TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5474, 12 October 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PEB PRESS AGENOT.) GrettowN, Friday. The weather looks very unpromising for to-morrow, blowing and raining. If fine there will be a large concourse of people at Featherston. Every possible vehicle has been engaged for the day. Steele’s dramatic company had a good house last night.’ Napier, Friday. The dinner of the Agricultural Society was held here last night at the Criterion hotel; over sixty persons were present, Mr. Sutton, M.H.R. in the chair. Several of the judges from other provinces, such as Studholme and Gray, spoke in high terms of the district and of the show generally, remarking as special features in the sheep that were exhibited that there were no " culls.” They advised, however, that tho land be cultivated by crops, else the stock would deteriorate. A very pleasurable evening was spent, the company breaking up at,m*dnight. Geahamstown, Friday. A man named James MolCelvie, working in the Queen of Beauty on tribute, had a miraculous escape to-day.* He was going into an old pass to work, and wanted to clear it, when he used a pole, and the wall beneath him gave way, taking him down with the debris some 30 feet. Men were working from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. to get at him, hoisting stuff and cutting timber. They could hear his cries all tho while, for the stones tell about him in such a way as to leave him breathing room, though doubled up with boulders. Wll-jii the last rock was taken off him he said, “ God bless you, Tom, that rock’s been giving me—.” He was, taken to the hospital, found much bruised and a small bone of his leg broken, but otherwise well, after seven hours in his living tomb, with boulders above, aud below him. Ahauka, Friday. It has been raining heavily, accompanied with a strong wind, during the last twentyfour hours, and there is no appearance of it breaking up. The rivers are rising rapidly, traffic is suspended, and a flood is expected. Gretmocth, Friday. A trial of 2owt. of quartz, not picked, from Bodso’s lease, next Langdou’s, was crushed yesterday. The crushing gave a return of over two ounces to the ton. It has been blowing a heavy gale from the north-west since last night, with heavy rain. There is every probability of a big flood. Seven thousand and seven ounces of gold from this place were shipped yesterday per Alhambra. Christchurch, Friday. A hot wind yesterday and to-day, accompanied by heavy rain to-day, had the usual effect of flooding the Waxmakariri, the Rangitata, and the Rakaia. The north span of the Rangitata, or at least seven piles of it, were carried away early this morning, aud railway communication between Christchurch and Dunedin out off. All goods traffic is suspended, and passengers cross the bridge on foot, exchanging trains on other side. The river is reported to be very high, and danger is anticipated for the whole of the bridge, both ends being weakened. Through communication is again suspended on the north line, aud the Waimakariri is said to bo rising at an alarming rate; the Rakaia is also rising rapidly. Tho general manager left for the Rangitata this morning, aud a gang of men are in readiness to repair the ballasting near the Waimakariri.

Mr. Wm. Conyers, Railway Commissioner for the South Island, was a passenger for Wellington to-day by the Tararna. Mr. G. D. Chaplin, the tragedian, was a passenger to the same place by the Rotorua, to play an engagement with the Steele company. The New Zealand Shipping Company have rechived cable advices of the arrival of the Waikato in London. At the Supreme Court this morning Belcher and Sorenson, for feloniously and maliciously killing cattle, were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, with hard labor. In the case of Hoff, for the murder of his wife, after a brief deliberation the jury returned into Court with a verdict of wilful murder, but with a strong recommendation to mercy. The Judge passed sentence of death, and said he would forward the recommendation, with which ho agreed, to the proper quarter. Bad accounts of floods are coming in from all quarters. Although the jury returned a verdict of death by natural causes at the inquest yesterday in the case of Hugh MoClatchie, the police intend to proceed against Dempsey. Ho was brought up before the magistrate this morning, charged with manslaughter, but the case was remanded for the opinion of the Crown Prosecutor. Maurice Fitzgerald was found guilty of maliciously cutting down trees, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. It is nroposed to collect subscriptions for the relief of the sufferers by the floods. A preliminary meeting, called by Mr. Oliver, will probably bo held to-day or to-morrow. The quarantine station was examined yesterday and found to be in a most satisfactory condition. A woman, named'Rachael Boyd, living at Lyttelton, died very suddenly yesterday. An inquest will bo hold to-day. There is a heavy flood at the Bealoy, with continuous heavy rain. The Oxford murder case commenced at the Supreme Court this morning. During the inquest yesterday the coroner would not allow any questions to be put by the prisoner’s counsel, as the latter was only there on sufferance. Ashdoiiton, Friday. Further floods have oocifrred iu the Ashburton and Rangitata rivers, through the snow molting iu the mountains. The Ashburton broke through its northern bank about two miles from the town in two places, getting into an old water course. The current found its way into the town, which would have been flooded to a considerable extent had not the borough council got men to coniine it to Weststreet by means of a channel specially cut; as it was, the station-master’s house was completely surrounded, and the occupants of several small places were flooded out. Another spau in tho Rangitata railway bridge has given way, and the trains cannot cross ; the mails and passengers are however taken to and fro over the bridge by means of trollies ; thus little delay takes place iu tho traffic. , TniAiU), Friday. Owing to a fresh iu tho Rangitata River again another mishap to the railway bridge has occurred, delaying the trains considerably. The Opawa accommodation i house, in tho McKenzie Country, is likely to be washed away, owing to the heavy volume of water in the Opawa River. Oamahu, Friday. . At the County Council meeting Duncan Sutherland stated that tho Maoris ! ou the Tipper Waitaki had been going about town with tomahawks and loaded guns ; they had also yarded settlers' sheep and killed them for their own while if ' tho shepherds m-

terfered they had tomahawks brandished in their faces and their lives threatened. The natives bad also ploughed up some’of the settlers’ land. : The following resolution was carried,—This council would respectfully wish members for the district in Parliament to call the" attention of the Government to the lawless proceedings of Maoris in this county, especially at Otekaike and Amararaa; and as this state of things has existed a long time, the council hopes that immediate action will be taken for the protection of life and property. It was resolved that a copy of the above resolution be sent to the chairman in Wellington, Balclutha, Friday. In consequence of hot winds and rain upcountry, the Molyneux commenced rising again rapidly early this morning, and has continued to rise throughout the day. It is anticipated that the flood will exceed the big flood of Monday last. Almost the whole population have left the township, and very few will remain over night. The river has made a channel through the township along Gordonstreetnear the end of the Presbyterian Church. This relieves the rest of the town considerably. A heavy hoi wind is blowing. Dunedin, Friday. The Resident Magistrate to-day decided that schoolmasters’ residences were exempt from rates, and nonsuited the City Treasurer, who sought to recover them from, the head master of one of the district schools. A violent gale has raged in Dunedin during this afternoon. Anderson's Bay railway station was blown against the bank, and many wooden buildings have suffered. Shortly after 1 o’clock several establishments in Princes-street closed, to prevent damage to goods. Telegrams from the country districts report that owing to hot winds the rivers are again rising.. Three boats were forwarded to Balclutha at 4 o’clock to-day. At a meeting this afternoon to raise subscriptions for the sufferers by the floods a committee was appointed to canvass Dunedin for that purpose. Auckland, Friday. At Hamiltou, Waikato, a man named Oswell, who had not been seen since Saturday last, was to-day found dead in a whare by a boy named Peacock, who supplied him with milk. The boy not getting any answer, and finding Friday’s milk left outside, told his mother, who went, and found him dead as above - stated. Dr. Waddingtou, who was called in by the police, says he had been dead for some days. An inquest on the body takes place to-morrow.