The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1867. THE NELSON WATERWORKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 111, 14 May 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1867. THE NELSON WATERWORKS.

The breaking of the ground yesterday, preparatory to the commencement of the Waterworks in Brook-street Valley, suggests the probability that some description, of the reservoir, &c, which it is intended to construct there, may be acceptable to our readers. The site selected for the proposed reservoir is a terrace, about a mile and a half from the Duu Mountain Company's stables, at the head of the Brook-street Valley, to which a road will be made, 50 feet wide, with a formed portion of 20 feet, metalled where required, aud w r ith very easy gradients. The road, which will nofc only constitute a suitable approach for carts and drays employed on the works, bufc will also form a very pleasant accession to our limited choice of carriage drives in the vicinity of the city, will lead only as far as the reservoir. A good foottrack will be made thence to the dam, where the stream will meet with its first obstruction, and which lies at a distance of 1500 feet higher np the valley, though in the actual level it will be ouly 30 feet above the reservoir. We may observe that the use of this dam is merely to collect a small head of water (being only five feet in depth), in order to insure a constant supply to the reservoir, and also to break the fall of water, and the accompanying debris, which would otherwise choke up the supplypipes of the reservoir. The size of the reservoir, when finished, will be 180 feet long, by 70 feet wide, being of an oval shape, aud of a depth varying from 12 to 13 feet. It will be lined ail round with a stone wall, 18 inches wide at the top aud 2 feet 6 inches wide at the bottom, with a very substantial footing projecting inwards, and finished and coped at the top. The stone of which the reservoir will be built, will be procured from Mr. Jenkins's quarry close at hand — that gentleman having given the Government permission to remove it for • this purpose, — iu fact at a distance of only 700 feet from the site of the reservoir] The clay, too, or puddle, as it is technically termed, which will be laid between the back of the wall aud the face of the excavation, at least 12 inches thick, from top to bottom, is procurable at a distance of only 1500 feet, aud is of excellent quality. The facility with which these two very considerable items in the cost of construction may be procured, will satisfactorily account for the small amount of the contract accepted by the Government, which, as we have already stated, was £144:9. The bottom of the reservoir will be formed thus : first, a layer of puddled clay, 9 inches thick, and on tins will be 3 inches depth of fine gravel and coarse sand, upon which will lie a course of stone pitching, not less than 9 inches in depth, well bedded and cemented. Two octagonal wells will be formed in the bottom for the inlet aud outlet pipes, each four feet wide aud 18 iuches deep, the bottom of the reservoir at the inlet well being six iuches below that part next the outlet well, the edges of the bottom next the wall being six inches higher all round than these two poiuts. From tho inlet well a set of maiu 7-inch pipes will 'be laid to the edge of the road — a distance of about 80 feet ; whilst a similar main — about. l22 feet long — will be laid from the outlet well. There will also be a waste '.weir or overflow constructed in a similar manner to the reservoir, the lower end oi which wiii form the commencement of a culvert running underneath the road, and thus carrying off the waste water. The reservoir will contain 7035 gallons — an amount" of water which, it has been

computed, would supply ihe city, for all necessary purposes, for a period oi' three weeks. Tliis contingency could, however, ouly occur iu the case of the river overflowing and becoming muddy for three consecutive days, which has never yet occurred, and may, in fact, be regarded as au impossibility, since the fall is exceedingly rapid, and passes over a slate formation, so that the water speedily resum-.-s its usual clearness and purity after a rainfall. Ivloreover, the provision for emptying the reservoir, when needful, is extremely compact aud ingenious ; and in time of flood a large heavy scouring or discharge pipe may be used, in order to clear the reservoir of any sediment. The pipes connecting the reservoir with the city will follow one side of the metalled road, and will be laid at a depth of two feet six inches below the surface soil. Tbe reservoir will be situated about 290 feet above the level of high tide at Saltwater Bridge, so that the entire amount of pressure obtainable from the dam would be about 325 feet. This is, how r ever, a pressure which, it is obvious, could never be required for the purposes of an ordinary water supply, but which would prove of the highest possible service in the carrying out of small local industries and for general manufacturing purposes, to which, indeed, we may not unreasonably expect to see it applied at no distant date, as well, of course, as to the wateriDg of the public streets during the summer season, aud to general gardening purposes. The contractor is bound to complete the work within eight months from the acceptance of the tender, or to pay £10 for every week in excess of that term. Our notice of this important undertaking would be wholly imperfect, did we not bear testimony to the great professional skill displayed in the drawing up of the plans aud specifications for the various portions of the work by Mr. Blackett, the Provincial Engineer, on whose ability and judgment they reflect the highest credit. We have thus endeavored, as far as lay in our power, to explain to our readers the nature of this great public work, of which we have heard so much in prospetlo for ;the last few years, and which, it may confidently be predicted, will prove a source of incalculable benefit to the inhabitants of this city, individually as well as collectively.

