The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1883.

Kumara Times, Issue 2005, 1 February 1883, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1883.

The following weather forecast was received from Captain Edwin yesterday afternoon : " 12.20 p. m. There are strong indications of north-west to west and south winds, and glass rising within 12 hours, and considerable sea after that time."

After the reading of Sir Dillon Bell's paper at the Colonial Institute, Sir John Pope Hennessey said he heard no such interesting financial statement since 20 years ago he had listened to Mr Gladstone making one of his famous budget speeches in the House of Commons.

The Rotorua, from Fiji, brings news of a great fire at Levuka on the 13th. The Levuka Hotel, Alcorn Hotel and grounds, and a chemist's shop, were destroyed. The Levuka Hotel was insured for £ISOO in the Transatlantic, South British, and New Zealand offices. The other insurances are unknown. A great storm on the 12th and 13th did great damage at Tavanui and other places. The following additional entries for the Greymouth races have been received by the Secretary, Mr Payne : Goldfields' Handicap—Mr O'Neill's Zulu ;Mr Dillon's Sir Hercules. Jockey Club Handicap—Mr Dillon's Sir Hercules. Replying to a deputation which waited on him at Tuapeka to represent the case Mr John M'Kenzie, who wished to relinquish the deferred-payment section at Tuapeka West and receive value of improvements, the Hon. Mr Rolleston said he would take the opportunity of making a few remarks about the working of the deferred-payment system. He had been round a number of districts, and had found that the system was working remarkably well ; that notwithstanding the great clamour and complaints that had been made of the hardships being endured, lie found, iu a great many cases, parties making as high as £8 an acre. He found that the system wasn't sufficiently understood by half the members in the House. He intended to support it in every way possible for the future.

At the Invercargill Caledonian sports a Miss Coghlin took the first prize for dancing a Grand Irish Reel, the lady's performance elicting loud applause.

Concerning the road and the distance between Reefton and Westport, the Inangahua Times of Monday reports : "Mr Wilson, of Westport, has been engaged for some days making a reconnoitring survey of the country lying between the junction of the Buller and Blackwater rivers, and Christy's, with the object of ascertaining whether a practical route exists in that direction for a dray road. It has been long supposed that by following up the Blackwater Creek, instead of the Buller, the dray road between Reefton and Westport could be shortened by eleven miles. This would be an allimportant saving, no doubt, but it is also said that the country to be passed through would be of a much more uniform grade, and entirely free from all the influences of either land-slips or floods—an equally important consideration. At all events, Mr Wilson has been sent out to explore the line, and his report is looked forward to with interest by the business people of Westport, as it also will be by the inhabitants of the Inangahua." A number of colliers, engaged to work at the Banbury mine, have arrived in Westport from Dunedin.

The advisability of procuring the electric light for Reefton is taking a definite form. At a meeting last Thursday evening, Mr G. R. Wylde was called upon to explain the advantages of the proposed illuminant. He estimated that a 40-horse power engine would furnish 1000 lights of 20-candle power, and he estimated the cost of plant and working appliances at £3OOO, exclusive of building site. A committee was appointed, who were empowered to make inquiries and introduce the scheme by means of a company. Mr W. Hindmarsh was appointed interim secretery, and a vote of thanks having been voted to Mr G. Wylde and to Mr Brennan, as chairman, the meeting terminated.

A new lire-bell has been hung up at Reefton and the old cracked one has been sent to Dunedin for repairs. The new bell weighs 3501b5, while its predecessor only weighed 2751b5. The bell gave forth an utterance on Friday afternoon, and its tone is said to be an improvement on the former bell.

The committee formed at Reefton for the purpose of procuring a visit of Mr Milner Stephen, who is said to have the power of effecting wonderful and even miraculous cures, have met with a hearty response from the public. A small amount only is required to complete a guarantee of £SO for that object. Among the many testimonials Mr Stephen has received, the following respecting his power to heal deafness has been handed to the Napier Telegraph for publication : "I, Major Richardson, am 50 years of age, and have suffered for 17 years from deafness in the left ear, caused by the reports of rifle shots during the Maori war in 1865, and could not hear general conversation. Having heard and read of Mr Milner Stephen's wonderful cures, I wenfc to him on the 18th inst., and also on two subsequent occasions, when he restored my hearing by breathing into my ear; and, having since taken two bottles of his magnetised water, I hope and believe that the cure is complete. After the second treatment by Mr Stephen, something burst in my ear, and blood flowed out, since when I can hear very distinctly all conversation. W. A. Richardson, late Inspector A.C. Petane (near Napier), N.Z., December 29, 1882."

The Hauroto's is the fastest passage on record from Wellington to Syduey, four days six hours.

In New Zealand the Protestants of all denominations number 393,061, the Roman Catholics 08,084.

The Gore correspondent of the Otago Daily Times telegraphs that a most terrific thunderstorm passed over that place last Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Lightning flashed intermittently for about 20 minutes. The rain fell in torrents, accompanied with a terrific shower of hail. Hailstones as large as ordiaary marbles fell in an incessant downpour for about 10 minutes. The damage to crops and gardens must be immense. The nearly ripe fields of wheat and oats suffered badly. It will be noticed from a Christchurch telegram that a somewhat similar storm was experienced at Weka Pass in North Canterbury. In Dunedin there was distant thunder and a smart shower (lasting only a few minutes) at about G o'clock.

A case of mysterious disappearance and supposed suicide took place on Monday, 22nd ult. E. S. Harris, formerly a head master, went to Melbourne to answer grave charges of misconduct. He took a boat on the Yarra, which was afterwards found containing his clothes.

A heavy thunder shower was experienced at the Waikari and Weka Pass last Frtday, about 4 p.m., when (the Press states) the creeks and gullies within a few minutes were filled with water. The depth of water along the railway embankment at the gullies rose from 10ft. to 15ft. in half-an-hour. Some of the ballast was washed away in the cuttings on the railway. It is expected the storm would do injury to the crops in its route. A man named Brown attempted to enter a train in motion at Richmond recently. He fell between the train and the platform, and was cut to pieces. A Sydney paper, in speaking of the pantomime at one of the theatres, says that if three Miss Vivians stood in a row on the stage, all chance of seeing the transformation scene would be shut out. William Burns was executed at Adelaide lately for the murder of the mate of his ship. He wrote a letter to the master of the Devonshire expressing penitence. He had been in the Peruvian war.

Thomas Clausen, a well known mining speculator of Maryborough, while inspecting a mine in New South Wales, fell down the shaft and was killed. The New York Dramatic Times sums up Mrs Langtry thus :—An actress only so far as every comely and intelligent woman is. She can make herself more attractive than most. She learned her lesson better, and she spoke it more sweetly, but that is all. She never even verged on any creation.

The Lynch Family Bellringers, after a successful series of concerts at the Town Hall, Melbourne, proceeded to the Peninsular, and are now drawing crowded houses at Kadina.