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TERRIFIC HAIL-STORM—EAST
MAITLAND.
(From our own Correspondent.)
I have just been witness to one of the
most terrific and destructive storms of hail
that has ever visited this district since it
was first trodden by the foot of the white
man.
The day had been, for the most part,
pleasant and fine, but in the afternoon, the
thunder began to grumble over Maitland.
It continued rattling, without the least in-
terruption, apparently high in the welkin,
and emitting a pleasing metallic silvery
sound. But I ought to mention here, that
since I have been in the Colony, I have
heard the same character of sound, three
several distinct times, and each time was
followed by a storm of hail, of enormous
magnitude.
About half-past four o'clock, there ap-
peared, approaching from the south towards
the village, an enormous mass of black
clouds, moving onwards slowly, in all the
solemnity of gloom, like the funeral train
of some demon, whose malignity had not
ceased with his death. The cloud, if such
it might be called, was fringed around with
a lighter border, and was festooned here and
there in a very beautiful and fantastic man-
ner, and the south eastern corner folded
neatly back, like the fold of a pall.
After this huge dense stratum of black
cloud had fully spread itself over the greater
part of East Maitland, it appeared to be
agitated with an unusual tremulous motion,
and immediately emitted a furious squall of
wind, with a few small hail stones and drops
of rain. This was but a momentary herald-
ing in at the mighty storm, of which the
cloud seemed to be pregnant to bursting.
Leaves, twigs of trees, and every moveable
substance, were tossed about in tempestuous
whirle, when the roar of the storm, and the
dance of atoms were almost drowned in the
louder roar occasioned by the fall of a
shower of hail balls, which rattled on the
roofs of the houses like myriads of shingle
hammers, wielded by myriads of hands
against the shingles. Cattle, horses, pigs,
and poultry run about in terror and confu-
sion, but knew not where to run. Where there
was a shed or stable, the horses ran for
shelter, and started back with fright at the
noise, and retreated to the very danger from
which they tried to escape. The storm of
hail lasted about fifteen minutes, when it
ended in a shower of rain.
The size of the stones ranged from that
that of a pullet's to a duck's egg. I placed
seven of them, at random, in a scale, and
they weighed half-a-pound. The whole of
the windows facing the south and the east,
were smashed, and scarcely an entire pane of
glass is to be seen in Maitand, which exhi-
bits a perfect picture of desolation.
Feb. 11, 1845, 5 o'clock, P. M.
NEW ZEALAND.—The Executive Coun-
cil were called together yesterday afternoon
for the purpose, it is reported, of taking
into consideration the late intelligence from
New Zealand, and to determine on what
course to pursue. We have heard also that
200 of the troops now stationed at Parra-
matta, have received orders to hold them-
selves ready for immediate departure.
Shocking Accident.—On Tuesday
afternoon a seaman of the London ship
General Hewitt, having managed to get
helplessly drunk, went and laid down on
the grass round the Flagstaff, near the edge
of the cliff, at the corner of Kent and Fort-
streets. He soon fell asleep, and whilst in
that state rolled over the precipice, and fell
into the quarry below, a height of upwards
of sixty feet. The unfortunate man, singu-
lar to relate, was not dashed to pieces, al-
though he is so severely injured, that it is
unlikely he can recover. He was picked up
and placed on a shutter, and carried on
board the General Hewitt, where he received
surgical assistance. The man of the public
house opposite (Mr. Wells) was talking to
another man at his door immediately before
he fell, and remarked that if he took ano-
ther roll, he would fall, and the words were
scarcely out of his mouth before the event
took place. This is the fifth or sixth acci-
dent of this nature that has taken place on
this spot, and we think it becomes incum-
bent on the proper authorities to cause a
fence to be put up round the edge of the
precipice. Children and others are playing
about on the grass, and the danger is too
imminent to be allowed to exist.
Bushrangers.—We have received in-
telligence that the house of Mr. J. Davis,
publican, 30 miles from Yass, has been
visited by a gang of bushrangers, 8 in
number, and plundered of money and pro-
perty to a very considerable extent. Four
of the robbers went into the house and com-
pletely sacked it of valuables, whilst the
rest kept watch outside. Mr. Davis resisted
determinedly, but was at last shot in the
thigh, and otherwise severely injured. Hav-
ing obtained their object, they loaded their
horses with the spoil and made off. Mr.
