NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 288, 14 May 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Embezzlement. —F. Pavitt, charged with embezzlement from the funds of the Church Property Trustees, was yesterday remanded for one week. Bail .was allowed, the prisoner in £I2OO, and two sureties of £6OO each.

Theatre Royal. —“ The Marble Heart” was repeated last evening for the last time. To-night Mrs Bates takes her benefit, when “ The Honeymoon” and “The Married Rake” will be performed. Mrs Bates’ merits as an actress entitles her to a crowded house.

Inquest. —An inquest was held at the Criterion Hotel, Akaroa, on Monday last, touching the death of Mary Hughes, before J. Aylmer, Esq, coroner, and a jury, of which James Daly was chosen foreman. The evidence of Dr Jennings showed that deceased died of heart disease, and the jury returned a verdict accordingly.

Oxford Races.-- These races were held yesterday. The attendance was fair, but the sport only very moderate. The Hurdle race was a perfect gift to Mr Markey’s Mousetrap, who won in a common canter. In the Hack Hurdle race Mr Moody’s Satan secured an easy victory. For the Maiden Plate six horses started, MrTaylor’sPortumna winning easily. The Oxford Cup fell to R. Ray’s Tadmor, with Ranger second.

1.0.G.T., Woolston.— A t?a meeting and entertainment was held in Smith’s Hall, on Wednesday evening last, which passed off very successfully considering the state of th? weather. About 130 sat down to tea. The entertainment which followed consisted of songs, chorusses, duets, trios, and musical selections. Special mention may be made of Mrs Long, who was warmly applauded for her singing and playing. The hall was tastefully decorated with flags, pictures, and evergreen pot plants, kindly lent by Mr W. Wilson for the occasion. By the desire of a number of the members of the committee it was decided to have a social gathering on Friday evening, for the benefit of those who were detained by the weather on Wednesday, the particulars of which may be seen in advertisement.

Publicans’ Licenses.— The list of applications for publicans’ licenses was posted in the Resident Magistrate’s Court, .Christchurch, yesterday. Deaths. —Mr Fussell died this morning, never having recovered consciousness since the fatal accident took place, Mr A. Aikman, well known for many years in Christchurch, also died last evening. The deceased gentleman had been in failing health for some time.

The Late Wrecks at Timaru— The S. C, Times says that on Monday the Princess Alice and Gyrene were dismantled, between thirty and fifty men being engaged by the insurance agents for the purpose; Our contemporary states that Mr C. W, Turner, on behalf of himself and Captain Wood, owners of the ill-fated vessels, kindly presented the life-bogt crew with twelve guineas, in recognition of the services rendered by them to their vessels. '• Bills Assented to.— lt is notified in the Gazette-that her Majesty has been pleased to assent to the following Bills, which had been reserved to be laid before her Majesty ;—“An Act to provide for the more equitable disposal in certain cases of the real estate of persons dying intestate,” and “An Act to authorise the Legislatures of Provinces in New Zealand to empower courts'of law to hear and determine questions arising under the laws of such provinces providing for the construction and maintenance of dividing fences.”

Cricketers’ Meeting.— Af a meeting of cricketers’ held last evening at Warnet’s Hotel (Mr E. 0. J. Stevens in the chair), for the purpose of considering some correspondence received relative to the projected visit of an Australian team, it was resolved, after some discussion —“ That the chairman, with Messrs Fowler and Sweet, be a committee to communicate with Auckland and Otago with a view to obtaining from Mr Goldsmith the terms on which ajjoint eleven from New South Wales and Victoria shall visit the colony ; the committee to report to a general meeting as soon as possible after receiving the required information.” The meeting then adjourned.

Serious Accidents. —Three men named Joseph Thompson, William Bennett, and John Brown, railway laborers employed at Dunsandel station, met with serious accidents yesterday. While they were loading heavy logs of timber into waggons by means of a steam crane and having raised the legs to nearly the required height, the chain broke, the logs in falling striking- the men severely. When assistance was procured it was found that Thompson’s qnkle was fractured, and that he had received severe bruises on the head. Bennett had one leg badly bruised, and had received nasty bruises on his body. Brown, who got off the best, •had a slight contusion on one of his legs. Thompson and Bennett were brought to, the Christchurch Hospital, the former lying last night in a very precarious state. Brown was taken charge of by his friends. The Floods in Lyttelton.—A very heavy rainfall, such as has not occurred foT many years, took place in Lyttelton on Wednesday afternoon. The gullies were soon full, and many of them nearly choked with the debris. About 6 p.m. a culvert on the property of Mr Hester, Oxford' street, that had been put in by himself, burst. This culvert joined a brick culvert owned by the Council af one end, and a wood culvert, also their property, at the other. The brick culvert is a most important one, as it carries away all the water from Brenchley Farm, and all that portion of the town, and when Mr Hester’s culvert burst the water made its way under Mr Hester’s house, forced down a stonewall and chimney, and then made its way through tw o houses belonging to Mr W. Graham, and it also seriously damaged a house belonging to Mr Carlo. These houses are all situated on the brink of a gully, and the two latter have been newly raised to a level with Oxford street, and in consequence the clay onwhich they were built was not firm, ; and offered little resistance to the. action of the Water when it once burst its proper bounds. All the people residing in these houses, consisting of six fami. ies, were taken in by the neighbors for the night, many of them being, sheltered by the head of the telegraph department in port, whose house happened to be exactly opposite. What makes it worse is that one of those removed was ill with fever, and another had had his leg recently broken. The Borough Council members, foremen, and laborers were on the spot, and did all they could to alleviate the danger, but it was impossible to check,the water, which washed the loose clay from under the houses, leaving them hazardously supported on scantling, &c„ A good deal of furniture was injured; we hear that some valuable things were lost, including a box said to contain £27. The chimney of the house belonging to Mr Hester fell on one of’the two houses belonging to Mr Graham and broke through the shingles. That portion of the Dampier’s Bay road that has been newly formed also sunk considerably, but no material damage was done. A portion slipped a little opposite Messrs Flett arid Loutett’s slip, but all Wednesday the Council’s men w-ere at work, and several shores were raised against the bank. It was at one time" resolved that a special meeting of the Council should be called at ten a.m. yesterday, but this fell through. His Honor the Superintendent having come through on business connected with the gaol, was taken by the Mayor to see the site of the accident. His Worship has, we believe, telegraphed through to the Minister of Public Works asking his permission to use some large pipes now lying on the reclaimed laud to join the two culverts in Oxford street.