The Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29. 1869. DESTRUCTIVE WHIRLWIND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 280, 29 November 1869, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29. 1869. DESTRUCTIVE WHIRLWIND.

A portion of the town of Nelson was yesterday morning about 11 o'clock, visited by a furious whirlwind, which created a serious amount of damage in its course. As far as we can learn it appears to have come down Toi Toi Valley, as the first place where we hear of its injurious effects was in Mr. Pollock's garden, the neatness of which was materially interfered with by this rude aud unexpected visit of the storm king. From thence to the corner of Bridge-street, where one of fhe large panes in Mr. Hounsell's shop front was blown in, we do not hear of any harm beiug done, but here it seems to have altered its course, and swept with irresistible force up the northern side of Bridge-street, toppling over Mr. West's powder magazine, taking a heavy corrugated iron roof off Mr. Laing's bakehouse, anf? blowing it over a fence some eight or nine feet in height into Mr. Wilkie's yard, whence an empty crate was whirled up in the air more than lo feet against a bedroom window in the ' Galatea Hotel. Some of the stabling at the Couch and Horses was unroofed, and a large poplar tree in Mr. Warren's yard was broken in two. But the greatest fury of tbe blast seems to have beem reserved for the premises of Messrs. Curtis Brothers, whose timber-yard, in less than three minutes, presented such a scene of wieck and dilapidation as it is difficult to imagine could have been created ia so short a space of time. A large timber-shed, which had only lately been erected, was the first to succumb to the force of the wind ; then a large store, whicb, by the way, wa3 very old and decayed, was blowa over, while stacks of timber were overthrown and boards sent flying in all directions, one of them penetrating the side of Mr. Gorrie* s blacksmith's sbed at a distance of some twenty yards. A sheet of corr ugated iron from some place unknowu was hurled against the roof of Mr. Gorrie's house, smashing in the shingles; his garden too suffered greatly, the trees being shattered and torn in all directions. The next place where we hear of any damage being done is iv Mr. Kingdon's garden in the wood, where two large willows were snapped off short as though they were so many pipestems. A few smaller trees were torn up in that locality, but there was no more injury of a serious nature, so far as we can learn. In Brook-street-valley a valuable cow, belonging to Mrs. Polglaze, was killed by the falling in of a shed. The John Perm, which Avas steering down the bay with all sail set was suddenly met and taken aback by this furious gust, but fortunately no damage was done. It is a fortunate thing that the course of the whirlwind was confined to so narrow a space, or, in addition to the pecuniary losses that it has occasioned, we might aiso have had to record serious bodily injuries, if not loss of life. i , , .

College Sports. — The sports at the College, particulars of which will be found in our-advertising columns, are to commence to-morrow afternoon. As will be seen, the prizes '-are not '; to be confined to the College boys,; but many of them are . thrown open; for competition to all comers. ; From what we are able to gathet there will be a large number of spectators on the ground. The sporta will coramehce at ; - , bi^fj^t:'twoi'''' : '- , -J''; ; '' : -ff : ffyy<y^ 'fffff

Mit; Q-Morge Cotterell's Entertainment. — We learn with much pleasure that, at the pressing request of " Lady Clara Trembleton," Mr. George Cotterell has consented to give another of his popular entertainments at the Oddfellows' Hali, on Friday, evening next. The Wangapeka. — Mr. Warden Broad was a passenger by the John Perm from Westport yesterday, and we understand that be will proceed to the Wangapeka on Wednesday next, with instructions to insist upon the survey being proceeded with at once. Intelligence of the reception he there meets with will be anxiously looked for in town; but for our own part we have no doubt that, finding that the General Government have acknowledged their error in interfering in the matter ofthe laud-sales, the miners will without hesitation permit tbe necessiry steps to be taken forthe proclaiming the Wangapeka district a goldfield. A Madman's Freak. — A young man named Gascoigne, who was staying at Wright's hotel on the Beach road, started from his bed in a fit of madness about two o'clock on Saturday morning, and rushed up towards town, when on arriving at M'Gee's Nelson Hotel, he made a dash through one of the windows into the bar, and after running up the passage came back again, and bounded through another window 'nto the street. The alarm was at once given and the police were soon on his track, which was easily followed by the blood which flowed from tbe serious wouuds inflicted upon him by the broken glasp. In a few miuutes time the unfortunate man was found lying in a fainting condition on a door step in Hardy-street, tbe most dangerous gashes he had received being upon the two wrists which were literally torn open, and from which he was bleeding profusely. The wounds were at once bandaged up, and he was conveyed to the hospital, where, we hear, he is progressing favorably. The Chakleston Manslaughter Case. — The prisoners who were committed for trial at Charleston for manslaughter arrived in Nelson by the John Perm yesterday, and will be brought up for trial on Thursday next. Mr, Conolly. we understand, has been retained for the defence. In connection with this case we quote the following paragraph from the Charleston Herald of the 27th instant: — "The departure of the prisoners O'Brien, M'Laughlan, and Sullivan yesterday morning for Nelson caused considerable excitement. About 200 people assembled in the neighborhood of the Melbourne Hotel, and for a few minutes the prisoners had a busy time of it, listening to expressions of good will and shaking hands with sympathising friends. Two coaches with splendid teams of four horses each were put on — one to carry the prisoners and the other to convey the witnesses."