The “Rumpus” with the Napier Cricket'Club.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1024, 17 January 1882, Page 2

The “Rumpus” with the Napier Cricket'Club.

The disappointment that was occasioned through the Napier Cricket Club failing to keep its engagement lately with our local men, drew forth in these columns severe comment, but not more so than the circumstances of the case demanded. We publish hereunder an extract from a private letter on the subject, received by last mail:— Napier, January 10th, 1882. As there is a bit of a rumpus over cricket affairs, I would like to have a few words to say ou the subject. In your subleader of 31st December, you slate the Napier cricketers generally, whereas the majority of the best cricketers in this district have nothing whatever to do with the matter. In the first place the challenge was negotiated between the Gisborne cricketers and the “ Napier Cricket Club.” Now the “ Napier Cricket Club ” is by no means, the representative Club of Napier ; far from it, for we have several other Clubs in the District, which are far superior to the Napier C. C. When the Napier Club received the challenge, or sent it, whichever the case may be, they never asked the co-opera- ; tion of the other Clubs so as to send a representative team of Napier, but took affairs into their own hands, and, of course, failed to comply with the agreement. If the Gisborne cricketers had arranged with someone to have a representative team of Napier to play them, no doubt there would not be the present trouble. I wish you to explain that it is the Napier Club, and not the Napier cricketers, who are in fault. Your subleader should have confined its remarks to the “ Napier Club,” and not let out at the “cricketers generally ” of Napier. I am sure the Gisborne men have the sympathy of the other cricketers in this District. However, all this would not have occurred if we had a “ Cricket Association ” here.

Mr W. J. Quigley, tbe energetic and obliging secretary of the Gisborne Cricket Club, has, since the above was in type, placed at our disposal a formal communication from the hon. secretary of the Napier Cricket Club, containing a copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of the latter club, to the effect that the secretary be instructed to

select a team to visit Gisborne during the first week in February, and play the local club. The team to he selected will be chosen from the different clubs in Napier. The secretary was also instructed to express on behalf of the club regret at the non-fulfilment of the former engagement. This will no doubt amply suffice to remove any unpleasantness that might possibly have arisen. We hope a cordial feeling will be always maintained between the two clubs. As there is not much spare time between this and when the match comes off, we would strongly advise our own men to go in for good hard practice if they wish to pull off the honors.

THE WAITANGI IN A STOBM. [Dunedin Correspondent, Auckland Star.] I have been permitted to make the following extract from a letter by a lady passenger on board the Waitangi, descriptive of the storm on the 7th of September, on her voyage between Dunedin and London :■ —“ Shortly after the wind rose and blew furiously. The rolling, bumping, aud tossing of the ship was dreadful. Seas came over the deck in a most alarming manner. They had a strong barricade in front of the saloon, otherwise we should have been flooded. Not one of us slept that night. The captain and officers made light of the storm, so we were gradually getting over our terror, and taking things as a matter of course. However, even then we were made to quake with fear on the morning of the 7th. The captain had been on duty all night, and told us he did indeed tremble for the safety of the ship at three o’clock that morning, and he feared the worst was not yet over. He only took time to put on dry clothes and snatch a little breakfast, and then went on to the poop again. About ten he came into the saloon and asked if any one would object to a young woman and child (who were steerage passengers) being brought into the saloon, as he feared the house on the main deck would go. We were only too glad to have her in and out of danger. It was blowing so furiously at the time that the sailors formed a line on each side of her till she was safely lodged in the saloon, the boatswain following with the child. Neither of them were dressed. She was trembling very much. She had passed such a terrible night, but so had wc all. She was in the saloon till about 11 o’clock, when she pleaded hard to be allowed to go and dress. We said the sailors could bring over berthings, but she seemed most anxious to go. It was a little calmer just then, and aline was again formed for her to pass through, the boatswain following with the child as before. She was away about ten minutes when a sea came into the pantry, and carried all our lunch away. We were in the middle of another, when the ship gave a tremendous leap, and sent the knives, glasses, and dishes flying in all directions. For a minute we felt as if we were going headlonginto the sea. We were just recovering from that, when a scene which baffles description ensued. A sea came rolling into the saloon, striking us all dumb with terror. The captain had sat down to eat something for the first time that day. His face paled as he said “ Good Lord!” He charged us to keep our place. We were standing on settees, with the water up to our knees, holding on by what we could grasp. This was followed by a noise like thunder right overhead, and another rush of water, and creaking and crashing of timber. The piano and sideboard dashed out of their places right against the table. The fear at this stage was that we should be crushed to death. The settees were loosening, and we tried to get hold of the swing trays, but could not. Just at this stage the order passed down, “ Ladies to the stern cabin.” We could not have been in greater peril than we were. Still the words “To the stern cabin” appeared like a last resource, and indeed sounded like doom. There were passengers in the stern cabin, and it was filled with skins and ferns and a lot of precious things belonging to the captain, which were all pitched overboard. About six o’clock the Captain looked in on us, and said he hoped the worst was past, but was not sanguine. He also told us that the young woman and child were drowned. She went back unknown to him, and it was a dreadful surprise to him when he heard it. The creaking and crashing that we heard in the saloon was caused by the house on the main deck. It and the front barricade to the pantry and boys’ room all went at one time. The ornamental eagles blew down, and all the brass and copper door pieces were wrenched off. The Captain said that in all his 20 years’ experience he had never seen anything equal to it.”