A VOICE FROM WELD STREET.

West Coast Times, Issue 363, 21 November 1866, Page 3

A VOICE FROM WELD STREET.

(to the editor of the west coast times ) Str — After tho eloquent appeal of a denizen of Beach street, who hns so graphically deacribed its woes, will you oblige me by claiming for "Weld street tho prior right to the cousideratiou of the Council. Let me then sketch from memory the scene it presented last week, and compare it with the few inches of slush of which Beach street complaint". Water waist deep, beneath which a " lower deep extends ' of fathomless mud ; dwelling-houses, stores, and the brewery under water, and midst tho darkness of night the inhabitants on the alerfc to snatch (heir property out of the reach of the invading element. Daylight disclosed its full terrors, tho waters of the creek which, flowing past the Commissioner's residence, had swollen almost to a river, deluging Timered, Weld, and finally Sewell street. Thus were those on the plateau of high ground cut off from all communication with the common centre — Eevell street. At intervals a boat put in an appearance, aud hoarse Charon drove a brisk trade conveying his living freight across this placid Lethe. But on the subsidence of the flood every floor and place was coated like the valley of the Nile with a stratum of mud. Much property had been injured, and casks and timber floated to a distant point. Let us also compare their comparative claims. Weld street was placed on the original map, from which as a common centre Tancred, Sewell, Fitzherbert, and several other streets branched off to the river side, yet nothing has been done there, but what has been effected by the inhabitants themselves. Reclaimed from the primitive forest, whose giant stumps still remain prominently visible, the sections on either side have been cleared ut a great expence by their owners, whilst Beach street was formed (or rather its site) by the ocean, and left by it pure and clfan, and if it has now become polluted, thanks to its residents, who have driven a ceaseless traffic over that favored locality for their own advantage. 1 think, then, n ith such a worthy representative as Councillor Hungerford to advocate its claims at (he proper time and place, when the Council have matured their plan of operations, that Beach-street is in very good hands, and can alford to wait awhile before raising such a clamor, and getting up deputations ; or, should they consider their wants still more urgent, I would advise them to cut a small drain into the river, and, as it cannot be done without a little expense, I would add what Hercules Baid to the carter, " Clap your shoulders to the wheel ! " and do it vourselvos. I am, &c, John Cross. Weld street, Nov. 20th, 18G6. The " Argus " says : — " The city coroner held an inquest on the 7th instant on the body of a man named William Hilliard, twenty-five years of a»o, who died at the Melbourne Hospital on Monday. It transpired from the evidence- taken at the enquiry that on the 3rd in-taut the deceased, who was a cabdriver, wns driving his cab at a furious rate, he himself being mad drunk and having no command over the horse, ■when he \i as thrown out, and the wheel of the vehicle passed over him. Ho was at once convoyed to the hospital, suffering from an extensive rupture of the liver, and having three of his ribs fractured. Tho man's case vns qu>'c hopeless, ami notwithstanding that eviry attention wns paid to him at the hospital he expiu'd on the day after his admittance. A vrrJicb in accordance with the medical evidence was returned."