Peninsula News.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 568, 23 December 1881, Page 2

Peninsula News.

N.Z L.& M.A, Company—This company holds its next auction sale of wool about the middle of January.

Okain's Road Board.—The annual meeting of ratepayers will be held on January 7th.

Head of the Bay Races.—These races will be held on Monday and are expected to be a great success. As will be seen by adverti.-ement the steam launch will convey passengers to and from Akaroa.

Borough Council.—lt is notified that the election of a Councillor, to fill the extraordinary vacancy caused by the election of Cr Adams as Mayor, will be held on January 11th.

The Cocoa Breed.—lt may be interesting to know that a sister of the celebrated Peninsula pony, "Old Cocoa," is still alive. She is 25 years of age, and in foal, and was sold the other day for £10.

New Zealand Railways.—We call attention to our advertising columns, which contain notices of a railway excursion to and from Akaroa vi„ Little River, and a Southern tour to Dunedin, Invercargill,and the Lakes.

Akaroa Regatta Committee.—A meeting of the Akaroa Regatta committee was held yesterday afternoon. Present—The Commodore (Mr W. B. Tosswill), and Messrs Black, Westenra, Garwood, and Jacobson. The minutes having been confirmed the Secretary laid a statement of accounts before the meeting, from which it appeared that if all sums promised were collected, there would be a small balance to carry forward to next year. There were. howeve p , £16 still outstanding, sundry accounts were passed for payment and the Hon Treasurer was authorised to sign cheques and pay all prizes. He was also requested to take the necessary steps to collect the money still owing, in order that matters might be cleared up. The protest against the crow of the Annie Wrigtit, on the ground of their being over 18 years of age was referred to. and the Hon. Secretary stated that he had been informed there would be great difficulty in ascertaining tiie ages ot ths crew as being Maoris their births were not registered. It was resolved that they should not be paid the stakes till they had made a declaration in writing that they were under 18 years of age. A very hearty vote of thanks was moved to Captain Cowan of the Catlin, master of the committee ship, and tho Hon. Secretary was instructed to write him a complimentary letter and send him a small memento of the occasion. A vote of thanks was also passed to the ladies, for their kindness in embroidering the champion Hag, and- also .to the Commodore, judges, starters, and tiie Hon. S eretary. Tiie meeting then adjourned.

. OUR. OIIIUSTMAS . SUPPLEMBNT.- —With this issue we present our' readers wit-Iran illustrated Christmas supplement, consisting of Australasian stories in prose and poetry by the best Colonial authors. The contributors are Messrs Marcus Clarke, Henry Kendall, Jas. Kingston, N. W. Swan, C. A. Fielberg. G. N. Oakley, F. Morley, R. P. Whitworth, D. Cameron, and Miss J. Carroll, A melancholy interest is attached to the late Mr Marcus ClarkeV story,"'The Conscientious Stranger," as it was written specially for this supplement, and completed only a few days before his death. The illustrations are by Mr Charles Turner, the well-known artist.

Robinson's Bay School.—Last Tuesday Mr Montgomery made a tour of the Bays on both sides of the harbor. He left Akaroa in the steam launch and called on hi* way up into Robinson's Bay, where lie made several visits to the residents in that place, finishing up with the school. After, hearing the children sing, and examining their exercises and copy books, he expressed his satisfaction at what he had seen and heard. He also congratulated them on their success at the late Exhibition, and exhorted them to still persevere and do their be_t to obtain yet higher honors at the next. The holidays being soclose it was not desirable to ask their teacher for a whole holiday, but he would still request that he would give them the remainder of the afternoon. As he left the school ground the children showed their appreciation of his kindness by giving him three hearty cheers.

Terrible Accident.— A shocking occurrence, says the Press correspondent, took place on Wednesday evening, by winch a lady was literally blown to pieces and a building panially wrecked. The facts are as follows :—At the shop of Mr Barraud, chemist, Lambton Quay, some blue fire was in course of preparation for use in the theatre. On testing a small portion of the mixture it was found dangerously explosive, too much chlorate of potash having been inadvertently used in the composition. Accordingly Mr Barraud's assistant, Mr Anthony (formerly of Christchurch) took it out in the back yard and began to destroy it by slow combustion. He had occasion to leave for an instant, and before he could return his wife happened to go into the yard, and seeing the chemicals on fire, at once threw a bucket of water on the burning mass. A terrific explosion immediately took place which shook the whole city, and was heard at a distance of some miles. Poor Mrs Anthony received the full force of the shock, and was frightfully mutilated. Both arms wer>- torn off, also one leg, the lower jaw and the scalp. All the windows in the vicinity were smashed, and other damage done. The stone mortar in which the composition had been mixed was hurled many feet into the air, and flung clear over the tops of the houses into the next street. Fortunately nobody else was injured. The dreadful accurrance created a profound sensation in the city Poor Mrs Anthony was related to Mrs Garwood. She died at 9 a.m. yesterday.