CHRISTENING OF THE STAR STEAM COMPANY'S ENGINE.

West Coast Times, Issue 149, 10 March 1866, Page 6

CHRISTENING OF THE STAR STEAM COMPANY'S ENGINE.

On Saturday last tho ceremony of christening tho engino of tlio Star Steam Pumping Company on tlio ICaniorio Flat took placo, and to witness it noarly ovory minor in tlio district nltondod, besides n goodly sprinkling of folk from Hokitika. Tho weather- was ovoryfliing tjiut could bo dosirod, although onco it was feared a. downpour of rain was inovitablo, as (ho olouds suddonly backed up in tho S.E., and (hundor was hoard in tho distance. Happily, howovor, fhoso threatening apponvauccs passed away, and tho aflornoon, turned out beautifully fino. A very short, time had been allowod tho company to make preparations, for it wa3 only at a meeting hold tho preoeding night that tho determination to iunugumto tho works noxl day was decided 'upon. Tho decision onco arrived' at, no timo' was lost, and by noon everything was in readiness, tho ongiuo-houso being gaily decorated with lings and ovorgrcong, and an oxoellont " spread " laid out upon tho claim. Work of qourse was BUBpoiuled, although slpaui had boon got up, and another sot of olevators atliiohec], ao that; (ho powov of tho , ongino might be favorably displayed. To tlip S,toi! Company bolonga tho honor of firat introducing steam power as an aid to miniug, although othors havo followed vory closoly upon their tracks. .Still thoy are tho first that havo commenced work, and to their credit thorcfovo bo tho samo record od. Their engino and plant is. worth a. visit of inspection,, for tho formei' is porfoofc of Us kind, being a double cylimlor of 12 hoveo power, having boon no no?cssity to do bo, aijd no and Uopt in beautiful order, doing , the work required of \t with case. Iv faot 80 far ty liaft novov beou workgd up to half its power, thoro

( i lieultv bns ns yot bcon oxperioncod iv genol'dting an nbuneiaiico ofstoam with wood alone for fuel. The olorators, and every other pnvt of fbo works avo substantilly orccted and reflect tho greatest credit upon Mr Smith, of tho Cumberland party who drew tho plans, and superintended their being carried out. At present two elevators only aro attached to tho drum, but' threo can be used if nocpßsri'y, and- wo were informed by tho abore gontloman that the engine was sufficiently powerful to drivo six sets, which insertion wo avo inclined to bcliovo from the caso with which it wjrkcd tho (wo. At 1 p.m. all being in readiiK b», tho steam whistle screamed out a notico fyr tho guests to assomblo, and soon a Roodly aß»mblago mustered on tho grouud. Amongst them wo noticed Mrs ami Miss "Winter, the lady and daughter of tho Provin-cialSub-ft-ea'sui'or, MrSohaw tho^tVardon pf tho\ Kanieri, ,and Ml* Alyinor, Wai-den of tlie/ Totara dMtriot. Thdro was alao a strong muster of tho fail* dainos of tho district, who looked and fl'milod their best arid added in'ost materially '.o the pleasure of tho scene. At half past one o'clock tho oliair was taken By Mr Orate, who oponcd the proceedings by declaring that an unexpected honor had devolved upon him that day, but ho accepted \b With -pleasuro.and should long remember tho occaBion. Ho congratulated tho miners of tho ftaniori on tho enterprise and industry they had displayed, and especially tho Star Cornpauy, in having boon tho first to introduce steam power as an, aid to mining in Westland, and by their onferpviso thoy had shewn Ihomsclvd worthy scions of the Anglo-Saxon race, which ev6r Hi tho vaii in tho march of civilization and improvement. Hd considered v tho Kanieri a most important field and ono that proinisod to rival tho' fttr famed Ballavat. although, tho Iftttor boasted of 48 organised companies, inumbov which was still on fho increase. Ho Iruatod and believed ho should yofc soo tho day when a 8 many or more would exist; on tho Kmiiori, and from tho appeafanco of tho country lio nothing doubted ity as its foatuvos indicated tho oxistouco o( hoavy deposits of g6ld to bo yot unearthed. Provi* donro helped thoso who helped themselves, and ho boliovod jiouo woro more deserving its aict than tho miners of tho Kanioiu district. Mr OratO concluded his rdniarks by calling on Mr Sehaw to christon the Engine. Mv Schaw stepping forward declared thoy had, in deputing to him such an honor, paid him an Unmerited compliment. He had never bbfoi'o o'ffioiated on such an occasion, fchoroforo trusted they would make duo allowauco fov his want of experienco, and although ho , might bo found wanting in that respect, ho would not ho in hearty good wishes for tho success of tho undertaking. Further commoht oh his part was unnecessary } ho should thorefpro only call upon (horn to givo threo hoarfcy ohoei'B when ho gave tho signal, A bottlo of chrimpagno boing lievo hahdod to him, ho dashed it upon tho ongino and in a oleav voice nAmed it the Victoria, which acfc'was immediately followed by deafening cheers from those rfssejtnbWd. To avoid confusion a pvogrammo of toasts had been drawn out, and gontlcmon Appointed to propoßO and respond^ to them, and upon Mr Hawkes of tho Kaniovi dovolyed the honor o£ proposing the tonst of the day — <( Success to tho Company." In a fow wdll chosen sentonces ho congratulated the Shareholders on tho buccoss that had bo far attended tlloir efforts, and tho immense benefit then* ontorpriso had directly conferred upon tho district, rind indiroefcly upon all parts of Wostland, as the ex* araplo thoy had eefc' would doubtless bo followod olsowhoro. Much credit was duo to thorn, and ho had therefore the greatest ple'a 1 " euro in wishing that success might attend the labors of tho Star Company. Hearty cheofshaving been givon, Mr Cohen responded on behalf of the Company. Ho said ho believed they were loss actuated by pecuniary motives than by a dosiro to confer' a lasting benefit on the Kaniori community, and he could not help oxpressing a proud feeling of satisfaction that ho belonged to it. In tho name of tho Company ho thankod thoso assembled for tho honor of thoir attendance, and hoped thoy would thoroughly onjoy thotnsclvos. Mr Aylmer gavo tho health of the Queen and Royal Family, whioh was drank enthusiastically. Mv Gordon proposed tho mercantile' and mining community, and might thoy over work heartily together. Mr Hankins responded, speaking iv on* logistic terms of tho manner in which both had worked to dovolopo tho district. / Mr Smith, of tho Cumberland Conipaiiy, introduced " tho Ladios," which toast having been duly honored, Mr G;ardo responded to it in their nanvo, quitting himself admirably. The health of " our worthy Wardo-i, Mr Schaw," was givon by Mr Mannol and replied' to with feeling by that gentleman, wjio declared ho folt the greatest interest in tho district, and 'should always cohsidoi* it as his duty' to as much as possiblo aid in advancing it. He liopo'd to' soon soo tho immense flats cdverbd with water-wheels and steam-engines, and bo« lioved an ova of prosperity, had dawned upon tho Kanoiri thiit would last foi 1 many yeaw. Tho Pross in its turn having boon remem«' bored Mr Cohen proposod a vote of thanks to tho chair, which was carried unanimously, and tho ceremony concluded. Tho festivities' howovev did not, for danoing was at once commenced and kept up during tho remainder of tho day.

