The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1868.

North Otago Times, Volume IX, Issue 283, 7 February 1868, Page 2

The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1868.

The recent disastrous gale which passed over O.imaru with such awful results on Monday last, appears to have been a cyclone of which the town was about the centre, the wind first blowing violently from the S.E., and on the next morning with almost equal force from the exact opposite quartei". It is somewhat strange that the barometer scarcely gave any marked indication, at least on board the vessels in the roadstead, of the approach of the tempest, the barometer of the Star of Tasmania standing at noon, when the g le was upon us in its full force, at 29-80. Though it was evident from the first that there was little hope of the vessels riding out, still there ought not to have been risk of life had the port been furnished with proper lifesaving apparatus. • It is easy to see these things after they have happened, but although there is proverbially little use in locking the stable door after the horse is stolen, if there be anything else in the stable to lose it is worth while to take every precaution suggested by the warning. Althoixgh the lives lost on Monday evening can never be restored, the furnishing of this port, by the Government, with proper appliances may prevent the future recurrence of so disastrous results. Rocket apparatus ought to be at once placed at Capt. Sewell's disposal, and had Ave had them here before, although probably we should still have had to chronicle the loss of valuable vessels, it would not have been our painful duty to record a loss of life in connection with the wrecks. The Star lay only some thirty or forty yax'ds from the

shore, and it would Lave "been tlie easiest thing in the world to send a line to her had the proper apparatus been at hand. The awful gale of Monday also -brought pro- - minently -forward the immediate necessity of some provision being made for launching the lifeboat. Were a vessel capsized in the bay to-morrow, there are literally no means of sending help to the crew, who might go down in sight of hundreds anxious to save them, but utterly powerless to do so. It is utterly impossible to launch the lifeboat through such a surf as thundered in on Monday, and keeping it on the beach without such appliances is simply a bitter mockery. We trust that the Government will, although they cannot make the amende for their former dereliction in these matters, immediately take steps to furnish the poi-t with efficient lifesaving apparatus, and proper means of launching the lifeboat. The floods ought to have taught an important lesson to persons holding properties on the banks of creeks or rivers not to venture, on account of their apparent insignificance, to place their dwellinghouses or other buildings too near the level of the stream. Such is the character of New Zealand streams that a little creek which at one time would scarcely float a toy ship, may in a few hours, as has recently been too painfully demonstrated, become a mighty, rushing river, rolling on with a volume and violence utterly resistless, and carrying everything before it to destruction. It is to be hoped, too, that when the bridge over the Oamaru Creek, swept away by the late flood, is re-erected, it will not only be better built than the last appears to have been, but will also be of greater height and span, and thrown across at right angles to the stream instead of, as was the case with the last bridge, at such an angle as to bring the whole force of the water upon one of its supports. It is evident, too, that unless Itchen-street embankment be protected either with a stone wall for some feet above the ordinary level of the creek, or by a casing of timber, or a fresh channel be cut for the creek, the whole embankment must, sooner or later, be washed away, the late flood having extensively undermined it. We believe that the wisest and the cheapest course would be to cut a new channel from the Severn-street Bridge, skirting the side of the Pound and the northern side of Mr Bicknell's property, of sufficient depth and width to carry a volume of water ten times greater than that usually flowing in the creek. The destruction of the Jetty, too, proves most thoroughly the justice of the opinion which we have always entertained, that the Government have " placed the cart before the horse" in not first building a sea-wall, but constructing a jetty, leaving it exposed to the whole force of the sea without any protection whatever. The sea-wall should have been the first thing, and the jetty would have then had some chance. It is now too late to cry over spilled milk, but the terrible events of the last few days are a warning wliich should not be disregarded. There may, perhaps, be even yet a possibility of reconstructing the jetty, which, as all the material is to hand, some persons are quite confident ovn h& rionp •vu^txi i is no question but that its present condition is mainly owing to the floor having been placed at too low a level. It is just possible that for some four or five thousand pounds the damage can be repaired, and the jetty placed in a position far more likely to stand than it ever has been. Such a storm as we have just had to chronicle has never occurred upon this coast before, and may probably not occur again for twenty years ; and, except under veiy extraordinary circumstances, we believe that a jetty of some three or four feet greater height would be perfectly secure, if protected by a sea-wall. If chis can be done, it is worth while to attempt it ; and no time should be lost in obtaining the opinion of a qualified engineer upon the matter.

