GREAT FLOODS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5136, 6 February 1874, Page 2

GREAT FLOODS I N NEW SOUTH WALES.

From New South Wales we have alarming tidings of great floods in Hunter Ihver district. The river had risen at West Maitland on the 28th of last month 33 feet !> lnchf s ;»bovo the usual level, and the weather continued threatening. Several homes had been washed away, and a great deal of valuable property destroyed. The railway line uear Scone nd3 so severely damaged that the up trains had not reached Maitlaud on the evening of the 27th. A large embankment at had given way, and an extensive track of country was laid under water in consequence. No lives appear to have been lost. At a subsequent date the river was reported as falling fast. Tins district is subject to periodical floods ; only a few years ago a disiistroua flood did great injury to property and caused the loss of several lives and much live stock.

The cise of Graham v. Thomas and others, which has occupied the Court for Hve days, was concluded yesterday, or rather early this morniner The jury retuod to delibeiate it five o'clock, and it was past midnight before they at lived at their verdict, which was in favour of the plaintiff. His Honor certified to costs. A two-mile race took place yesterday on the Ellerslie course between MeCluskey'a Tit and Hi pburn's Ladybird. The stakes were £10 a side. ]Vir. Kd<jn acted as judge. A good start v a3 t ffected at 4 30_jj^ni- Botii hoises kept well together for thV tirat 1 clt^ mile ; Ladybird then took thi« lead, winning e lsily l>y a distance. There was a good deal of incn-'y plated on the race, the betting being in favour of lit We have- been rt quested to publish the f<llowiu#: — Mr T B. Hannaford having nt en bt-foie th> Inveitmatiou (Jumimttee m lcft-iencu t-> his i >p isme thu.ujih t >c papua of the strange proof dings la t Buxing day, in the supply of ri fit-biini- nts at the Good 'I' niilar dcmoiifctiatiou in the Domain, and been declared by the committee justified in b > doing, has seceded from the Pioneer Lodge, No. 5, aud has been elected W.S, of the Junction Lodge, foot of Pitt-street.

After tho sitting of the Police Court \e-j-terday G W. Owen, Esq., Treasurer of the Industrial Home, opened the box which is placed in the Court for the purpose of rcc< iv. log donations towards that institution. The contents amounted to £? 8s. Our woithy magistrate congiatulatt-d Mr. Otvm on the amount, and stated that the contributions had been considerably augmented by a sum of five guineas which had boon placed in the box that tnorunng. Jui instance of kleptomania has turned up in the person of a boy .uji d 11 years, wh ■ j ■was at nis father's request committed to the | Tndustila 1 Schcol yesterday. Iu reply t a ■question from the Bench, Sergeant-major "•Pardy stated that he did not think, the lad could avoid stealing. The hoy himself had stated that when he saw monoy ho could not resist taking it. The ! ad, it appeais, has for some time past levied on his father's till. Only a short *j' lll0 suice no pnri oi ued ten shillings, an \ absented bnnaelt for two or three d.vs His Worship remaiked that the boy avo away from all temptation inhere o-j was now going, and that peihaps he m'ght outgrow this dangerous mama. The work of dilapidation, of tho Mechanics' Institute has been going on with almost as great rapidity as the construction. Yesterday the material of the machinery annexe was sold, and produced £24, and to-daj, in all probability, the whole of tho business will be wound up. Tho thanks of tho Ladies' Committee are presented to the following friends of the institution, Home for Noglectt-d and D stitute ChildiL-n, Newton: To Mr. Ciowe, foi 25 loaves of bread ; to the teachers of All Saints'School, for tea, sugar, and cake; to Mra C'fa'k, for boys' boots ; to Mrs. Cooper, far clothing; to n friend, for pictures and magazines ; to J. S., for children's toys ; to Messrs. Watkina and Co., for a bale of flax. The Thoi\v><* Advertiser regrets to hear "theio isaj;ain great probability of a scarcity of coil at the Thamef, and the price has already advanced inconsequence." The Public Works and harvesting operations in rhp province of Utago aro drawing nna\ all the mint 1-9 who have not been getting much gold of Lite If the miners are not careful they will find the auriferous ground locked up by the agriculturists on their return. Several portions of the mining reserve on tho banks of Mol>7ieaux river have been already fenced and cultivated, and, for which in time to come miners will have to pay heavy compensation for the privilege of working. A project is on foot in the Blucskin district (so says the WaXkoxiaiti Herald) "to impoir a first-class draught entire from home, specinlly for the district, and with this view a company is being formed on tho joint-stock principle — the proposed capital required being £400, in 80 shares of £5 each. From what we can learn the project is regarded w ith great favour by the settlers interested, and a considerable proportion of the sum required has already been taken up in shares or promised." It ■will require, to be better managed than the Stock impoitnticn Co., in this province was if any good is oxpected from the new company. The French Customs authorities recently discovered that a new mode of smuggling has been adopted. The number af rocking hordes for Paris suddenly increased ; indeed, it appeared thnt a sort of mania hod taken possession of children's minds. Suspicion being ot leneth excited, one of the horses was opened. Packed inside was a large quantity of choice cicars and tobacco. The rocking horse, in fact, was n Trojan horse modernized. Mustard plasters should be mixed with tho white of an egg, and they will burn without blistering.

Tenders are invited for the erection of a budge m or Kohinui Creek, Parua Bay. Xotice is given that an application w ill be made on Friday, 13th February, for a ti in^ for of the publican's license for the Edinbi\rtrh Castle Hotel, Symonds-strcet, frouv. Andicw Pollock to John Clarke. A lecture is advertised to be delivered this evening, .it the Grafton Road Wesleyan Chapel, by the Rev. J. S. Forsaith, at halfpast seveu. Xotice is given that an application for a Jiccn&e undci the Timber Floating Act, 1873, has been made by Mr: Captain James Stour, for the use of the Kauwaeranga stream ; objections will be heard on the 25th instant, at tho Provincial Government offices, Grahamstown. Ivorae-strect Hall, Sunday services will be held on February 8th, morning and evening. Thomas Bcckham, IJsq., presided at the Police ('ourt, yesterday. The business was of an unimportant character. A report appeals m anothei column