West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1865.

West Coast Times, Issue 58, 17 October 1865, Page 2

West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1865.

The Improvement Committee, at their usual weekly meeting on Tuesday evening, the 12tli inst., passed the following resolutions :— " That the Government be written to, strongly urging on them the necessity of at once making the road passable for dray traffic along Gibson's quay." "That all tenders for works to be performed for this Committee be accompanied by a schedule of prices to enable the engineer or other officer appointed, to certify for progress payments upon any contract." " That the Commissioner be written to, requesting him to have a Powder Magazine erected without delay." The following notices of motion were given : — Mr Harding to move — "That the Government be written to, requesting them to take immediate steps for draining Tancred street, and erecting a bridge on a larger scale in Weld street." Mr Clarke to move— '-That immediate steps be takes to form the footfpath orappi'oach to the bridge in Camp street." An inquest was held at the Post-office Hotel, before Dr Beswick, coroner, on. the body of J;-mes M'Neilage, who fell from the lagging of the schooner Rifiemyn, on Friday last. From the depositions it appears that the deceased had ■worked hi-, passage to this port from Auckland, and that on Fiday afternoon he w;is oriiei-ed to go ploft. Whilst engaged on the topsail y.xrd he slipped, and in falling 'mckwards struck against the foreyard on his downward journey to the water. The ship was immediately put aboiU, and every effort maile to save him, but life was extinct when lie was brought on board. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally di owned by falling into the sea, from the yard of the schooner Rifleman." The investi g.' lion into the causes of the wreck of the three-masted schooner John Bullock was rommenced yesterday afternoon, before the Resident Magistrate and Cipiaiii White. The de positions of the two witnesses examined, Captain Tonge and the signal man, were in effect similar to those aiade at the recent inquiry into the wreck of the which we have already published in detail. The proceedings were watched by Mr South, on behalf of the captain and owner. The three-masted sch. Rifleman, M'Clutchy, commander, left Auckland on the 22nd ultimo. Experienced fine weather until the 26th, on which day, being then off Cape Farewell, it came on to blow heavily from the S.W., obliging her to bear up for the Totaranui, where she anchored tbe same evening, in company with -ten or a dozen other vessels. Here she remained until the 6th inst.,. arriving off Hokitika on the 10th, but in consequence-of there being no steam tug to tow her in, and the bar being impassable to sailing ve^selsJ she stood off, and on until Sunday the l. r ith, when" she managed to safely enter the river on the morning's tide. On Friday last one of her seaman, named James M'Neilage, whilst shaking a reef out of tbe fore topsail, missed his hold and fell overboard. A boat was immediately lowered, and every exertion made to save him, but although his body was recovered life was extinct. The Rifleman brings 46 passengers for this port. We have to record a melancholy and fatal boat accident that occurred yesterday. It appears that one of the qreiv of the schooner Tambo, being on shore, hailed her to send a boat to take him on board. Two of ni*B shipmates jumped into the small boat belonging to her and pulled for the shore, but in consequence of the Tambo lying right opposite the entrance, and the freshet in the river being extremely heavy, she was carried through the channel into the breakers. Tbe first sea capsized her, washing the two poor fellows out. They were, however, seen clinging to her, but the next sea sealed their fate, tearing them from their frail support. They were never seen alive afterwards. No assistance could be rendered in the face of such a heavy sea and freshet. It is supposed that one of the bodies has been recovered, as a corpse clothed in a sailor's dress was picked up on the beach in the evening a little to the northward of the Montezuma. To the lovers of music and those who can appreciate goodpa r t singing with firsfc-class instrumental accompaniments, as well as to those who can enjoy a humorous entertainment, the arrival of the " Original Christy's Minstrels" will be hailed with satisfaction. The date of their arrival is not yet definitely fixed upon, but as their present engagement in Nelson has already been completed, we may anticipate a novelty in our amusements before the lapse of many days. The ss. Star of the Evening, Fox. commander, left Sydney at noon, on the 6th instant, and arrived off Hokitik.i on the 12th, but the weather threatening, again stood to sea, and remained outside until Saturday morning. She crossed the bar at high water the same day, but grounded in the river about tbe flag staff. This fine steamer will prove a great acquisition to our fleet, being decidedly the most poweifril of all the boats that enter tne river. She is sixty horse power, nominal, and schooner rigged, and no pains have been spared in fitting her for ,the comfort and safety of passengers. She brings 80 passengers and a mail. Her present captain is well known to the merchants of Hokitika, having commanded the Sir Frahcis Drake that was once trading to our port. The Star of the Evening is intended to rnn between Hokitika and Dunedin. Information was given to the police yesterday morning that a packer named James Rossiter was on Sunday evening, seen to take the river opposite Daley's store, on the way to theTotara, The point ou which the horseman attemp'edto ford was not the usual track, but the calmness of the surface seems to have prompted him to have diverged from his customary route ; the water though still was deep, and the horse after plunging about for some time returned to tht shore minus its rider, who, it is feared, has met with a watery grave, as no tidings of him have as yet c'ume to hand.