NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1049, 7 November 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Want of Confidence. —In the House this afternoon Major Atkinson gave notice of a fresh want of confidence motion for tomorrow.

Railway Servants’ Benefit Society.— The monthly meeting of this society is postponed till Thursday, the 15th inst. Panorama. —A panorama of the .RussoTurkish war will be exhibited to-night in Cathedral square, when a number of gifts will be distributed. Lyttelton Railavay Station. —The work of remoring the Lyttelton railway passenger station to the land purchased from Malheson’s Agency was commenced on Monday. Accident. —Shortly before six o’clock yesterday afternoon a young lad named Henry Palmer fell off one of the railway busses in Manchester street, and while on the ground the wheel of a cab, which was following closely behind, struck him on the head, cutting him very seriously. He was immediately picked up and conveyed to the Hospital. On our reporter making inquiries at that institution last evening as to how the lad was progressing, he was told by the house-surgeon that he might get his information outside. He (the house-surgeon) would decline to give the Press any, and ho thought this was already generally known. So far as could be learnt “outside,” the lad was in a dangerous state. Concrete Pavements. —A new style of footpath is being formed in some of the streets of Wellington, consisting of concrete slabs about 3ft. long, 2ft. wide, and 3in. thick, closely resembling the famous Caithness flagging, and making really an excellent pavement, having the advantage of being easily lifted and relaid whenever drains, gas, or ■water-pipes have to be laid down, and an entire freedom from slipperiness. Mr Charles O’Neill, C.E., is credited with the introduction of this form of footpath, but a somewhat similar style of pavements is not uncommon in some parts of the old country. Drowned in tub Ashley.— On Sunday Mr Martin O’Halloran, brother of the manager of the Glentui station, was drowned in the Okuku, a confluent of the Ashley. It appears that the deceased went in search of some horses during the time the river was in flood, and nothing had since been heard of him till his body was recovered on Tuesday morning by a search party. Finding he did not return when expected, on Sunday a search party went in quest of him, and found the horse he had been riding on one of the islands formed by the Okuku and Grey, near the junction with the Ashley. This aroused the worst fears regarding O’Halloran’s fate, and on Monday parties were out in all directions, while Mounted Sergeant Pratt, of Rangiora, made a diligent search along the south bank of the Ashley. An inquest will be held.

Northern' Railway—The usual pas senger trains will run on and after tomorrow. The Oxford Fire. —lt is the general wish of the inhabitants of Oxford that a public inquiry into the cause of the late fire, with a view of bringing culpable persons to justice, should be forthwith held. The heaviest loser will be Mr Lee, whoso losses are—Tramway, £250; 100 acres bush, £200; posts, £4O ; fencing, £56 ; sawn timber, £ll ; total, £556, The heavy rain during Sunday fairly extinguished the remains of the smouldering fires. The Waimakariri Flood. The river subsided as quickly as it rose, and on Tuesday left the North road dry. The breach at the broken culvert was repaired by 11 a.m., so that vehicles could cross, and traffic was instantly resumed. Great efforts are being made to put the railway in order, and the activity shown by the railway engineer is very commendable. Ballast trains are kept running from both ends of the line bringing material. About 120 men arc engaged in the work of repairs. It is intended, if possible, to run the trains on Thursday, and the line may fairly be expected, under the progress made, to be opened for the number of passengers who will patronise the line on Friday. As this is the fourth time within a year that this line has been injured by floods some steps, it. is expected, will be taken to prevent any recurrence of the damage in future.

Mr Charles Clark. —The subject of Mr Charles Clark’s lecture last evening was “ Dickens,” one in which the lecturer is to our mind at his best. The varied selections from the works of Dickens, both humorous and pathetic, were given with a keen appreciation of the author, and a care which showed that the lecturer had been an unwearied student. Each type of character selected for illustration stood out with rare distinctness and clearness. So much was this the case that for the time being the lecturer seemed completely to identify himself with the character, and to place it before the audience with much vividness. This was moat noticeable when pieces of a totally different character, such as Mr Weller’s love letter (Pickwick) and Little Nell’s death (Old Curiosity Shop) had to be pourtrayed. The broad humor of the one and the deeply affecting pathos of the other were given with great dramatic power in each case. Altogether the lecture was a very enjoyable one, and we hope once again to hear Mr Clark’s lecture on Dickens. To-night the subject will be “ The Tower of London.”