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Grey River Argus, Issue 92, 14 August 1866, Page 2

A rumor wrs circulated at: Hokitika on.. Sunday, and found its wr,s, into the papers, yesterday, to tlio effect that Mr Alcorn of this town had been drowned, whilst crossing the Teremakau River. We are glad to say • that Mr Alcorn has escaped the fate assigned to him, by those who originated the rumor. The report appears to have arisen from the circumstance that Mr Alcorn, in company wither gentleman, crossed the river on Saturday, when it was considered too dan- . gertms by many persons who declined the attempt. - Owing to the compulsory detention of Mr Warden Revcil at the Supreme Court, Hokitika, no important business -has been transacted at the Court for. several days. No Magistrate is now at Cobden, Mr Kymiersley not having yet returned from Wellington. P. Johnson, Esq., J.P., disposed of a few police .cases, yesterday. ■ , We are glad to notice that the HarborMaster has caused signal lights to be placed, on the flagstaff and beacon from sunset .to , sunrise. Steamers-in the offing will now be able to cross the bar in safety at any time of night, when a favorable opportunity for doing so presents itself. We observe, abo, that the old dilapidated beacon Has been carried away, and that a new and improved one has been constructed, and will be erected to-day or to-morrow. We have been requested by James M'Fee, the man wBo was mentioned in our last as -having narrowly escaped drowning whilst tracking a boat up the river, to correct some inaccuracies in our report. He assures us, as also do his mates, that none of them were in the slightest degree in liquor, either at the time of the occurrence or when they left Greymouth. We are also informed that M'Fee did not fall into the water, as stated, but on the beach 'several feet from the water's edge ; and that it was a sudden rush of blood to the head which produced the fit which caused him to fall. His mates say that not two minutes elapsed from the time of his falling to his being placed in the boat for conveyance to town for medical assistance. The accident took place, as we are now informed, tliree aud a half miles up. the river, and not seven, as previously stated. We are sorry to notice a statement in the West Coast Times, to the effect, that the Hokitika Chronicle has ceased to exisfc— from what cause is not stated. The Chronicle has only had a brief existence ; but its career has been a creditable one, and Ayorthy a better fate. )<\The"appointnieiit of Surgeon to the Greymonth Hospital haa been offered to and accepted'by MrYates, Resident Surgeon" at the Dunedin Hospital. DrFoppoly, who has for some time past most satisfactorily discharged the .duties of medical attendant to .the Hospital, is on the eve of departure for Italy. Mr Yates is expected ; to arrive during the course of next week. 3^ We aregladio learn ofl excellent authority' that ..the negotiations entered into by the Nelson Government with Australian capitalists for the construction of a linVof railway from Nelson to the Grey are progressing favorably, and that only a question of minor importance remains to bo settled in order to bring the matter to a satisfactory issue. We understand that a number of Victorian capitalists, \v including Mr Hugh Glass,- have expressed their willingness, to construct the' railway on the conditions offered, by the Nelson Government, viz.-, a

grant of a certain quantity of land' for each mile of line constructed. TJbe only difficulty in the -way at present is this— the Government wishes to have the land granted to theconfcractors to be selected -by the Government Surveyor, whilst the parties in Victoria desire to have the land chosen by their own officer. This difference is^heweyer, so small compared with the enormous advantages which the proposed line would confer on the province, that it ought not to be allowed to interfere with the acceptance of the offers made by those willing to fiud-the, capital for so large on*" undertaking. .We believe that this opinion is shared by-a^majority of the Provincial Council, who are naturally anxious to see such an important work as the proposed railway carried out. ".. ■■■■'»].'. On Sunday evening, a boat, containing about a dozen passengers, including a woman •and two or three" young children, started from opposite Albert. street J;6 cross over to Flagstaff Point. From the Heary fresh then running a great ''many people congregated on the bank to witness this " somewhat dangerous exploit. The two rowers, however, pulled' very pluckily, and fortunately succeeded in reaching their destination without .mishap' |nt a good deal' lower, than the usual landing place. An experiment of this nature ought not tobe repeated, as the non-occur-rence of any accident on the occasion referred to must be regarded as quite exceptional, "considering all the circumstance. Yesterday the river was all but forsaken by the waterman, only two «r three boats venturing to cross. - _.'..-' V At "the last meeting of the Hospital Committee, it was decided to kave a number of small boxes for the purpose of receiving subscriptions and donations up the country. It is intended to place these boxes in the care, of the principal storekeepers on the diggings, aud it is expected a considerable sum will thus be raised. The Committee's collector, Mr Robertson, proceeded up the river on Thursday, and it is to be hoped the miners will liberally contribute to the funds of the Institution. ; I "We hear that one or two parties of prospectors arebeing organised to test the terrace' immediately -behind the . upper end; of the Maori Township. We are informed that favorable indications of the probability of gold being discovered have been noticed in. various places on the hill in question. ' • Owing to. the 'contiftued detention of Mr Revell at. Hokitika, ... all the civil cases down for hearing to-day are to be adjourned until Thursday. • It is announced that the portion of the Cook's Straits telegraphic cable, lost -the other .day during the operation of laying, has been recovered, and that another attempt to connect the two islands is "to be made immediately. The volunteer expedition simder5 imder Major M'Dounellhas been ''successful in capturing a Maori pah in the Patea country. "The enemy lost ten men, and on the side of the attacking force one man was killed and another wounded. About a fortnight ago, a Mr Daniel Lebe r witzbjya storekeeper in the Okarita narrowly escaped drowning. A correspondentwriting to the .Okarita paper.says*::'.-. "He was coming from Giilespie's, and whilst trying to cross the river south of Sahdfly Beach, narrowly escaped with his life. The river was high, and Mr Lebewitzky cooeyed for two hours to make the people Bear him on the opposite side, but, as there appeared no signs of their coming, he went into the water, buh when half-way, across, the Xcurrent got him down, and lie was driving towards the sea, when accidentally he landed on a bank about ten feet square, and got entangled among scrub 'and' timber. On this spot he kept himself instinctively above water,- till he recovered his senses, and from there he cried out for help, till at last the diggers at the Sandfly heard him, and came to release him,, which they ultimately did by joint and most heroic action. Mr Lebewitzky says it was by "mere chance that he did" not get drowned or starved, and he praises very, highly the behaviour of the diggers at Sandfly Beach." '■; .-.'.•', i. . We notice by a paragraph in the West' Coast Times that the defendants in the recent action "Alcorn and Co! V; Lange andThone^ man," had obtained a_rule nisi for-; a new trial. Our contemporary, however, adds that "the defendants do not intend to further contest" the verdict of the jury against them:" -...= „ ■ .-'■:..;■■ .-"..■Vvi-'-_ Early on Sunday morning a heavy thunder storm burst over this district, accompanied by very vivid lightning.. rain fell in torrents, mixed with hail of great size, some ! of the hail-stones being as large as a pigeon's' egg. When daylight appeared, the swollen state of the .river -showed that the copious fall of rain experienced in Greymouth had been general up the country. During the greater part of Saturday and Sunday the rain continued to pour down, as usual, conyertinn some portions of the streets 'into canals, i Yesterday" the river reached 1 a ",/yety ihigh level, almost equal in height to the lasf'flood"; fortunately, however, thfe water kept within bounds, in which it was much assisted by the recently constructed embankment, the utility of which was satisfactorily established The heavy fresh has .had a most beneficial effect on the bar, it having bpened'up the south channel, and much improved the northern one. We may reasonably expect -that there will now be as good a channel,' with as much depth bf water; as at any previous time. We haVe, not heard of any accidents or damage up the river.