Original Poetry.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 439, 19 November 1866, Page 3

Original Poetry.

. lINE3 ®OTOEST£I> BS A VISIT TO THE SCEIfE OP THE CATE GaLXAKT Fight at Petane, Hawks’s Bat, ■ 12th Octobee, 1868. PEKE, by fair Petane’s winding ‘stream. By twilight still 1 lore to dream Of those who faced the foe; - •., Who, foremost in their country’s rights Exulting came forth to the fight. And laid the hau-haua low, - E’en here, with nought to Intervene^ 1 gaze upon the fatal scene With patriotic pride. Arrested m their fierce career. Death overtook the rebels here. Surrounded here they died. Beneath the bright stars’ scintillation, How musing in sad contemplation. Emotion swells my breast. Here, gory stains still dye the ground, - There, blood-stained garments strewed around. Attest the slain at rest. Ewells on the breeze, like funeral dirge. The echoes of the distant surge. And, as they die away, Etem memories they still bequeath Of slaughtered savages beneath. And that triumphant day. Father Supreme! to Thee we turn, With gratitude our bosoms burn; Thy goodness here we see. Who, for Thine all-sufficient ends, Eestored to us our gallant friends, Enwreathed with victory. Brave little hand! Intrepid few! Who paid our debt of vengeance due, Your worth our hearts embalm. Deceive a grateful people’s praise. By you more prized than flaunting bays. The laurel and the palm. 3. H, Petane. Ist November, 1866. FIRE IN THE COUNCIL HALL, OTAGO. The Daily Times, sth November contains an account of a narrow and most fortunate escape from a great conflagration in Dunedin on the evening of Saturday, 3rd November. Our contemporary says:— The Council Hall, forming part of the yet unfinished pile of Provincial Government Buildings, was discovered to bo on fire. Had the flames got a hold upon that pile, the wooden buildings at present occupied by the Government must have been burned, if they were not pulled down; and in either case, there would have been immeasurable inconvenience from the combined loss and derangement of documents which must have resulted in the hurried attempt to remove them. The present Post Office would probably have disappeared j but the unfinished building which at some time is to be used might have escaped damage. It would have been something like a miracle if the flames had been kept from crossing Princess-street, to one of the most extensive and almost unbroken blocks of wood premises in the city. And what then ? If such speculations as to what might have happened should be thought to be extravagant, the thought will disappear when it is considered how great would have been the body of the flame, if the Provincial Buildings had been thoroughly ablaze, and how soon that might have happened under the influence of the strong gusty wind that was blowing on Saturday night. The origin of the fire on Saturday night seems mysterious enough; but wo do not think that there is a shadow of a reason for supposing that it was wilfully caused. The Council Hall, as most will know, is at the back, or Bond-sreet side of the pile. It forms the upper story—two Courts for the business of the Resident Magistrate being below; it extends over the arcade through which those Courts will be approached; and its length is that of the arcade only, the ends or wings, being occupied by approaches to the Hall, or by rooms set apart for use by the Council or its officers. The Hall and tho rooms adjoining, were given up some days ago by the contractor for the building, Mr G. Cornwell; and, under tho direction of an officer of the Government, the fittings used when the Council met in Farley’s Hall had been removed and fixed. Substantially, every thing was ready for the meeting of the Council to-morrow. Except those employed by the Government in preparing the temporary fittings, the only persons at work in the Hall for two or three days, have been some painters, who have been frosting the lower panes of the great windows, which stretch along the Bond-street side of the Hall. This work was completed, excepting only some finishing touches, when the men stopped work at five o’clock on Saturday evening. Tho window last frosted was that nearest tho Jetty-street end of the Hall; and the steps used by the painters were left close under the window, just as they had been used. The upper sash of that window was left down 2ft. or more, and the adjoining window was similarly left open. About a quarter before midnight, the jetty watchman saw smoke and sparks coming through those windows; and running into Princess-street, be met two detectives, who sent a messenger to get the fire bell rung, and then went in to Bondstreet. The Volunteer Brigade mustered rapidly and strongly, and soon had engines and water available. Mr Cornwell was amongst those who arrived early on the spot; and he, from his knowledge of the building, was able to assist Captain Rees and bis men to get as speedily as possible into the Hall. Once there with water at command, there was no doubt that the fire would be checked. The flames were in fact .very soon put out; and then half-an-hour’s trouble was sufficient for following and extinguishing every trace of burning. The fire had commenced in the corner of the hall immediately under the window which had been last frosted. One leg of the painters’ steps was burned off, and the other was much charred. Being over the arcade, there was below the floor, at the particular spot, nothing but the joists, &c., to the lower side of which laths had been fixed and a coat of plaster had been added. There was an opening of about 16 inches between the floor and the plaster. The floor had been burned through swore the" brigade got is j the joist run-

