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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 224, 30 October 1878, Page 2

A Provincial coutmporary thinks it no more than right to apologise for the accidental omission, in a previous issue, of the "t" in the phrase, "Our immoral mayor." The Napier Daily Telegraph has the following little items about the City of Auckland which we have not seen mentioned elsewhere :— Uutil last voyage Captain Rolls owned a fifth of the vessel, but while in Auckland parted with his share to Mr Seccomb, a son otthe brewer of that name", who was then, acd probably is now, an officer on board. It is not the first time misfortune has befallen the ship. In 1871, while loading wool at the Auckland wharf, she took fire, and was scuttled to save her from destruction. After the fire was by this means extinguished, she was raised by Mr George Ellis, now of Nap.e •, and loaded afresh for London Some notoriety was attached to the occurrence in consequence of it happening during the excitement caused by the incendiarisms of the noted Cyrus Haley, to whom, we believe untruthfully, was attributed this attempt to destroy the ship. We take the following from the New Zeulqnder's report of Saturday's Parliamentary proceedings:— Mr Gibbs asked the Minister for Public Works— Whether the Government intend to carry out the views expressed by himself, when making his Statement to the House on the 27th August last, viz:—" In accordance with a resolution of this House last session, a reserve of land was made in the Aorere Valley, in the Nelson district, with a view of the proceeds being applied to railway construction. A flying survey of the proposed line -is- now being completed. The Government is, however, of opinion that, before any expenditure in this direction is incurred, it is desirable that the river should be bridged, and. the district rendered accessible by road, for which purpose £4700 has been placed oa on the Estimates ? " And whether as it is not iutended.to construct the said tramway, if the Government .will at _once. remove the reservation referred to, and otherwise give facilities for settling the said valley of the Aorere, and of speedily conducting the necessary surveys, by laying out the roads recommended by the engineer who has reported on this proposed .work, so that sections may be laid off for. intending settlers? —The Hon Mr Macandrew said that the land reserved would be withdrawn for purpose made, and put into the market for sale. The sum on the estimate would be devoted to road formation purposes, and the sum intended to be expended on the bridge would ; be laid ont on the roads. With reference to the Princess Alice disaster " A Pharmaceutical Chemist " writes .-—When 600 men and women are: plungedJinto^ariveronly.a mile .. wide, 1 it is! astonishing that only five or six should have saved their lives by swimming. It is no less astonishing that so many died immediately after immersion. The reason will probably be found in the quality of the water. Close to the site of this dreadful catastrophe are the two great metropolitan outfalls, on the north bankof the river atßarking, on the south at Belvedere. At high water, twice in every i 24 hours, the floodgates of these outfalls are opened, when there are projected into the river two continuous columns of decomposed fermenting sewage hissing like soda-water with baneful gases, so black that the water is stained for miles, and|discharging a corrupt charnel house odour, that will be remembered I by all who have passed through it on these summer excursions, as being peculiarly depressing and sickening As sewage when extremely diluted— say one drop in 10,000, will, when taken in milk or in water, induce typhus or other fevers, it will probably be found that, when taken in a concentrated form, sewage, especially when in a state of active decomposition, is a true poison, relatively as fatal as prussic acid."