South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), Tuesday 9 September 1856, page 2


GALES ON THE COAST.

It will be seen from a communication in another part of this day's impression that the two coasting vessels, Lapwing and Swordfish, broke away from their moorings at Port Elliot,

and ran ashore on Saturday morning last. It was hoped that the Swordfish would be got afloat again ; but no hopes were entertained of saving the Lapwing. The cargo of the Sword-fish, it was expected, would be saved. The most melancholy circumstance connected with this business is, that two men belonging to the Lapwing were lost in an attempt to regain their vessel after it was abandoned. The news of the disaster was known in Ade-laide at an early hour yesterday morning, and occasioned no small degree of interest in mer-cantile circles. As the question involves not only the general safety of the harbour of Port Elliot, but the security or otherwise of the Government moorings, the circumstance of the stranding of these vessels has given rise to an amount of discussion much greater than the mere loss of the ships themselves would have excited. It will be seen from an extract from a letter published elsewhere that the Govern-ment moorings are specifically condemned as having been totally insecure for the purposes to which they are applied. If the report be correct the circumstance is very greatly to be deplored, inasmuch as it has led not only to loss of property, and to the needless depreciation of the character of the harbour, but also to loss of life. Should it be proved that the moorings were insecure the Government will certainly be open to censure, because the Murray River Navigation Company have, more than once, corresponded with the Govemment on the subject of the ground- tackle laid down in the harbour of Port Elliot, but the Government would never admit that the moorings were in any respect insecure. We thus refer to the report, because it has been publicly asserted that the Lapwing and Swordfish have been driven ashore in con-sequence of their too great confidence in Government moorings. It is due, however, to the Government to state that at present there is nothing beyond assertion — assertion which may, indeed, prove to be per-fectly true, but the correctness of which has yet to be shown. Of course there will be an official investigation into the causes of these and other recent mishaps at Port Elliot, and we hope that every circumstance connected with the wrecks that have lately occurred may be sifted to the bottom. Until then it would be unfair to pronounce an opinion. But, on any showing, the affair is most disastrous and unfortunate ; and it deeply concerns the colony to ascertain as speedily as possible how far these wrecks are due to the unavoidable exposure of the harbour, and how far to the insufficiency or the insecurity of the public works. PEESE5TATIO-' of Piate.— Yesterday afternoon ths proprietors of the Hes'ttter and Observer newsi.aperg iuvited Jlr. Forstcr. the manager of these j.iuriulsi to lunch at the 1,'apoleon Bonapatte Hotel, where they presented him with, a handsome tea and coffee service, salver, &c. The plats is elaborately chased and has been very beautifully engraven by Mr. Ri\ne of KiuifAViliinui-etrcer.with 3Ir. 1'orster'a crast and cypher. In the. centre of the salver is an appropriate inscription, inclndiny the names of 21r. 1 orstcr's fellow-proprietors, and setting forth that the testimoui.il was presented ' as a token of sincere personal esteem, and to mark theii nigh sense of his honour, talent, and independence.' Yictoeia Teeatee.— Last evening a very fuU house witnessed the performance^ Snukspcan/s celebrated tragedy of ?' .Macbeth,' m which jlrs. Th-rk-s Poole ablv sustained the diiBcult character of toly Macfrth, an'd Mr. H. X. Warner that of the bloodstained usurper, the actin- of both bein;r most skhtul anl impressive. The subordinate parts .were: also well sustained. The farca wa3 ' Lo7e. m Humble h-de. Eoads is the Pakk La-t-s.— A correspond-ufca'Is attention to the road wlskh is b.toj fenced on the Eastern Park Lands by order oftteC:?y Couticu. H' asks — ' Where is the road they are fencing to lead to« I don't think the public will be allowed to open Dr Kent's white gate, and drive in a direct line through his reserve- though some people say that one toy there U to be a road in that cdrection. Aa there 1 is no.rishtof-*ay at present, would it not be much better to p.ve ud the idea of a straight ro.vJ, an-J form the fence in a line with tl-e noi th side of Rundle-strcet, Kent Town, through which street there is at present a considerable amount of traffic and so avuid tho danger and inconveniencs which mist inevitably arise if the fence is continued a3 at present indicated?' _ .. . , The Bet. Me. Bagshaw.— We understand th-t tho Eev 3Ir. Bairshaw, late minister of Sr. John'*, Adelaide, is appointed Principal of the Collegiate School, Nelson, New Zealand ? _ _ _ IMJUEST AT MaCIAEES' YALE.— On Saturday afternoon, the 6th instant, a lad namtd. Michael Carnow, in the service or 3Ir. James Stacey, farmer, Maclaren Flat, met with a Mai injury by beiu- crushed under a roller. ? The same even us an inquest was held at Mr Staeey's residence, before Dr. aekintosb, J.P., actiniras Caroner, and a respectable Jury. Fnm the evidence given by tha witnesses it appeared htt tha deceased went out after dinner, at halt-past 1 o elcc*-, to roll a field of wheatrand nothing was noticed unuwial untU about 3 o'clock in the afteriioon, when the bullocks were observed from '..the house to be standing still; immediately on noticing which parties, went up to ascertain the cause. Part of the body of the poor lad was discovered to be under the roller, and on. liberating it life was fcund to bo ouite extinet JFrom the evidence of Dr Jay who had been called, in to view the body, it appeared that the left collar-Eone was fractured, and the shoulder and chest greatly Injured; and in his opinion, from the extent of injuries received, death by suffocation most have been immediate. -It was stated by one ot the witnesses that the' lad wag seen riding on tha. irama of the roller during the dayi A verdict of 'AcddetitaT death' was returned: and the Jury, before separating, expret s;d a wish,by their foreman, that it might be mentioned, as a caution to others, that death in this ca-e occurred from the very dangerous practice of riding en the frame of the roller. BEHAirjsr.— In the memorial to the Destitute Board, on behalf ot Mr. Hugh Anderson, which we published on Saturday, the word months was erroneously substituted for weeks, in the statement of the length of time Coring which Mr. Anderson had resided with Mr. Jarvi& We do not know who is responsible for this error. Wefublkhed it in strict conformity wiih ihe