Page 297 Advertisements Column 1

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1596, 24 July 1874, Page 297

At the quarterly convocation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland (freemasons) a motion was adopted assimilating the representation in the Colonial Grand Lodges to that of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, by adoption of the proxy system. A narrow and extraordinary escape from death is thus described by the Ross Guardian (Westland): —Jacob Hansen was working at a (ieptii of about 70ft. in a face, when the roof of the drive gave way, and the timber and a heavy fall of earth came down on top of him, but strange to say he escaped without rtceiving even a scratch. The laths came down first, and stuck between the face .and the floor in a slanting position, keeping all the pressure of the weight of the dirt off Hansen, who was underneath in a crouching posture. He could not straighten himself, and had to lie there for twelve long hours, but was cheered by the sound of the picks, which came nearer and nearer, and when relieved at two o'clock on Thursday morning, the tears of joy that stood in his eyes told how grateful he was to his brother miuers, who had worked so hard and so constantly to release him from his living grave. To get to the spot where Jsf.iib was confined, a drive twelve t'e.-t hwijj had to be put in, every foot of wliioii had to he timbered, as the ground \\h>\ been worked before, and could not be d pi-nded on. The work was commenced at two o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, and shifts of twelve men on each relieved each other for twelve hours, at the expiration of which their perseverance was rewarded by extricating their man, ve;y cold and cramped certainly, but sound in wind and limb. The usual treatmeut was resorted to, and plenty of warm blankets soon put him to rights, and on the forenoon of the same day he was walking about the streets. . The stretcher had been brought from the Hospital, in the expectation it would be needed, but happily such was not thj case.