BURNING OF A MECHANICS INSTITUTE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 213, 30 October 1880, Page 2

BURNING OF A MECHANICS INSTITUTE.

Timaeu, Saturday. The Timaru Mechanics Institute valued at £1000 waa totally destroyed by fire last night. The fire broke out shortly after 10 o'clock and in a few minutea the whole building waa in flames, and by 11. o'clock it was destroyed. Part of it was of old dry wood. All the books and furniture were destroyed. The Church of England bazaar people had luckily cleared out all the balance of their goods except about £20 worth. No clue as to the origin of the fire has been found, but it broke out in the stage and back part, which was blocked up. Sereral adjoining buildings were in great danger for

gome time. The court house next door, being of concrete, did not suffer. The insurance on the building is reported to be £650 in the South British, £650 in the Liverpool London and Globe, and £650 divided between the Transatlantic and Victorian Companies. Oamaru, Saturday. The £10,000 loan for the completion of the waterworks scheme has been floated in Melbourne at 95, and will shortly be placed to the credit of tho Corporation. Invercargill, Saturday. , Phosphorus seems to be playing havoc with the sheep in addition to destroying the rabbits. A country resident states that oo one run a short distance from Invercargill, upon which there arc 9,000 sheep, 150 wore found dead within a few weeks, an examination of the caniases proving that death resulted from eating poisoned grain. A fatal accident jucurred at the Edendale railway station yesterday evening. It seems that just after the train from Invercargill to Clinton left the station a woman named McNaulty attempted to leave one of the carnages and fell between the. carrhgc and. the platform receiving such injuries that she died in a few momtnts. The Southland High Schools Board of Governors have resolved to sell the endowments to the extent of 1900 acres, and have given notice to the tenants. CHiusTCHUflcn, Saturday. Mr W. Rutherford, of Montrose in the Amuri, reports the appearance of scab in his flock. This outbreak will cause much uneasiness to flock owners between the Waiau and Hurunui rivers, for, should it unfortunately spread across the Hurunui by way of the back country runs, its eradication will be most difficult. It is stated on good atithorily "that Mr Rutherford purposes destroying the whole flock, about 7,000, running on the unfenced countfy. John Smith Willcox, one of the oldest and most respected residents in Lyttelton, was fouud sitting in the chair in bis office at 7 o'clock last evening dead. Death is supposed to have beeu caused by disease of the heart. John Harvey, a farmer from Wanganui, met with a serious accident this afternoon. While working a threshing machine his leg slipped into the drum of the machine and was cut off just below the knee. He was conveyed to the hospital at A^hburton. Mr Seager, Superintendent of the Lunatic Asylum, has been granted a year's leave of absence to visit England and inspect the working of Asylums there. There have been 460 entries received for the Northern Agricultural Association's show on the 4th November. Mr H. Redwood's horses Miss Domett, Amy, Dolphin, Flap Jack, and Mr C. Redwood's Talent, and Sir George, arrived by the Hawea this morning for the Canterbury races. Sailed— Waitangi, ship, for London. Auckland, Saturday. The spiritualists of Auckland have formed a Spiritualistic Progressive Association with a large membership and executive committee. The subscription is one shilling per month. They are forming a library of spiritualistic and free thought works, and intend to secure a lecture by Dr Peebles in the Public Hall ou his way through in the mail steamer. ■ Coal is being shipped from ' the Bay of Islands for the Friendly Islands as an experiment. If successful, a large trade will be opened up. : Dunedin, Saturday. Mr. Stout, on behalf of the bar, on \ the conclusion of the business in the District Court to-day, expressed their regret at Judge Harvey's retirement, saying that they Were surprised that the Government should have seen fit to remove any of the District Judges, whose appointments had always been regarded as life ones. Judge Harvey, in reply said he intended re-entering the profession. He could not help thinking that an unusual oourse had been adopted, particularly w,hen he saw senior officers of the Court displaced, and juniors retained. The month's revenue is £31,354, being a falling off of £2,361 compared with the corresponding month of 1879. i Wellington, Saturday. The ship Hermionc, with 30 passengers, 94 days from London, is beating into harbor. The lad named Batkin, who was recently hurt at the College ground, died last night.