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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 381, 20 October 1868, Page 3

Two fatal accidents, the Grey River Argus informs us, have recently occurred up the Grey. We regret to find that the rumor mentioned in our last issue of a man having been killed by a fall of earth in Canadian Gully was fully warranted. On Tuesday last William Bannon, Lawrence Blake, and a third party, were at work in their tunnel in Canadian G-ulty, Half-ounce Creek, when the earth,timber,andeverything else fell in. Bannon was completely buried. Blake escaped with a dislocated shoulder, and the third party was uninjured. Information was sent down to Mr Dutton, who was at Ahaura at the time, and the inquest was to have been held on Friday, but in consequence of the heavy flood Mr Dutton was unable to leave the Ahaura, and after waiting until Saturday afternoon, and the creek being then impassable, returned to Cobden, instructing a trooper to proceed to the spot as soon as the road was passable, and send in a full report of the accident.—Late on Sunday evening a report was received in Cobden of another fatal accident in Moonlight Creek. On Friday, the Bth inst., John Brenth, while crossing the Creek on a log, slipped off into the torrent and was drowned. This was the same day Mr Dutton was detained at Ahaura, but the rivers were too high to allow of communication with him for the purpose of having an inquest, and since the receipt of the report, it has been impossible to reach Moonlight from Cobden.

In France the greatest distance over which a • telegraphic message can be transmitted is about 600 miles ; in Prussia, about 500 ; in Belgium, about 160; and in Switzerland, about 200 miles. The charge for a message of 20 words over the greatest distance in France is Is. Bd. ; in Prussia, Is. 6d.; in in Belgium, 5d.; and in Switzerland, sd. In Great Britain 2s. is charged for the transmission of a, message over 500 or 600 miles, and Is. 6d, for any message sent 160 or 200 miles.

A targe reservoir has just been completed in the rear of the General Government buildings at Wellington. The cistern consists of the iron tank in which the submarine cable was brought out. Its holding capacity is about 35,000 gallons, and it can be filled once every twenty-four hours. The daily consumption of water on the Government premises is about 5000 gallons, so that 30,000 gallons are wasted every day. The surface of the reservoir is 70 feet above the level of the beach, and for the sum of £4OO water could be laid on to a considerable portion of the town.