WETHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2371, 10 August 1899, Page 29

WETHERSTONES.

August 7. — A fatal accident happened to a man named Michael Hickey, at the Golden Key, Mitchell's Flat, on Thursday last. It is supposed that deceased was clearing some dirt out of. the water race, when a slip occurred, with the result mentioned. On steep sidings, where water races are cut, there is always danger from slips in the winter time. — The young man Clarke is slowly improving. His mother told me that the flesh wounds are healing a little. He was up a couple of times last week, and two bits of rock were taken from his eyes last Wednesday. What surprised Mrs Fisher (Clarke's mother) when coming to Wetherstones was to see boxes stuck up in the air and dirty water arid gravel running through them. It would surprise a good many more to see a hydraulic claim for the first time, engaged in elevating. Early Lambs. — Any one would think that it was too early and too cold for lambs yet ; but some parties around here have them. Among these is Mr T. Pope, who has lambs over a fortnight old. Mr J. Wilson has also a few. They both have plenty of feed and shelter. It will be some weeks yet before any of the other settlers have Limbs, Weather. — The weather we have had during the past fortnight has been frosty, rough at times, iind wintry. It snowed all the 23rd July and the forenoon of the 24th, over 6in of snow falling. Barometer 29.22deg and unsteady. In the evening, it commenced to freeze ; and it did freeze — for if it had kept on at the same rate much longer it would have been below zero. The severest frost of the season was on the 25th. It was said that there were 27deg of frost at Lawrence, or sdeg above zero. I was told of one woman who hung a turnip out in the sun to thaw, but instead of thawing it froze all the harder. Qn the 26th barometer was at 29.38, falling, and +he morning of the next day was frosty. In the afternoon tha. wind came away from N.W. with strong puffs at times. On the 28th it was blowing strong from N.W., and about noon there was thunder. Afterwards the wind changed to R.W., with rain, sleet, and snow showers, barometer 28.82, and rising. It* was frostj on the morning of the 29th, with snow showers throughout the day, barometer 29.4-5. It wae freezing all day of the 30th, barometer 29.72, and falling. On the last day of July -it was frost in the morning, dull and cold through the day, and raining at night, barometer 29.4-1, and rising steadily. The Ist of August came in with rain and fog, keeping at it all day, the barometer still rising. The next three days were frosty and fine, with the barometer steady at 29.77. On ■Saturday, the sth, it was frosty, fine, and freezing all day, barometer 29.59, and falling. On Sunday there was the same soft of weather as the day before, barometer 29.4-7. The snow that fell is frozen right through, and is still lying in thick patches in the shade ; and the parts of the road that are shaded from the sun are dangerous to walk on, being extremely slippery. It has been freezing all the while in the shade, even when it was raining or snowing. There was little or no wind during the fortnight, with the exception^ of the 28th, part of the day before and the day alter. All the rest of the fortnight it was either calm or light airs from S.W. round north about to S.E. The lowest reading of the thermometer was 19deg, at 8 a.m. of the 25th, and outside J4deg: the highest 58deg, at noon of the 28th. Rainfall for the first six months of the year, 15.9 i n; rain for July, 3.42 in.