LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2044, 25 September 1874, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERA L.

Magisterial. —At the Christohurch Magistrate's Court this morning, Thomas Somerville was brought up, before C. O. Bowen, Esq., H.M., charged with having been drunk and disorderly, and the case being proved, a penalty of 10s was inilicted.

Sons of Temperance. — A meeting for the transaction of important business will be held this evening. ; Madame Winter's Concert. — The concert advertised to take place on Thursday, Sept. 16, and which, through the inclemency of the weather, bad to be postponed, will take place this evening in the Lyttelton Colonist Hall. An excellent programme has been arranged, and will no doubt draw a large audience. The AsHLEY.-^-The flood in this river, caused by the late heavy rains, bo far subsided yesterday • morning as to allow Sansom arid Lee's mail coach to proceed to the north with the mails and passengers. The other rivers north of the Ashley were reported yesterday afternoon as being passable. Ever Faithful i odge, 1.0.&.T. — At the weekly session of the Ever Faithful Lodge yesterday evening, two persons were initiated as members of the Order. An entertainment then took place, when recitations and songs were given by Sisters Kerr and Williams, Brothers Andrews, Duncan, and Abel.

Steamer Brighton. — This little steamer re-commenced running on the Avon yesterday. A large party went to New Brighton on this, the inaugural, trip of the season, amongst whom were his Worship the Mayor and some members of the City Council. Arrived at New Brighton, the party partook of luncheon at Mr Hopkins' hotel, and after a stay of about four hours, the steamer started for town, arriving at about 6.30 p.m., all present being satisfied with their trip.

Theatre Royal. — The performances last evening were fairly patronised, and passed off: with considerable success.

Stud Hoesb abade. — The time for receiving entries for the stud horse parade closed last night, and the total number recordei was such as to show that there will be as fine a muster of: horses to-morrow as in any previous year. -. . ■ \ \ -\ . .-. . Yuojianet .QataiißY. —^The monthly inspectipri of this corps by the officer commanding the diatrict^took place at the drill-shed yesterday afternoon." There was a very large muster, and Colonel Facke expressed himself highly satisfied with the result of his inspection. _.._ _ , , Accidents, in Lttteltok. — Yesterday, the feobfc- of - the b'rigantine Cleopatra met with a very severe accident. It appears he was walking from the ealiey and a block fell from aloft.Btriking him on the head and fracturing the skull; 'An accident also happened to one of the men employed on the railway, named Ockf ord . : -He. was engaged in discharging piles from the barque John Knox, and his hand was jammed bet,we,ea twa of,.^he.se, the. resulfc being one" of his fingers had to' be amputated, whilst another is badly crushed. E'iKOTpßAi,J— The SioutK Canterbury, Times of Hept. 24' say's V — Mr Kennaway has announced his. intention of addressing the elector's of Seadown in the Mechanics' Institute, on Monday evening next, at 8 o'clock. : <The ; address :will, however,- not merely concern his own particular constituency, but the whole of South Canterbury, as he will, we are informed, dwell more particularly on the financial arrangements between North -and South Canterbury, as entered into during the last session of the Provincial Council, and various other matters, more particularly affecting South Canterbury.

ACOI/IMATIBATION.— The young trout continue to hatch out daily. The fungus disease again made its appearance amongst the eggs, in spite of all the precautions taken. Little comparative loss from this cause has, however, been sustained, the superior advantages of the new fish-hatching* house enabling effectual remedies to be applied for arresting this hitherto rapid and fatal disease. As the old trout are now too large for confinement in ponds with a small flow of water, it has been decided to dispose of the. fish at £1 eaoh amongst the members. •■ Trout produce 1000 eggs to every lb, and the fish weigh from 61b to 131 b each.

r The Nobthebn Ra'ii/WAY.— -Traffic oh the Kaiapoi and Rangiora section of this railway was Btopped yesterday on account ot portions of the formation and ballast having been washed away on the previous night by the overflow water from. the Rangiora main drain. The drain burst its banks on Wednesday about five chains above the new drain bridge, and the water soon found its way across to the railway line, and was nearly level with: the ballast when the 5.35 rain passed down in the evening. When the 7.45 train arrived at Kaiapoi yesterday morning it was prevented from proceeding farther on account of a report having been brought in that the line was not safe. On going to inspect the line it was found that the water was running across it at a distance of about a quarter of a mile west of the bridge over the north branch of the Waimakariri, and that part of the ballast had been washed away. Five places, averaging about half a chain wide, were stripped of .ballast, but part of this was done by the gang of workmen, with a view of letting the water drain off. The damage altogether is very trifling, and it will be made good to-day, bo that traffic can go on to-morrow morning. The water was so high yesterday, that nothing could be done in the shape of ballasting, but so soon as it goes down a foot or eighteen inches, the breaches will be filled up with sleepers. It was expected that the enlargement of the main drain would have protected the line, but it is still not capable of carrying the immense body of water that is forced into it after a week's heavy rain. The north approach to the bridge over the main drain at Flaiton has been washed away, and it is at present in a dangerous state. The whole of the land in the vicinity of the main drain within a radius of nearly half a mile from the girder bridge was under water yesterday, and the water was fully three feet deep on the road. The new formation of the Eyreton branch railway was just visible above water, but little damage was done to it. The Oxford railway sustained some damage, and particularly so near Fernside, from the scour caused by the large'body.of. water which was flowing down Ihesidedrain. Agood deal of ballast was washed away, and the necessity for more culverts being placed under the line was forcibly demonstrated. The water in the vicinity of the Oust is now rapidly subsiding, and comparatively little damage was done to farm land.— A later report saya : — The report of the damage to the Northern line from -the overflow of the Rangiora main drain, the embankment of which has given way, fortunately proves to be greatly exaggerated. The wuter yesterday was subsiding very considerably, and it is anticipated that the repairs can be commenced this morning. The ballast train was loaded in readiness last night for work the first thing this morning, and with the fine weather of today it is stated that Bix hours' work will suffice to permit the resumption of traffic. About half-a-dozen rails length require refilling. The damage to the line extonds from about 20 chains past the Eyreton junction.