The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 179, 28 August 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 1878.

An inquest upon lhe late fire iv Hardy" street was held at the Masonic Hotel this afternoon, aud was still proceeding when we went to press. Up to that time nothing new had been elicited. The half-yearly meeting of the members of the Naval Brigade was held at the Custom House Hotel last evening. There was a fair attendance, Captain Gully in the chair. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and confirmed, the Secretary read a voluminous report, detailing at great length the operations of the Brigade for the past six months. The balance sheet, duly audited, was then submitted to the meeting, and disclosed the affairs of the company to be in a satisfactory condition, financially and otherwise. The expenditure for the past half-year amounted to £68 3s 7d, against £117 for the previous one. The Secretary announced that he had made arrangements with the Rev P. Calder, chaplain of the Brigade, to deliver one of his popular lectures in aid of the funds of the company, to take place in about four weeks' time. As an additional attraction it was intended to have some select music prior to the commeucement and at the conclusion of the lecture, a number of well-known amateurs having given their services for the occasion. Much sympathy was expressed with Captain Marshall in the recent misfortune which has befallen him, and the Secretary was instructed to write a letter of condolence to that gentleman on behalf of the Brigade. After the transaction of some routine business the main brace was spliced, after which some capital songs were sung by members, and the company broke up at a late hour, having spent an enjoyable evening. A concert under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church is to be given in the Provincial Hall on Friday evening next. The programme prepared "is a liberal onej aud members of the choirs of the different churches in town and of the Harmonic Society will take part in it. Altogether a pleasant evening may be anticipated. With to-day's issue we publish a supplement containing the Public Works Statement delivered in the House last night by the lion Mr Macandrew, for which we are indebted to the Government. The first portion of the message reached Nelson shortly after ten o'clock last night, and it was completed at 2-45 this morning. The very small number of errors aud the trifling nature of those that did occur speaks volumes for the proficiency of the operators afc both ends of the wires. Mr. Hammond, of Richmond, whose blacking manufactory is obtaining for itself a name, a very large quantity of the article turned out there being used in Nelson and elsewhere, has sent us a sample bottle of ink of which he makes a considerable quantity. We are able to speak in high terms of its excellent quality. The dramatic entertainment kindly giyen by Mr Thornton and his company last night for the benefit of the Lucre Family was, we were glad to find, very well attended, and | the audience proved itself a most appreciative one. The performance was a repetition of that given last week, aud therefore needs no special notice.

Speaking of the remains of the female found a few days ago on the island on which the Loch Ard first struck, the Belfast Gazette says that some nautical men are of opinion that the unfortunate woman must have lodged there from the rigging of the ship. It is thought that others of the crew and passeiigers^must have met with similar fate on the ledges of the cliff 3 and caves of the rocks, who might have been saved had help been near after the wreck took plftQe, I