MISCELLANEOUS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 225, 27 June 1873, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

A curious confessor, who had listened with as much surprise as attention to a young woman who had disclosed the state of her mind to,him, at last inquired her name. With a presence of mind peculiar to herself she replied, "My good fathei*, my name is no sin." Piron, the French author, having been talcen up by the watchman of the night in the streets of Paris, was carried, on the following morning, before a lieutenant ; of the police, who haughtily interrogated him concerning his business or profession. "I am a poet, sir," said Piron. "Oh! a poet, are you P" said the lieutenant; " I hare a brother who is a poet." " Then we are even,-' said- Piron. " for X have a brother who is $ fool."

JLfc is an ill tKafc do.es jio, oneany good. By the retirement of Mi 1 . Pyke- • from the public service, Mr. WardenCarew has been appointed chief of the Tuapeka District, and ere T this. will be duly installed in office and deep in the mysteries of Blue Spur litigation. Mr. Carew, though but a young magistrate, has been for many years in the service, and is well up to the machinery of mining and general law. Since liis accession to . the Bench his decisions and general bearing have given satisfaction, . and we hope that in his new'positioif he may continue to be so fortunate.—' Dunstan.Times.' Close-upon ninety-one years ago, on the 29th August, 1872,. the Itoyal George sunt-ih Portsmouth harbor carrying to ; their death somewhere about nine hundred persons, men, women arid children.. Since then we have had several frightful marine disasters, namely the Birkenhead off the Cape in 1852 in which 454 people perished, and following that we have to record in due sequence the wreck of the Royal Charter, the London, the - foundering of the ironclad Captain, and lately the Northfleet. The two .last especially " created a profound sensation throughout England, from the • terrible and sudden nature of both catastrophes, and. from the vast hecatom.be sacrificed. „ But now even the destruction of the entire com-, pany (save some eighteen persons) of" the war turret ship—some five hundred souls—pales in its sad surroundings to the fearful ship-wreck chronicled lately of the steamer Atlantic. Here we haveone of those enormous ocean caravans, carrying nearly one thousand lives, imperilled in close proximity to a dangerous coast. The steamer was bound to Halifax, but her captain was out of his reckoning,'and mistaking a light, unconsciously hurled his steamer to destruction on the cruel rocks of Mars Island. The " taking of the ground," followed by the terri- * ble despair of the many, and the cool courage of the few, the struggles for dearlife, and the final cry of agony sent heaven-- ; wards from hundreds of drowning men make up a picture of shipwreck unparalleled in horror this present century. Five hundred and forty-nine persons perished in this terrible disaster, made the more = terrible by the surrounding circumstances •. of robbery and desecration of* the dead . which accompanied, or rather followed, this awful wreck. A fatal accident of a peculiarly melancholy character occurred at the Armed Constabulary Camp at Xihikihi, on the morning of Sunday, the'lst instant. The Alexandra correspondent of the ' Southern Cross ' telegraphs ,as follows with reference to it, under date Monday, the 2nd instantA shocking accident occurred at Bj'hikihi yesterday morning, when one member of the Armed Constabulary lost his life. It appears that a man named J. Verner was cutting tobacco, when his comrade named E. Brennan came in and began tickling him. Yerner fell back on his bed, and Brennan fell over him, the blade of the knife entering his heart, causing death in nine mmufces. The deceased and Verner were well known and respected here as inseparable friends. Verner is greatly depressed by the loss of his friend. Great sympathy is felt for him. An inquest was held to-day, and I will forward the verdict if in time." Intelligence sent later the Ijsame day, from another correspondent, is to the following effect:—" Dr. Waddington is holding .an inquest on the body of Constable George Brennan, who accidentally met with his, death at Kihikihi yesterday. It appears Constable Brennan was very cold, having - just conie off guard, to warm himself, began wrestling with one of his comrades, who, unfortunately, had a penknife in his hand, with which lie was cutting tobacco .at the time. They struggled together a moment, when poor Brennan fell forward on the knife, which entered his chest, and is siipposed to have reached his heart, for - he. died almost immediately. No blame whatever can.be attached to the unfortunate man with whom Brennan wrestled. A verdict was returned of "accidental death."—' Hawkes Bay Herald.' . - On the afternoon of Monday the 16th inst., the Temuka coach returning from Timaru along the Great North road, when on top of the rise from LeCren's gully, the' horses became " frightened" through some cause or another and commenced rearing and plunging about. The leaders succeeded in breaking the pole and became detached from the coach, lifter throwing the driver from his seat into the road, and-were not stopped till they got to Woollcombe's gully. The pole horses swerved; round to the left, taking the coach towards Mr. Ilatton's fence, where one of the wheels caught the corner post, capsizing the vehicle. There were several persons inside and on the box of the coach, some of whom ;prior -to the overturn. It happened, "very fortunately that, none of the occupants who - kept . their seats inside were hurt. The driver * returned to Timaru and took, another coach with him, and after some little delay the passengers resumed - their journey.— { Times/