DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 304, 15 November 1873, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

- (From Dttr own Corre*pondent.) It will certainly not be owing to the scarcity of insurance office* if the people of this colony fuffer in future from the ravages of fire. No aooner ha* the excitement over the National subsided a little, than a fourth company having its proprietary in New Zealand is announced. Tbere are not a few who think the last venture a mistake ; and certainly it does look like carrying the thine too far. The ■hares will, however, most likely be rapidly taken, up, for tho large premiums paid for •hares in the South British and the National, •yen before the jdloeation took place, will be quite sufficient reason to induce many to again •peculate. The list of provisional directors of fine new company has been published, and the prospectus is promised in a day or two. The poor fellow who fell from an upper •torey window of the Otago Hotel a few days since, and whose death was erroneously re. ported the day before yesterday, died in the Hospital this rooming, mortification of the injured arm having «et in two days since. At the inquest which was held to day, Dr. Yates, the Resident Surgeon of. the Hospital, stated that deceased had also received some internal injury. The jury, in giving a verdict of "Accidental Death." added a rider to the effect that they considered it necessary that a bye-law should be passed rendering it compulsory on householders to use some apparatus specially made for the purpose of cleaning window at a height from the ground, instead of the most dangerous practice which at present prevails. To any of your readers who remember the Otago Hotel, where the accident under notice occurred, the wonder will b« that Godfrey Kemp ever spoke after the frightful shock'he must have received after falling from such a height. The very scientific member* of our community had a treat provided for them at the jnecting of the Otago Institute, when Mr. A. JET. JloM, one of our locol scientists, read an interesting p*P* r on the irregularities in the action of the compass in iron steamers, as ob•erved by the author, and Captain Hutton: tbe recently Appointed Provincial Geologist Mod a list of insects which had their habitat in the colony. The variations in the compass noted by Mr. Bom during trips along the coast of New Zealend in the present year, are Vuffcient to excite alarm in the minds of those ■who. travel much in our inter-provincial •teamen, and decidedly call for some remedy, Tbe funeral of Tbomaj Schmidt, who died fe the Hospital from the effect* of severe harm leeeired wfcfle rescuing bis wife at tbe OctaMß 6m, took place on Sunday, and wm ««f liifcW attended. The cortege iv an aaiMHaPy long one, and a* it iloirfr wended

it* wayfto the North Dunedin cornel • 7, excited many an expression of regret from on-lookera at the untimely end of the poor fellow whose devotion and bravery were unfortunately the means of his death. The Rev. Dr. Begg is to preach in the First Church, morning and evening, next Sunday, and will shortly afterwards leave our shores for his native hud. The Rev. Dr. was entertained at tea hut night, at Murray's Hotel, by the Kirk Session and Permanent Supply Committee of the First Church.