GREENSTONE.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 518, 13 May 1869, Page 3

GREENSTONE.

♦ (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) May 10. The contract for the foot-bridge across the creek to the Camp Reserve has been given to Nelson and party for the sum of L6B, and the work will be commenced today. The contractors expect to have it finished as soon as the road is done, which may be about four weeks from the present time. The Greenstone and Eastern Hohonu Race Company have now let the whole of the sections to contractors, and the line of race presents a lively appearance, parties putting up huts and making their quarters comfortable for the time they have to work, which will be about five months altogether. A store has already been 'started to supply the men with provisions, so there will be no hiudrance to the work being pushed forward; by men having to go some distance for tucker. At Maori Point another store has been erected, and this place still continues to be the point of attraction to the miner. Every week sees a steady increase of digger? working on the flats, terraces, and the bed of the creek, and although as yet there are no extraordinary finds absolutely known, various rumors are afloat that odd parties here and there have struck good gold. There is no doubt but that most of those now fairly at work are making sn>all wages, and in some instances a good deal over, and it is a general opinion that the country laying between hare and Lake Br (.inner is more or less auriferous, and only wants a thorough prospecting to develope its resources. There is every prospect of the Maori Point district "holding out for a considerable time to come. Mouteith and party, who put the large dam across ihe creek down towards the Tbree-mjl.e, have struck payable gold, wlivch they well deserve, as an immense amount of labor was gone through before they could even prospect their ground. The Three-nrle Creek workings are much in the same state as at the dale of former report— st^l holding its own as far as gold getting is concerned. Last week's rain enabled the terrace claimholders to wash up their stack ofdirt, a^d by the end of this week there will be a faix amount oigold offered for sale. On the DnV.e of Edinburgh Terrace an accident, attended with fatal consequences, took place on Friday evening last. Two men were working in a drjve some fifty feet when they came across the end of a drive from another claim. They noticed the cap-piece of the set in thg old drive was not very secure, and were about put-' ting a centre prop under it when it snapped in the cen tre ; burying both men under the debris. Fortunately for one of them, of the name of Cairns, the ends of the laths stuck in the bottom of the drive, thus partially throwing the dirt off his body. The other man, whose name was James Hans, unfortunately was outside the end of the laths, and the wholo of the mullock fell with its whole weight upon him, it is supposed killing Mm instantly. ■ Assistance was at once to hand, and although the ground was shallow enough to have stripped over the place

whore they were buried, it was thought better to got them out through the drive. Two of the mates at once set to work ; they saw at a glance it was no use to attempt to touch Hans before they y>t Cairns out, although Hans waa the first they came to, as had they done so there was every likelihood, in removing the. mullock from Hans, a greater portion would be thrown on Cairns ; besides, Cairns was alive, and liana they were sure must be killed. After three hours laborious but patient and steady work, they relieved Cairns, who was perfectly sensible the whole time, and afterwards they released the body of poor Hans. Dr Evisson wa3 on the ground ready to give his services when required, and when Cairns was brought out at once proceeded to examine where the injuries were, and to dress the wounds He states that from the position Cairns was in, his body being ahnost doubled, a few minutes more in tbe position and he would have been suffocated. Gradually the man got round, but it will be a long time before he will be ui?ly recovered, being very much bru'sed and the flush torn from his hands and face. Mr Warden Keogh held an inquest on the body of Ham on Saturday last, when a verdict of accidental death was returned. The corpse was then carried across the creek, a large number following to the cemetery, near the police camp, where the Rev. Father M'Taggart read the burial service. After the last sad services were paid to the deceased, a subscription amongst 'ihose present was got up to put a fence round the ground which the Government had given as a cemetery, and souie £7 was. collected, which will very nearly meet the purpose. On Friday last, divine service was held for the first time in the new Catholic Chapel, the Rev. Father M'Taggart officiating. There was a numerous congregation, although the day was very wet, and would hardly allow people from a distance to come. Several parties are still gohwj to ihe Eigh.t-mile. The distance now the new track is cut enabling a person to go there and back in a day.