The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1878.

Kumara Times, Issue 536, 15 June 1878, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1878.

It is a matter for congratulation that | Kumara luuveujoyed an immunity from j any fatal accident for a length of time ; j but the large number of minor acci- 1 dents and hair-breadth escapes that are ! continually happening, and are never ; brought before the public, are matters,! for Hie serious consideration of those ■ concerned. It is notoriously the fact ’ that the great majority of the accidents j that do happen, both small and great, 1 take place in mines that are worked by double timber, or, in other words, by sets and lathes. Some, people will tell you at once that the reason for that is ■ that only the best standing ground can ! be worked with soldiers, or single props l and caps, and that all the .dangerous i ground is worked w ith lathes. In our opinion nothing could be further astray J than that idea, f>r it is not in : the bad J ground that accidents generally happen. { If ground is really bad, it must be i worked in a careful manner, and make- ! shifts cannot be adopted. But it is ! different with what is called good i standing ground, where all 'iorts of | slovenly expedients are adopted i Another great cause of accidents is ’ in carelessly using the false set. Many ! miners think nothing of setting up a I false set without sinking it, and if a 1 stone should roll out of the face and j strike one-of the legs, it is almost certain t,o get knocked out. A careless I use of dogs is another cause of fatal j 1 accidents here, and has in some instances so resulted. Bogs are very I useful in keeping the props in an up- 1 right position while the cap-piece is I being lifted up, but if the lathes have ( any rake, and the sets are put up | plumb, as they generally are, and wedged up with the dogs in, it is ten to one if most of the weight is not on the dogs; and if they are drawn be-j fore the next lathes are entered, the set j is almost sure to jerk forward a bit, j nn l ess great care has been exercised in wedging it up. It very often happens | | that experienced miners suffer, simply i j because tiny picked up a cuvless , i w av of doing things at first, and it is j j more difficult for them to unlearn a i bad system than it is for a novice to make himself master of a good one. I ” i Last night at the largest public meeting ! that has ever been held in Kumara the : following resolution was passed by an ! overwhelming majority ' avoidably held over. Another public i meeting, convened by His Worship, the Mayor, will bo held to-night to consider. ’ the same question. , A special meeting of the Borough Coua- j cil was held this afternoon. All the memi bars were, present except Or. Oumfoot! ; ■ The following resolution was carried : “Tint his Worship the Mayor be instructed to telegraph to the Minister of Public W irks and the Premier, and ask them in the public interest to put off the final arrangement for placing the Teremakau bridge on the lower site, until the

survey is made for approaches to the upper site, and public opinion is expressed, on the subject.”

The following is the correct list of the successful tenders for the West Coast bridges, as supplied to iis by the Public Works Department Grey Bridge Contract, Maurice O’Connor, £4543 15s; Teremakau Bridge Contract, E. Blake, £7383 ; Hokitika Bridge Contract, William Smith, £6804 4s; Arahura Bridge Contract, M. O’Connor, £7983. All the contracts are for 14ft width of roadway. An accident occurred at Dillman’s Town yesterday afternoon through a fall of earth in a claim, which temporily covered in three men. Assistance being at hand, they were fortunately rescued without any serious injury. Mr Oroumbie-Brown’s advertisement announcing the lecture to be delivered by him in the Theatre Royal on Monday evening appears in another column. As it is possible that when dealing with the question of “ The Pulpit” he may refer to past affairs, and in alluding to “ The Parlisment he may touch upon comiii" events, many persons will doubtless be anxious to hear what he has to say on these subjects.

The Committee of the newly-formed Chess Club met on Wednesday evening last, and prepared rules to be submitted to the adjourned public meeting of chessplayers, which we see by advertisement in another column is to be held on Tuesday evening next, at Rugg’s Hotel. It behoves all persons who take an interest in chess to be present at tills meeting. The rules to be considered are few, but upon their adoption or rejection depends very much the successful organization of the club.

Mr Wm, Nelson, a compositor who had been in the employ of the Argus proprietory for nine years, died suddenly yesterday; He was 51 years of age, and was a grand-nephew of Admiral Lord Nelson. He leaves a-wife and three children.

Writing of an inquest in Sydney, the Vagabond relates that some amusing evidence was given. One witness scribed the barman at the hotel as a “cross between a wood-chopper and an empty bottle.” The Coroner, astonished, as well hemight .be, demanded an explanation. “ Weil, you see, sir,” said Scottie, “he passes his time between bringing out empty bottles and chopping wood.” Another witness, a girl, nrule Unconsciously a first-class pun. She was very reticent or shy, females in such cases are apt to be, and Mr Want was rather searching in ins questions. She giggled and blushed so tiiat tiie Coroner jocosely said, “ What is the matter \ Mr' Want is not, winking at yon, is lie !” “ Oh, no, sir, its worse than that ; he’s pressing me so.” I call that very good for Manly. Concerning the attempted assassination of the German Emperor, a Berlin despatch says :—An official examination of Hoedel, the prisoner, stated that ho was a native of Leipzig, and born in 1857. He denied that he fired at tile Emperor. He afhnued that ne was without work, and intended to-shoot -.himself publicly, to show the rich the present condition of the people. He stated that he shot once at himself, but could hot account for the other three shots which were wanting in the chamber of the revolver. He thought he might have discharged them in a°tit of absence of mind. The prisoner was. in possession of several socialistic and! democratic writings, tickets -of member-' 'ship of several Berlin socialistic unions, and the likenesses of socialistic leaders. He declared that lie belonged to no party, but was an anarchist, and an enemy of all political parties. It further resulted from the investigation that Hoedel formerly held socialistic meetings near Leipzig. The other prisoner, Kruegar, appears to bo innocent, and is reported to have been liberated. He was arrested because he endeavoured to protect Hoedel against the assaults of the excited crowds. Telegrams congratulating the Emperor on his escape arrived from all the German princes and European sovereigns. For miraculous cures by the use of Eucalypti Extract, read fourth m<re.— [Advt.] °

Burns says, with gloomy grandeur, “There is a foggy atmosphere native to my soul in the hour of care, which makes the dreary objects seem larger than life.” He who sailers thus cannot bo relieved by any appliances save those that touch the heart—tae homelier the more sanative—and none so sure as a wife’s affection. True, 0 poet, but he who suffers the racking pains of rheumatism, sciatica, or lumbago, should use, com (lined with your prescription, “ Ghollah’s Great Indian Cures,” the wonder of the nineteenth century. Testimonials may be seen in another column, ami Medicines may be procured at all Chemists. ---[Advt.]