THE PROVINCES.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 223, 25 February 1875, Page 4

THE PROVINCES.

AUCKLAND. The railway works in the province are (says the Herald of the 18th) progressing satisfactorily, the only drawback being the scarcity of labor, notwithstanding the large number of immigrants that have arrived during the last few months. A large number of men are now required to complete the Kaipara“Eailway. Work ou the Auckland and Mercer liailway is in a very forward state; the rails are being laid at the rate of a quarter of a mile per diem. We understand that this line is completed within eight miles of Mercer, and that before another week has elapsed railway communication with Waikato will be an accomplished fact.

The hopes of the Poverty Bay Kerosene Company (says the Herald) have been considerably damped by the want of success in bottoming on the rock, after a long and costly effort. The Poverty Pay Herald of the 9th instant sajs that at the time sinking operations were commenced it was confidently anticipated the rock would be reached in a few days, and that the boring would then be pushed forward in a manner which would speedily test the nature of the spot selected for the first attempt. The shaft has now attained a depth of more than one hundred feet, and the rock has not yet been reached. The sinking has been tedious, owing to the foul air, the swelling of the earth in which the men are working, and various other obstacles, and more than once we have heard the opinion expressed that the present shaft ought to be abandoned and a fresh start made in a new spot. It is a most unfortunate circumstance that boring operations should have been delayed for such a length of time, but there is no reason whatever for losing faith in the undertaking, and we trust that the shareholders will not relax in their support until the ground has been thoroughly tested. There is no doubt that the oil abounds in the district, and there is every reason for believing that it will be discovered in payable quantities on the company’s ground. The Thames correspondent of the Herald , writing on the 16th, gives the following account of a fatal mining accident A very melancholy event happened about nine o’clock this morning, in the Dauntless and Sink-to-Rise Mine, whereby one of the tributers—a young man named David McFarlane—lost his life. The mine is divided in two tribute sections, of which the deceased and mates held the surface section, known as No 2. Deceased and his mate, Rob, Hall, were the only two at work in the stopes above the surface level, Hall being engaged in the stope ahead of McFarlane. Conversation was carried on between the two, and deceased having stripped a large portion of the lead, called out to Hall that the hanging wall—of a very soapy or slippery nature—was hollow, and he would take a lump down. He did so, and again sounded, with the same results, and he told Hall more would have to come away before it was safe to take the leader down. After this nothing was said, and Hall went on with his work, but immediately heard the fall of stuff in McFarlanc’s stope. Hall called out several times, and receiving no reply, descended into deceased’s stope, where he found poor McFarlane’s head jammed against the leader by a flake of stone from the hangingwall. Life was extinct, and death instantaneous, the fallen stuff having struck the poor fellow on the side of the head and scattered the brains. No other portion of the body was touched, and the candle was alight on the floor, thus showing he had been working on his knees. Assistance was promptly secured, from other portions of the mine, and the remains of the poor fellow carried to the Rising Sun Hotel, while others hurried away for a medical man, who, after seeing the wound, stated that death was instantaneous. Deceased was an unmarried man, and about thirty-two years of age. His native place X am unable to ascertain,

TAEaNAKI. The j Herald gives the following account of a fatal accident while bush felling:—“Although several accidents have occurred lately to men engaged in clearing the bush on the Moa Block, still happily there has been no fatal case till Wednesday last, when information was brought into town that a man had been killed and several wounded that morning, by a tree falling on some tents in which a working party were. Immediately on hearing it the authorities got Dr O’Carroll to proceed to the scene of the disaster, but he met the wounded men on the road as they were being brought into town. It appears that the party, which consisted chiefly of recent arrivals by the Avalanche, were working on the Lepper road, and that Wednesday morning being wet they had returned to their tents, which were situated about twenty feet distant from a tawa tree which had been dipped. The tree, it appears, was rotten, and the wind caused it to fall in a different direction to what was anticipated. On Wednesday evening a covered bullock dray, containing the men hurt, and one with the deceased in, arrived in town, accompanied by two of the working party. The names of all the injured men are in the Avalanche passenger list:—James Wallis, 22, married (killed); James Neill, 36, married; Stephen Hughes, 36, married (five children); Alfred Hewitt, 22, married (no children). The deceased, James Wallis, leaves a wife, to whom he was married just previous to the vessel leaving England. HAWKES BAY. The Napier correspondent of the Daily Times telegraphs on the 22nd—“ The sittings of the Native Land Court at Palmerston finished to-day. Some 400 Natives were present, and were all quiet and decorous. The object of the enquiry was to ascertain to whom a block of land—some 60,000 acres —belonged, to Eangitane or Ngatahunga. It was settled that some 20,000 acres should belong to Ngatahunga and the remainder to Eangitane. Sheehan and two other lawyers are retained by Alice Here, over the interminable Heretanga case. Karaitana and his hapu intend fighting the issue to the bitter end, and should Alice succeed and obtain possession, titles on the Coast will be difficult tc manage. The settlement of the Murimoto block is not likely. Tribal disputes arc abundant as to the right to lease land, although Studholme and some Otago settlers had imagined they had succeeded in obtaining a lease and releasing again to the Government.” NELSON. At last, says the Colonist, some attempt is to be made to connect the West Coast with the settled districts by way of Wangapeka. A survey party will leave Nelson on Monday next, with instructions to explore for and lay out a road between the Wangapeka and the Karamea Plains, It is expected that an easy road will be found by way of the head of the Mokihinui river, thence down the Little Wanganui river. This route should shorten the distance from Nelson to the West Coast by fifty miles at least, and open up new country. Of the forthcoming regatta at Nelson the Colonist writes ;—“ In all the volunteer races each boat’s crew must be composed of members of one Volunteer company, and each crew must wear their colors (caps) to correspond with those of their boat. No outriggers will be allowed in any of the races. All pulling must be from the gunwale. The forthcoming regatta bids fair to be the most successful held at this port for many years. A number of boats have been built for the different races, conspicuous amongst which are a yacht, just completed by Messrs Freeman Bros, ship and boatbuilders, Haven road, and which made her trial trip at the end of last week. She looks exceedingly well in the water, and we should consider her a dangerous rival to any of the older craft; also a whaleboat to which the finishing strokes are now being put, built by Mr Taylor, of Eussell street. This boat is considerably lighter than anything of the kind in the harbor, and unless our Wellington friends do very great things, it is highly probable one of the prizes will fall to her share. Amongst the older craft the yachts Minnehaha, Claymore, Lightning, and others are getting into racing trim as quickly as possible, and the open sailing boats arc not allowing themselves to be left out in the cold.” The Mail says, Mr Leathes, the secretary, recently wrote to the Australasian asking for a definition of the difference between a professional and an amateur, and has received the following reply;—“The following should be disqualified from competing as amateurs: anyone who has entered for a race advertised as for watermen; anyone who has plied for hire on the water; anyone who has rowed for a money prize; and anyone engaged in building, letting, or tending boats.”