Wednesday.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 41, 30 January 1885, Page 11

Wednesday.

The procession in connection with the Fire Brigades' demonstration, to commence to-day, took place in Dunedin last night, and, notwithstanding the unfavourable weather, proved a thorough success. The line of march was crowded with spectators. Heavy rain has fallen at Greymouth. Every creek and rivulet in the district is flooded. Telegrams from inland centres report that all the creeks are higher than they have been for two years. The rain has, however, stopped, and the flood is going down. There was the largest volume of water seen in the river for a number of years. Ail the lower part of the town was covered, and many houses were flooded. A good deal of the temporary piling and staging of the Cobden Bridge, in course of erection, was carried away, including some of the top stringers and crosstrees, which gave way with a very loud crash. All the timber-work between the last two Bets of iron cylinders disappeared, and some loose timber for the bridge on the Cobden side of the river. None of the cylinders were disturbed. The accident was caused by snags and masses of other timber brought down by the flood bearing against the temporary piles. Several small bridges in the neighbourhood are reported carried away. Much sympathy is felt for Mr. J, Watson, contractor for the Cobden Bridge. °v The weather at Timaru is very boisterous, heavy rain falling If it continues it will seriously affect the crops in some paits cf the district; but for this they promise a splendid yield. Lord Wolseley telegraphs from Eorti: " There is do cause for anxiety as to the position of Colonel Stewart and his column." The Cape authorities have succeeded in arresting the murderer of Mr. Bethel, late chief of the frontier police in Bechuanaland, A man named Gilbert;, an Irish-American who was arrested on Saturday in connection with the explosion at the Tower, has been examined at the Bow street Police Court aid remanded for a week. The police are pursuing an importaut clue to the identity of the men who engaged in the outrages, and eight persons are now being closely watched. The perpetrators of the outrage are the subject of considerable execration in America, Great disgust is also expressed on the Continent at the outrage. In the U.S. Senate resolutions expressing abhorrance of the dynamite outrage recently

perpetrated in London were passed. M. Bayard has invited the French Senate to pass a resolution expressing sympathy with England. The American Government are pressing the claims of American subjects in Fiji upon the English Government. Several of the sufferers by the railway accident in N.S.W. have been removed to Goulburn ; while others remain at Cootamundra. One of the injured, named Bergin, is not expected to recover. The wreck of the train presents a terrible scene. An inquest has been opened on the bodies of those killed, but has been adjourned. The persons injured are progressing favourably, but it is feared some are still missing. The Albury correspondent of the Argtis telegraphs : '• The railway catastrophe at Cootamundra has left 30 persons to be accounted for."