His Honor Mr. Justice Johnston has fixsd the sth July for the next sitting in Bankruptcy, after the 23rd instant, which will be held under the new resident Judge, Mr. Justice Richmond. Should this arrangement prove inconvenient, due notice will be given by the Registrar. In the Supreme Court sittings this morning, before Mr. Justice Johnston, in bankruptcy, the following cases were heard : — Morris Levy, Archibald Henry, J. W. T. Lechner, Daniel Bradshaw, William Fitzgerald, A. Dupuis, J. C. M. Karsten, W. Henderson, W. Weedon, and in all these there was .ao opposition offered bytbe creditors. In the case of Conrad C. S. Saxton, the bankrupt was examined at some length by Mr. Pitt, for the opposing creditors, with reference to his expenditure, and having with him no books of accounts since an assignment made by him in Otago,. the further hearing was postponed until these documents could be supplied. In the case of W. R. Cator, Mr. Pitt appeared for several creditors, aud haying examined the bankrupt at some length, the case was ordered to staud over until the 23rd inst. A fresh petition was presented by Mr. Keou, on behalf of Joshua Sigley. Mr. Pollock was appointed sequestrator, and the further hearing was adjourned until! the 23rd inst. Iu the case of Stephen Owens, the Inspector in Bankruptcy was, on the recommendation of creditors, appointed trustee,

but the heariug of the case could not be proceeded with, because sufficient notice of the hearing had not been given to the creditors. An outrage of very aggravated ,character was committed at an early hour this morning, upon a man named Schmidt, a /Prussian, who came upon Friday night, by the Nelson, from the West Coast, and who is a principal witness in a burglary case, which is on the cause list at the approaching assizes, It seems that Schmidt, for economy's sake, had pitched his tent on the beach below the Government Wharf, where he had been living since is arrival. He had retired to rest at an early hour l.tstu ight, but about two o'clock this rnoruiug, he was aroused from his slumbers by finding his tent in flames. He managed to make his way out, though his hands were much burnt, and in so doing, saw two men standing on the outside of the tent, oue of whom aimed a violent blow at his head with a piece of wood, and inflicted a wound, quite two iuches long, above his left eye. The miscreants immediately fled, but a person named Wilcox, who had just landed from Motueka, saw the two men running away from the tent. Schmidt is now under medical treatment at the Hospital, and as yet the police have obtained no clue by which these miscreants maybe identified and brought to justice. As we understand that pressing overtures were made . to Schmidt to induce him not to appear in this case, and as several suspicious characters came up iu tbe ISTelson on her last trip, it seems very probable that this daring act was performed by an accomplice of the prisoner for trial. His Houor Mr. Justice Richmond arrived at Hokitika on Saturday last from Christchurch. The acceptance by Mr. John Sharp of the office of Provincial Treasurer, witb a seat in the Executive, may justly be regarded as a fair subject of congratulation the appointment being, unquestionably, calculated to confer additional strength and stability upon the present Provincial Government. A rumor has reached us that it is in contemplation to paint the obelisk which is how in process of erection in the public cemetery, to the memory of the five victims of the Maungatapu tragedy. We lose no time in protesting against such an act of Vandalism. We will spare our readers the hacknied quotation about "gilding refined gold," but we have no doubt that the hint will be intelligible, and would earnestly urge upon the committee the expediency of reconsideriug this determination. It is certain that in a very few years' time the paint will peel off, and the monument will thus be rendered most unsightly. We would suggest the application, in lieu of paint, of Ransome's silicate, which would have the combiaed advantages of hardening the stoue, as well as rendering it impervious to wet or to any other external injury, and also of preventing the discoloration incidental to the Sydney sandstone, of which the monument is composed. The expense, too, would be, we believe, even less than the cost of painting, and would certainly be attended with far more satisfactory results, whether we regard it as a matter of taste or of simple economy. From a notice -which was posted at the Telegraph Office this afternoon, we learn that all communication is suspended with the various stations, with the exception of Havelock. The Hokitika Evening Star of the 10th inst. says : — The news which we have received from Woodstock is most satisfactory. We understand that several claims have been bottomed oh gold, and that the diggings are extending in every direction all round the prospectors. This is indeed good news for Hokitika. We learn from

