NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 622, 16 June 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Inward Huez Mail.— This mail arriued in the Albion yesterday. Is consisted of fourteen bags, twelve for Christchurch, and two for Lyttelton. The Christchurch portion was forwarded by the 3.20 p.m. train. Gun Accident — A young man named Henry Neale had his left hand badly shattered yesterday morning at Templeton through the bursting of a gun while firing at a hawk. He was brought into the Hospital, when it was found that the bones of the palm and a portion of the wrist were splintered, though none of the fingers had been carried away. Accident at Waimakartri Gorge,— The strong nor’-wester blowing on Monday and Tuesday last, caused a rapid rise in the river yesterday morning at the gorge. Three men were sent off in a boat to secure a raft which was moored in the middle of the stream. By some accident the boat upsei and two of the men were thrown into the river. One of them succeeded in catching hold of the boat, and floated down the river for a quarter of a mile, where the boat grounded on a spit, and he walked ashore. His companion succeeded in swimming ashore in an exhausted state. Two men on horseback were next sent to secure the boat, one of whom got into it, the other riding the horse ashore. The boat however soon became unmanageable and upset, throwing its occupant into the stream. Fortunately he had a life belt on him, and therefore succeeded in landing on a spit a mile down the river.

Hbathcotb Hoad Board —The polling for a member of the Heathcote Road Board in room of Mr J. T. Fisher, resigned, took place at the Road Board office yesterday, Mr Clophane acting as returning officer. Shortly after four o’clock the returning officer declared the result to be as follows : Mr W. Altwood, 60 ; Mr G. Duncan, 46. He therefore declared Mr Wm. Attwood duly elected. A vote of thanks to the returning officer, moved by Mr Attwood, concluded the proceedings.

Prebblexon. —A concert took place in the schoolroom, Prebbleton, on Thursday evening, which was largely attended. The Rev De B. Hovel occupied the chair. An excellent programme, consisting of duetts, songs, piano solos, -leadings, &c, was sub milted, the performers being Mrs and Master Tosswill, W. H. Comerford, Miss Milts, Mr J. Carder, Mr P. G, Stedman, Mr Appleby, Mr Gates, Mrs Long, Miss Norman, Mr Long, Rev De B. Hovel, A vote of thanks to the chairman and the performers brought the meeting to a close. The proceeds amounted to £ls, which will be devoted to church purposes. After the concert was over the room was cleared, and dancing indulged in for several hours.

The Child who was Found —The little girl who was taken out of the river yesterday morning has been identified to-day by her father, a Mr Hurst, who works at Waltham. Since the death of her mother the child has been living with her grandmother, a Mrs Mary Sullivan, residing by herself in Tuam street. Mrs Sullivan called at Mrs Adams 5 house in Madras street south about seven o’clock on Wednesday evening, having the child with her at the time. As the woman was under the influence of liquor Mrs Adams would not allow her inside. She then left and nothing more was seen of her. The woman’s hat, taken out of the river yesterday, opposite Ward’s Brewery, has been identified by Mrs Adams as the one Mrs Sullivan wore when she called on her, and has also been identified by her son-in-law, A party of police were engaged in dragging the river to-day, but without success.

English Shipping —We are indebted to the New Zealand Shipping Company for the following information. - By the mail just to hand we have advices of the result of the ocean race between the clipper ships Waitangi, Zealandia, and Merope, the departures of all of which it will be remembered were chronicled in our issue of the 24th January last. The Waitangi reached the Docks by the morning tide of the 21st of April, the Zealandia arrived at Gravesend, and the Merope reported in the Channel on the same day. It will thus be seen that the Waitangi had the best of the race, Zealandia second, Merope third. Letters have been received from passengers per Waitangi, stating that the ship met with a fine weather passage throughout, although she was considerably d< 1 ryed by light winds. The Border Chief from Wellington, and British Empire from Napier, also arrived on the 21st, having left New Zealand prior to the 23rd January.

Planting Northern Railway Reserve.—The planting of that portion of the railway reserve on the Northern line from Chaney’s corner to Kaiapoi was commence i yesterday by a number of men under the superintendence of Mr Armstrong, Government gardener, and it is intended to plant from 170 to 200 acres this season with a variety of pines. An experimental plantation was made on this reserve some two or three years ago, with a most satisfactory result, all the plants having succeeded admirably except in a few places where they were destroyed by fire. Very great annoyance having been experienced at times from the drifting sand accumulating along the northern side of the line, nearly covering the fencing in places, and thus allowing cattle to stray on to the reserve, it is now proposed, as a preventive, to plant a large number of poplars closely along the line of fence facing the sandhills, which will in time form a barrier and prevent the possibility of the annoyance and danger referred to.

Brother Thomas Wilson, the oldest Freemason in England, recently died. The deceased was was born in 1789, and initiated into Freemasonry in 1812, as the records of the Lion Lodge testify.