ning parallel with the Bond-street wall had been deeply charred for several feet,; and there being battens fixed to that wall, so as to prevent damp making its way through the plaster, the had spread behind the skirting board, up the space so left, and inside the framing on one side of the window. It was necessary to chop down some of the plaster, to pull away part of tho window framing and of the skirting board, and to cut through tho floor for a few feet, in order to be sure that no fire remained; and the damage done was confined to what we have stated, except that some of the cocoa-fibre mattting was burned, and that tho ceiling of the Hall was discolored and cracking slightly by the smoke and the heat. We.believe that everything can be made good before noon tomorrow when the council is to meet. As to the origin of the fire there cannot be a doubt that it commenced in the Hall, and by the slow ignition of the matting. It is possible that that ignition was due to a spark from some chimney being blown through the open window; it is probable that it was due to an unextiuguished match, or ashes from a pipe, dropped without thought of danger. A watchman went through the building as far as possible at half-past eight o’ clock, when all seemed safe; but at half-past ten o’clock a light was noticed in the Hall. At that time, two gentleman were leaving a warehouse iu Bond-street, when one of them remarked, “ Why, the City Chamber is lighted up.” The other looked, but replied, *“ Oh! I suppose they are trying the gas ” —a natural supposition for any one who knew that the Hall was to be used to-mor-row ; and so no alarm was given or inquiry made. No doubt, what was seen was one of the first flashes of what had been until then a smouldering fire. It should be said that free ventilation is provided for through the skirting board of the Hall; so that there would be abundant air to raise a flame, when once the matting was thoroughly Ignited. The building is insured for £12,000, several offices being interested.

THE LATE FIRE AT CHRISTCHURCH. In last Monday’s issue, it will be remem* bered, we published some telegrams relative to a destructive fire which occurred at Christchurch on the morning of Tuesday, 6th November. We now give the account of the conflagration from the Lyttelton Times, of the 6th November:— At a quarter-past one this morning a fire broke out in Colombo-street, in the premises occupied by Mr G. H. Roach, tobacconist, contiguous to the brick building known as Colombo House. Before the alarm was given the fire bad taken such a bold of the adjoining buildings that it was at once apparent that the block comprising the buildings up to Armagh-street, and including Mr Trealeaven’s flour store, and the Golden Fleece Hotel, were doomed beyond hope of any action on the part of the Fire Brigade. Behind the buildings which we have named, and extending for a considerable distance were ranges of stables and other out-buildings which were very soon on fire. It was about twenty minutes after the alarm was given before the Fire Brigade showed in any force, and at least twenty minutes more before any engine was on the ground. By this time it was evident that nothing could be done beyond saving thosebuildings which stood to the south ofCookham House, and preventing the fire from spreading to the other side of the street, which, at one time seemed very likely, from the fierceness with which it raged, and the direction which it was dreaded the wind might take. It was thought, at one time, that Cookhatn House might be saved, and if a timely supply of water had been at hand, such might have been case. As soon as the Fire Brigade had got their engines into proper working order they directed their efforts chiefly to prevent the further spread of the fire, it being evident that it was impossible to save those buildings on which it had already taken hold. In a very short time the whole of the block as far as Armagh-street was hopelessly under the mastery of the flames, and the Golden Fleece burned so rapidly as to leave the inmate# but scant time to save themselves. By this time a large crowd bad collected in the street, and the work of removing all that could he readily come at from the buildings threatened was carried on by willing hands with astonishing alaeferity. The fire having been reduced within a certain limit, and the attention of the brigade concentrated, it was found that the chief danger to be apprehended arose from a store to the rear of and in connection with the Cookham House, which burned fiercely along, and threatened to carry the fire to a range of stabling and other outbuildings in close proximity. At the height of the fire, and while the front part of the buildings we have already mentioned were burning fiercely, it was feared that Mr Alport’s store, the premises of Messrs Cook and Ross, and those of Mr Seake, the former on the opposite side of Armagh-street to the Golden Fleece, and the latter on the south side of Colombo-street, would catch fire, and the attention of the Fire Brigade was directed to these buildings in time to save them.

