SOUTHERN CLIPPINGS

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1176, 20 November 1871, Page 2

SOUTHERN CLIPPINGS

With regard to the Clutha railway, , late Olago papers state that the conr tract is progressing in a most ,expedi- * tious and satisfactory manner. Thirty four bales of fungus were shipped in the s s. Taranaki on her last visit to Taranaki. This represents 1 fully five tons, as most of the bales average about 3 ewt. each. Late Canterbury t papers state that " the Rev. "VY- Cree ariived at Lyttelton a few days ago by the Gleninark, and will occupy some of the ground ren- • dered vacant by the removal or death of three members of the Presbytery dui ring the last twelve months. The Evening Post, Nov. 11, says ; A messenger arrived about noon to-day, . from the Pilot Station, with informathat the ketch Alert, Scott, master, was in a most precarious position at the Heads. She had anchored, but at the , time of the messenger leaving, the gale was blowing with terrific violence, and the little craft was dragging her anchor with every prospecc of being past on the rocks. Immediately on this becoming known to Captain Fairchiid, he commenced getting steam up on board the Luna, and in a short time proceeded to the assistance of the Alert, haying on board Capt. Johnson, Mr Hackworth, and one or two other gentlemen. The Lnna reached Worser's Bay at 2 o'clock, but found that she w T as too late, the Alert being on shore a quarter of a mile from the Pilot Station, full of water, and the sea making a clean .breaoh over her. No communication was held with the shore, and no one was seen near the stranded vessel; but from the position in which she lay, it seemed probable that the crew would have got on shore without difficulty. She was loaded with timber from the Sound, and bound for Lyttelton, haying only put in for shelter; and there is e\ cry prospect of her becoming a total wreck. We are told that she was uninsured, and her loss will in consequence be a serious blow to Captain Scott. Too much praise cannot be awarded to Capt, Fairchiid for the prompt readiness he evinces on all occasions to succour vessels in distress, not to speak of the professional skill he displays in all cases of emergency. Few men could either have got a steamer away more quickly from the wharf or handled her better in a narrow place in the teeth of a furious gale, than he did to-day. The Wellington Independent, Nov. 6, says :—There is reason to fear that the. gale of Thursday last has proved fatal to two residents of the Hutt district, who had on that day started on a fishing excursion. On that morning two brothers, named Judd, left their 1 home at Wainni on a fishing expedition, and since that time they have not been heard of; The fear is that their boat was upset, and that both have been drowned; two oars and a small spritsail, identified as belonging to the boat, having been found near the lighthouse. Immediately on the occurrence of an accident being suspected, Constable Butler, of the Hutt district, organised a volunteer search party, some of whom proceeded to search the the beach from Lowry Bay to the lighthouse, while others went along the Petoni beach to the mouth of trie Hutt, but, so far as we were able to ascertain last evening, no traces of the missiug men had been obtained. Both men had just recently married-the elder of the two, to the eldest daughter, and the younger to the youngest daughter of Mr Bassetb, of Petoni. The Wellington Independent, Nov. 15, says :—An inquest was held at Wainuio-mata on Monday last, before Dr Wilford and a respectable jury, upon the body of Hugh Sinclair, an old and much respected settler of the Valley Dr sTorris had been summoned from town, to make an examination of the body, as there was considerable doubt as to what coiild have caused the death of deceased, it being evident that deceased had not fallen from his horse, as was at first supposed, it being found some little distance from the road, lying in a perfectly natural position, without so much as a scratch or bruise about him, or even dirt from the road upon his clothes, leading those ™ho had found him to suppose that, feeling unwell, he

