover, Keogti, Gnnn, Wilson, Rankin, Kobinson, and 7 for Nelson. For Kennedy, for Nelson—Messrs Storch and Irwin. TMI'OHTS. Per Kennedy, from Hokitika 1 cart, 3 bags harness, 3 colhrs, 1 tilt, Bailie and Humphrey 5 1 parcel, Patterson j 1 bag pegs, 1 parcel grindery, Simpson; 1 ease, Marris. The steamer Kennedy left Greymouth for Westport yesterday morning, arriving hero about 9 p.m. She sailed the same tido for Nelson. it appears that the p.s. Lioness was stranded on the South Spit at Hokitika on the 28th ult., while proceeding out for the purpose of sounding. Wo since learn that she was got off on Tuesday morniug. The brigantine Sarah and Mary, of Messrs Rpence Brothers line, came to an anchor in tiie Hokitika roadstead on Tuesday morning from Melbourne. As tiie torpedo has come to be regarded as one.of '. he most important agencies of harbour defence, it is worth allowing, from Sydney papers, the part played by the large experimental torpedo in the sham attack and defence exhibited by the naval and land foroes on Saturday week. The " Empire " writes : —" It remained then to fire the torpedo. This terrible instrument of modern warfaro had been sunk in mid-channel between the Heads—the position being marked by a boat, carrying a flag, which was moored over it. The signal to fire was the discharge of one gun from head-quarters, at a point near the boat ; in fact, the instructions to the gunners were tantamount to directing them t<> 'go as near as possible without touching.' This direction was obeyed with marvellous skill and discretion, and all eyes were turned upon t' e mark. Nor had they long to wait. A huge volume of water, lashed into the consistency of cream, rose a height (as it appeared from St. George's Head) of about 100 ft. in the air ; it shot upwards, appeared to hesitate a moment, fell over in an immense mas* of foam irradiated by the sun into literally 'all the colours of the rainbow.' Of the old boat not a vestige remained, save a plank or two wafted like a pith ball on the surface of a fountain." Wo see by the " Sydney Morning Herald " that the torpedo was constructed of wrought-iron boilerplate, three-eighths of an inch in thickness, cylindrical, in form, 3ft in length, and 2ft Sin in diameter. The charge consisted of of powder, and was fired fri>m Lady Bay, through about 700 yards of wire, by Mr C. E. Cracknell, the superintendent of electric telegraphs. The .firing apparatus was an ordinary magneto-electric machine, and the bursting charges in the terpedo were ignited by Abel's fuve.