WESTLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 9646, 11 February 1892, Page 2

WESTLAND.

Gbeymouth, Feb. 8,

Owing to the leakage of some of the boiler tubes in ?,tha Alexander dredge, work was suspended for a time, but has been resumed. Twenty hours’ work gave 25£oz of gold. Mr Otto Peterson has engaged the schooner Lily to trade regularly with timber from Qreymouth to Lyttelton. Fifteen hundred tons of coal were shipped one day last week. The Greymouth Washing and Dredging Company has ceased work, pending the arrival of Mr Simpson from London, the English Directors having engaged his services. Captain Parker, lately in charge, returns to the Old Country shortly. Miss M. B. Jack and Mr A. N. Harrop, of Hokitika, have passed the matriculation examination in connection with the New Zealand University ; also Mr Harry Young, of Westport. Dredging to deepen the harbour has commenced, the shingle raised being used for reclamation purposes and to fill up holes. The punts contain a dozen stout boxes. When the boxes are filled the punt is floated to a wharf, and a steam crane elevates each box, whiph is emptied into railway trucks and carried away. It was surmised that, as the shingle was lifted the scour of the river carrying fresh shingle to the sea would soon fill up the excavation, but this not the ease. -Some years have elapsed since the last dredging was done. Mr A. Jack, of Hokitika, has successfully passed his medical preliminary examination. Mr James Pitzgibbons, teacher of the Goldsborough district school, has been presented by his pupils with a watch and chain on the eve of his leaving the district. The railway line to Eeefton will be opened on Feb. 15, when a general holiday is expected. It is understood fares will be reduced one half on that day. The man Laurenson, who was injured by the collision between the Mawhera and one of the Westport wharves, has had a bad time. A week will yet elapse before it is known if one of bis legs must be amputated. The Hon J. Ballance and another Minister, probably the Hon. J. G. Ward, will visit us shortly. Neither of these gentlemen has yet visited the West Coast. An accident of a most extraordinary nature happened at the Kumara diggings last week. Blasting was being conducted in a neighbouring claim to Corrigan and party’s, when some stones rose a considerable distance in the air. In descending a sharp fragment struck Harry Stubbs on the arm, severing some of the_ sinews and inflicting a deep cut of a serious nature. Stubbs was taken to the hospital and attended to by Dr Myles. A disastrous fire occurred at No Town last week, when the principal hotels and stores were destroyed. The fire commenced in a shoemaker’s shop. Mr M'Carthy’a hotel adjoining soon caught, and the next followed. Mr McCarthy was insured for some .£3OO till a short time ago, when the policy lapsed. There was no other insurance on the township.