The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1138, 29 September 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1869.

We understand that a requisition, numerously and influentially signed, will shortly be presented to Mr G-. M. Bell, asking that gentleman to represent the district of Oteramika in the Provincial Council. Mr Lumeden, we believe, will also j be presented with a requisition from the electors of Invercargill. The returns from the different polling places for the electoral district of Wallace, are now complete. It will be seen from the following statement (furnished by the Returning Officer, C Rous Marten, Esq.) that the contest has been a remarkably close one : — Hokanui, Webster, 10 } Brown, 0 ; Mararoa, Webster, 5 ; Brown, 0 ;

Wairaki, Webster, 5 ; Brown, 0 ; Knapdnle, Webster, 6 ; Brown, 2 ; -Switzers, Webster, 14 ; Brown, 31 ; Tapanui, Webster, 11 ; Browa, 11 ; Mataura, Webster. 13; Brown, 15; total, Webster, 64 ; Brown, 59. Mr Webster is thus returned by a majority of five. The official declaration will be made at Hokanui, on Friday next. The following is from the ' Lyttelton Times,' of the 11th instant. : — " Wo are glad to perceive that this company (boiling-down and meat/ preserving) is making rapid progress with , its works under the able superintendence of iffr manager. The site seems to hare been well chosen, being immediately on the line of railway at a distance of only seven miles from Christchurch, and equally available for stock from north and south. The main building is rapidly approaching completion. It is a strong and well built structure of timber and corrugated iron. The ground plan includes kitchens, tinning, steaming, and testing room?, connected one with , another by tramways. The size of thi3 building j is 102 by 54 feet. At a distance of some fifty i yards to the rear stands the slaughter house, "well i ventilated and arranged, and to be connected with the main building by a line of rails. O n one side, and close to the main building is the site of the engine of twenty horsepower, now being made by M!r Anderson. A chimney about fifty feet high is rising rapidly, ana close by are the well and water tanks to contain a constant large supply of water. On th east side of the main ] building will stand the manager's and men's houses, the latter capable of housiag about fifty hands — the number proposed to be permanently employed upon the works. At the rate at which the work is now progressing, the company expect to be ready to commence operations about the middle of November with appliances equal to the consumption of 2,500 shsep a week, to be increased shortly after to 3,000 a week. That | the company will meet with the Buccess it deserves can now no longer be doubtful, a3 it is certain that there is an unlimited demand in Europe for preserved meats. '

About 4 o'clock on Sunday morning last, 26th inst., the townspeople within hearing were startle! from their sleep by the alarming notes of the firebell. It was soon ascertained that a fire of considerable magnitude was raging with great fur,y, but as it had occurred in a building standing at a distance from any other, and the weather was at the time very calm, fears for public safety were speedily allayed, there being little danger of the fire extending beyond the limits of the tenement in which, it had originated. The scene of destruction was the store and bonded warehouse of Mr John Ross, situated at the corner of Clyde and Tweed-streets, and so rapid was the process that within a very short time of its first discovery the fire had consumed everything of a combustible nature. The night watchman on duty states that he had passed the locality about three o'clock, close to the premises, and that then there was no appearance or indication of danger ; about an hour afterwards, however, from the town, he observed in that direction what appeared to be a tussock burning, but which spread so rapidly as to show him unmistakeably that a serious fire had broken out. No time was loat in raising the alarm, and with remarkable promptitude the Fire Brigade mustered at the Engine house, an d rattled off to the conflagration. It was at once apparent, however, that their services were of no avail, as to attempt to stay the progress of the , flames was perfectly hopeless. Owing to the fact of there being a large quantity of spirits in stock and in bond ,besides other inflammable substances, the heat was intense even at a considerable distance, and the flames shot up to a great height, casting a brilliant glare far around. Frequent I explosions, the bursting of the spirit casks, accompanied the progress of the fire, and added to its intensity. A large crowd, besides the firemen, had quickly collected, all of whom would, no doubt, have willingly rendered assistance had it been possible to save anything, but as this waß out of the question, owing to the circumstances stated, everything had to be left to its fate. Within i an hour a few smoking cinders, several piles of distorted hoop iron, a quantity of curled and twisted corrugated iron, and the ruins of a brick chimney, were all that remained of what had been a substantial warehouse filled with several thousand pounds worth of merchandise. We understand that both stock and premises were to a certain extent covered by insurance, though not to anything like full value Of the balance lost a good portion will fall upon Mr Ross himself, while several of our other merchants have also to bear part of the calamity, through having had goods in bond. An inquiry on the subject was held before Dr Deck, Coroner, at the Albion Hotel, on Tuesday, 28th inst., but nothing was elicited as to the origin of the fire. Both Mr Ross and his storeman were on the premises until half-past 5 o'clock on Saturday evening, at which time they locked up and left tilings, as they considered, all right. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence, viz. : — " That the premises and stock were totally destroyed by fire on Sunday morning, but that there was nothing to show how the fire had originated."