The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 179, 1 August 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 1870.

Mr. George Cotterell. — We are glad to learn that Mr. Cotterell, who has just returned from a most successful trip to the South, through the course of which he has been spoken of in the highest terms by the press, intends to give two of his highly amusing entertainments at the Assembly Eoom on Wednesday and Friday evenings next. The Phoebe. — This steamer arrived fromPicton last night bringing 42 cabin and 9 steerage passengers and 38 tons cargo for this port. On her last down trip the Phcebe delivered the English mails at Wellington in 46h hours from Manukau including three stoppages, namely, at Taranaki, Nelson, and Picton. This, we believe, is the shortest time on record, the nearest approach to it being when the same trip was performed in 50 hours by the Airedale. We are indebted to Mr. Monkman, the purser, for late southern files. The s.s. Phcebe arrived alongside, or perhaps it would be more correct to say in the middle, of the wharf at 9 o'clock last night. A large number of persons were collected there to meet tbe steamer, the first which has visited our port from the South for the last fortnight, and while watching her they were terrified by a loud and long-coutinued crashing of timbers and an unpleasant rocking of the wharf, which fortunately was atteuded with no ill results to life or limbs, an immunity that did not, however, extend to the wharf which received no slight damage from the sharp bow of the heavily laden steamer, one of the stringers being completely severed, aud other injuries of a serious nature being iuflicted. It is surprising that no accident occurred during the rush which took place from the side of the wharf ou the first warning crash reaching the ears of those there assembled, fbr the miserable state of darkness which prevailed rendered anything like a panic peculiarly dangerous. We have so often referred to the wretched lighting of the wharf that it is with considerable diffidence that we once more recur to the subject, but we are quite sure that those who were present last night will agree with us in saying that the two or three rushlightlike lamps which only tend to make darkness visible, cast a strong reflection on those whose business it is to see that her Majesty's subjects shall not be in danger of their lives when walking on her Majesty's wharf, the more so when all such danger could be removed by a slightly more liberal expenditure on kerosine. Sydney Smith is reported to have said that there would be more security in railway travelling if one or two bishops should happen to lose their lives through accidents arising from carelessness. Last night there were in the neighborhood of the wharf a Chief Justice and .a puisne Judge. We have the utmost respect for both those gentlemen, and should be extremely sorry to see either of them sufferiuj? frnm n snrained ancle, or limninn. on a cork leg, but we could not help thinking last night that, if such a melancholy state of things had resulted from the want of sufficient light, it might have been the means of inducing bur authorities to pay a little more attention to the convenience and safety of those whose busiuess called them to perambulate the wharf after sundown.