THE DOWLING STREET ACCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7569, 21 May 1886, Page 3

THE DOWLING STREET ACCIDENT.

TO THE EDITOJI.

Slit,—ln your issue of this morning a worthy councillor writes : —" My indignation knew no bounds when I saw in last night's paper that Mr William Barnes had again been placed in charge of the Dowling street works." Had he inquired of his Worship the Mayor, Mr Mirams, or any of the other gentlemen who were about the works during the day, he would have ascertained the true state of the case. After the gad accident on Monday night the Mayor himself took charge and gave me the instructions to stop the works on Tuesday. He also gave instructions to resume work on Wednesday morning, and he was there before the men began, and gave positive orders that nothing was to be shifted or removed near where the blast had taken place. He was there a great part of yesterday and also this morning. Mr William Barnes has only been in the cutting once since the accident, and that was when the official investigation took place by experts brought there for that purpose. Whilst the humblest members of this community as well as those in higher positions must deeply deplore the sad accident of Monday last, yet it is also our duty to withhold any statements which are not according to fact—(especially as the investigation has not been finished)—which may have a tendency unduly to prejudice the public mind against any of those connected with this sad accident.—l am, etc.,

James Lowe, Timekeeper, Dowling Street Works, Dunedin, May 20.

—A whole company of Chinese soldiers recently had their ears lopped off for stealing. —Some years ago the omission of a comma in a letter in the London Times gave a horrible meaning to a sentence. The letter is on the American war, arid the writer says : " The loss of life will hardly fall short of a quarter of a million ; and how many more were better with the dead than doomed to crawl on the mutilated victims of this great national crime." It should have been, " than doomed to crawl on, the mutilated victims of this great national crime."

—Seven German generals will complete their fiftieth year of active service during 1886.

• —At Bombay a new danger has arisen, several -well authenticated cases of death from oysterpoisoning have occurred in that city, where, until recently, oysters were as harmless as those of any other loeniity. In some cases death followed on the morning after the fatal repr-st. Investigations into the nature of the poison absorbed by oysters have been instituted.