HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1965, 28 December 1906, Page 1

HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

jiy “I*(‘iK?l<>l'>o. ** Til K TAIiLiC-SING I'M IS. 'l’lm lucdcrlafol concerts an; always much enjoyed liy tiie large audiences Mud crowd the. Sydney-,street Mali, and the performance last week was no exception to the rule. .Mr. darker wields Use baton most skilj fully, and Ims his hand of singers in line control. lie had just arrived from Christchurch, where he had been judging the musical competitions, an honor he was probably very glad to have completed. Usually, the men who form the Inedertal'el have sat on the stage, but at this last concert they were ranged in a semi-circle of seats on the Hour of the hall, and the effect of their voices was improved, dust ns Air. darker struck the keynote, and the audience subsided into hushed expectation, an engine whistled and there was a general ripple of laughter, in which even the conductor joined. The uuaceom]>aiiied glees are charming when sung as the Leidertatel did, with harmony and sympathy. There are some lino solo voices in the Society, notably Mr. Searle, Mr. Carr, Mr. Douglas Jackson, and Mr. Mockley. Miss Janet Ross gave two pianoforte solos wit'll wonderful execution. She is to he married shortly to Dr. Hector, son of Sir James Hector. The only drawback to a thoroughly enjoyable evening was the great heat. It was an absolutely stilling night, and the feeling of oppression was intensified by the shock that had been generally felt because of the tragedy of the afternoon. The minds of the people were full of the terrible accident,

THE 5 f OTOR-EN CINE HORROR. There is something very dreadful in the idea of a lady, leaving her home, bent on housewifely cares of Ppping, and being carried hack to it_ an hour or so later, dead. A friend and 1 passed the corner only a little while after the accident, and saw a small crowd, and the broad marks of the motor-engine sweeping round the curve. Wellington has been proud of its motor tiro engine, and many a time I have admired it rushing along, heralded by shouts and clanging of bells. The ‘machine itself makes scarcely any noise, but there is, as a rule, sufficient made b.v the men on board to attract attention and act as a warning. The day the catastrophe happened, the Botanical Gardens had been on lire, and form' time it seemed us if the blaze might spread to some of the houses on Sail Salamanca Road, which is bounded on one side by the Reserve. The (ire engines were'kept busy, and it was on one of the trips up Bowen Street that Mrs. Kensington’s death happened. Although the family had not been hero long, they bad many friends, who were horrorstruck at the occurrence; The Government buildings, where Mr. Kensington lias his office, look straight across at the corner where the accident took place, and the dreadful tidings came with frightful rapidity. It is said though there is some dispute amout this point—that 51rs. Kensington hesitated and went back instead of going straight across the crossing, when she would have been safe. Another point in which there is tremendous diversity of opinion, is the rate of speed the motor was goinw Ihe evidence varied from four miles to twenty-five! The affair has caused a temporary scare, and a feel in a () f nervous uncertainty, especially' 3 - t b dangerous crossings,: This is quite noticeable, and naturally, as one breakage leads to another, a fact (fiat all housewives will admit, may result _m another accident, unless tnnhe is regulated. ’There are corners—such as the Willis-Mannors Street crossing—where country visitors behove to he extremely cautious. The narrowing of the road, owing to the late Lnmbton Quay tire, increases the danger, and a serious accident was narrowly averted on Tuesday, when a man dragged a girl out of the reach ot an approaching tram, which.was coming up behind her. She had stepped between the rails to allow threo people who were walking abreast, in the narrow space between hoardings and rails, to pass .