The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1378, 2 March 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881.

The Warden's Court was still sitting when we went to press. A full report of the proceedings is held over until our next issue. A meeting of the Hospital Committee was held last evening, at which a telegram was read from Dr. Lee Porter, stating that he was unable to leave Nelson before the middle of the month, in consequence of being detained on a case in the Supreme Court. The house committee reported that Dr. Keiran had kindly taken charge of the institution as visiting medical officer, pending the arrival of Dr. Porter ; and that Mr Toms, one of the committee, would gratuitously dispense daily at the Hospital all the medicines that might be required, until such time as the newly-appointed medical officer of the institution should arrive. We regret to record the death of Mr P. Ryan, the manager of the Kumara and Greymouth Tramway Station at Kumara, whicn sad event took place at an early hour thit morning. It is currently rumored that the deceased's death was caused by fruit poisoning. The cricket match, Kumara v. Hokitika, was to be played to-day on Cass Square, Hokitika. The eleven chosen by the Hokitika Cricket Club are as follow : Messrs Knox (captain), Bonar, Tennant, Daly, A. W. Cooke, Clapcott, H. Levy, Redgrave, Skeet, Norman, and Peake. The names of the Kumara team were not all known prior to the coach starting this morning, but would include R. Bell, J. Barnett, Morse (of Stafford), E. Kennedy, imd Cooper. The <3neenslander relates that near Albury four little children were playing about their father's stacks ; one, a boy of six years, struck a match, and on it burning his fingers threw it down. The straw quiekly caught, and hurrying the younger children to some distance, he ran screaming to alarm his mother. On returning with his mother it was found that the baby, a boy of two years, had been caught by the flames and was burnt to a cinder.

A terrible fog around Milan has caused a series of lamentable disasters. five laborers on the Venice-Milan line, while escaping from a goods train which they had heard but not seen, were killed by an equally unseen express running in a contrary direction. Shortly afterwards a pointsman was killed at no great distance from the scene of the former accident, and the same night a poor traveller was simrlarly killed near Alexandria. Twenty inches a day is the utmost progress which the French engineers find it possible to make in sinking the shaft neat Calais to lead to the tunnel under the Channel between England and France. The shaft is now nearly two hundred feet deep, and is to be three hundred. It is ten feet in diameter, and is lined with oak. Thus far the chalk through which it descends, and which is supposed to continue under the bed of the channel, has disclosed no irregularities. The largest crane in the world is on the point of being completed at Woolwich, having been upwards of four years in process of erection. To give some idea of this stupendous piece of mechanism for lifting great weights, it may be stated that 1800 tons of iron and 3 tons of brass have been used in its construction, and that it will lift three or four 100-ton guns at once. But a less powerful crane could do that work in detail. This giant among cranes is calculated to raise 1200 tons, and has been formed for meeting the probable necessity of dealing with specimens of ordinance so enormous as to defy all the means at present available for mounting them on their carriages. The height of the crane is 70 feet, it can sweep round making a circumference of 430 feet, and one man, it is said, can control it at the central cylinder. The motive power is, of course, steam, and our readers may fancy what a 200 or even a 300-ton gun would be like swinging in the air, at any height under 70 feet, held in the grasp of this monster machine, which, if placed at the side of a harbour, could lift large vessels clean out of the water. The deepest shaft in the colonies is the Magdala, at Stawell (Vic), It is 3000 feet from the surface, and 2000 feet below the sea level. The following paragraph tells its own tale, and is decidedly a severe rub, not only to the persons mentioned but to that numerous tribe who howl out " Stop my paper" every time that anything is said that takes them to task for foolish speech or action : Died—Subscriptions.—On the 31st September, 1880, the subscriptions to the Walgett Mail of Sub-Inspector Walker and Constable Collier, both of the Police Force of New South Wales, deeply regretted. The cause of their untimely loss was an overdose of truth, which proved too strong for their weak digestions. "Two down; who makes Three?"—Barwon Argus. To those in search of merriment, visit S. S. Pollock's, and obtain the great Irish song "The Babies in our Block," or "Little Sally Waters"; price sixpence. [Advt.] To those suffering from sore throat or hoarseness caused by practising " The Babies in our Block," or any other great Irish song, instant relief can be obtained by indulging in one bottle of Francis' Syrup of Irish Moss, which can be obtained at W. Barnett's, Chemist, Seddon street, agent.—[Advt.]