THE GREY DISTRICT.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 933, 29 February 1872, Page 2

THE GREY DISTRICT.

(From the " Argus.") For the last thirty hoars a great bush fire has been raging along the line of Tainui street. After the Brigade bad conquered the fire in the neighbourhood of Mr Cooper's on Monday, some thoughtless or malicious person set fire to the twenty acres of ground owned by Messrs Kilgour and Perotti, on which the timber had been recently felled. The flames raged up towards town in a most threatening manner, so that at 2.30 a.m. yesterday the Brigade was again called out by the bell. All Monday night and Tuesday forenoon the fire spread rapidly, notwithstanding the efforts of the people residing in the vicinity and large numbers of volunteers to keep it down. About one o'clock yesterday M'Carthy and Co.'s brewery and a number of private houses were in such immiuent danger that the fire bell was again rung, and the Brigade speedily arrived with their engines and other apparatus, and commenced to play upou the burning bush, so as to save the adjacent cottages from destruction, the members of the Brigade working like heroes to save life and property. About two o'clock the fire burst in behind Tivoli Gardens, and made a clean sweep through them, burning up, in about ten minutes, the old hotel, theatre, and the cottage occupied by Mr E. B. Fox, leaving nothing but a heap of ashes. All the goods on the premises were saved by the members of the Brigade. Throughout the afternoon the fire continued to rage, and the Brigade to fight it, until daylight had gone, and the order was given to pack up. The members of the Brigade deserve the highest praise for their indefatigable exertions. Late last evening the fires were still raging in the neighborhood of the houses in Tainui street south, but Jihere was some hope that the gale would break, and raiu fall before morning.—Feb. 21. Mr Oscar Van was the unfortunate man whose fearful death in the shaft of the Cassius Claim was described in a paragraph in our yesterday's issue. Mr Van is known to many on the West Coast, having for some time resided in Westport, Charleston, and at Woodstock, in the neighborhood of Hokitika. He will be remembered also by many as Harbor-Clerk and Town-Clerk of Port Chalmers, on relinquishing which positions, and before he came to the West Coast, he lived for some time in the Province of Taranaki. Previous to his residenee in the Colony he had been for years on the diggings, in the Ingiewood and Castlemaiue districts, where he arrived in the early days with two brothers, one of whom is now manager of the Cassius claims. The following further particulars of the circumstances under which his death occurred are furnished by the " Ross News " : —Mr Oscar Van, with two others, was ascending the shaft of tho Cassius claim, at dinner time, yesterday, and all had entered thecage, which, after it had commenced rising, suddenly jerked and fell a few inches; this was caused by a twist in the hoisting chain ; but deceased, apparently under the fear that the winding-rope had broken, attempted to return to the chamber from the rapidly ascending cage: in doing so, his head caught the cap-pieces, and he was knocked down with his head and shoulders overhanging the cage, and in this position was dragged up the shaft till the great pressure of its sides gradually drew deceased from the cage, leaving him to fall a distance probably of sixty feet to the bottom of the shaft. No blame attaches to anyone for the accident, the other men were unable to prevent deceased from being dragged out of the cage, snd from its rapid upward motion were unable to sound the alarm. Strange to say, deceased lingered for an hour conscious and in great agony. —February 23. On Wednesday afternoon, the body of the late Oscar C. Van, was carried to its last resting place, followed by a large concourse of friends, present among whom were hi 3 brethern in Freemasonry. At the inquest. Dr. Hosking stated that he found the chestboue crushed, and the ribs broken at the back. Deceased was born at Lambeth in 1832, and obtained his Master's degree at the Mariners' Lodge, Port Chalmers.—Feb. 24.

Tbere was a slight fresh in the river yesterday after heavy rain during the previous night, and the stream made further encroachment at the lower end of the town, especially in front of the Oriental Hotel, where four or five feet of the bank have disappeared. Active Cteps were taken to fortify the back against further encroachment by deposit/eg heavy blocks of stone along the beach from Skogiund and Purcell's corner upwards. The stouea are those which were laid along Mawhera Quay some months ago, but which have simply lain there without being used. They have now been put to good purpose, and. will form a sufficient breakwater until regular protection works are formed. At the upper end of the town a numerous gang of men are daily at work blasting rock and erecting what is likely-to prove a permanent stone-work for the protection of the town and for the convenience of the contemplated railway;— Feb. 24.

A man named JR. O. Halloran, believed to be a native of Glascow, has been drowned while attempting to crss the river Eangitata. Mr Henry Mackintosh, who, until a few days ago was a member of the staff of the " Grey Eiver Argus," met his death by drowning in the Little Grey Eiver on Saturday last. It is

with the deepest regret thab wew nounce the death, under such circuw stances, of one with whom all in thl office have been intimately associate] for several months past, who wj known to eome of his Greymouij friends since boyhood, and who, jj youth and manhood, was distinguiahel by his amiable and generous dispoal tion, His death will be heard of ala with deep regret by bereaved relative in the Colony, and by the maffl friends whom he made among bot employers and employed, in otha newspaper offices in which he has bee) engaged. Mr Mackintosh left Grej mouth on Monday last for the Ahauri He stayed there for a few days, am was on his way to Reefton when Ij met the accident which was the caus of his death. The particulars of th melancholy accident, as furnished b our Ahaura correspondent are these —" On Saturday, a packer for M James M'lnroe on his way from tb Junction to Reefton, found the dea body of a man on one of the beacht of the Little Grey not far from il confluence with the Blackwater Creel The body was brought to the Ahatii on Saturday night, when it was ideut fied as that of Mr Mackintosh, con positor, lately employed on the sta of the ' Argus.' The deceased le Ahaura on Friday morning for Reeftoi and it is supposed that ho tni his death while fording the Blac] water Creek at the place where tl bridge recently stood." The immedia' cause of the accident appears to 1 that he followed the dray-walk into tl river instead of keeping on the foo track.—Feb. 26.

A slight fresh in the river and high tide had the effect of taking awa some more of the river-bank yesterda at Richmond Quay. Sunday as it tfa exertion was made to prevent th encroachment by a gang of men beit put on at the quarry, from which supply of stone was conveyed by dray and deposited at the most assailab points. A temporary stop to anythii like serious encroachment was tbi effected.—Feb. 26. Hokitika is favored by the presem of no fewer than three representativ of the General Government, who a accommodated, during their visit, the County Chairman's mansion. T Premier, Mr Fox, arrived there byt Kennedy from Westport, Previous his "arrival, Mr Reeves, the Minist of Public Works in the Middle Islai came overland from Christchurc' and Mr Haughton was a still eatli arrival.as representative of the Govet ment in connection with water-supj and other public works to the Go] fields.