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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 563, 5 October 1869, Page 2

As the date of the expected high tide approaches, the interest taken in the subject naturally increases. Those who have at other times little pretensions to weather wisdom have, for the past few days, been carefully noting atmospheric indications, and instituting comparisons as to the rise and fall of the tides. Two note-worthy circumstances during these few days have been that the barometer has been unusually high, and that the spring tides have been rather slower in " making " than usual. The only real " Sf.xby day " was Sunday, when it rained and blew freshly from the westward. The wind has since been easterly and light; the surf has gone down to a mere nothing ; and, though the sky is heavily overcast, there appears every chance of the next two clays being characterised by a calm. The sixth is the clay upon which, in this hemisphere, the highest tide should occur, but it may happen on the seventh, the highest tides usually occurring here on the second or third tide after full or change of the moon. It will be seen by quotations which wj make elsewhere that, on an open coast such as this, with a wide sea over which the tide may diffuse itself, only a slight rise may bo expected, if there be a rise at all above the ordinary, and with calm weather it may not be more than per'•entiblß-

A fatal accident of a very painful nature happened in the neighbourhood of Westport yesterday afternoon. Behind the Miners' Kest Hotel, of which Mr J. H. Gibson is proprietor, there is a picturesque lagoon on which it has been the habit of Mr Gibson's young son—a boy of twelve years of age—to paddle about in a small ilat-bottomed boat. At half-past four o'clock yesterday Mr Gibson beard a scream come from the direction of the lagoon. He ran towards the water, and before he reached it, lie heard another scream. By the time he got to the water's edge there was nothing visible but the empty boat, the boy's cap. and some air bubbles rising to the surface. It is supposed that the boy had been standing on the seat of the boat, and had accidentally lost his balance and fallen into the water. Some other persons joined Mr Gibson, but the depth of water, the treacherous bottom, and the absence of appliances seem to have deterred them from making any attempt to recover the boy until the Harbor Department drags had been sent for. These were taken out by the police, but, without, their aid, and merely by the use of a pole, Constable Hunter was fortunate in finding the then dead body and bringing it to the bank. This morning an inquest into the unfortunate circumstances will beheld. Messrs Braithwaite, Brennan, and M'Fnrlane, as representatives of the Caledonian Terrace, with Messrs Humphrey and Powell, as members of the Progress (?) Committee, waited upon Mr Dobson, the District Engineer, on Saturday. The subject was the formation of a track to Giles Terrace. The result was that Mr Dobson promised to visit the locality to-day. Our report of the interview, though in type, must be promised for Thursday. On Saturday, the District Engineer, Mr Dobson, gave orders for the removal of the ruins of what was once commonly known as Powell's wharf, and certainly, in an sesthetieal point of view, its removal is most desirable. It is the climax in the picture of wretchedness and ruination which the Boiler banks present. But, ruin as it is, it serves some purpose. It accommodates steamers occasionally, and thereby brings a little "grist to the mill " of traders in the neighbourhood. Accordingly, a deputation waited upon Mr Dobson, and, when the " merits of the case " were set before him, he countermanded the order for its removal. Probably it is wise not to remove it until another be substituted for it. Quite as probably its being allowed to remain prevents another being substituted. The Government is evidently disp, sed to do nothing, and no private contractor is likely to erect a wharf at the end of Gladstone Street with a tottering fabric standing in such a position that at any moment it may fall upon him like a Philistine, and demolish his outlay and his work. The young man named William Kinncrley, who was brought to flic Westport Hospital from Giles Terrace about ten dajs ago, died on Sunday. When received into the institution there was little or no hope entertained as to his recovery, as he was then suffering from serious injury to the spine, caused by a fall of earth in a tunnel in which he was at work. An inquest as to the circumstances of his death was held yesterday, first at the Hospital, and then in the Court-house ; and a verdict of " Accidental Death" was adjourned. The unfortunate deceesed was a native of Manchester, and 29 years of age.

The Resident Magistrate's Court was occupied until a late hour yesterday with the, hearing of a case in -which Wallace Woolfe butcher, was the plaintiff, and Isaac Freeth, importer, was the defendant. The claim was for ,£6O, and arose out of some mutual business transactions associated with the occupation of the London Butchery by Messrs Smith and Fraucks. We are unable in the present number to give any report of the case beyond stating that the verdict -was for the defendant, for whom Mr Pitt appeared. Mr Eugene O'Conor, we regret to know, continues to suffer from a serious injury which he received some days ago while en-

gaged in his business as manufacturer of aerated waters. The accident which happened to hirn Avas simple, but severe in its effects. The pas in a newly charged lemonade bottle forced out the cork almost with the impetus of the discharge of a gun, and the cork, striking Mr O'Couor directly in the eye, inflicted a most serious blow. Mr O'Conor has since been incapacitated from attending to his business, and the injury he has received continues to be serious, though there are hopes that its effects will not be permanent. The prospectus of the Waimangaroa QuartzMining Company is now being printed, and will very shortly be placed before the public. Some very fine specimens from the crown of the reef have been brought into town within the past few days. Our Charleston contemporary, instead of being published tri-weekly, is now only published on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but on an enlarged sheet—a sheet similar in size to the Westport Times. By the publisher and by the reader the change will, no doubt, be found to be an improvement. The man Brog.'ey, the assailant of the brothers O'Neil, has as yet eluded arrest by the police—sheltered, no doubt, by some friendly roof. The Rev. Mr. Mules, who has been officiating here for the Rev. Mr Harvey, proceeded to Nelson yesterday by the steamer Wallabi. There was a considerable fresh in the Buller on Sunday, and the Totara was highly flooded, so that the coaches could not cross. November 13th is the day for nominating Provincial Councillors for this district, and November 17th is the day of the poll. It is said that Mr Barff is to retire from political life. Mr Moorhouse, late Superintendent of Canterbury, intends to commence practising his profession as a lawyer at the Thames. A prospecting party has been fitted out in Nelson, to look for gold in likely places in the neigbourhood, and it is probable that a second party will soon be equipped. From Nelson we have a telegram to the effect that Mr Gibbs is definitely standing as a candidate for the Superinteudency, and that he has received good promises of support.