The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 104, 2 May 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1874.

We understand that the Omco will not visit Nelson ou her present trip, but will sail from Wellington for Kakanui, province of Otago, where she will load with grain, «ud proceed thence to Melbourne, via tbe Bluff. Parish or Christ Church. — A meeting of the parishioners to consider proposals for making the highly neces fiary repairs in the parsonage house, will be held at the Bishop's schoolroom on Monday evening. F clips ra of the Moon. — There was a partial elipse of tho moon this morning the middle of it being about three o'clock. Those who saw it did so under most favorable circumstances the atmosphere being beautifully clear. The Kennedys are still drawing crowded houses, and appear to be giving great satisfaction. They will perform again to-night and on Monday. San Francisco Mail. — Some fatality appears to attend the mail service by this route no matter by whom it is undertaken. The steamer was due at Auckland yesterday week, but up to the present time nothing has been beard of her. The Omgo Daily Times calls attention to a discovery. It says:— hteam is, without doubt, one of the most potent elements yet discoverd for extinguishing fires. A gentleman informs us that he was present when a flax-mill took iire in the North Island. When the flax iguited, the fire burnt mott furiously until the valve of the eugiue was destroyed, when the escape of steam, completely smothered the flames, and extinguished the fire in a very short time. There are other instances where it had been observed steam vapor has been effectual in subduing fires. It appears the invention of Mr James G. Scott consisted of a main steam pipo attached to the steam boiler of a donkey-engino aboard ship, by which he could, by a simple contrivance, fill the hold of aship with steam vapor, which would completely smother the most reging fire; and iv smaller vessels, a steam boiler attached to the galley, from which by a small contrivance, a jet of steam vapor could be dispersed through the hold. A number of stupid nnd apparently purposeless suicides have recently been reported in Victorin, it is qujte refreshing to drop on one in which the principal actor had a motive and a cue for pussion. A few days ugo a young gentleman poisoned himself under circumstances which wero at first thought to be mysterious, but that waa subsequently discovered to have been a mistake. Previous to his death he was io the enjoyment of excellent health, a very pretty competency, and a wife whom he oppareutly loved with a devotion rarely seen out, of a circulating library. However, a letter which he left behind him explained all. It was addressed to the coroner and ran as follows: — "I bore up agaiust everything as long as I could, but there came a time when I was forced to cave iv. Dear Emily was, 1 believe, a true and loving wife to me, but we did not understand each other. In spite of my repeated, though temperate and affectionate remonstrances, Bhe would insist upon putting too many cloves in her apple pies. Please don't cut me up any more than you can help, as in good sooth I feel quite sufficiently cut before committing tho fatal deed, which will result in your pocketing two guineas, not to speak of the travelling expenses. The following complimentary allusions are taken from the Taranaki News'. — "Canterbury with its lowlying, ill-drained, ond almost undratnablo capita), and its swampy tracts of rural land, has a bad pre-eminence over all the rest of the Colony in the death-rate of children. Auckland follows with its crowded, filthy town of 20,000 people, including the suburbs of Newton, Dedwood, and Parnell; its want of water or drainage in a semi-topical climate; its open sewers, and fetid unfinished reclamations from tbe sea; and its ill-fed, ill-clothed people in the poorer settlements. Wellington may think ilself lucky to get off so well; in all the towns in the Colony its capita! is the foulest, nnd its people are the worst lodged; it is literally undrained. nor are any of the domestic sanitary arrangements in force there which prevails in Christchurch; it is a dirty, uncared-for, collection of old wooden shanties and festering cesspools, and, but for its healty situation, beautiful climate, and high winds, which no doubt stand far above Canterbury in this black list. Within tbe la6t few years belter houses have been built there, and a water supply established, but still there is no spot in this colony wbere men live so much like pigs as they do at the Seat of Government ; it is ironically called the Empire. City, but might without irony be called tha Vampire City, because it sucks the blood of the rest of the colony." Wire-fencing in Otago seems to be dangerous to the imported pheasants liberated there. Three of the birds have been found dead lately, having flown against the fencing. A young lady of Dunedin, named Margaret Forester,, has obtained from a jury damages to tho extent of £250 from a civil engineer named Darling, io an action for breach of promise, in w-ich £2000 was claimed.