the Buller that the rush there has proved a failure. We hear that a new field, which promises to be extensive, has been discovered at our very doors, aud we may consequently opine that that new era of prosperity, which we have all been anxiousty expecting, has arrived at last, and that we shall reap benefit from it in due season. For the last two or three days, says the Hakitiha Evening Star of the 10th inst., in consequence of the height to which the tide has risen, the sea has made still further encroachments on the North Spit. We cannot say that the weather has been very rough, but it has been more boisterous than for some time past, and the sea being lashed into foam by the wind, has made several incursions over the inhabited portion of the spit, and made inroads into the bank, giving timely warning to some of the residents to shift their quarters. The concert given on the Ist inst. at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, under the patronag*e of the Governor and Lady Manners Sutton, and a whole host of other notabilities, for the benefit of Mr: Armand Beaumont, who, as our readers will remember, has recently been deprived of sight by an accident, was a great success. All the members of the Lyster Opera Company, (who seem to be not yet disbanded, as they announce a short season of 24 nights, at the Princess Theatre), and of the local musical societies, took part in the concert. The settlements of Prince of Wales Island, Malacca, and Singapore are erected into one government, to be called the Straits Settlements. In 1821 the average consumption of tobacco in England was twelve ounces per mouth, supposing every adult male to be a smoker. In 1851, the consumption was seventeen ounces per male mouth; aud it is now a great deal more. Tobacco has been said to have the largest consumption of all the vegetable production in the world : for, while other staples, even wheat } are more or less limited by class or climate, tobacco is nsed all the world over, and is produced in every quarter of the globe. — Once-a- Week. An astounding letter has been received by the French Minister of public instruction from M. Lejean, who has beeu sent by the French Government on a journey of scientific exploration to India and the Persian Gulf, and who dates from Abushehr (Bendersbehr), a seaport on the east coast of the Persian Gulf. The discoveries he reports to have made are of so extraordinary a nature that we scarcely like to repeat them without further confirmation. They extend from the oldest times to the Alexaudrine period, and from the Arians to Buddhism. He speaks of having discovered ante-Sanscrit idioms (langues paleo-arriennes) "stilt spoken between Kashmir and Afghanistan;"- by themountain tribes," and he undertakes to prove " that these languages have a more direct connection "with the European languages than Sanscrit." In the Persian Gulf he has followed "step by step" the voyage of Mearchus, the commander of Alexander the Great's fleet, who (iv 325) . : sailed in about five months from the mouth of the Indus to the Persian,, Gulf, and fragments of whose voyage are in Arrian, Near Abushehr M. Lejeau has discovered, according to his report, two ruined cities of the Persepolitan period — viz, Mesambria (now Euhil) and the Hierametis of Nearchus (Gheramita). —Pall Mall Gazette. It is r.ecorded in the Viceregal annals of Ireland that one day at a Castle dinner, after the beautiful Duchess of Rutland had dipped her lingers in a water-glass, General St Leger catrght it up and drank off its contents. ''If you want another draught," calmly remarked the Duke, "the Duchess dips Jfer feet In hot water every night before going to bed." .