Looking at tie late hour at which the fire occured, it is impossible to do more than giro a mere outline of what happened. We believe the first sign of the fire was noticed about I*lo a.m.; and we are informed that the efforts of several people shouting “fire.” energetically were insufficient to rouse the inhabitants, even in the immediate vicinity. A messenger who was dispatched at the very earliest moment, to the place where the fire bell was supposed to be, was told, on arriving at the spot, that the bell bad been removed to some unknown place. In consequence of this it was some time before the alarm was given. The action of the Fire Brigade as far as we could notice, was prompt and efficacious, as soon as they had their engines on the ground. The police were on the ground immediately after the fire broke out, and did good service in preventing the crowd from interfering with, or impeding the efforts of the Fire Brigade. The crowd, which seemed to spring up as if by magic, was most orderly, and those who were called on by the police and Volunteers very readily rendered any assistance in their power.

Font Chudben Buent to Death. —The Sydney Morning Herald, 24th October, contains the following account of a shocking occurrence. That the acts of the rile incendaries who have of late months caused so many fires in this colony hare not led to similar results is really wonderfull. The Herald says:—Writing on Friday, the 19th instant, from Hartley, a correspondent reports that an inquest was held that afternoon, before Mr Brown, P.M., Hartley, at the Welcome Inn, near Pulpit Hill, Western Boad, on the remains of four children, daughters, of Charles A. Taylor, burnt to death in a hut at One Tree Hill, on the morning of the 19th. The evidence of the mother, Susannah Taylor, was that she went to bed at 10 o’clock on the night of the 18th; there were sleeping in the same bed with her, Elizabeth, 10 years of age, step-daughter; Ellen, Louisa Ann, 4 j Emily, 16 months ; at half-past 12, she awoke by the noise the fire made in the chimney of the hut; the chimney was all in a blaze; she sprang out of bed, callling to the eldest girl to take the other children out j she ran out with a little hit of flour; she returned and carried out some more things ; she tried to enter the hut after putting down the articles, hut could not, the flames preventing her j the three children were then crying “Mother save us, save us;” she went to the outer part of the hut, where she heard the voices of the children, and tried to pull down the bark : she was not able, and in an instant the fire was upon her, and the cries of the children ceased ; sac got a good deal burned at this spot, and had to desist, from the fire enveloping her s she was all- the while shouting for help; at this time, when the whole of the hut was on fire, three women neighbors, living from 150 to 250 yards from her, came, but they could render no assistance ; before going to bed witness told the eldest girl to throw some water on the fire in the fireplace, which the girl did, hut she thinks the fire was not put completely out, and that the saplings of which the chimney was made, caught fire. The chimney was a very rude structure; the wind could get between the sticks, and blow the fire into a flame. The evidence of the neighbors was —that they were awoke by the cries of Mrs Taylor, and on hastening to her assistance and reaching her hut it was all ablaze, the children made no sound, and assistance was of no avail. The mother got a character from the people living in the vicinity of being a sober hardworking women. The father is a navvy, and had gone to seek work on last Wednesday, leaving the little bit of flour as their all. The remains 6f the children presented a harrowing sight. The girl, six years old, appeared to have carried the child of four years to the corner of the hut furthest from where the fire began, and that they died in each others arms. The eldest girl was beside them, the baby was burned to an ash where it lay in the bed. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally burned to death."

