The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 175, 24 July 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1872.

Perseverance Company. — The annual meeting of shareholders takes place at the Oddfellows' Hall, this evening, at half-past seven. The Lyell. — Some fine specimens have been brought into Westport from Zala's claim at the Lyell, where it is said that a lump of pure gold (201b5.) bad been found. Magistrates' Court. — At the weekly meeting of Justices this morning, Alexander Hunter, John Robb, and Mary ClilTord were charged with allowing cattle and horses to trespass ia the streets, and fined accordingly. There were also a few small debt cases, which were of no interest except to the parties immediately concerned. Comedy and Burlesque Company. — This company gave a capital entertainment last night although the audience, owing to the unfavorable Btate of the weather, was hut a poor one. The principal attraction was, of course, the wonderful performances of the one-legged dancer, but the acting ■was also very fair, and an improvement on that of the previous evening. Being unexpectedly detained in Nelson the company will perform again to-morrow night. Local Industry. — A new industry has been started by Mr. Josephs, of Trafalgarstreet, who has commenced the manufacture of umbrellas, one of which was shown to us to-day. We can safely pronounce it to be a strong, well made article, and the price very reasonable. With such weather as we are experiencing just now, there is likely to be a large demand for such conveniences, and Mr. Josephs ought to be able to obtain a formidable list of orders. Cemetery or Cattle Run? — Under this heading we publish a letter elsewhere, in which our correspondent bas put her grievance so forcibly as to render any further remark unnecessary,. We can only endorse her hope that the trustees of the cemetery will enquire Into the matter, and take immediate) steps to prevent a recurrence of the evil ot which she complains. Dun Mountain Rail-way. — It is with no little regret that many persons in Nelson have witnessed the railway- trucks running down to the Port laden with rails from the far end of this line. The Dun Mountain railway is ono of b the greatest

engineering triumphs in New Zealand' and as such we havo been accustomed to point it out to visitors to the province with some degree of .pride, but it seems that we are no longer to be able to include it among tbe " lions" of Nelson. Tbe rails, we understand, have been sold by Mr. Levien lo Messrs. Brogden & Sous, for temporary use on the Picton line, to which port tbey are being shipped. Recent Flood at Motueka. — We are indebted to a correspondent for the following : — Last week a flood of greater magnitude than bas ever been known before occurred at Motueka, laying the whole of the Pangatotara, Wakarcwa, and a large portion of the Motueka district under water. The damage done at tbe first-mentioned place was very great, acres aud acres of land being carried awe}*, good farm lands couverted into shingle beds, crops washed out of the ground, and fences destroyed in every direction. About 20 tons of potatoes', and several tons of carrots were also carried down by the torrent, and some of the residents had to get up to the highest part of tbeir houses, and to be removed from thence in boate. On Wednesday, when the flood was at its highest, at about ten o'clock in the morning, George Harding, a settler at Poknroro, left bis house in company with a digger on a raft made of sluice boxes, with the intention of getting a canoe to rescue his family, and while crossing tho creek nt the back of bis house, ihe raft capsized, and they were both thrown into tbe water, but managed shortly to regain the raft, when a large log which was floating down the creek struck it, aud sent it close in to on island on which some trees were growing, one of which tbe digger contrived to lay hold of, but poor Harding was not so fortunate, and, having lost his hold of tho raft, was carried down the riser, his companion meanwhile being left in his dangerous predicament for six hours before assistance reached him. The news reached Motueka on Friday afternoon, and a search party was at once instituted who never ceased their efforts until Sunday afternoon, when they found Harding's body almost buried in the sand about ten miles below his house. He leaves a widow, one child, and an aged father, who, iv addition to this heavy bereavement, have lost two head of cattle, sixteen pigs, a number of sheep, and a quantity of their crops. The bouse in which they were living, within a short time of their being rescued, fell over on its side, fortunately, however, without very much damaging any of its contents.