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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1395, 7 August 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times, 19th July, sa y a : —The heavy down-pom* ol rain, which, commencing on Sunday night, continued with but slight intermission until "Wednesday mid-day, caused a considerable fresh in the river, and, as an inevitable consequence, the liver and tide combined, washed away another slice of doomed Gladstone-street, necessitating the removal of more buildings. Mailer's boot store on the side of the street, and the old Boatman's Arms on the other side, are now the corner houses. At the foot of Kennedy-street the river has also made further encroachment, and the wharf is so insecure that the flooring has been removed for safety, and the heavier timbers will be lifted as quickly as practicable. "JEgles," in the Australasian, thus laughs at a Melbourne " swell" : There is a mighty hunter, who takes care to give Collins-street ocular and daily demonstration that he affects a jumping horse, some sporting dogs, and cord continuations. Passing the other day, in evident and ample consciousness of the sensation his tout ensemble was creating, a betting man said to another layer of odds, " I say, Sam, do you know that there is a livery stable in Bourke street where they hire out that 'ere horse and breeches—and no extra charge for the breeches V* The blacksmiths in nearly every district in Canterbury have raised their charges in consequence of the increased price of coal and iron.

TERRIBLE EXPLOSION OF KEROSINE kV -SEA.

(From the North British Mail.} Intelligence received in Liverpool! from Bermuda states that on* the evening of the 19th March a light was discovered about eight niile& from, the- „ harbor, evidently proceeding from a* burning ship-, and Mr Fowler; the su* perintendent of pilots at Bermuda, at once proceeded to the scene of the- firein a tug. When within gun-shot of.4b* vessel the air was heaxed by the widespreading flames, ami at 100 feet the heat wa& insufferable, as the ship was. completely enveloped wi|h> flames.; A 8 first it was feared that all on board had perished, but a boat hailed the tug. from off the starboard bow, and 1 it at. once went to the assistance of those in the boat. There were seven men in it, two of whom were so severely burnt aa to be incapable of moving, but the following statement was made to< Mr Fowler:— The barque Nimrod,. Captain Bartley, left St. John's, New Brunswick,.on March 1, bound to the West Indiai Islands with a cargo of kerosine and naphtba, barrelled salmon,. &c Several days after leaving port the Nimrod experienced very boisterous weather, and on the 13th March she lost some sparse and a quantity of canvas during a terrific gale when about 300 miles from* Bermuda. On the 17th it was found that the water on board was unfit for use, several of the men having, been attacked with diarrhoea from using it, and. the captain at once bore up for Bermuda for a fresh supply. At 4 o'clock on the afternoon of the 19th Bermuda was sighted, and shortly afterward* a loud and sudden report was heard aft.,, and in the next moment flames were bursting through the rent timbers of" the cabin deck. Boom after boom followed the first report like continued C mnonading, and the fire increased rapidly, causing the greatest consternation amongst those who were on the forward part of the vessel, and their first effort was to cast away the jollyboat, which was lashed to the fore hatch. The two men who were soseverely burnt ran towards the cabin with the determination of rescuing Mr> and Mks Bartley, the captain's wife and daughter. After the boat was launched the two men were diagged from the flames into the boat, whick had scarcely proceeded fifty yards when a terrific explosion occurrred amidships,, and high flames and dense suffocating,, smoke rose over the wreck on all sides. It was then found that eleven personswere missing, viz.:- -Captain Bardey, : wife, and daughter; Mr Walter Ca*son„ chief officer; Mr Gus Baitley (son of the captain), second officer ; and six; seamen, named Fritz, Kent, Harrat,. Toole, Hickey, and Burt. The flamesdid not subside until midnight, when the vessel was burnt to the water'sedge on one side, the other side being, a mere skeleton of a hull. Capt. Bartley was well kno*n in the coloniaL tiade—his father, the late Mr Isaac C. Bartley, being one of the largest timber merchants in North America, and Mrs Bartley, who met with such a terrible fate, was accompanying her daughter, whose ill-health she thought the mild climate of the West Indies would restore.