The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-10-13

island. alI some tsa miles lr.m Honolulu. Iay..,-
lu- % heavy loss 90 property Between asr aud
six o'clock. smoke was discovered emerging from
,Gc k4lcgle sugar mul. and the alarm o.; tire wa-
given. on ta- arrival Of the ovr.=eyr ana labor
er-. lhc interior of the building Mas found to be
developed In flames. and though efforts were imme-
diaicly made 10 bring the wat ? from the flame into
the building 10 extingui~h them. they proved OF no
avail. and the mill was soon 4 mass Of ruins. The
flames extended to the trash houses. which We're
consumed, and then communicated 10 the growing
cane, but no serious damage was done TO the latter.
In the building. NJ the time Of the fire. were 10000
pounds of sugar. part of which WAS barreled up
ready for shipment. and about 1000 sugar kegs
ready for packing. All the sugar and kegs were
destroyed. The mill was erected some two years
ago by Messrs. Cording and Wilson, who sold out
to His Ex. &C. Harris. who was the owner al the
time OF the fire. The mill and other buildings
burned cost about $4,000. and the sugar aud kegs
DESTROYED were worth four thousand dollars more,
making = total loss of $4,000, on which there was
no insurance. 1t is probable that the kettles.
rollers. water wheel, and other heavy machinery
may realize three or four thousand dollars. The
fires under the train OF kettles were put out on
Saturday at s p. NJ, but it is thought that the fire
had, previous to stopping work, communicated,
unobserved, to the wooden platform, and the next
day TO the side of the mill. There does not appear
to be any evidence or suspicion that the fire origin
ated otherwise than by accident. We hear that no
attempt will be made to rebuild the mill, although
some of the cane now growing looks very promis-
ing. The land is owned by Queen-Dowager ka-
lama.
In this connection. it may be well to urge our
planters to be more guarded against fires. On
some plantations the mill and surrounding build
-. 49,, ,;-l+I- ,I,o. in ,b,rrA Of n nafrpl
Although it iucurs some expense, this the best
insurance that can be had at present, and should
be yesorted to by every planter. The risk
ing of a building worth from twenty to fifty thou
sand dollars. wholly unprotected, and liable to be
destroyed by accident or through the evil designs
of some employe, is too great for any one to incur.
THE PRUssAN NEEDLE GUN.-Among the curios-
tiles on board the Prussian war steamer Vinetu
now IN port, is the needle gun" which the gen
tlemanly officers show to their visitors with a COM
mendable national pride. as the weapon which
gave the Prussian army the victory in the recent
| war with Austria. One of the officers tells the fol-
lowing incident. illustrating the destructiveness of
this deadly weapon. During one of the battles, n
single Prussian battalion found itself confronted
3. with q single Austrian battalion. each numbering
about 1000 men. From some cause. there was a
long standing grudge between the officers or men
of these particular battaliOns, and each accepted
the challenge to mortal combat, marching firmly
and steadily to the contest. The commander of the
Prussian forces having the fullest confidence in
the superiority of his weapons, told his men not TO
fire till he gave the order. but for each man to be
cool and take good aim when he fired. On they
marched, the Austrians firing at random, volley
LII CLAINf9eft. I'll! the two bat
"a Underwriters, Occurring III or about ms hinsu%n' va
have 10 he certified before him. 5lo1V /
rnc--~ - gwen to halt and
- Two rounds were discharged-two thousand
shots frcd-and only sixty Austrians remained
standing. as witnesses to tell the terrible effect of
the Prussian - needle gun All visitors on board
this ship, who wish to See this gun, are shown all
its parts. and even the cartridge is taken to pieces,
to exhibit its contraction. The great secret con-
sists in the composition of the eliminating pow
der " into which the needle is thrust. The English
have invented a substance somewhat similar, but
not so sure or reliable. The Prussian powder, it
is said, will preserve its quality for years, and is as
efectual in a rain as in dry weather. 1t is GER
tainly a wonderful war weapon. \ marine on the
steamer fred five shots at the spar buoy" distant
say 500 yards. Four out of the five shots hit the
buoy. 1t is morally certain that in any future
wars, the army that uses this weapon against
another relying on the ordinary kind, will be sure
to conquer. 1t will carry death and dismay to its
foes. -
STEAMBOAT WHARF-The Hawaiian Government
has promptly commenced operations, in preparing
to build a pier for the new China steamers, the piO-
neer of which will be here in just three months.
The dredge was set at work this week, under the
management of Captain Brown and Mr.. Carsley,
who are both "old hands at the bellows" The
mud is lawfully tough" confirming the opin-
ion expressed by one of the lookers-on. that it had
been living there since the deluge. The bottom,
under the thin covering of soft mud, consists of
hard black sand, almost as solid as coral rock. If
the dredge dipper fails to pan it ont, an experiment
with powder will be made. The object is now to
get a full depth of twenty-four feet without extend
ing the pier any farther out into the harbor. as the
space is too valuable to be given up, at least with
ont an effort. If it is found impossible to deepen
the harbor at this point, there will be no alterna-
tive hut to run the pier out into twenty-four feet
water. We are glad TO learn from Captain Baby
that the Government has conceded to the China
Mail Company all that the latter wish for, that he
has met from it the kindest and most cordial recep-
ton. and found a disposition both with the Govern
ment and merchant to encourage and further the
objects of his mission. He returned to San Fran
cisco in the bark Comet.
ns- The following pleasant Incident is narrated
in one of orr exchanges:
Queen Emma Of the Sandwich Islands is being
lionized by the New Workers. On Sunday she visi-
ted Trinity Church. and during the service Rev.
DR.. Vinton presented Her Majesty with a richly
bound praver-bOOk. In the afternoon she visited
the deaf mutes. at st. Anne's church. on Fifth
avenue. At the close of the services Her Majesty
was requested to write a few words. to be read by
the mutes. whereupon she inditcd the following
message:
My delight is very great at being able to have
prayed with you to-day. | shall always remember
l-..L.-- onl cTe..-- Ioro "a, nv rr-nr v-fn, I 1
am am far awav in nv own home. Do Won believe we
will meet in Heaven p
The following reply was written by a young