TERRIFIC WHIRLWIND AT GREYMOUTH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 112, 12 May 1881, Page 2

TERRIFIC WHIRLWIND AT GREYMOUTH.

THE ENGLISH CTIURCH AND SEVERAL BUILDINGS WRECKED. Gbeymoutii, Thursday. About 5.30 this morning a sort of whirlwind from a southerly direction passed through the town, leaving its course marked by wrecked houses, chimneys blown down, and verandahs and fences carried away. It first blew down a large pile-driver, then wrecked most of the houses on the weßt side of Mackay-street, smashed up a new twostorey building used as a Chinese store, and owned by Wy Eec, and blew the end out of the Great Western Hotel. The next place of importance to suffer was the English Church, one-half of which, was utterly smashed up, while that portion which is left standing was twisted round on the piles. The parsonage also was considerably damaged. A good deal of minor damage was done to private buildings, until the whirlwind struck the bill, where all trace of it was lo#t, the last house injured being that of Mr Perkins, the lawyer, who lives on the slope of the bill, bis verandah roof being carried 50 yards away. Several garden trees were broken by the wind, and other damage has been done, the total being estimated at £4000.

On Saturday last a man named Hialey bad a narrow escape from death, by accident, at a Marlborough flaxmill. It appears be was stooping over the machinery when in motion, when his hair caught in one of the cogwheels, resulting in a piece of his scalp being torn out. The hurt was temporarily dreFsed, and the man forthwith removed to the Hospital for medical treatment. Invercargill has lost £600 on its gasworks for the year, with only 1 per cent, allowed for depreciation of plant. Grand Flaneur broke down very badly in one of his fore-legs the Saturday before the Sydney races, and will race no more. He has been purchased by Mr Andrew Town for stud purposes at the high figure of £5,000.

Boßton society writers are developing a ferocious and sanguniary disposition which is unaccountable. One of these scribes, lately discussing the question as to what shall be done with the modern girl, concludes with this appalling suggestion:— "The fact is, there are too many girls. They ought to be drowned like superfluous kittens, and then those who are left would be appreciated, end not expected to net the riv§r o*l fire," '

St James Gazette, an influential London evening newspaper, has the following remarks in reference to Mr Bradlntigh and , the Maori; prisoners :~"Tho question which was put to Mr GraDt Duff the olher day'. about tbe.treatment of certain Maoris by the. New Zealaud authorities would imply that the Government and magistracy of New Zealand,, are still subject to the Colonial Office—that' 1 the Maoris are cis much under the protection of Mr Grant Dull; as British little boys are under the care of Sir William Ilarcourt. There is only one constitutional way, however, by .which the Secretary of State for the Colonies can interfere with- the admihis? tration of justice in New Zealand, aud thai j is the character of moralist-in-chief for the British Empire, through the circuitous process of bringing influence to bear upon the Governor, as the agent for the Crown. The- Governor, in his turn, may communicate to his responsible Ministers the benevolent views or i've Secretary of State. The responsible' Ministers will., then most probably advise the "Governor to* inform the Secretary. of Sfltb to mind lug own business And in "all the circumstances of the case, if there is any colony which would be justified in administering this rebuff to the Irriperial Government, it is the colony of New Zealand, on which the burdGn oi tfid native question, with all its heavy liabilities, incurred solely by mismanagement, was so rudely, and un-ceremoniously-thrust by Lord Granville some ten or eleven years ago." The ostrich ie gradually supplanting the sheep at the Cap*, the supply of wool from whence, must consequently decrease. A Port Elizabeth' letter says I— #arni after farm in this province is ..beiotf cleared of sheep to makeTcom .for ostriches,- now all ! the rage. . One result tif this was felt in this town last week, when tbg butchera here isiued a notice that the pi-ice of mutton would be raised^ to 6d and 7d per lb, on account of sheep, farming being pushed aside by ostricheß. .-Ostrich' farming is undoubtedly the most profitable of all farming, and recently several r joiut stock companiss have been Btarted. * ' '" ;