Beckham, Commissioner of Crown Lauds,
and a party of the mounted Police are in
pursuit of them, but they had, for the pre-
sent, escaped capture. Mr. Davis is brother
in-law to Mr. Isaac Levy, of this city, who
has despatched assistance to him. The
Chief Constable of Yass arrived at the
spot shortly after the robbery, and active
steps have been taken for the apprehension
of the plunderers.
City Council.—On Monday, the Quar-
terly Meeting of the City Council took
place at twelve o'clock. The business was
unimportant, being for the most part con-
fined to the presentation of a Report from
the Market Committee, which was received,
and a long discussion on a Report presented
by the Macquarie Ward Assessment Com-
mittee, which was eventually referred back.
Pestilential Nuisances.—In spite of
all that has been said by the Press, and the
private petitions that have been preferred
from time to time to the City Council, for
the removal of nuisances, they still abound
throughout the city. In every quarter, the
stench arising from accumulated filth,
noisome trades, dead animals lying about
the streets, and such like causes, is so pre-
vailing, that it is utterly impossible, unless
something be done, that the health of the
city can be preserved. It is the province of
the Corporation to look after these things,
to enact by-laws for their avoidance ; but
time fles by, and nothing is done—nothing
attempted, and the most important function,
of municipal government, is allowed to sink
into a nullity. The by-law which was passed
for the putting down boiling-down establish-
ments within the city, was only forced from
the Council by the repeated applications of
those who were affected by the nuisance,
and the powerful advocacy of Mr. David
Taylor, a gentleman, whose voice, since his
death, has been much missed in the Council.
We see that this by-law is re-published in
the Government Gazette of Friday last, and
as it is of the utmost importance that its
operation should be strictly carried into
effect, we append a copy of it.
"That no Establishment for the Boiling or
Melting down of sheep, cattle, or other animals,
shall be kept within the limits of the said City,
and every person who shall keep such an estab-
lishment within the said limits, shall, for every
animal killed, boiled, or melted thereat, forfeit
and pay the sum of five pounds, and every per-
son who shall kill or cause to be killed, within
the said limits, any sheep or other animal for the
purpose of being boiled or melted down at any
such establishment, shall forfeit and pay for
every sheep or other animal so killed, the sum
of five pounds."
Beef and Black Oil.—Mr. Samuel
Lyons will sell this day, at his Mart, at half-
past ten o'clock, forty casks of beef, and
18 tons of black and humpback oil, in Ham-
bro' casks, fit for shipping. They are lying
on the Circular Wharf, where they may be
seen before the sale.
Incendiarism.—On the night of the
3rd instant, or the morning of the 4th, a
most wanton und malicious act of incendiar-
ism was committed at Elalong, in the dis-
trict of Wollombi, on the property of R.
Crawford, Esq. A valuable barn, containing
2000 bushels of wheat, and a stack contain-
ing 500 bushels, were wholly consumed, and
had not the wind providentially changed,
the whole pile of buildings on the establish-
ment would have been destroyed. We find
that His Excellency Sir George Gipps has
offered a Reward of £20, and a recom-
mendation for a Conditional Pardon, for
the discovery of the perpetrators of this
cruel act. The feeling of the inhabitants of
the Hunter, generally, and of the Maitland
people more especially, has been roused to
action, and subscription lists have been
liberally signed, to form a fund for the re-
ward of such person as may be instrumental
in bringing to justice the guilty parties.
Police Clerks.—On Tuesday morning,
ten minutes before nine, His Worship the
Mayor, on taking his seat on the Bench,
was somewhat delayed in proceeding to the
business of the Court, owing to the absence
of the clerks. His Worship directed that
the absentees should be reported. The ap-
parent neglect of duty we find, on enquiry,
to be entirely accidental. Mr. Cowper, the
principal deposition clerk, who is always in
attendance, and prepared with the business
of the Court by half-past eight, was detained
at home by severe indisposition, and the
other clerks are not required to attend so
early at the office, but were at their posts, as
soon as required by duty. At a later hour
in the day, a woman informed the Mayor,
that she had paid five shillings to a clerk in
the Police Office for a ginger beer license,
which she had not been able to obtain, and
from her story it seemed to appear to the
Mayor that improper fees had been taken.
This, however, was not the case. The usual
fee of 2s. 6d. was paid to the chief clerk of
the office, and 2s. 6d. more was given as a
compliment for the trouble of drawing up
the form of the application, which to be
legal is a somewhat intricate matter, and
which was done by the clerk out of business
hours at his own house. The delay in the
issue of the license arose solely out of the
difficulty of getting sufficient Magistrates
together for the purpose, consequently no
imputation is deserved by the gentlemen of
the office.
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