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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2066, 18 December 1869, Page 2

Serious Accident. — An accident of a serious character happened to a laborer working at the Pitt street cutting this morning. It appears the unfortunate man had been undermining for a ‘ fall,” when the earth suddenly gave way and fell upon him. He was speedily extricated, and by his fellow-laborers to the Hospital. The amount of the injury received is not yet ascertained. Gaol Return. The following is the state of Her Majesty's gaol, Dunedin, for the week ending Dec. IS : —Awaiting trial, 3 man, 0 women; under remand, 0 men, 0 women ; penal servitude, 98 men, 0 women ; hard labor, 37 men, 11 women ; imprisonment, 2 men, 0 women ; in default of bail, 0 men, 0 women ; debtors, 3 men, 0 women ; total, 143 men, 11 women. Received during tbe week, 12 men, 5 woman ; discharged, 15 men, 5 women. Moonlight Excursion. — There appears to be every prospect of fine weather on Monday evening for the excursion by moonlight to Port Chalmers. ,p hc difficulty that arose on the last occasion as to the overcrowding of the steamer will he entirely avoided on Monday, as the Company have placed two of their boats, the Wallace and Golden Age, in readiness. We learn that there will he even greater display at Port Chalmers this time, as there are many more large vessels in harbor, A great treat may therefore be expected. The Late Coach Accident.— -We have been favored with the following additional extract from Mr Walkem’s letter, a portion of which appeared in our yesterday s issue. It says Mr Walkem also mentions in his letter an act of bravery which we think deserves naming. A German gentleman who was travelling in the coach at the time of the late sad accident, on seeing the coachman (who had entered the river on horseback to endeavor to save some of the passengers) thrown from his horse, jumped in "to rescue Kim, aucl botli were for some time in imminent danger. It was a most courageous act, he having just escaped a watery g?ave.” Poisoned Sugar,— Considerable excitement was created jn the town during the day from a report being spread that a child had died yesterday from haying taken poisoned sugar in its food. From the information received from Waikouaiti, Tuapcka, and Wellington, of numbers being seriously affected after using some recently imported sugar, it was to be expected that a sudden death of a child under the circumstances subjoined should have created a feeling of uneasiness in the mind of all consumers of this article. The case to whicii we refer is —A gblld of Mr J. L. Gregory, storekeeper, Elm row, died suddenly yesterday under unexplainable circumstances. It would appear from the information wp have been able to collect that the child in question was six months old, had been brought up the bottle, always receiving milk taken from the same cow, sweetened by sugar from the store. On yesterday morning after taking its usual food it became restless, and about two hours afterwards became sick and violently purged. This continued during the day, and the child died about eight o’clock in the evening. Dr Alexander was called in to attend the child about an hour before its death. Ihe cause of death is not yet ascertained, but the parents are naturally anxious to know whether it has been caused by sugar poisoning. To .this end a sample of the sugar uiied uap been handed to Dr Ilockeu fpr analysis, apii au jjjuuest.it is expected will be held on the body on Monday. Until Dr Hocken’s report is given, ‘it would be wrong tp intensify the excitement which the event has created by speculating upon the cause of death. From the information we have obtained, we may express an opinion that there is sugar in the market unfit for public use, and consumers would do well to be careful how they use this article, until a thorough investigation has taken place. The matter is being investigated by tbe police authorities.

Princess Theatre,— There w<m a full house last evening. It was known that Mrs Harry Jackson would appear iu the character of Lady Audley, and this was sufficient to draw a good house. Nor is the reputation she has so justly earned by her splendid impersonation of this questionable character ijrr any way likely to sutler by her eftorts of last evening. She was frequently and deservedly applauded, and at the end of each act was, with Mr 1. Rayner, y/ho personated Robert Audley, called before the curtain to receive the hearty acknowledgments of the audience. This evening the drama based upon Sir Bulwer Lytton’s work “Eugene Aram” is to be produced, and the entertainment is to conclude with the laughable farce of “ The Waterman.”

Inquest. —From Mr Mansfield, manager of Cobb’s coaches, who arrived from the scene of the accident this morning, we learn that an inquest on the bodies of Miss Ross and Mr Paterson was held at the Kakanui Hotel, yesterday afternoon, when a verdict of Accidental _ Death was returned. In our last evening’s jss.ue we stated it was intended to bring the body of Mr Paterson down per steamer. In this we were in errpr, Mr Geddes, the undertaker, is bringing the corpse by land ; and from an advertisement in another column we learn the funeral procession will leave St. Paul’s Church for the place of interment to-morrow (Sunday), at four o’clock.

Launch of a Steamer. —The interesting ceremony of launching a twin-screw iron steamer took place this afternoon, at Wilson’s ship-buiidiijg yard, Cumberland street, in the presence of a ny jpber of spectators. This steamer, long known as tlig Alexandra, formerly plied on the Lake Wakatip, but was brought to Dunedin in two parts by her enterprising owner, Mr Cameron, who haa subjected her to such extensive alterations £w to make her present a perfectly new appearance, Th e ceremony of christening was performed by Miss Grater, in a very graceful manner, who gave the steamer the name of the “Entcrprize.” The steamer has been lengthened 20ft amidships, lias a new raised poop with docks and cabin, and is fitted out with entirely new machinery. Measuring 72ft over all, she will draw, with her machinery fixed, only 2ft of water, and it is confidently anticipated that she will attain to 11 knots ah hour. Tee cabin is to he nicely fitted up, is capable of accouuvdating from 24 to dO persons, and

the steamer will when finished be one most unique and complete wo have - seen. here. She is furnished with two engines possessing together 14 horse-power, with disconnecting gear. The engines will describe 90 revolutions, causing a revolution of the fans to equal ISO per minute. Mr Wilson has fitted up the engines and as they are the first he has made for marine purposes, wo may describe them as being highly creditable. The shafts have disconnecting couplings, by means of which the fans may be separated from the engines instanter. This is an unquestionable adantage, as in the event of anything getting entangled with the fans, it can be removed before any injury is sustained. The fans themselves are of wrought iron, and are formed on the latest and most approved principle. The boiler, also new and of tubular form, has been tested by a pressure of loOlbs. to the square inch. The steamer is intended for the Peninsula trade, for which she is in every way qualified, and we most heartily wish her owner every success.