STORM AT GREYMOUTH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 120, 21 May 1878, Page 2

STORM AT GREYMOUTH.

The G. R. Argus of Thnrsday last says:— About 10.45 last night the storm culmiuated in a tremendous blast, lasting only a few minutes, bufc during the continuance of which an immense amount of damage, the full extent of which cannot yet be ascertained, was done. While it lasted the air was literally thick with flying pieces of sheet iron, iron chimineys, aud pieces of timber, and had it happened during the day, when people were about in the streets, it cannot be doubtedjtbat lives must-have beeu lost. The most serious accident occurred a,t the Melbourne Hotel, where a brick chimney fell, crushing through the roof iuto a private parlor, and thence through the floor iuto the parlor behind the bar. A minute previously his Honor Judge Weston was sitting in the upstairs parlor, and had he remained in the room his life must inevitably have been sacrificed. In fact his Honor had barely left the room wheu the catastrophe happeued, In the bar-parlor some gentlemen were sitting, but, hearing the crash overhead, had time to clear out when the ceiling came down with a crash, smashing every article of furnitur* in the room. The strongly-built verandah rouud the hotel was literally wrecked, heavy sheets of iron and the woodwork beiug carried away and deposited all along Mackay-street. Next to the Melbourne, the back premises of Messrs Forsyth and Masters suffered most severely. The whole of ona side of the roof was stripped, and but for the woodeu lining the upper floor must inevitably have been swept of its contents. As it is, very great damage has been done, and likely to be increased should rain fall heavily before the roof has been replaced. On the other side of the street, the Masonic Hali has been much shaken, and considerable injury has beeu dove to the front of Mr Badger's private residence Further down the street (Mackay street) Contessa's store has been completely wrecked, the wind having made a clean sweep through it, taking away windows, side, roof, and everything that could be wrenched from its fastenings. At Robertson and Adam's tinsmiths' shop the windows gave way before the great pressure of the gale, and the next momeut the whole roof, rafters and all, was carried away, leaving the interior quite exposed. Mr Felix Campbell's store, nearly adjoining did not escape, the roof on one side being lifted, but not sufficiently to allow of the rain beatiug in. It is impossible to say as yet what other serious damage has been done. The whole length of Mawhera quay has suffered more or less. The verandah of the Albion Hotel is a wreck, windows have been broken in the Bauk of New South Wales and in several shops — in short the whole street presents an appearance not unlike that which follows a great conflagration or a heavy bombardment.

It is the intention of Mr Donald Reid, M.H.R., for the Taieri, to entertain a number of his constituents at a banquet towards the end of the month, when he will enter into an explanation of the policy of the Opposition during. the last session of the General Assembly, aud state the circumstances that have led to his determination to retire from political iife. The Neio Zealunder of yesterday says : — The Divorce Court will sit at eleven o'clock this morning. There are fire cases on the record, four of which are for hearing, and one for a eleeree absolute for a dissolution of the marriage. Of the cases set down there is one from Wellington, and three from Auckland. Tlie unfortunate girl, Miss Bowling, who mado an unsuccessful attempt on her own life about two months ago, was found drowned ou Friday, iv the river Avon, near Christchurch. it is presumed thafc she has committed suicide. One of her brothers was chief officer of the illfated Avalanche, and perished in the fatal collison between thafc ship and the Forest. Ever since the news arrived of that lamentable occurrence, Miss Bowling, who was living as a governess in a family at Akaroa, has been in low spirits, and dwelt much on the subect of self-des-truction, causing some apprehensions to be entertained, which have been only too fully verified. It is reported that thefiuncv of the uufortunate young lady was lost iv the Avalanche as well as her brother. Another of her brothers is captain of the barque Adamant. — Post The two young rascals Alfred Carver and Leonard Hancock (says the Post), who were sentenced on Tuesday to a week's imprisonment and a flogging .for various thefts, received the corporal portion of their punishment yesterday morning. Having been duly stripped, each boy was laid across a form and then received a very severe flogging with a birch rod made of manuka, administered by one of the turnkeys to the exceeding eliseomfort of the birched urchins, who howled with au energy which would have proved a most useful warning to their brother larrikius could the castigation have been administered in public, which was much to have been wished. It is to be hoped that it will act as a deterrent in the future to these two at any rate. , The 3-45 train from town ran over a horse , at Henui (Taranaki) whilst on the way out. The engine and train got thrown off the line. No one was hurt. The horse jumped a cattle stop, and the train beiug on a steep decline could not pull up in time to prevent the accident, although the breaks were put on and every means taken to lessen the speed. The horse was overtaken and run over, cutting it in two, the engine and one truck going over ifc and then off the line down an embankment. Wray, the engine-driver, and a fireman were thrown off, hut were unhurt, ! and immediately proceeded to pufc out the fire and let off steam. A. M. Denis Mounier has conceived the idea of killing the noxious insect known as the phylloxera which has ruined so many j vine districts in France with a peculiar preparation of sulphuric acid. The gas is projected with great force iuto the ground, and penetrates quite deep euough to free the roots of the vine. Two applications appear to be necessary— the first to kill the adult insects, and a second to kill those hatched after the first application. The manner of dealing with the phylloxera is reported to have succeeded not only in Switzerland, where it. was first tried, but in France, and the remedy does nofc seem to do the plant to which it is appliad the slightest damage. A travelling Irishman, who had gone the whole round of the Continent, was returning horae satsified with having " seen nothing," when, iv a field by the road, he saw a fight; he stopped his carriage, hurried to the scene ! of action, took his side, with small reference to the question at issue, obtained bis due amount of bliuding bruises, and groped back to his carriage, exclaiming, "By Jove, this is the first bit of pleasure I have had since I have been from home ! "