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Kumara Times, Issue 1061, 24 February 1880, Page 2

A little boy 3| years old, son of Mr John Kennedy, storeman at Mr S. S. Pollock’s, was yesterday evening drowned in a water-hole off Third street. It appears the child was out playing with its elder sister a little distance from home, and shortly after the sister left him his screams were heard, but these were supposed to be only as was his wont of a playful tone. However, on inquiries being made for him by the mother, he was very soon afterwards discovered to have fallen into :the water-hole before mentioned, off Third street, not far from its junction with Seddon street. The child was immediately carried to Dr Keiran’s, where measures were adopted to restore animation, but, we regret to say, without avail, and the corpse was then removed to the hOniC of the bereaved parents. An inquest was held this afternoon, before E. Barff, Esq., J.P., when a verdict of “ Accidental death by drowning ” was returned.

It will be seen that R. J. Seddon, Esq., M.H.R., intends addressing the inhabitants of Dillman’s Town to-morrow evening, on County matters, having special reference to his reasons for resigning his scat as a member of the Westland County Council. The meeting is one 'that should be attended by all persons who have any interest whatever in the proceedings of the Council, as Mr Seddon is almost sure to offer some suggestions for future action, which may be of great benefit to this community. The meeting is to be held at Reynold’s Union Hotel, at 8 o’clock.

The following are the final acceptances for the Dunedin Cup Foul Play, (including 7lb penalty) Bst 121 b ; Mata Bst 91b ; Natator, Bst ; Longlands, 7st 121 b ; Betrayer, 7st 101 b ; Hornby, 7st 81b ; Titania, 7st 41b ; Caraballo, 7st 31b ; Grip, 7st 21b ; Libeller, (including 51b penalty) 6st 101 b ; Atlantic, 6st 51b. H.M.S. Comus, now on her way to the China s'tatioh as relief, and which has instructions to call at the Crozets, to ascertain, if possible, the fate of the missing ship Knowsley Hall, had a narrow- escape before her departure from England of furnishing the material for a tragedy as dread if not as mysterious. She was taking in a quantity of intro-glycerine, when it was discovered that the compartment, being situated adjacent to the furnaces, registered a higher temperature than that at which nitre-glycerine explodes, and the

ship had t narrow escape of being blown up. Orders were given to put her in the clock, and have her magazine of that dangerous article shifted.

The drawing of Tonks’S Sweep on the ■ Dunedin Cup takes place this evening at' Gyeymouth. i A > . very limited number of tickets are still Ho be obtained at Mr Gilbert Stewart’s, Kumara.; or at Mr Petersen’s, Dilhnan’s’Tbwn, for which applications should be made without delay. We perceive that Messrs Giles and Richmond’s sweep on the Dunedin Cup will be drawn at the Clarendon Hotel, Main road, to-m6rroW evening. The new railway station b(hidings at Port Chalmers, for . which-Mr Robert Martin was contractor at the price ‘of £3377 ss, are now completed, and will be occupied at once. . The Glasgow News says that in a Short time almost every yard on the Clyde will be actively engaged, so numerous are the orders which have been received of late. In the upper district of the river the greatest number of orders have been fixed. Dumbarton will be busy during the winter. Orders are coming to hand daily, and at the present time the tonnage of the vessels to b'6 built is close on 80,000 tens in the aggregate. The Oregon brought intelligence to Auckland that the cyclone at New Caledonia did incalculable damage. In the Noumea country plantations were destroyed. (Fourteen vessels are missing or stranded. _ The warship Caledonienne at one period fired signals of distress* but succour was decided to be impossible by the which was hastily summoned, and she had to weather it out. Public buildings, some-* of stone, Were wrecked or dismantled.' The 'New Caledonia Administration and municipality acted with promptitude and A subsidy of a hundred thousand franc's A'ias issued immediately for the relief of urgent distress. A public subscription .issued by. the Government has reached nearly forty thousand francs.