INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 173, 21 February 1867, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Severe- Thunderstorm. —On Monday hat storm of unparalleled severityrpassed over the Dmistan district, from the sojith-east to south-west. Where its fiill- fury 'was -felt the results were most diaa3trous,'aiKl much, damage to mining property ,, fences, and growing crops 'has ; been sustained. The township of- Alexandra was; completely flooded for a short spacb.of:time', : the water being a" foot deep iixspme (of ili6 stores in Broadway. Where iW^ikri^^i crossed gullies that were right iil'tiietriick of the storm, they were aU washed away, and in some.places, for some huudre^'of { yards, they are filled lip with the debris from the hills. On the West sideofth&Molyneux, the races from Butcher's, Gonro^s, and Frazer'a. River, were broken -ajyay, iii numerous places, and will cost considerable sums to repair. On the east side j: -'Driimnn 's, the Q yens, and Rose^ Tl^iJe||and Shamr.ock were,all damaged. At Cr^niw.ell and the Kawarau Gforge there' \yas;g^eiat destruction, and mucK loss will mining parties. To convey, an] idea^of the force of the water whlchran^dowiisonie of the gullies, J. may state W&£ ;vi^^places they are exca yated eight and- ten feet deep, down to the bed. rock; - -The^)race proprietors have all taken prompt n^easure|,to repair damages, and- gangs ' p| jmei^ilre ndw employed making gck)d the breajes. In some* cases it willrequire^tWeef^veeks or a month to put every fchmg^straiglit again. The storm has caused a , mosiilavorable change in the ; weather, .wlubK 435.<. now comfortably cool. Terrible i — Yesterday, a very distressing •accident occurred at the_ Imperial Ciimpany's fluming, which crosses' , v :-.tii6''.]^plyjieux.,|at Butcher's Point, near :; Alexandra! that four of the Bell, Goss, and two p^iiei^, were prossiug the fluming so.as to. rea^^^pa^whicli they had moored on, the pjpp^i^side of the river.' They had r^icbed|^^s^titre of the flume, and nearly thAtoMKeJpver, when it suddenly, gave way r wtien,ltlie first-named man fell into the streain^ and was carried away. The second, y?as precipitated upon some rocks, andiWas;«feriously injured— so much so, tnat h f ei fiad to be conveyed to the Dunstan fix»pi^||The other two, by almost a lniraeT^&caped without injury.— lbid. T'p&itßiiioi'EVM Wells. —The Taraimhi i£era^!*j|f|§he 2nd instant says :— The dir«stpi^^^Hie Taranaki Petroleum Cpmpaii^J^ivifig purchased the Alpha well fjrpiw^M[i>^ra Carter and Co, together jnth twpac^^lthe adjoining land, work has becaa rained there. The well has been deepeti^d^bout six feet, and the obstruction :<iaSised by a portion of the pump being at the bottom of the hole has been removed. It being necessary to take up the tubing from .the shaft, some of the" jwater was bailed but, when the gas found vent, and strongly agitated the water in f. the shafts bringing -up with it. asm all por T iion of oSi^f TJxe irod^ a|so when drawn up from the bore^Ko^wjOTe' coated with oil, although bef ore^iray c>f tiie^ water was v hailed-6ut oi -the shaft; 'ttiey did not show Itjiiy signs of it, \yhich would seem to- prove that it is ouly the pressure of water in the. '

shaft. which prevents the oil from coming up. The steam-engine for the company has arrived at Nelson, and Mr Morris, the superintendent at the company's works, will proceed there to-day to make arrangements for its being shipped to this place ; and as the tubing and pump are expected from Melbourne on the Ilth inst., the. company will soon be- able to test whether or not the Alpha is a productive well. From the facts above stated there is every reason to believe that the result will be favorable, and a satisfactory answer given to the question as to whether a profitable oil field exists in Taranaki. The Olayo Daily Times says the imports into this Province during the past week have included upwards of one hundred tons of rice; a very large quantity, compared with the average importation of the samp. article of consumption. This increase is, of course, due to the presence of the considerable number of Chinese who have recently arrived in the province, and who prefer their native diet to the wholesome oatmeal or wheaten flour which the soil of the province can provide for them. As there is an import duty of L 2 per ton on : rice,, the. Chinese have sit least the merit of being to some extent contributors to the revenue of the' country.