Messrs Ford and New ton 'sold by auction at_ Cbristchurch last Saturday the. 'High Peaks station, on account of tho executors of Sir Cracrof t Wilson, The estate, which is situated in the Malvem District, contains 1640 acrefc freehold arid 7700 acres leaseholJ, and is stocked wi^h 7500 sheep. Tt Included a house and improvements. The purchaser was Mr Duncan Rutherford, of Leslie Hills, the price being £8400." Mr W. A. Murray, M.H R.,fof Bruca, has again announced his retirement from public life at the' expiraliSff'of the ' pYesent Parliament. A local paper, tho jbrikce Standard, cruelly adds i —"Shall we ever be able to fiod a member to fill. his place, who will talk at> much and accomplish so little. We hope not! ". Mr Murray ever and anon, expresses very strong convictions that everything is wrong, and that the only practical way to make matters, straight. is that he himself should have the supreme control of public affairs. The House, however) net et aeettis to see it, so the honorable and musical gentleman continues " to fiddle whilst Rome ia burning."

: According to an Invercargil! contemporary the saw-milling industry has brought to. Southland a steady influx of ready cash, circulated by at least 1000 meh who are regularly employed in the wotk, to say notbiog ot those to whom the business indirectly gives support, the farmers who furnish supplies, and .local tradesmen. .

A rnmor is current in Christchurch to the effect that amongst the passengers on board the ill-fated Tarurua wore a couple who bad eloped nnder assumed names. It is stated that they had both been engaged in the same establishment, that the man was married, and that bis wife has just, returned to Christchurch after a long absence.— Ly tie l ton Times. ' A Japanese audience when they wish to express disapproval of a bad play, do not- biss or boot, or make any hideous or inconvenient noises. They merely rise and turn their backs to the stage, npon which the curtain immediately descends. There is a certain charitable Society set in a neighboring colony whose professed object is to assist the deserving poor by the distribution of clothing. In order to practically assist so worthy an object, the charitable pioprietora of a large wholesale establisbment bave been in the habit of allowing the committee, composed exclusively of ladies, the run of their stock at the prices at which the trade are supplied. One day, however, a leading memb< r of the firm hud his attention accidentally directed to the character of certain purchases tbus made, sud was rather confounded to find that these included some of the best stockings in stock and. a handsome opera cloak ! .

The body of an elderly woman who was frozen to death was found near Ross by a man named Stephen Burford, who, at the inquest, stated that be had no rest at all one night through drtamiog about deceased. He dreamed that be had found her body by means of an iron rod with a hook at the end, which be had in the house, and it was that dream which caused him to look for her body yhere he found it. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased died from exposure to the frost and snow.

A Canadian paper states that ft young woman who left Dubuque, lowa, for N«w Zealand a year ago, on the summons of her betrothed, has returned home unmarried. Finding her former lover disappointed be clause she was not as handsome as when he had last seen her, she released him. I Sandhurst has upwards of fifty miles of streets planted with flourishing elms; pines, oaks, and eucalypti. Not content, a progressive ratepayer asks the City Council to plant their further loadways with orange trees. "' '- ' " : ' : , ■ ' ""' .' "\

The following paragraph appears in Messrs J. R. Parkinson and Co.'s wine and spirit report :— " The energetic steps taken by the French Govern ment with regard to the importation of pork from America has, we understand, met with unexpected retaliation from tbe United States Government, in tbe fprm, of a decree prohibiting the entry of all French wines on the plea that they are ••unwholesome." •

