LOCAL. AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XVII, Issue 2503, 5 August 1874, Page 2

LOCAL. AND GENERAL NEWS.

Immigbants. — Another batch, of immigrants is expected to arrive here to-morrow by the p.s. ' Manawatu,' which leaves Wellington to-day. On arrival a number of them will be despatched to Marton, where, from the scarcity of labour they will no doubt be speedily employed. These immigrants came out m the ship ' Conflict.' Habbison Stbeet Dbain.— -MrPharazyn has given notice that he will move, at the next meeting of the Borough Council, " That the resolution agreed to on the 24th April last adding two feet to the depth of the Harrison street main sewer bo rescinded, and that the plan originally proposed by the Engineer be adopted in order to avoid an unnecessary expenditure of more than £1000." Volttntebb Fibemen. — We notice by the Wellington newspaper reports of the sessional doings that the following resolution has been carried :— " That it is expedient that members of volunteer fire brigades should at their own option be exempted from service as jurors, and that ' The Juries Act, 1868,' be amended accordingly." Chbisty Minstbels. — A benefit performance will be given in the Odd Fellows' Hall on Thursday evening to Mr and Mrs Wilson, late of the Stephenson company, by the Wanganui Christy Minstrel troupe, which will make its first appearance in new songs, dances, and farces. We understand that the . performers are well up in their parts, and we have no doubt there will be a bumper house. Funebal.— The remains of the unfortunate man Brown who met his death by drowning on Saturday last were conveyed to their last resting place yesterday afternoon. The funeral left Kennedy's hotel, Upokongaro, at 12 o'clock, and Blair's hotel, Taupo Quay, at half-past, 2 o'clock where the procession was joined by a large number of townsmen. Shops and places of business were closed while the cortege was moving through the town. The funeral service was read by the Eer. Mr Elmslie. Fbost Fish. — Yesterday afternoon Mr McQueeney, the Wellington coach driver, brought several bags of frost fish into town, which he had collected on the Manawatu beach. As soon as it became known the coach office was beseiged by a large number of townsmen, and McQueeney readily disposed of the larger portion of his haul at the rate of half-a-crown each, which would be a fair compensation for his trouble. Several years ago half a guinea each was not considered out of the way, and this season in Wellington as much as a guinea each has been paid for these delicious fish. Patea Eoad. — A passage in our report of the meeting of the Wanganui-Waitotara Highway Board relating to a letter from Mr Bryce, was somewhat too brief for its meaning to be clear. It appears that the Provincial Government made a proposal through Mr Bryce, that the Board should undertake to keep the main road from Wanganui to Pateal in repair, for the sum at £500 per;annum together with the tolls levied on the road, worth about £400 a year. The Board discussdthe proposal and came to the conclusion that the work was worth from £2000 to £2500 a year. It therefore declined to have anything to do with matter. The Comet. — A gentleman who has seen the comet several times tells us that there is only the one visible |at present, and that the reason it is seen both morning and evening is that its position is so far North of the Equator, that it remains above the horizon for some 14 or 15 hours, just as the sun does in summer for the same reason. He states that it is travelling rapidly southwards (at the rate of about 5 degrees per day,) and becoming fainter daily, He seems to think it is one which returns at intervals of about 10 years, as a large comet was seen in England in the constellatian Orion, where this was first noticed, in the year 1848. The former was visible here in about the same part of the heavens in 1853 or 1853, and again in 1864 ; and was seen both in the morning and evening ;just as the latter has been. E BE9HET. — The late rains caused a heavy freshet in the river, which reached its height about 2 o'clock yesterday morning, when it overflowed so much of the foreshore as to encompass the base of the Commercial wharf, and would have washed j away the timber stacked there had it not \ been previously secured against such an accident. The wharf itself, though slightlybuilt, stood firm, as it did yesterday, although a heavy volume of water was rolling swiftly along throughout the day. The Corporation wharf, however, did not endure the flood so well, and yesterday afternoon, it could be seen that some of the piles on the seaward side had sunk while others had been shifted from their upright position. It is surprising that the whole structure was not carried away, for no precautions seemed to have been taken by the authorities for its safety^.and during the morning, a huge log, with a mass of rubbish lay on the upper side of the outer T which :of course, gave additional strength to the force with which the water impunged against the wharf. During the night the water rose to within 11 inches of the top of the breastwork at the mouth of the Harrison street drain, and it is exceedingly fortunate that work is so well advanced, otherwise it would have run a good chance of being completely destroyed ; as it was, it suffered little from the ordeal and served as a protection to the river bank lower down. Besides injuring the Corporation -wharf, the ' flood carried away the buoy opposite the ! Commercial wharf, and also some fencing : which had been erected on the foreshore ' just above the bridge. Old settlers, during yesterday, indulged in reminiscences of the great flood of fifteen years ago when the water came up to Eidgway street ; but as high a flood as that which has just taken place occurred four years ago, when the river rose up to Waller's corner.

Earthquake.— Another shock of earthquake occurred yesterday morning at about 20 minutes past 12 o'clock. The shock was not a sharp one, but lasted several seconds.