WANGANUI NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 92, 12 January 1935, Page 14

WANGANUI NOTES

Entrants For Power-boat Championship EFFORT TO WIN IT BACK Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, January 11. Wanganui intends sending two speedboats to I’icton on Anniversary Day. January 22, to compete for the Cup in the New Zealand power-boat championship race—Miss Wanganui and Ethel 111. Miss Wanganui was tried out yesterday by her owner. Mr. W. Freeman, who has recently returned from America. Mr. Palamountain has built a new boat, Mies Ethel HI, which will take the water at the week-end. It has a 300 h.p. engine, as has the Miss Wangaliui. Wanganui intends making a great effort to win back the championship, which was held for several years. .Motor Rally. Next month a motor rally will be held for motorists in the North Island, the finishing point being at Wanganui. The rally will be conducted as a test of driving ability, marks being awarded for arriving at the destination at _ the- time specified. The competitors will meet at Napier. Swimming Carnivals. . Two swimming carnivals were held in Wanganui ou Thursday night, at Wanganui East and Gonville. At both places one of the main attractions was waterpolo. Among the interested spectators at Gonville was Mr. M. Waller, who has recently returned to Wanganui on a month’s shore leave after six years at sea. Skeleton for Museum. Although porpoises are fairly common round the shores of New Zealand very few are seen off Wanganui. A fortnight ago several gave bathers at Custlecliff a severe fright. Strolling along the south beach last week, Mr. H. Drew came upon a darease which was promptly dragged above spring,tide level and covered with sand by the museum authorities. Oddly enough, although so common, the museum had only an incomplete skeleton of this porpoise—Cephalorhynchus hector! —and the authorities are glad to obtain a complete skeleton. A few yards*from the same spot, Mr. Drew, last year found a rape species of porpoise—the dusky dolphin (Lagonorhynchus obscurus) and it is nowmounted and on view a,t the Alexander Museum. Alterations at Paten. Over 30 men are engaged in alterations and additions to the Patea Hospital. The isolation ward is being transformed into a maternity ward, and additions are being made to the m*in building. Wanganui Horticultural Successes. Wanganui gladioli growers were remarkably successful at the fourth Taranaki gladioli exhibition held at Normanby on Wednesday. In spite of the adverse season, the entries and quality were equal to previous years. Mr, P. Burns, Wanganui, exhibited the champion of champions, and his bloom fvas also champion in the open classes. The points prize was won by Mr. A. S. Davis, of Wanganui, and in the open classes Mr, A.- W. Larsen was also a successful competitor. Life-saving Tram. The Patea team for the Dominion lifesaving championships, which will lie held at Opunakc on February 23 anti 24, will be chosen from the following:—-Messrs. A. B. Currie, R. Adams, J. Richardson,W. Milliken, L. Edwards, E. Oakley, and S. Pauling. Trees anti Power Boards. The question whether trees should be sacrificed when in the vicinity of power lines came up again at yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui-Rangitikei Power Board. “If power lines were put into pipes, underground, it would save power hoards a heqn of trouble,” said Mr. Hope Gibbous. "A line of scarlet gums, planted last year at Waitotara, will come into contact with the wires some day,” said Mr. Webb. “We will all be gone by then, so don’t worry now,” said Mr. Gibbons. Forty Years Ago. Yesterday a jubilee copy of the “Express and Star” newspaper accidentally came into the hands of a Wanganui resident, who left Wolverhampton some 40 years ago and who had not troubled to keep in touch with the Old Country. In the paper ho found pictures and references to buiitli.ngs and events with which he was familiar, and had often spoken of to his family. He had not seen a copy of his old newspaper during 40 years, and it was an odd coincidence that the first one he saw should contain so much old history. An Echo of the Past. The latest addition to the Alexander ■Museum in Wanganui is a large silver coloured teapot, which was found 45 years ago at the buried village of Wairoa by tho lato Mr. H. de V. Gilbert, of Wellington, at the site of the Rev. Mr. Spencer’s house. Inside are still dried tea leaves. RECORD ESTABLISHED Wairarapa Aero Club Hours Masterion, January 11. A fresh record for the number of flying hours logged by the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club since its inception was created during the month of December, when a total of 120 hours was flown, it was reported at a recent meeting of the dub committee. The record before that month was made during November, when a total of IOGJ hours was flown by pilots of tlie club. For the three months of the current financial year. October, November and December, over 284 hours have been logged, an average of over 94 hours per month, as compared with an average af 04 hours for the corresponding period in the last, financial year. During the month of December, 1934, dub pilots made 49 cross-country flights, visits being made to towns in both North and South Islands. There were 28 arrivals of visiting aircraft at Hood Aerodrome during December, and 30 departures in the same period. Preliminary arrangements for the official North Island air pageant, to be held at the Hood Aerodrome Masterton, on Saturday, March 2, under the auspices of the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club, were discussed, and several arrangements for spectacular events on that occasion were made. DOUBLE DROWNING Verdict of Accidental Death WiMroa, Janna ry 11. A verdict that deceased were accidentally drowned was returned by the district coroner, Mr. V. E. 'Winter, at the conclusion of evidcnee at the adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of John Brunton White and Robert Brunton White, the two young sons of Mr. and Mrs. William B. White, who lest their lives by drowning nt Lake Wnikareinoana on Sunday last.

The father gave evidence that, on finding the two boys missing, he commenced a search. On looking into the waters of the lake he saw the two bodies lying in about 8 to 10 feet of water about 12 feet from tho edge. Witness dived and recovered the bodies. ' A Mr. Coekerill arrived soon after, and resuscitation methods were adopted, but without avail.