Kindness OF THE Queen. —Tho Kirriemuir correspondent of tho Dundee Advertiser writes; —“Among the many traits of kindness and condescension in her Majesty’s character, the following is not unworthy of a place. One day last week, while taking a drive in her carriage, she noticed a man on the road with a pretty large bundle, apparently very much fatigued. With her usual condescension she entered into conversation with him, by inquiring where he came from, and whither he was going; in answer to which he told her that he had come from Cromarty, and was on his way to Dundee, intending to cross the Capel, as being the nearest road. Her Majesty then remarked that, as he appeared to be much fatigued, and his bundle was apparently heavy, if he would put it in the carriage, perhaps her coachman, who was also a Highlander, would take him up. The weary wanderer was thus taken a few miles on his way, and, as was to be expected, was greatly affected by the considerate kindness and condescension shown by her Majesty.” CoroiriA.Xi Government liiPECuNiosrrY. —The New Zealand Herald understands that “ a considerable portion of the officers of the General Government in Auckland have not yet been able to receive their pay for the month of October, in consequence of there being no money left in the sub-treasury. We do not know what state the treasury itself may be in, but from what we hear, not much better, we believe. It is want of means alone, we believe, that keeps back the Government from initiating any measures of preparation to meet what may possibly take place, an outbreak on the part of the disaffected natives south of tho confiscated line, of the possibility of which they have good enough evidence, for we can scarcely suppose that what is known to the correspondents of the public journals is unknown to the Government. After voting the taxes of the country away to subsidise a costly and useless mail service j and after refusing to raise additional revenue by taxing Southern runholders equally with Auckland and Dunedin merchants and storekeepers, the Government is left without a shilling for the defence of the colony beyond a sum appropriated—barely sufficient to cover expenses already contracted. The position of the Government is a delicate one. It dare not take measures to prevent a state of things which a little firmness and show of preparation would effect, because Southern men would loudly condemn it for having spent unappropriated money needlessly, forgetting that such expenditure had saved the necessity of a still worse consequences. The Government is therefore obliged to wait until some overt act calls its its interference into unavoidable activity.” The above is a fair specimen of the reasoning of our contemporary; in our opinion most inconsistent, not to say unjust. It complains on the one hand for the merchants, forgetting, apparently, that it is the people who are taxed through them rather than themselves, and on the other advocates protective duties, by which the burden of taxation would be made to fall still more heavily on the tax-payer, without any corresponding benefit to the revenue. The Panama Steam Service, too, is said to be “ a costly and useless mail service,” simply because Auckland cannot be made a port of call for it. Let our contemporary, in declaiming against the Government for not taxing the Southern runholders be consistent, and with us go in for free ports and direct taxation.

Napi eb Militia— Nos. 1 and 2 companies of Napier Militia drilled- on Thursday and Friday mornings last. The men turned out weE and went through their drill very creditably. Names Eefle Volenteebs. —This corps wa» inspected by the Hon. the Defence Minister on Thursday evening last, and were complimented by- _ that gentleman on their very creditable state of efficiency, and their acquaintance with the bugle calls. He also thanked them, in the name of the Government and the Colony, for their gallant conduct before Omaranui pa on the 12th October. The Needle Gun.— The Army and Navy Gazette says:—“ The celebrated needle-gun has again been tried at Chalons, and found wanting. About 150 of these weapons were put into the hands of the Guards, and the commission has reported that these rifles are not suitable to French troops.”