bad descended from from his horse and lain himself down in a sheltered spot for a time where he expired. The evidence brought before the jury substantiated this supposition, more especially the medical evidence and in, accordance therewith the jury brought in a verdict of " Died from congestion of the brain." Deceased had been subject for the last year or two to attacks of giddiness, and seldom went from borne alpne. His loss will be severely felt iu the Wainui-omata Yalley. The Scotch Church in Blenheim had I a narrow escape of being burnt down | on Thursday night last, owing to the J fall of a lighted chandelier. The General Assembly was formally prorogued on Thursday last by his Excellency the Governor. The proceedings in connection with the event are described by the Wellington Independent as being "exceedingly flat." The Wellington Independent of the 18th inst. says that the more than unusual severity of the weather experienced on our coast of late is testified to by the damage to many of our small craft and the total destruction of others. Recently we had to notice the wreck of the Alert and the Mosquito, and yesterday came the news of the wreck of the neat and handy little schooner the Waihopai,—the Collingwood, too, being towed into harbor in a crippled condition. In the latter case the commendable alacrity of the pilot at the Heads and his crew was the means of saving the vessel, the cargo, though of a perishable nature, having sustained but little damage. The vessel is from, Nelson, and had on board a load of' malt consigned to Messrs. Staples ami Co., brewers, of this city. When working through Chaffer's Passage she touched on Barrett's Reef. The anchor was at once let go, and the speedy arrival of the Luna ensured the safety of the vessel, the etforts of those on board having been effectual in keeping her afloat. The, Waihopai had gone into. Pal User Bay for shelter but was driven ashore near to the mouth of the Wairarapa river, and became a complete wreck.

The Wanganui Chronicle says them will be abundance of time to prepare for the opening of the bridge, as telegrams from Wellington uqw intimate that the Governor will not leave for Wanganui until Monday the 27th, arriving here about 10 o'clock on Tuesday the 28th. Next clay (Wednesday), the 29th will be fixed for the ceremony of opening the Bridge, and on Thursday his Excellency will likely proceed up the river, which he has expressed a wish to do. The public are even now waiting anxiously to have the use of the bridge ; it is perfectly fit and ready fortraffic ; and there is always something tantalising to the public in being forbidden to use wh&t is not only necessary and right, but intended for public use. A settler having cattle to cross cannot be made to see that he should waste time and patience in punting them across the river, when there is a fine bridge on which they may be driven with the greatest ease. Tn a few days, too, the wool will begin to come in, so. that in almost every point of view, it is a pity that the formal opening could[ not have taken place this week. The steamer Wellington, on Wednesday last, made a very rapid passage of 9J hours from Nelson to Wellington, notwithstanding having a strong tide against her from the French Pass. Lady Bqwen is at present on a visit to Canterbury. The Ross New-s exultantly chronicles the fact that a substantial weathercock has been erected on a store in the Totara district, and states that it will "be a great convenience to parties who take an interest in the weather." A letter received in Ohristchurch by the last mail, bore the following genuine and charmingly ambiguous address : " Mr George Cole, Post office, Middle Island, New Zealand, or elsewhere," It is almost needless to aay that the letter reached jts destination. Mr P. O. Wilson, of the Port Chair mere Naval Brigade, in firing for places, in the forthcoming match with the North Dunedin Rifles, made the remaikably fine score pf 55 out of a possible 60% with a medium line, at ranges of 40(\ 500, and 600 yards,

Jt is said that scarlatina, in very malignant form, has presented itself at ; the Buller. The remains of the late Mr John Hay have been removed from Wellington to Dunedin for interment. News reached Wellington on the 16 th inst. that a son of Mr Wise, of Carterton, had been killed by the falling of a tree. The Marlborough News, 2nd Nov., ■writes : -We have to record the death of another of the early settlers of this part of the Colony—Mr William Budge, which occurred on Monday evening last after a lingering illness The deceased arrived in New Zealand in 1842, and was one of the first surveyors. He was engaged in surveying this part of the Nelson province, and became a settler of what was then known as "The Wairau." His love of this town, and earnest support of its interests, are too well known to need comment from us, and he leaves many friends to regret his demise. Shearing on Mr W. Miller's Roxburgh station, says the Tuapeka Times, -was commenced on Wednesday, the Ist November. 17,000 sheep were shorn by twelve sheareis in less than three weeks, the average number put through being nearly 1000 per day The .sheep were all perfectly clean. The rate paid for shearing was 15s per hundred, and for woolpressing 2s per bale.