BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3481, 20 April 1874, Page 3

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Mv-r, % - Wellington, April 18. Air Uamoke, whose claims have been before Parliament frequently, has entered an action in S +b-^* me CoUr ! a 8«S? 8t Mr V ogel as head P lain tiif conducted his own case, and has just been defeated on all points. 1 ..Mr A. Young has obtained the contract for the conveyance of mails to Waipukurau and xS apier. The Luna arrived last evening "Northern trip.

About 600 people went to the Hutt by railway yesterday. Cattle trucks had to he filled with seats. The steamer Stormbird is about to he laid on for the Taranaki trade by Messrs Turnbull and Co. Auckland, April 18. reat ? re is raging in Queen Street. King, * v®, chemist, Marshall, fruiterer, Redfern, photographer, Hurst, produce merchant, (.’leal, hairdresser, and Seymour, fruiterer, have already had their premises burnt down. The -f 8 . ~ r0 . 9 , 5 .! and ‘Evening Star! offices and v aile s Buildings are in great danger.

. April 19. v f e was confined te tbe wooden buildV ? lle > tte dra P«r. the £ , Cro ". both brick. These “rrhaa^nffiwv’ 11 danger, especially the h* brick walls stood well. Sw S nat l d tbe chemist. In taking down a bottle of turpentine it broke iSd Vial a chemical; the vapour ignited at the gas and flamed so rapidly that all m the shop had to rush out. Thera was not even*time to take the cash out of the till The dry wooden buildings were a mass of flames in a very few minutes. Redfern’s photographic saloon, in the upper part of King’s building yrm (fortkoyed before anything cbuld by wyfd!

Marshall’s, fruiterer shop, adjoining, ignited immediately, and burnt with great rapidity. The fire, in the meantime, extended towards the Cross’ office, carrying with it Hughes’s oyster shop; and the shops of Seymour, the fruiterer; Cleal, the barber; Townsend, produce merchant; and W. J. Hurst, produce and coal merchant. The eight buildings destroyed covered not more than 1-Oft. frontage. When all were a mass of flame, the heat was intense. Only by closing all the shops on the opposite side of the street, and making great exertions on the roofs, was the fire prevented from extending over there. The ‘ Southern Cross ’ office stood in great danger; the engjne-rocm was several times afire. Ultimately, by grt at exertions, it was saved, though the wall was damaged by the

heat. The water supply was most inefficient. The fire-engines were useless, though the fire men and volunteers exerted themselves to the utmost. The block was just permitted to burn out, the exertions of the firemen being directed to saving the neighboring premises. The insurances, so far as can be ascertained, are as follows Norwich Union, Ll,200; New Zealand, L 1,500 ; Victoria, L 1.500 ; Koyal, L 10 0; South British, nothing. Mr Chisholm’s house at the Whau was burned last night. It was insured in the Now Zealand office ; amount not known.

April 20. The burned buildings were all owned by Mr W. Goodfellow, They were insured in the Norwich Union for L7OO, and in the Scottish Commercial for LSOO. Hurst’s stock was insured in the Victoria for L 70 0; Marshall’s, L 10 0; King, in the New Zealand, for L 70 0; Townsend’s stock, in the New Zealand, for 1.500; Seymour’s stock, in the New Zealand, for L 200; Redfem’s stock, in the New Zealand, for LIOO. The damage done to Vailes’s building, and the ‘ Southern Cross ’ fall chiefly on the Norwich Union.

The brig Albion, loading sleepers for the Kaukapakipaki river, while coming out, got ashore on the rocks, and broke her back. She lies with four feet of water in the hold. She is owned by Henderson, Macfariane, and Co., and it is reported was insured for L 2,000. The Albion (brig) is insured for L2,0v.0 in the Sydney office of the Victoria Insurance Company, Her caigo, which consists of 6,000 sleepers, can easily be got out. New Plymouth, April 18. The Natives have sold another block of land to Government. Mr Parris yesterday made an advance of LIOO upon the purchase. The land

lies between two blocks alleged to be under offer to the Government. , Nelson, April 18. Mr T. R. Fisher, merchant, recently made an assignment of his property. A provisional statement of liis affairs shows his liabilities to be L 30.269 and assets L 35.743 ; but the latter estimate is not likely to be realised. Grahamstown, April 18. Major Gordon, whilst here making his annual inspection of Volunteers, passed some severe stricture on No. 1 Royals, one of the oldest companies in the district; in consequence of which the company is going to disband. Invercargill, April 20. The Land Office h-*B been 'rushed to-day by applicants for sections on M‘Nab’s run, on deferred payments. Five or six applications have been made for each section. Queenstown, Queenstown, April 20. The Corporation have at last risen to the danger of the sanitary position of the town, and have commenced a vigorous crusade against all _ nuisances. They have abolished piggeries, and are now discussing the water supply. Strong articles i i the Press has caused this agitation. The district is healthy as yet, and people are ctming from Cromwell for change of air. Young Milne’s death there is much deplored. He left Thurlby Domain to enter the trade. He is a nephew of Mr Hallenstein, M.P.C.

A meeting has been convened on Wednesday to petition the Government to call for tenders for the Winton-Kingstonlino. ■. Miners are still going in the Palmer direction. Fine weather has again set in, and mining operations are resumed. The District Court business is almost nil.