Since the termination of the holidays business of every description has been very quiet; the dulness not affecting any particular trade, but rather depressing all alike.
From some cause or other, during the whole time this gold-field has been open, but few stone and brick buildings have been erected. In fact, up to the present time there are but five —
the English Church, Scully's large hotel, which is an extensive building, but hidden by a small wooden structure in front, the shop of Mr. R. Robinson, bookseller; that of Mr. O'Neill, baker, and R. S. Ross, coachbuilder's, premises. The late fire, however, seems to have altered the idea of building of inflammable materials, and at the present time Mr. Mark Smith, contractor, is engaged in building for Mr. W. Thompson, baker and produce dealer, an extensive structure, the site being about the centre of Herbert street, and at the corner of Bailey-street. It is to be 51 feet by 27, walls 15 feet, of rubble stone, and white dressed freestone facings. The rubble stone is obtained from the contractor's quarry upon Constitution-hill, while the freestone, which is of a very superior description, is obtained from a quarry on the Cassilis Road, thirteen miles from Gulgong. When the building is completed it will be an ornament to the street. I understand Mr. William Wesley, proprietor of the Golden Fleece Hotel, also intends shortly to call for tenders for the building of a brick and stone hotel of considerable dimension. Tenders are also called for the building of a new post and telegraph office, the tenders being made returnable on the 25th. So that when these various buildings are completed it will give the town a decided appearanca of stability. It has often been wondered why the Bank of New South Wales, which is situated at the best corner of the town, has not, long since abandoned its wooden shed with calico awning, and built something like a substantial edifice.
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY
A correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald, gives an account of a terrific thunder storm which occurred on the 7th of February.
He says:—On Wednesday Gulgong and its environs were visited by one of the heaviest storms on record in the district. At noon the clouds became overcast, but nothing to indicate a coming storm; at half-past 2, however, loud peals of thunder were heard in the distance, and in a few minutes there came suddenly wind resembling nothing but a tornado, accompanied with vivid lightning, both sheet and forked, and lasting for hours, during which time the rain fell in torrents and the thunder was truly appalling. The wind, which came direct from the north, seemed as it approached the town to break into sections south-east and south-west, and as it blew in its fury destruction seemed inevitable to everything in its course. The lightning struck the large building used as a tannery belonging to Mr. Jackson, which in a few minutes became a total wreck; and in the meantime the road from there to Guntawang became a sheet of water, preventing any from rendering assistance to the dwellers on the flat. In Herbert-street the storm did considerable damage, demolishing several small buildings. The lightning struck the front of the large and substantial store of Sun Tong Lee, literally smashing it into thousands of pieces and tearing the verandah and verandah posts from their foundations. The large hotel belonging to Mr. William Wesley received a violent shaking, while the two-story building belonging to Mr. Selff swayed as if about to fall. The large store be longing to Messrs. Woods and Co. sustained considerable damage, the west side being struck heavily, and the weatherboards splintered like matchwood. In the suburbs the residents also sustained much damage.
The house belonging to Edward Bond, at Mount Jones, was unroofed, and the same fate visited the dwelling of his adjoining neighbor, Mr. Beal, while the residence of Mr. J. F. Plunkett was swamped some two feet. The post, and telegraph office was flooded, and the windows of the Church of England Church were blown out. At the Three-mile the substantial residence of Mr. B. Naughton was levelled to the ground. These are but a few of the incidents of this terrible storm. Fences, chimneys, and trees were laid level with the ground, and there is scarcely a house for miles that has escaped damage. For hours the rain poured in torrents, while the water from the hills swelled that in the streets into something like a canal. I scarcely need say the dams and tanks are all full, so for some time there will be little cause for the miners to complain of want of water for washing up. Some disastrous news comes from Guntawang and Biragambel. At the former place nearly all the strong sheds have been blown away, and at Biragambel the storm was so sudden that it was impossible to yard the sheep, and over 500 were washed away. The storm at this spot was indiscribable. The roads are greatly damaged, all the culverts having been carried away. The full extent of the loss sustained through the storm is something serious, and can only he calculated by time. On Thursday all hands available were busy repairing damages, and at daybreak the fossickers were searching the hills and gully, and many a one made a good harvest."
Yesterday, two men, under arms, stuck up a man named Clarke, who is shepherding for Mr. Richard Rouse at Deadman's Creek, and took a cheque for £7 10s., which they passed at Gulgong. The police are in pursuit.
