DUNEDIN NOTES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 210, 18 November 1873, Page 6

DUNEDIN NOTES.

j • Bv O, P. <1 I The past four or five weeks have been «n----i asually prolific in serious accidents, several I of them unfortunately having proved fatal, Yesterday afternoon there were added two 11 more to the already painfully heavy list of I casualties. The more serious of the two, so far as can be at present judged, occurred at | the Mussel Bay reclamation works to one of i the contractors, Mr James Stumbles. While standing near a large block of earth which was in course -of removal, the mass suddenly came away and buried him. He was quickly extricated, and attended to by Dr Drysdale, of Port Chalmers, and afterwards conveyed to the Dunedin Hospital by the six o’clock I train. His ancle was so seriously dislocated i that the bone came right through the sock, I and upon examination and consultation by |i the medical men at the Hospital, it was con|l sidered necessary to amputate the limb, the II operation being performed during the evenIII ing. While sympathising deeply with the * sufferer, I cannot help wonder- ( ing at the want of caution which this and many similar accidents that have occurred in $ the Province seem to indicate on the part of those whose callings expose them to danger i from earth-falls. It seems as if no end of cautions would have the effect of making miners and others more chary of trusting their limbs and lives within reach of these •dangerous earth-blocks, or of adopting some means whereby immunity from accidents of this nature might be secured. The other I accident to which I have alluded occurred to ■I Yeend’s coach while on its way to town from | the Southern districts. When near the foot ! of the steep hill on the other side of the i Look-out Point, the king-bolt snapped in ; two in consequence of one of the fore wheels j having by some means become detached, i A man named James Miller, who has been on this road for a number of years, was driving, ' and ho was thrown from his seat on to the road, and dragged along for some distance, when the coach upset. There were eight inside and six outside passengers, yet strange to say none of them suffered any injury beyond the severe shaking and fright they received. Not so poor Miller, however, for on being taken up he was found to be dreadfully bruised and cut about the head and face, and with the bones of his nose fractured and splintered. He has received a most severe shock to the system, and even if he is fortunate enough to thoroughly recover, his features will be disfigured from the effects of the severe bruising and lacerating he has received. The City Council seem thoroughly determined to adhere to their decision re the proposed purchase of the Dunedin Waterworks. At their meeting yesterday a long letter from the secretary of the Company was read, reiterating the wish of the Company that the ■question of value o f shares should be submitted to arbitration. The letter was discussed at length by the Council, the unanimous opinion being that the price offered to the Company, viz., £l6 per share, was a very high one, and that the decision of the Council not to submit the matter to arbitration should be adhered to. Eventually, on the motion of Councillor Prosser, it was resolved to remit the matter to the Waterworks Committee for their consideration. The Corporation certainly have the public with them on this question, and if ere long the Waterworks Company, in consequence of their stubbornness, have the chagrin to see new waterworks started by the Corporation, they will only have themselves to blame. The fact is not forgotten that they agreed to sell to the Corporation at £ls per share, and that it was owing to an unfortunate oversight that the Corporation were unable to carry out one of the conditions of sale which they had agreed upon, viz., giving the shareholders in the Company the option of taking Corporation debentures of 30 years currency. There is no question that the City Council is thoi’oughly in earnest in its expressed determination to erect new works commensurate with the growing requirements of the city, failing the securing to the city of the present means of supply. If an amicable arrangement is not speedily come to, the starting of these works may be looked for as soon as the necessary powers are obtained, and then the shareholders of the Dunedin Waterworks Company n ill bite their nails and repent of their obstinacy. The long waited-for submarine dredge, whose protracted advent has sorely tried the patience of confident shareholders, is still unfinished ; but judging from appearances, I should think the date of her completion cannot now be far distant. With the delay which has taken place in the construction of the trial boat, or dredge, or whatever it may be called, the confidence of shareholders in the success of the venture seems to have proportionately diminished. Rattray-street jetty, the present locale of the cigar-shaped monster, is visited by numbers of people, who as a rule seem to come away after an inspection of the curiosity very little the wiser for their trouble. I am afraid that the winter of next year will not be far distant before she reaches her destined quarters at the bottom of the Molyneux. Let us hope that when she does make a start, the anticipations of Mr Vilaine will meet with ample realisation. A list of the Provisional Directors of another new Insurance Company, to be called the Standard Fire and Marine Insurance Co., hj s been published. So far as I can learn, Lev ever, the Standard is not looked upon with very great favour, the general feeling being that any further addition to the com—a^iL£*.,al ready in existence ia not required.

whfen the public will be able to ascertain what reasons are adduced by the promoters 1 for the proposed floating of the Company. At present the venture is looked upon a little suspiciously. The Prince of Wales’ birthday anniversary was right loyally kept in Dunedin on Monday last. Trains and steamers were crowded to excess, and picnics, fetes, and other sources of amusement were patronised to such an extent that the city presented quite a deserted aspect for the best part of the day. The Ocean Beach presented a scene of unusual animation, some 2000 or 3000 people being scattered along the beach between the Forbury and Anderson’s Bay headlands, while the white skins of large numbers of juveniles, who were disporting themselves among the breakers, glistened in the sunlight, adding to the novelty and enjoyment of the spectacle. Col. Cargill’s invitation to the volunteers and their acquaintances to spend the day at Sea View Farm was not so numerously responded to as could have been wished, the “ wives and families” difficulty having prevented the attendance of many who would otherwise have been glad to show their appreciation of the worthy Colonel’s good-will. Those who did respond to the invitation enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and did ample justice to the good things which were lavishly provided.