A MAN-OF-WAR LOST.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 73, 25 October 1884, Page 6

A MAN- OF- WAR LOST.

London, September 23. —The British gunboat Wasp was wrecked off Tory island, on the northwest coast of Ireland, today. Fifty-two persons were drowned. The Wasp had a registered tonnage of 465 tons, and carried four guns. Among the lost all the officers are included. There were only six persons saved. On the rocky coast where the disaster occurred it is impossible to use small boats in an attempt at rescue. The British man-of-war Valiant has gone to render assistance and obtain details of the wreck of the Wasp. The weather was hazy when she struck. About 3 o'clock in the morning the officer of the watch ordered sail set for the purpose of steadying the boat, as a lumpy sea was on, and orders were being carried out when the vessel, which was greatly out of her course, suddenly, and without the slightest warning, struck upon a rock and rebounded into deep water. It was found upon examina 'tion that a hole had been made in her bow, and that it would be impossib o for her to keep afloat. *

(IO THE EDITOR.) Sir — I venture 1o solict a small space in your valujille paper to make known t!ie shameful way ihe Counties Act is ■vvorlvci by Mie Thames County Council, although it lias been the spoilt, child of the family, brought up in the lap of luxury aiul bom with a golden spoon, it. has obtained from a most lenient and motherly government on the slightest pteuauie, larye amounts every year. Now Sir if you will look on the map and tract* out the boundaries of thh spoflt ciiilds territories, yon will then observe that th- 1 main portion of tlie population i* centred in Thames proper, in the vicinity of tho Waiotihi Creek, an I althougu tiie. wives and families of the miners anil storemon }>*ye pined to roam green fields and iruitlul plains, yet tiie leaders of the people have failed to open up such a desirable heritage althoug i so clos.} to them. But to return tj my subject. < n the east side of the beautiful river Waihon lies the golden belt from Coromandel to Aroha, gold ! back to the sea coast ; what a vnstdoin iin unopened except on the outside and quite enough for any one public local bo !y to have to care fnr. JThen lift your eye westward and \on will «ec all which that great experienced explorer, Captain Cook, saw fro-n *ume eminence on it. io hig 1 lan 1 near (he ri\er and warranted him to utter tho-e prophetic words that u at the mouth of this graud water-way there imi-a in the future arise one of the largest cities of this Brit iin of the ■South.'' From this river's western bank to the distant hilU beyond the Piako river lies stretche 1 a vast level pi iin, all in tiie s.nne County untonjhed by roads, almost unknown to the busy workers of the town, aid suppose 1 by them to be a botto nles* swamp. Now, ; S.r, do you not consider the managers of | the Thames County blind to their own j interest an 1 tiie welfa c of the settlers, w leu for want of roads we are prevente I sending our produce to the maruets I A u insUnce in point, for nearly six years I have bacn on my present farm, an 1 had it not been for the kindness of Messrs Parr and Mellon, who have allowed us a track through their paddocks, I and others would have been cut off from civilisation. Xow Mr Parr is cropping 1 those paddocks through which the track runs, and has ' locked the gates ; what are we to do ? we have no other way of exit. We have appealel in vain to the County, but they have turned a deaf ear. A road is partly formed through tue swamp on the Aroha block to Te Aroha, which would save! a great distance if finished, and about two miles more road laid off and made would •ronnect us with it, that is fro u the Waitoarodd nort.'iwaids into the Thames Coauty, The roads really necessary to attain this object would cost a couple of bniiilTed poun i» at present, and be the means of opening up a lar#e area of &!?ricnltur.*il laud, a great Meal of which as already cultivated. — L am, &c, FiiKoEiticK Strange. •Oct. 2'2nd, 1884-.