OTAGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 350, 28 June 1869, Page 3

OTAGO.

(From the Daily Times, June 23 to June 26, inclusive.) A company, having for its object tke preservation of meat for export, is in course of foroiation at Invercargiil. A case of great interest to the sporting community was heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. It was an action brought by Joseph Reany, to recover from Alexander M'llroy£6 ss, the amount of the stakes of a Hack Selling Race, which took place at the Ocean Beach Races on the 2 uli ult. The winning horse, Bluebeard is the property of the plaintiff, and the defendant offici ted as treasurer of the races. Judg ineot was given for the defendant. Mr James Stevenson, of Riverside; Farm, West Taieri, informs the Bruce Herald that he sowed in the past spring au acre Vof the Sugar Beet seed, supplied, by the Provincial Government, with the following results :— On land not previously manured, 39 tons, and on manured land, 46J tona, to the acre. This same land was first broken up three years ; ago, and yielded 60 tone mangolds to the acre, for a first crop, and from 14 to 16 tons potatoes the second year. Mr Stevenson calculated that he could grow Sugar Beet at £\2 an acre, so that the above returns should leave a margin for the profit of the farmer and manufacturer. The following particulars regarding the effects of the late earthquake at Oamaru, are furnished by the local journal of yesterday:—In and near the town the effects produced were very manifest, though not serious. Even in stone houses and offices chairs and desks rocked backwards and forwards quite visibly. The motion appeared to: be from west to east. The oscillation was distinctly felt in the Resident Magistrate's Court, the Court being sitting at the tima. The reporters' table and the magistrate's desk rocked to and fro, and one man among those in the body of the court, noticing the doors to rattle violently, actually got up and opened the door, thinking some one was seeking admission. Bottles were shaken from shelves, and from a boarding-house in Thames street the children ran frightened into the street. We regret to learn that Mr Dawbin has reported to the Government that nearly all the Salmon ova are dead, and that all hope of a successful issue to the experiment may be considered at an end. There could be no doubt that this unfortunate result is owing to the unusually lengthy passage of tbe Mindora, and to other unfortunate circumstances of which enough has been said. In the event of the experiment being repeated it is worth while considering how such a result may, as far as possible, be avoided. The suggestion made by Sergeant Quinn in a report lately published in our columns, relative to the employment of the Clyde ships for the purpose is a good one. Nor is the advantage of more rapid passages, referred to by the sergeant, though certainly the chief advantage, the only one to be obtained by their employment. There is also in their favour the fact that the ova can he procured at a much less distance from thevessel, sb that. alengthy railway journey, like that from Worcester to London, is avoided. The Clyde ships, morever, start more punctually to their advertised date than those sailing from London, thereby avoiding unnecessary delay after the ova are placed on board. There is yet another plan, however, which has been proposed by the Acclimatisation Society of Southland, and which appears to have much to recommend it. We refer to > the, proposal to send tp, British Columbia fo* the-o'va.; The^ passage thejnee 7ii. a good sjiip 'avprages^fronv 4,0. io 6Q days, ' while tke \ *>** could be obtained in ' the 1 iinmediaJte^J [i .'•■ bourhood of the vessel, and be put"6n board

the very day of her departure. In this way the risk arising from the shaking on a railway, or a voyage of four months, like that of ; the Mindora, would be avoided. The cost' also, would probably be less Be that as it may, however, the matter is deserving of consideration both by the Government and the Acclimatisation Society, by either of which the necessary information could be obtained. One of the smartest shocks of earthquake experienced in Dunedin for some time past waa felt yesterday morning (June 24) at twenty minutes past eleven o'clock, in many parts of the city. Regarding the direction of the motion several differences of opinion seem to exist; many persons asserting that its course was from south-west to northeast, but the majority agreeing that it was from west to east. The low, heavy noise whicli preceded it was distinctly heard for several seconds. The vibration appears to have been most severe in the Resident Magistrate's Court, at the Provincial Government Buildings, and in the Provincial Hotel. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, three distinct vibrations were felt, the last being the most severe. The' business of the Court] was temporarily suspended, and a number of persons, anxious no doubt, to ascertain the results of the Bhock, immediately left the building, The oscillatory motion also caused a little confusion in the Government Buildings, where, in some departments, the direction of the wave appeared to be from south-west to north-east. It was more distinctly felt by those gentlemen who occupy the rooms in the upi er storey, the bells in some parts of the building were observed to shake, and many of the officials left their rooms in order to learn the results. The clock bell at tho New Postoffice tolled distinctly. Mr Court, of the Provincial Hotel, we are informed, was sitting in his office at the time, and distinctly felt the shock. Simultaneously, a gasalier, in the apartment, commenced to swing, and an arm-chair was removed several feet from tho wall. The chair in which Mr Court was sitting, notwithstanding its load, actually quivered, and came in contact with the other chair which had travelled from the wall. In fact, so violent was the oscillation that its occupant was under the impression that some person was amusing himself at his expense, and he actually began to remonstrate in rather forcible terms with the supposed intruder. Several gentlemen who are lodging at the hotel also felt the vibration, and it is said that one of the beds, much to the surprise and alarm of its occupant, was removed several feet from its original position ; also, that the framework of a scene on which the scenic artist was engaged suddenly commenced to swing like the pendulum of a clock, and that the unexpected occurrence somewhat marred the effect of the artist's I labours. The vibration was also felt at the establishment of Mr Yates, draper, George street. Here, in fact, the shock appears to have been particularly severe — a counter in the shop was removed, the building shook violently, and the gasaliers swung for several minutes. At one eitablishoieut it is even said that one of the clerks was, with the violence of the shock, thrown from a stool on which he was sitting, and several of the other employes ran into the street. The movement, as well as the rumbling noise, was also felt at the Supreme Court. It was remarked upon by his Honor Mr Justice Ward, Mr James Macasaey, and several other gentlemen present. In the building occupied by Messrs Mills,. Dick, and Ci>., . Stafford street, the vibration was very great ; likewise in Messrs M'Callum, Neill, and Co.'s warehouse, and at the Telegraph office, where the wires were seen to quiver violently. In tho Bank of Australasia a portion of the ceiling was disturbed. It was reported that the walls of the new brick stables in the Octagon had been injured ; ahd that at Mr Reid's establishment in Rattray street, the wall of the shop was damaged. In various other parts of the city the undulating motion was experienced, but no accident appears to have occurred. . Some of the inhabitants of Port Chalmers, like a few of our citizens, appear to have been greatly alarmed by the occurrence. Many persons there speak of the shock as being the most Bevere they ever experienced. Several of the- houses were shaken, windows rattled violently, and the bottles and j»rs in some of the shops and stores were started from their places. About 50 tons of spalls for concrete for the graving dock, which were on an angle of 60 degrees, were set in motion by the concussion, and rolled down the hill side. The men at work underneath got clear in time. The wave seemed to come from tbe north-east. The weather was quite calm atthe time of the occurrence. The barometer stood at 30.15, and the thermometer at 52.30 ; one barometer on gimbals was observed to oscillate at least 15degs. Shocks of earthquake, with more or less severity, were also felt at the Bluff, at 11.20; Oamaru, at 11.21 ; Timaru, Lawrence, and Teviot, at 11.20 ; Alexandra, at 11.20. At Queenstown, the shock was felt at 11. The waters of the Lake and Shotover are stated to have been in a state of great agitation ; and some buildings were injured. The shock was also felt at Balclutha and Waikouaiti, and at Hokitika at 11 .23.