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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 1004, 29 April 1871, Page 2

A serious accident occurred on the the 12ih hist, at the New Zealand Meat Preserving Company's works, Washdyke, Timarn, to a youth, aged 15, named James Newton. It appears, according to the Herald, that ha* duty was to scald the new tins, so as to cleanse them thoroughly preparatory to meat being packed in them. For this purpose a vat is pi uvided with a metal basket in which the tins are placed for convenience and safety in lifting them out of the water, which is- heated above boiling point —the heat being 220 degrees. The unfortunate lad was reaching over the vat to place a tin m the farther side of the basket, when, owing to the floar being wot and slippery, his feet gave waj, and he was thrown across the vat, his leg* and the lower part of bin body going into the water; foitunaiely he contrived to keep his head clear. Assistance was promptly rendered, and he was extricated from his dreadful position ; his clothes were then removed, and remedies applied. We are glad to learn that he is progressing favorably, and that no fears are entertained regarding his recovery.

The following incidents of the bombardment of Paris ar,e from the London Daily Telegraph's correspondent :—The other day, for the fii st time, I had the pleasure of making acquaintance with a tine specimen of the Prussian " obus," weighing 190 lbs , five minutes after it had touched Parisian ground. T was near the Place du Pantheon when I heard the peculiar moaning anrl whistling sound caused by a bomb rushing through the air. The projectile fell about 100 yards distance from me, near the door of Le College de Henri IV., so far as I could judge by the crowd that instantly rushed to the spot. Whilst the excited group were busy discussing the newcomer, which fortu nately had landed harmlessly, another arrived and fell in the very heart of the crow«|, seriously injuring seven of the number —two children and five men. The sufferers were conveyed to the ambulance ; but the care which

they received failed to save the lives of three —although for the rest there is good hope of recovery. Although I was some yards from the group when " obus" No. 2 fell, I prostrated myself, and embraced my mother earth for some seconds. A National Guard who wan near me, instead of imitating my example, took to his heels ; cCobus overtook him, carrying off hi* kepi, and v ith it a neat little patch of hair and skin on the very crown of-the head. Notwithstanding the narrow escape be had just had, the man appeared more concerned for the loss of his hair than thankful that his head had not kept it company. Another incident of the bombardment that would make one smile, were it not for sympathy with the sufferer, and a feeling of the possibility of his being any day one's own, is that of an American gentleman who, while in the act of taking off his left sock, had the trouble sa r . r ed him, then and for the future, by a bomb entering the room and carrying off sock; and foot. He assured the doctor w ho attended him that the pain he felt at the moment was absolutely nothing, so skilfully did the shell perform the amputation; indeed, he seemed to be so lost in admiration at the neatness of the operation that he was scarcely sensible of the loss which lie had sustained.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies has sent the following circular to. the various colonial Governors :—" A question having been raised as to the course that should be followed in determining the day to be appointed for the celebration of Her Majesty's Birthday in the colonies when circumstances render the 24th May an inconvenient clay for that, purpose, I have been in communication with the Secretary of State for War and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on the subject, and Mr Cardwell and their Lordships concur with me in the opinion that it is, desirable that the selection of a convenient day should rest with the ofticeradministering the government in each colony, the day so to be fixed being not more than a week before or after the 24th May. In the event of your finding il expedient to appoint a day other than the 24th May for the celebration of this anniversary, you will give early intimation thereof to the officers in command ofc Her Majesty's military and naval forces (if any) in the colony, and make it known to the people in thevisual and most public manner." The Wagga Wagga Express says : On Friday last a poor fellow named Bowen met his death by drowning, near Cuba, on the lower river, whileendeavoring to cross a lagoon in search of some bullocks he had lost. Full particulars have not yet come to hand,, but if we have been rightly informed, his death has been the result of a train of singular circumstances. Our readers will remember that in our issue of the. 22nd oi" February last, we recounted a case of great hardship, in which Bowen had been arrested at Gillenbah, by constable Fagan, upon a charge of having escaped from him seven years before, while under escort to Goulbornfor trial, upon a charge of murder. When brought betore the Bench here, it turned out that Bowen was two inches taller than the man really wanted, and was, altogether so utterly unlike him that hewas instantly discharged when confronted with the second constable of the escort. Tn the meanwhile he had, however, been detained three weeks in custody, and the bullocks he was in the act of driving when arrested, and which he had been obliged to resign to the charge of the first man he could meet with, had pfte he knew not whither. Upon his release he returned to Gillenbah and Cuba, and it was, we hear, while engaged in the search for these very same bullocks that the poor fellow met with his tragical end. At a school in the country the tence, " Mary milks the cow," was given out to be parsed. The last word was disposed of as follows : —" Cow is a noun, feminine gender, singular number, third person, and stands for Mary." " Stands for Mary !" said the excited pedagogue ; " how do you make that, out 1 " ■< Because," answered the intelligent pupil, " if the cow didn't stand for Mary, how could Mary milk her?" No Treat to the Mariner.—A gale & da>\