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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 1026, 26 May 1871, Page 3

The heavy and iuces.s9.llt vain dining the past few days lias caused serious damage to be done to the different bridges on the No. 1 Jjine. Tne approach to the Tnrakina Bridge ha* been washed away stopping all traffic. The Wellington mail coach was stopped, and the driver, Guy DarrelJ, had Lo cross the gap by straddling along a pole with the mail bags strapped to Lis back. Messrs Owen and Lethbridge's men Jjave been employed to-day repairing

the damage by laying trunks of trees across from the bank to the woodwork. -—Wanganui Herald. An amusing incident is related by the Maitland Mercury :—Recently an official from Sydney was putting a num ber of the members of the Newcastle Artillery Corps through their "Gate chism," a series of interrogatories framed so as to discover the knowledge and proficiency of volunteer artillerymen in the matters appertaining to their duties in that capacity A number of questions were asked, as to the composition of gunpowder, the elate of its invention, and other technical enquiries, most of which were fairly answered; but the questioner posed the whole of the men by suddenly and abruptly asking,— "What's the weight of a 24-pound ball?'' . None of them could tell him, and much laughter followed his explanation of the obvious answer.

"We (Wanganui Herald) learn with deep regret of the sudden death of Mr John Rankin of Wicksteed Place. The deceased was in the enjoyment of good health up to mid-day on Sunday, 14th inst. After dinner he went upstairs to lie down, and was not disturbed till about 4 o'clock, when Mrs Rankin going into the room found him in a fit. He recovered consciousness, but was soon after attacked again, and died about 6 o'clock. Dr. Earle Avas in attendance soon after the first attack, and found deceased suffering from apoplexy. We wish to offer our feelings of sincere sympathy with the widow under this most Irving affliction. The funeral of Mr Rankin was very numerously attended. The members of the Manchester Unitv of Odd Fellows formed part of the procession, as well as many private friends.—A later issue of the same journal say« :—Another case of almost sudden death occurred yesterday (May 18) Miss Northover, sister of Mr J. Northover, of this town, was taken ill on Wednesday evening, and died at 4 p.m on Thursday. The deceased was in the service of Mrs Rankin, and it is supposed that the excitement caused by the death of Mr Rankin, brought on the attack which ended so fatally, What makes the case if possible more painful is, that the deceased was to have been married on the first of next month.