AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 100, 15 February 1890, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

; By 'Electric Telegraph. — Copyright. [ I I'JSR UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION, j , Sydney* February 13---1 An attempt was made by a parachutist ? - named Williams,* at Ashfield (fiye miles ■ west of this city), to-day to ascend in a 1 balloon and come down by means of a ' parachute. When he had ascended a - considerable height something went ' wrong- with the ropes, which rendered . him unable to free himself, and the balloon, unchecked m its career, rose to an altitude of nearly 12,(k)0ft. Eventually he tnauaged to make his descent, but came down in George River, where he was rescued. Williams said he suffered severely from the intense ' cold which he , passsed through at the height of about \ 10.000 ft. As it was he had a very nar. row escape. The four masted ship Holyhead in-. ' ward bound from London, has been wrecked on Point Lonsdale. All the , crew are safe. She was commanded by , Captain Williams, who was at one time ' captain of the ship Connga, well-known . iv the New Zealand trade. The cargo is ; valued at L 60,000 and the hull at \ L 25.000 but, as far as known at present, , these are covered with insurance. ( Mr J. T. Brown, ex-M.L.A. for Man- , durang, has recovered LdOO damages from \ the Age for libel. The amount claimed , by Brown was L' 20,000. •An Intercolonial Conference will pro- ' bably meet during the first week in Maroh to make inquiries into the red rust , which has been playing such navoc with wheat crops in the agricultural districts. Melbouenb, February 13, Though typhoid fever is more prevalent than last year the disease is not so fatal.