NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 97, 3 May 1901, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, last night. The comet was seen at G last evening by Mr Stevenson, F.R.A.S., but owing to its low altitude, telescopic observation cannot be made.

New Plymouth, last night. The trawler Doto left for Nelson this morning. Yesterday she had a successful cruise off this coast, obtaining a variety of good fish, including lemon soles.

Wellington, last night. At the Coal Commission Mr Martin Kennedy, formerly owner of the Brunner mine, emphatically denied that the Coal Pitheath and Wallsend mines were deliberately wrecked for the benefit of other properties. It was absolutely no use to re-open either of those mines, as they were worked out. Speaking generally, ho believed coalmining had paid, but doubted if in the. Grey Valley it had re-paid the capital put into it. He was not prepared to express an opinion as to the amount of coal remaining on the w-gfifc coast. The New Zealand Rugby Union decided last night to suggest to the New South Wales Union that the minimum number of matches played in each colony be seven per tour, and that the team leave Sydney not later than the 15th August. A sub-com-

mittee was appointed to draw up a provisional programme. Colonel Pitt and Messrs Luke, Reid, Bowen, and Captain Russell, members of the Federation Commission,. returned from Sydney by the Waihora to-day.

Trooper Robert • Farquhar, of Robert’s Horse, a son of Captain A. Farquhar, of Auckland, who returned to the colony six weeks ago, died last night from injuries received to his chest primarily caused by a horse rolling on him.

A girl named Marion Bradley was badly burned through her clothes igniting at a kitchen fire, and expired in the hospital last night.

Christchurch, last night. Augustus Moore, who pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of embezzlement of large sums of money while in the employ of Reuter’s Agency, also to a charge of forgery, was to-day sentenced by Judge Denuiston to eighteon months imprisonment. Pia Cook, a Maori, on a charge of breaking and entering, was admitted to probation. / A four-roomed house at the corner of Stewart and Horatio streets, was completely destroyed by fire this morning. The insurance is not ascertainable. The house was occupied by two Old Age pensioners, a man and his wife. The man was blind. Their daughter’s child, two to three years’ old, in the front bedroom, was rescued by an Assyrian hawker named Mary Coura, who went into the smoke-filled room and groped for the child, which was crying.

The new steamship Suevic, the last of the fleet of five 12,000-ton vessels ordered by the White Star Line for their Liverpool, Cape, and Australian service, was launched from the yard of Messrs Harland and Wolff, Belfast, on the Bth December, and has since been undergoing the necessary fitting out. Being completed and ready for her employment, she left Belfast on Saturday, March 16th, and arrived in the Mersey on Sunday, proceeding at once to the Canada Dock. She is appointed tc sail from Liverpool on 28rd March for Australian ports, calling at Capetown. The Suevic, like her sister ship Bunic, is of 12,482 gross tonnage. Her dimensions are : Length 565 feet; beam, 68 feet; depth, 40 feet. She is supplied with double sets of engines, driving twin propellors, an important element of safety on long voyages. The Suevic and her four sisters of the White Star Australian fleet —Afric, Medic, Persic, and Bunic—are all of uniform dimensions and type, and in regard to their passenger accommodation. For the fares charged this accommodation may be termed unique, and would have been regarded as luxurious for saloon passengers a few years ago. In the Suevic, as in the Bunic, the diningroom is placed on the upper deck, where there is thorough ventilation, and by proximity to the pantry and galley rapid service of meals is assured. To effect this the poop is connected with the bridgehouse, whereby is formed ' a spacious promenade 800 feet in length. The building of the N.Z.S. Co.’s new twin screw steamer' Buapehu, lately launched by Messrs William Denny and Bros., Lovcn Shipyard, Dumbarton, must always constitute a record in rapidity of construction. The steamer, which is 457 feet long, 58 feat broad, and 34 feet deep, was commenced at the end of May, launched on the 20th of February, and will be delivered the first week in April, 10J months after she was laid down. . She has a deadweight capacity, including coal, of 10,000 tons; a cubic capacity, exclusive of 1800 tons of bunker space, 13,000 tons; is fitted with twin screw engines, and powerful boilers to work at 1801 b steam pressure, and has a speed of 14 knots. Her duplicate refrigerating engines on the Anhydrous Ammonia principle have been supplied by Messrs Haslam and Co., of Derby, one engine running twelve hours a day being capable of keeping her cargo of frozen produce equal to 000 carcases mutton at a temperature of 10 to 15 degree above zero. She has also capacity for carrying 5000 tons of general cargo. She carries 40 first, 50 second, and has permanent accommodation for 90 third class passengers. All first class passenger cabins are fitted with the latest improvements in the way of chests of drawers, wardrobes, etc., and the second class accommodation commodious and comfortable. The company are making a special feature of the third class accommodation, giving these' passengers a smoking-room. The Buapehu is expected to leave London on her maiden trip to New Zealand on 31st May. A fire-eating London correspondent writes : —Why did England approach the Boers in such circumstances, when the move was certain to be used against this country, and could not possibly have any favorable outcome 2 The answer is a most humiliating confession of weakness. Ministers sued to the Boers for peace simply because they were afraid of Sir William Harcouri, of Mr Labouchere; even of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, of Truth, aye, even of the pro-Boer Daily News ! They were told by the Opposition party that they ought to offer terms of peace. Therefore they did so! The Eadical leaders ordered the Conservative Government to humiliate the country before its foe —and the Conservative Government:., its overwhelming majority notwithstanding, meekly obeyed, and did so! After all our frightful losses and sacrifices, our wise Government, mainly through craven dread of disloyal and acrimonious tongues, place the nation in the attitude of defeat and humiliation, and do so in vain! It is a maddening thought to all with a spark of patriotic and Imperial pride in their composition! ”