We ara glad to leara from the Captain of the Midlothian, which an ived to-day, that the schooner Dunedin is lying safely at Port Chalmers ; she has, however, had her decks swept. We are also glad to learn that the quantity of wool lost fiom the wool-scouring establishments at the Kakanui (Messrs Lees & Crowther's and Mr Fanar's) has been greatly over-estimated. The mistake arose by putting 1000 bales instead of L1000 worth. The quantity in the two establishments at the time of the flood was between 60 and 70 bales. News is to hand of extensive floods at the Taiei i, Waihola, Green Island, the Dunstan, and at Waikouaiti. The Taieri Plain is reported as beiDg like a sea, many miles wide. Jn many paits only the roofs of the houses can be soen above water. Even the Upper Taieri Plain is under water, and thousands of sheep have been drowned ; and the damage to the crop must be immense. The loss of life is not yet known, but it is fe<ucd that it will be very great. Yesterday afternoon news reached us that the s.s. William Mibkin is a total wreck at Timaru. The Red Rovci, our infoun.ml states, sailed on Sunday ; we have no news of the Timaru. We also learn that the Timuka Mill has been washed away, and that nearly nil the budges on the North Road have been destroyed. We do not of couise vouch for the matter during the suspension of telegmphic communication, but have every leason to believe that the information is coriect. Wo are requested to intimate that the funeral of the unfortunate persons drowned at Totara will start from M'Aulay's house, this day, at twelve noon. Seven of the bodies had beon recovered on Wednesday. The funeral of the bailors and children drowned at the wreck of the Star of Tasmania, took place yesterday afternoon, during a tremendous thunderstorm. There wero but few peiaons present, owing to the short notice and the terrible state of the weather. The graves wero so full of water that they had to be baled out before the corpses could be lowered to their last resting place. We are requested to intimate that the Rev Charles Connor will preach at Sebastopol Hut, Totara, on Sabbath first, at half-past 2 o'clock ; also, in the morning and evening, in St. Paul's, when he will refer to the solemn events of the week. Those not connected with any other place of worship are affectionately invited. A fearful thunderstorm broke over Oamaru yesterday afternoon, and the rain fell in torrents. The damage done to the crops by this unfortunate continuance of unseasonable weather must be incalculable. The meeting of members of the Acclimatisation Society and others interested in its objects, called for yesterday afternoon at the Star and Garter Hotel, was adjourned until that day week (next Thursday), in conBequence of the limited attendance. We take the following from telegrams in the " Daily Times:" — Bishop Selwyn writes to Bishop Abrahams, of Wellington, that he has been sent for by the Queen ; and, at her urgent request, he has re-cousidercd her offer, and has accepted the see of Lichfield. The Bishop of Chustchurch, as senior, is to be the Metropolitan Bishop. .Bishop Selwyii temporal ily returns to attend the next Synod. Capt. Ketr, of the Esmeialda, lias been repi lnianded for being guilty of neglect of datj. The Town iJoaid has voted L5U0 towaids the D\v e'j reception. The Reception Committee aio a.lfiu c<!.uv<tssiug the town for subscription

On Friday last the Rev. O. Connor •xamined the children attending Mrs Trotter's school at Papakaio, in the Bchoolroom theie. Af ter a pntyer had been offered up by Mr Connor, the children, of whom unfortunately the number wns smn.ll, were questioned in Bible history, geography, arithmetic, spelling, &c, and also read and sung, showing' a considerable amount of proficiency in all the brunches, and doing great credit to the teaching of MrsTrottei'. Mr Connor expressed himself as very greatly pleased, and passed a well-deserved eulogium on Mrs Trotter's capacity as a teacher. After closing with prayer the school was formally broken up for the holidays, and the children were informed that it would reopen ou Monday, March 2nd, It is to be hoped that more of the pai ents in the district than have nitherto dono so will avail themselves of this school and that the attendance of scholars will bo much larger in future. The Rev. Mr Gifford who kindly promised to be present also at the examination, was unavoidably provented from attending. The "Daily Times" of the 3rd instant says :—"Yesterday morning, the down-coach from Queenstown was veiy nigh being carried away by the flood in the Shotover river. It appears that when Mr Lloyd — Messrs Cobb and Co. 'a driver— anivud at the usual crossingplace, and was ia the act of crossing with the coach at the self-same spot at which he had ci ossed the river the previous eveuiug, although tho water was not deeper than at that time, the coach became suddenly deeply immersed, while tho horses were almost afloat, and it was by the meiest chance that the coach and horses were not earned away. The swift current running during the night had washed out a deep channel ; and had not Mr Lloyd acted with great judgment and coolness, a serious casualty would have doubtless been tho consequence. Mr Cronquist, the phrenologist, was the only passenger inside the coach ; who, besides getting a good ducking, has had the whole of his baggage and v.ilu.ible phrenological apparatus completely spoiled. The necesbity for a bridge acioss this dangerous river is becoming moie and more apparent, but as everybody says., and which I believe to be tru«, the Government will not do anything to mend matteis, until necessitated to do so by a saciUice of human life." We find the following passage in the letter of the Melbourne coneapoudentof the " Daily Times" : — "The news of the Ions of the General Grant, and of the rescue of the survivors of that calamity, together with the nariahve of their sojourn upon the island, has, as may well bo supposed, been rend with intense interest hei e. To tho^e amongst us who now know the worst with regal d to the fate of those friends who took their dejiai tui e for England by that unfoitunate vessel, such knowledge is a melancholy satisfaction ; while that smallei number to whom auy of the survivors were united by the ties of friendship or lelationship have been as much surpiised as astonished, as if they had hcaid of their resurrection from tho dead. I learned yeateiday, as a fact, that the will of ono of tho survivors was duty pioved and probably granted, only a day or two before the staitliug news that he «as alive and well reached our shores. Tho Dunstan correspondent of the " Daily Times," dating from Clyde, January 31st, says :—" On Friday last, about half -past si\ o'clock p.m., one of the severest shocks of an earthquake ever experienced in the district was felt. Many persons were very much frightened ; one proprietor of a haidwaro establishment, hearing his wares kicking up such a rattling sound, fled with trepidation into the street ; and many otheis wore almost equally alarmed. For many miles distant from Clyde the bhook was felt, and 1 am informed by a miner resident at the base of the Carrick Ranges, that the residents in the gullies there felt it particularly severe ; in fact, so much so, that they thought the shock would be followed by some other disastrous phenomena."