Quito a commotion was occasioned in town on Tuesday by the rnmour that payable gold hnd been struck cloao under the Cemetery Torraeo about two miles north from town, ancl various statements wore made rospeQting tho prospocts obtaiiTed, eotno of tho sanguine ones affirming that seven pennyweights the dish i had beoiwwashod, whilst others declared tho ; cblor only Jiad been raised. Anxious to ascor* I tain tho truth and allay linneceßsary excite^ ment, we dispatched our reporter there in tii6 : afternoon, who, when he returned, gave us tlio following account. After proceeding along tho beach until half a mild past tho Monteisuniaj a small clearing in tho so ub is roaoberl, whioh, on boing crossed, leads to a good wide bush traok that runs, close up to the foot of tho terrace. At tho end of it two foot pafhfl .branch off right and left, tlio latter leading (o the prospectors' claim, which is situated somp two hundred- yards along it. In makiug" uso of tho town "prospecting claim', it must nefc bo imagined that an extended area has been granted, for tho inon, (who are four in-numbor) stated thoy had struok nothing tofyarrant an application to tho Warden for the extra allowanco of ground. .This assertion, however may bo received with caution, as the n^aunCr in which thfty aro sotting into work tends- to induco a contrary bpliof, for after sinkjng an ordinary Bizod shaft, . they have commenced stripping a good sized paddock, 'xhey, however, confessed to having obtained a, littlo sold, at a depth of, fiftcon, foot, in a $yor of drift hud blaok sane], from oigh,t inches to a foot thick. But payablo gold has been struck on tho northern , boundary by anothor party, who auirmod that from tho prospeots obtained tliey boliovocl fair wages could bo made There is, therefore) no doubt of tho oxistenoo of, gold thero, and moreover, that it is a continuation of the patoh that was struck upon tho flat immediately \indey.|lfe Cemetery eqino fdw months ago, 6ut<of very gbo'cl returns woro obtafnod. It is" very uncertain v >yliothor this brush wjll be oxtonsive, (is tlw ground Mniß\iudvenlyni'dep;tli I> a\\d . paßfc experience liaipfoVdd it to be exceedingly •'patohy,"' At the same tio'io" tlie,' locality & well wdl-th a trial, a? ifc is in tlie dii'dofc litfe'or Itli^ niain" beadh \HM i..whi6K has- yielded Jo arid cither rustle's further to the north. ' • ' ' <