Seene — A private and most select boarding bouse in Wellington. time—Dinner hour. Two precocious? young gentlemen from Dunedin, between the ages, of 10 and 12, were taking their dinner, when the following took place.: — The younger of the two, thinking he was being forgotten, said, " Give me some pudding." The lady of the house replied, "jlf you what— ? M Whereupon the ypungster exclaimed, "0, bother that Pinafore—it's played.out." :In Auckland last Sunday, the Rot Mr L. M. Ifezsrd, Wesleyan minister, in ft funeral discourse on the Conference representatives, said of the Tararua tragedy, that the voice bf the Lord was heard in protest agaiußt the recklessness of man in his greed for gain. They might nerer know the veal cause.of the disaster, but it had opened men's mouths and called forth the comments of the Press, and the general public learned that certain of the shipping companies, in their greed for dividends, endangered the liyea of their passengers. They all had heard strange tales of the time table, which was so arranged as not to allow sufficient rest to the boats, which were so under-manned that the men who worked in port by day also watched by night with the safety of the vessel depending on their vigilance. Slow captains were receiving scant courtesy, and thus there waa every inducement to shave dangerous corners, and drive full speed through fogs by day or darkness at night ; and if these things were true, he wondered, not that shipwrecks were so many, but rather that they were co few. Let landsmen remember that. The principle he pleaded for was not alone violated on water, for Auckland was not guiltless, as her Saturday night was a disgrace to her tradesmen and an outrage on Christian charity. Towards the end of last year the Manawatu Standard had occasion to correspond with a publishing firm in Sydney; Yesterday they received their reply. The envelope bears about twenty different postmarks. It had been' addressed Palnierston North, Queensland, and appears "to* have travelled over the greater part, of the Northern Territory. It b'eara the postmarks among others of Sydney, Cooktown, Port Darwin, Brisbane, Southporfc, &c, &c. It appears to have left Sydney on December 20th, and to have been travelling almost ever since. It says a good deal for the Postal Department that it > reached its destination at all, ana shows how rarely letters that are sent by posffaU eventually Jo reach there pddresa.

A few days ago a Jive Doke visited the 'Rangitikei District, with c view to inspect tfie country, in which he took considerable -.Interest. He ' was . accompanied .by an M.H.R., and several other gentlemen, who were desirous of pointing out to him " the beautiee of the wilderness." On putting up 'for the nign't- at 'a certain hostelry be received, through ono of lils party, a very wnrm iavitution to tuke up his temporary abode with a knight who had a mausiou not far distant. The distinguished traveller was delighted, and asked if his friend would notify the knight to that efltect. The friend said that a request coming f torn such a quarter was equal to a command ', hut, he added, " You won't get any of that liquor which floweth from the bottles of Hennessy the Great." "Why? queried the duke. "Because, answered his friend, ''tlie knight is a teetotaller, and doesn't keep it in stock. "Egad/ quoth the duke, "then I'll take some up wlli ffle." "It's ho use," replied his c'ceione, " he wont' let you driak it there if you do." " Whew !" cxclaimc d his Grace, " ju?»t send him word J won't come," and, he ad.ied, ill answer to his friend's objection, "tell him plaiDly the reason." This was done, and the ducal party raug the bell, and ordered dinner. — Pof t A' New Zealand firm— the Mosgi I Wotfllen Manufacturing Company— had the honor of being firoflng those recommended for the Emperor of Germany's prize of 1000 goineas, which wai ultimately awarded to an Australian firm for wines. The prize was offered for the most promising colonial industry, regarded in the light of its beine thoroughly established, the number of h-inds it employed, and the influence it promisedto bare on the prosperity of the colony. The Mosgiel Company will receive a special gold medal for beiog among those recommended for Ihe prize. . It is a great mistake to suppose that there is an absence of legal formalities in the American Courts Of law. In proof that certain forms are ndhered to with great tenacity, ihe following anecdote is narrated on pood authority :— " In a supreme Court case tried before a judge, who is notorious as a gnat stickler for forms, a soldier who had been battered considerab'y in the Civil war was brought up as a witness. The judge 'told him to hold up his right hand. ' Can't do it sir,' said the man. 'Why not?' 'Got a shot in that arm, sir.' ' Then hold up your left. The man said he had got a shot in that arm too. 'Then,' said the judge sternly, ' You must hold up your leg. No man can be sworn in this Court by law unless he holds np something/."

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