The Commissioners of Inland Revenue, in a report lately, issued, express some surprise at . the great increase which has taken place in the consumption of spirits in Ireland ~as compared with the quantities consumed in England and Scotland. The proportionate increase in England is 5*44 per cent.; in Scotland, 3*44 per cent.; and in Ireland, 8 - 6S per cent. The export of spirits from Eugland has suddenly been diminished by nearly 2,000,000 of gallons. The distillers attribute the fact to the very low prices of Prussian spirits made from potatoes and roots, and which, sny the commissioners, " though extremely coarse, and in every respect inferior to the productions of this country, are taken in large quantities for fortifying wines, and for mixing with such spirits and liqueurs as have sufficient flavor to disguise the unpleasant taste of the adulterating material. They are much used iv this country lor fortifying wines in bond." The commissioners come to the couclusion that, in England there are consumed, two bushels of malt per head, aud about half a gallon of spirits ; in Scotland, 7-10ths of a bushel of malt per head, and more than a gallon and a half of spirits ; and in Ireland, 4-10ths of a bushel of malt, and 8-10ths of a gallon of spirits. An Eton Master. — Keate ! s predecessors had held the reins very slack. He pulled them up sharp. The boys kicked, ' and there was a trial of strength. Various rough practical jokes Avere played on the new master. He was very short, very square, and encumbered with an immense doctorial gown. One day they screwed up the door of his desk. He comes into the school swaggeriug, finds it fast — a vigorous shake in vain. In an instant he appreciates the situation, lays his hand ou the top of the door, aud iv despite of the gown, vaults into his place like a boy. (Cheers from the public — a growl from the monarch in his den.) Another time a mastiff was shut up in his desk. In he bustled, and the dog instantly flew at him; 1 ut the roar of the reverend gentleman was fiercer than the brute's ; one kick sent him flying among the ranks of his friends, and the ksson went on. He multiplied absences, and resistance increased. I was standiug by him while he was calling the roll, when a stone as big as his fist hit the peak of his cocked bat. His sharp eye scanned the crowd intently for five seconds, failed to detect the offender, and without a word he went on with the names. He was not one to b^rk without biting. But things soon came to a crisis. He had imposed an additional absence ou one division as a punishment. A consultation was held, and a resolution formed that no one should attend. He came, and found himself aloDe. He had just got up from a dinner party- -at his own house. He collected his assistants, and stayed until the whole division were brought into his presence. Then and there he flogged the whole ox" them severely — above four score — aud returned to his guests in his wife's drawing-room as placid and agreeable as usual. There was no further opposition to his authority. — Sixty Years Since" in Chambers* Journal. ','■ William Lanney (the "last Tasmanian"), who is going to Eugland, hopes to have the honor of an audieuce with Her Majesty Queen Victoria. This is his great ambition. But he is very proud of the notice taken by the Governor and Mrs. G. Browne of himself and his four countrywomen at the birthday levee and ball. He has been well satisfied with life at Oyster Cove, where plenty of rations were supplied to him, and boating and various . outdoor occupations- were found for him. He writes a air hand, can read well, and rmiy be. said to be intelligent. He is but 29 years old. We have no doubt "King William 1 " will be well received in England. — Jlobart Town Mercury.

Hollo-way's Ointment and Pills. — These highly esteemed medicaments cannot be too strongly recommended for curing most of the maladies to which humanity is heir- They are as suitable for the child first entering on the journey of life as for the aged and infirm. The Ointment is a specific for the cuts, bruises, abrasions, and eruptions, often witnessed in the nursery, and it is no less efficient in healing soundly and permanently the chronic ulcers and bad legs which so often heap misery on advanced years. By an early attention to the instructions wrapped round each packet of Ointment and Pills, any moderately intelligent person may abridge or avert the discomfort and misery of chronic ill-health. 2880