LAWRENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 10

LAWRENCE.

(from our own "correspondent.)

_ Tuesday Evening. - A sad accident happened to a man named Charles Gillon whilejhe and Hugh Bruce were proceeding home on Saturday, and each' party driving his dray to Tuapeka Mouth. ' At about' 6 o'clock, and when near,Bruce's house,, gillon, - who was sitting on the side of his dray, .was thrown out, caused by one wheel going over a larg3 tussock. Dr Withers proceeded to Tuapeka Mouth, and reports ,Giilon~as. severely injured, and ordered him to be sent to the Hospital, at which place he, arrived last night ; and from Dr Stewart, the resident surgeon, I learn that the whole of Gillon's body 5 arms, ' and legs, are completely paralysed, caused by concussion of the spine, and he lies in a very precarious state. " " '" ' , On Sunday morning, at 3 o'clock, the inhabitants of this quiet town were aroused by the loud ringing of two fire bells. Your correspondent was soon on the spot, and a large outbuilding at the rear of the Key. Mr Cowie's residenc9 was on fire. It contained a lot of valuable articles that Mr Cowie was unable to utilise, and was occupied by him at present. The origin of the fire is ■ supposed- to be . hot ashes. Several members of t the Fire Brigade were early on the spot, but could do little or nothing, only having buckets of water to assist in quenching the flame 3. This will show our Borough Council the necessity, of extending the water mains up Whitehaven street. The loss by this fire will be over LIOO. ; The Waitahuna folks are to have an entertainment for the benefit of the building fund of tke Tuapeka Goldfields Hospital , The railwayauthorities have kindly put on a .special train for to-morrow evening. A large number of Lawrence people purpose going down to assist such a laudable object. ; • ■ , I nocice in tne Dunedin Hospital report that seven patients hailed from. Tuapeka, which is very small from such a large district, and more than counterbilances when I inform you that last month two patients admitted in our Hospital came from Dunedin. lam Inclined to believe we get double the number from Dunedin than find their way to the -Dunedin Hos-" pital from here.

"We aie to have a general clearing out of our postal and telegraph officials. I hear Mr W. Menzies, who has been Acting-Postmaster since Mr Alexander's illness, is to go to Dunedin, and James Crown, telegraphist, is to, proceed to Queenstown ;, and Mr Falck,. Postmaster, Queenstown, takes charge ef rLawrence, with a new staff. Now, Ido not like to inter-, fere with the Government, but scarcely think it is judicious to have all new hands in sucU an important place as Lawrence. ■ Our Borough Council have done , one good job since last I wrote. The. 2ft. of mud has been dug out of the road near the station, and large pieces of rock put ,in ' its place, , and blinded with tailings. It is high titre 1 the Government did something sound. the station to put thing* »in ship-shape. The weather is still grand, and diggers are enjoying a few hours' skating. •