THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1880.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 2 August 1880, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1880.

The latest news from the Mapourika diggings is that Mr Hirter, storekeeper, of Ross, has received a letter from Okarito, stating that several boles hare bottomed on payable gold. Prospects of the place aro regarded as favorable- The steamers Wallace and Waipara, which left Hokitika lately with diggers for the rush, have not yet returned, owing to bad weather. The survey of the Low Level Tunnd will, we believe, be completed in the conrse of today. An alarm of fire was sounded in "Reefton by the ringing of the fire-bell, shortly after 11 o'clock, on Friday evening last. Almost immediately it became apparent that the late residence of Mr Colin Campbell, situated on the opposite sido of the Inangahua river, was in flames. Although seen to be a hopeless task, the fire-engino was got out, and after a little delay ahorse was hitched to it, to t:ike it across the river, but the load being too. much for one horse, the engine bogged in the middle pf the river. In the meantime, the burning cottage beinz detached and built on piles three or four feet high, was quickly a mass of fire, and beyond saving. The brigade, howeyer, waded into the riyer and roul^ttput the engine, and commenced to plaTvttpon the rnins. Nothing was left stand* ing buCfhe two brick chimneys. The cottage was built about seven or ci: ht years ago, by Mr Donald Ross, and subsequently was purchased by Mr W. S. Staite, for £230, and by him sold to Mr Campbell, its last occux rant. During the several years that Mr Campbell lived in if, be improved it greatly, and if was far and away the prettiest, nnd most conveniently arranged private dwelling in the town. The cottage bad just been let to Mr H. C. Bowman, and was being pree pared for the reception of that gentleman's family when the fire occurred. A« to the origin of the fire, it seems that a morble mantle-piece, ond a very handsome grate had been removed from the front room fireplace, at the time of Mr Campbell's leaving, and it is supposed that a fire which was lit in ; the fire-place on the day of the occurrence communicated with the wall-plate under the bricks, and there being a great drift tinder the building, the fire noon spread. The cots jtege was insured in the New Zealand Office for £300. There was £20 or so worth of furniture in the house at the time of the fire, which was also burnt. It is elsewhere notified by the Government . that the time for sending in the required returns nnder the " Property Assessment Act " has been further extended to the 31st instant. . The next sitting of the Licensing Cou^t for the district of In an gab ua, will be held on th« 7th September. All applications intended to be heard thereat must be lodged with the Clerk to the Bench not later than the 16th instant, at noon. The fire in Tleefton on Friday night was sern plainly by the hand 3at the Energetic, and other Murray Creek mines, nnd from the intensity of the illumination it was thought that the whole of Beefron was in a blaze. If everybody in Rpe f ton was to follow the examp'e of Mr Hans Jacobsen, there would be very little risk of fire, and the fire-engine could be sold for a hearsp, or a quartz crushing machine< Mr Jacobsen has collected a large number of kerosene tins, and putting a handle in them, he has filled them with water, and literally surrounded the house with them. At all the moßt likely points of attack there is extra provision for receiving the enemy, and in fact Mr Jacobsen's prem* iaes are fortified at all quarters, and at whatever point the fire-fiend makes his debut, there is sudden death staring him in the face. The precaution is unquestionably a very prudent one, and it would be well if other householders fallowed the example, as two out of every three flies could thereby be nipped in the bud. We Bre glad to learn that a very promising body of stone has been traced in the Wealth of Natio 1 s mine. It is believed that it is the same tqdy of etone whipb the Energefip

mined up to the Independent boundary. At a meeting of the directors of the Keep-it-Dark Company, held on Saturday evening, the tender "of Mr A. Sangster was accepted for the erection of water-wheel. Mr H. 0. Williamson, of Melbourne, offers a bonus of £1000 for the best written colonial drama. Here is an opportunity for undeveloped talent. The County Coun oil will meet this evening, at 7 30., for the purpose of dealing with the maintenance contractors. We believe, however, that the business will be transacted in committee. We believe that all the contractors with one exception have signified their willingness to relinquish their contracts, but as by enforcing the strict fulfilment of the letter and spirit of the specifications for about one month would no doubt make the recalcitrant contractor wish that he had never been born, he too will be glad enough to surrender. The extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of the Fiery Cross Company, convened for Saturday last, has been adjourned until Saturday next. The last load of the Welcome Company's machinery was delivered at the battery site. Boatman's, on Saturday last. The work of erecting the battery is proceeding satisfao - torily, and no further interruption is likely <p be caused by bad weather. Many and nngry complaints are made 'at the fact that the ringing of the firenbell is all but inaudible anywhere out of Broadway, and even in the uppnr and lower eds of that street its to'l resembles nothing more than the fuint "sinsing" of the family tea-kettle. On Friday night the only res'dents on the Buller road who were aware of. the fiie were those attracted by the brightness of the glare, when the fire wis at its'might. In proof of this it may be mention«d that one resident of that dismal quarter of the town knew nothing of the conflagration until an hour after it had occurred, when having ocoa^ioa to gi outside to chose a vagrant cow out of his back garden, noticed the reflection of the expiring embers, and with an utter disregard for liij winter vegetable?, dashed like read djwn ihe town, crying " fire " like- a lunatic, and disturbing the slumbers of all those who hud returned from the conflagration. It was not until Iho afrighted citizen got into Broadway that he realised what a fool he had made . of himself, and just then an old lady in a uight'Cap put her head out of a topstorey window and asked him if there was any truth in the rumor a!;out Queen Ann being dead, and this suddenly" reminded him of the cow.