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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1948, 3 August 1869, Page 2

Princess Theatre.— The theatre was very poorly attended, last evening, when the comedy of “The Momentous Question,” “The Swiss Cottage,” and the drama of “Dick Turpin.” were produced. On Friday next, Mr and Mrs Sum Howard will take their jnint benefit, and from the pr--gramme promised, and their being such gr a' favorites with the Dunedin public, we anticipate for them a full house, which they deserve. Deputation. Messrs Outran), Greenwood. Mitchell, and Bardsley, inhabitants of Pitt street, waited on his Honor the Deputy-Superintendent, to urge upon him the resumption and completion of the work

in Pitt street, as they were debarred from access to their homes excepting through very circuitous routes.—His Honor said there would he no difficulty with the Corporation, who, the Mayor had informed him, were prepared to lay down a tramway to expedite the work, with machinery for work ng it. The deputation p essed the Covenunent to urge the work forward. Mis Ho >or said the Government could do no more than give the prison labor. They could not interfere with tb province of the Corporation. —Mr Oatram said, if there bad been a competent man superintending the work, it would have been done long since. The levels Had ben twice altered. The cutting was 2 feet wid-.-r at the bottom and 30 f- et wider at the top than originally intended. His Honor repeated that the prisoners could be set to work at any time that the work could be proceeded with; and the deputation thanked his Honor and withdrew.

The Late Fire at Hokitika.— We are glad to see that a number of the sufferers by the late fire in Hokitika arc proceeding to re-erect their buildings. Meetings have been held for the puipose of raising funds for the relief <>f those who suffered most, and the contributions are coming in liberally. The W. C. Times informs us that on Tuesday morning, according to promise, Mr R. Walker opened his temporary Casino bar, and considering the haste with which it was run up, it is very creditably constructed. The Southland temporary bar was opened on Tuesday night. Mr Hinchcliffe’s building is rapidly progressing. Mr Cullen, of the firm of Cullen Brothers, of the Belfast store, has dona a very generous and good action. He had purchased the building lately occupied by Mr Upjohn, in Taucred street, and on Tuesday gave it to Mr M‘Govern, the unfortunate proprietor of the Rising Sun Hotel, to use as a temporary bar. It is a pleasing circumstance to record that as soon as it w s known and needed, there weio in re than a hun I red volunteers, who, without foe or reward, assist d in its removal and placing it in its present position. Theatrical. —We hear that Mr and Mrs J. B. Steele will visit this Colony shortly on a professional tour. A ■writer in the Anntralasiun says “I have met your Mr Harwood several times at the Savage Club. I take him to be a thorough business man, Init he has a'most everything against him in his endeavors to carry out his mission in England. The American managers eagerly outbid him in the theatrical market; and, furthermore. first-class ar ists can do much better here than out of the country. Harwood, however, does not leave a stone unturned He acknowledges that the stock company he has iu his own theatre in Melbourne is much superior to any that he has seen in London ; and, as to the provinces, it’s worse ami worse. Barry Sullivan has, or is about, to send to Melbourne for two or three people to come home to him. Harwood, I hear, has engaged Frank Drew, the Irish comedian, and Mr Bandmanii and Miss Hilly Palmer, who, if they can complete their present engagements, will leave in the Somersetshire ; and he lias been in treaty with Mr Walter Searle and Miss Alice Dodd (Mrs Sc-arle), and is now looking up a pantomime troupe. ’ Proposed Bridge over the Waitaki. —By the courtesy of Mr C. Gifford Moore, C. F., we have been favored with an inspection of a plan for the proposed bridge across the Waitaki (we believe the first propose 1 for the work), which has been submitted by that gentleman £■■ >r the consideration of the Provincial Government and of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works. The design has the merits of lightness and strength combined, and whether as regards economy, and efficiency so far as we can judge, as well as in point of its appearance, seems to leave nothing to be desi cl. Ihe structure as proposed rests upon four lows of timber piling oft apart, giving aw d hj ol carriage-way ot loft, and is divided odo forty-four spans, each of 4fift. hach of th outer rows of piles is strengthened and pro tected by fender piles. On the piles re t longitudinal timber stringers, tied together and braced with timber trusses and strengthened with tie rods and diagonal braces, and supporting a double railway track upon which it is intended to run an engine with five cars for tiic crossing of passengers, cattle and merchandise. The bridge is a sulfici nt one to carry fifty tons safely, speed of cars not to exceed six miles an hour. The engine and passenger car to run on the two centre rails, but the goods and cattle cars, which are double the width (a somewhat novel feature) viz., Soft iu length and when placed side by side 18ft wide, running on all four rails. It is proposed to lay the rails to the same guage as the trunk line, so that with some additional strengthening the bridge can be used for the through railway traffic. Afoot-path, if consid -red necessary, could easily be added. The bridge has an open or what we -would call a skeleton decking, so that all traffic across it would of course be in the cars. For the putting of cattle i-to these platforms arc shown at either end of equal width with the cars, and made up to the level of the floors. Mr Moore c-ti mates that the bridge can be erected and furnished with the necessary rolling stock for a trifle over L 13,000, but the estimate before us docs not iuclude the cost of rails, so that probably with these LIoOJO would be about the mark.