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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1208, 12 June 1872, Page 2

Taken altogether, we may fairly assume that Greymouth, of late years, has been suljected to as many elemental misfortunes as usually happens to a young town. Air in the shape of a whirlwind, fire in proprid persona, and water in the guise of a flood, havß'Jatplj-di' r miU»u><l-*Uw-pl.»o<>.-TJja wind, it is true, was the most harmless of our unwelcome visitors, though, that did quite damage enough ; the fire was ruinous to many, and the flood was so to more. Notwithstanding all these calamities, Greymouth has not suffered seriously, or at least possesses an elasticity that enables it to recover disaster, and at the present time seems likely to progress as if no such misfortunes had happened. But it appears that there is a skeleton of a rather serious nature in the Greymouth closet, for which few were prepared, and one whose unveiling will be anything but pleasant for nervous householders to ponder on. There are few, no matter how sound sleepers they may have been, but must have been awakened on Monday night last, by what has been well termed "Heaven's artillery," in the shape of thunder and lightning. Fortunately, violent though several storms were, no damage, as far as we at present know, took place, but the danger to all who were peacefully sleeping in their beds, or abiding within their houses, was luckily unknown. Tt may be remembered that, amongst other destruction of property on Ihe occasion of the &00& in February lasl, the powder magazine was swept away. The Collector of Customs here, Mr Andrews, applied to tho County Chairman at once for a new building, but though his application was forwarded on the 13fch February, very nearly the same date in June has been reached without a reply being vouchsafed. As a matter of course, Mr Andrews, being under the Act specially bearing on the storage and disposal of gunpowder, the legal custodian of tbat compound, and responsible to the General Government in addition, had to make the best arrangements he could. On application to the Borough Council, that body, through their Mayor, granted the use of the Dangerous Goods Shed, of course, under the impression that the tenancy would be brief. Neither the County nor the General Government have taken any steps in the matter from that time to this, and yesterday two deputations waited on the Mayor, p Dinting out very unmistakeably the danger that an accumulation of powder in that building caused. When our readers know all, we have no doubt that they will share in the apprehensions of the deputations in question. In the first place, we may state that there are at the present time stored no less than three and ahalf tons of poioder, enough^ to blow Greymouth to chips should it be by any means, accidental or otherwise, ignited. The shed in question is a favorite resort for larrikins to freqrent and smoke under ihe lee of whatever aide may be the leeward. By some . fatality or other one of these precocious youths may consign the town to destruction, together with his worthless self, at any moment. Such accidents as these are bad .enough, but the catalogue of dangers does not end here. The building in which three and a half tons of powder is stored, incredible as it may road, is an iron one. On Monday night, during the thunderstorms that prevailed, tlie electric fluid ivasackially and literallyplaying about its roof and gables; and at any moment might have penetrated the sides and exploded this mass of powder. By the blessing of God this did not take place ; had it done 'so, hot only would the town have been destroyed, but the loss of life must have been fearful. There is no lightning conductor, no means of divert.

ing tbe dread and subtle flu : d, and the town is now at the mercy of fie e'emen.rj. of the larrikins of whom we have spoken, or of any miscreant who thinks fit to do any grievous evil. The deputations who waited on the Mayor yesterday, vevy properly intimated that jf he did not protect the town they would protect themselves, by break : ng open the store and throwing the powder into the river, and not only would they equitably, whether legally or not, be justified, in such proceeding in self-defence, but they would be supported by the body of the cit : zens. Greymouth has suffered enough, and does "'Ot wait further disaster through culpable carelessness. The Mayor, we may add, has given notice to the Collector of Customs to remove his dangerous wares within 24 hours, and the latter has communicated with the General Government. At the same time the danger is imminent, and though no blame is attachable to any official, it is anything but pleasant to go to bed with the consciousness that at any | moment, owing either to the causes indicated, or other that we are not aware of, ! the town may be blown to atoms, and the first experiences of its sleeping inhabitants be finding themselves in the other world, the spiritual world of which Mr James Smith, in Dunedin, was tbe late apostle. In energetically and promptly removing the danger, the Mayor will be supported I by all who value a whole skin.