Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 318, 28 January 1868, Page 2

Notices appear elsewhere stating that tbe nomination of candidates, for the County Council, for tbe District of Greymouth, will take place at the Warden's Court, on Mod. day next, and the poll on the Wednesday following. The nomination of candidates for the Grey Road Board will also take place on Monday, and the poll on the Friday f iHowing. An accident, which providentially Mas unattended with fabal consequences, occurred to one of th« pile-driving machines on Saturday afternoon. The piles are bein^ driven at a considerable distance from tho bank, and tbe driving apparatus hits to be fixed on temporary staging, supported by trestles placed in the bed of the river. One of tbe large 10 x 12 beams, on which the heavy pile-driver was working, suddenly snapped, and over toppled the whole structure, carrying away with it the next piledriver, and smashing the staging in all directions. As the machine fell, the weight of tbe monkey and it together dragged the steam engine from the bank almost to tho water's edge. The men were all at work at the time of tbe accident, and were precipitated among the debris, but not one was hurt. The engineer very pluokily stuck to his engine as it was being dragged away, so as to liberate tbe escaps-valve, and prevent a possible explosion. The Clerk of the Works, Mr Johnston, at once set men to work to clear away the ruins, and by evening one of I the pile-drivers was re-erected on a firm and sib3tantial stage. The Nelson Evening Mail says that a scheme is on foot with a view to the prospecting of the Maitai River Valley, vhere it is well known that gold has from time to time >een discovered, in small but sufficient qu ntities to warrant further investigation, lit • J. Cawood, a connection of. Mr Akersten, an 1 the discoverer of the Qmeo, diggings, one pf the richest gold fields in Victoria, who has ft llowed mining pursuits for the last eighteen

years, is now in kelson, and- proposes t<) spend a month in prospecting the river from the head of tlic valb;y to its eniboucluir; into the soa. A subscription list has been opened with this object, ami it is proposed that in tbe event of the scheme proving successful, eaoh subscriber shall have a proportionate interest iv the results, the money subscribed to be expended under a management consisting of Mr Cawood and two of tbe subscribers. We understand thtit Mr Cawood has been induced to make this proposition by an inspection of the valley, which he pronounces to be very "likely " ground, and we trust that bJ3 anticipations may be fully realised.. A crowded meeting was held at the Union Theatre on Saturday evening for tbe purpose of taking into consideration the disposal pf the surplus funds of the Sports Committee. The Committee had previously decided to hand over the balanoe, some L3O, to the Race Fund, and it was owing to some dissatisfaction with, this course, and a wish on tbe part of some of tbe subscribers to band the money to the Engine Committee that tbe meeting was called, Mr Whall took tbe chair, and briefly introd uoed tbe business of tbe meeting. After a good deal of irregular discussion, Mr J^mes Davies proposed that tbe surplus funds now in the hands of the Sports Committee be placed at the disposal of the subscribers, which, after a considerable amount of confusion and some display of ill temper, was carried, Mr Maxwell proposed that the money be given towards the next races, and Mr Davies moved as an amendment that it be given, to tbe Engine Fund. A division was called for, and the amend" ment was carried by a majority of one. We learn from tbe Hokitika Sfar that five men bad a very narrow esciipe from drowning near the Hokitika bar on Sunday morning, At about 10.30 tv.ni., a boat containing five men, named Dan. O'Brien, Josh. O'Brien, — Duncan, W. Gen, J. W. Stem, and William Omen, were outside fishing, when they drifted an to the break, at the time a slight squall was passing over, when in almost an instant of time it was lifted up by a roller and capsized. Three of tbe men, good swimmers, struok out for the shore, whilst the remaining two clung to the boat, but the lives of the whole •would have been sacrificed had it not been for the prompt and timely assistance lent by tbe Lioness, which was in the act of entering the river at tbe time, and which, by great efforts, succeeded in saving the whole of tbe crew. A correspondent of the N'eUon Evening Mail, writing from tbe Karamea says : — "The weather in the neighborhood of the Baton has been very unsettled since tbe 28th ult. There have been several heavy storms accompanied with much thunder and lightning, and owing to tbe continuation of wet weather all work both on the roads and mining have been at almost a standstill, but as the weather appears to be now taking up again the work cart again be proceded with . There are now 22 men at work on the Upper Baton employed in mining operations, but since tbe 16-ounce nugget was found in that locality, nothing has been got worth speaking of ; in fact, I do not think any one has made even tucker during tbe past three weeks, but of course the wet weather has been greatly against them. In Maori Gully there arc three or four men at work, but their success has so far been very poor, none of them having made more than tucker sines being in tbe gully, but as it is a general opinion that there is good ground in tbe neighborhood, the men seem determined to prosecute their prospecting efforts for a weeek or two longer." A correspondent of the Nelxon Colonist sends tbe following information of three fatal accidents which have recently taken place in tbe Collingwood District. A maori who went out on horseback from tbe Aorere pah never returned alive, but his horse came back shortly afterwards with one of the arms of the unfortunate man hanging to a piece of rope attached to the animal's neck. Search was made, and the native was found lying dead on the road side, the arm having been literally dragged from the body, apparently by the struggles of tbe animal Another native in attempting to cross the Aorere river, which was in a state of flood was carried off his feet and drowned. Tbe third case mentioned is tha^ of a maori who, perhaps through being deprived of sight in one of his eyes, mistook a bottle of eyewash which bis wife wag using for opthalmia for wine, and incautiously drank the contents, which caused his death shortly afterwards. Politics seem to be getting into disrepute on the Nelson Gold Fields. The following rather amusing scene is chronicled by the Charleston Herald: — A large crowd, convened by tbe bellman, collected on Thursday evening iv front of Crewdson's Royal Hotel, it being understood that Mr W. Berry, alias " Yorkey," proposed that evening addressing the electors. The proceedings were opened by Mr Ponnd and Mr William Graham (brother of Mr James Graham of Westport renown) mounting on a platform in front ot tbe hotel, whereupon Mr Graham, as one of ' " Yorkey 's" staunchest supporters, attempted t » read what was supposed to be the requisition to Mr Berry, to place himself in the bands of the electors. The din and laughter were, however, so loud that nothing else could be heard. Iv the midst of tumult, and while Mr George Pound was acting as torchbearer to Mr Graham, they were knocked "head over heels" in the most playful manner possible, and besprinkled with flour and rotten eggs. This, if possible, increased the tumult and excitement, wbou au itinerant vendor of eggs who, acting as Mr Berry's private secretary and chairman of his committee, rejoices in the distinguished sobriquet of " One-eyed Dick," came forward to quiet the disturbance. His appearance was the bignal for renewed yells and laughter, and he bad barely mounted the platform when tbe contents of a bag of flour added to bis already striking appearance. After the playful reception accorded Mr Berry's friends, tbe latter gentleman being' unable to appreciate the joke, in.his own person at least, declined to meet tjje few and independent electors on that occasion, and the crowd qiu'c^ly dispersed,