FATAL RAILWAY COLLISIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1968, 2 January 1907, Page 2

FATAL RAILWAY COLLISIONS.

llccoived 9.29 p.in., Dec. 31. NEW YORK, Doc. 31. A passenger and a goods train collided on tlio Baltimoro-Oliio railway, near Washington. Deaths estimated at hotween fifteen and forty, and the injured-number a hundred."

NEW YORK, Dec. 31. Details of the Baltimore accident are to the eifcct that an empty train travelling at a speed of sixty miles an hour, hurled a coal truck into a crowded train, standing at Terrotta station. The driver of the latte-' feeling the crash, opened the thret tie, hoping to pull the train out of further danger. The victims were thus strewn along the track for a distance of a mile. Thirty-eight were killed and fifty injured.

BERLIN, Dec. 31. The Hamburg-Cologne express collided with a goods train at Ottersberg. Five were killed and six injui'od.

FRENCH NAVAL ACTIVITY. PARIS, Dec. 31. The French Minister of Marine has placed orders for four battleships of 13,350 tons, and costing fifty million francs each, armed with twelve inch guns.

A NEW WHEAT COUNTRYCAIRO, Dec. 31. Sir W. E. Garstin lias advised the Minister for public Works for Egypt that he has visited the Soudan as far south as Rosaires. He reports the condition of t Ik.- people to be vastly improved, and predicts that the Sezira Province immediately south of Khartoum, when irrigated, will become one of the finest wheat countries in the world.

THE MISSING STEAMER RANGATIRA. FOUND WITH SHAFT BROKEN. BRISBANE, Dec. 31. The steamer Prinz Sigismund arrived from New Guinea, and deports the missing steamer Rangatira at Frederick Willielmshoven, with a broken shaft. She was expected to leave there yesterday for Sydney. . The captain of the Mgismun-l states that the Rangatira broke her propeller shaft when in latitude 5 deg. north, longitude 132 deg. east, on November 18- She drifted till December 10, when the engineers succeeded in coupling the broken shaft. The captain took the vessel very slowly to German New Guinea, and there lightened. A cofferdam was erected round the stern. At hen the Sigismund left efforts were being made to put in a reserve shaft. Captain Chudioj hoped to he able to resume the voyage to Sydney on December 30.

FIRE ON STEAMER. AN EXCITING TIME. Received 10.23 a.m., Jan. 1. MELBOURNE, Jan. 1. Arrived, Irish Monarch, from New York, When slie was ISO miles from the Heads on Sunday, sparks weri noticed coming from the ventilator of the after bold. Steps were taken to smother it by hermetically sealing every aperture. The decks became red hot. The deck cargo caught fire. Much of this consisted of inflammable freight for Sydney. A large quantity was thrown overboard, but tlie bulk of a tier of casks, containing resin, was saved. Large quantities of kerosene and turpentine were stored ill tlie burning hold, over which the work of jettisoning tlie deck cargo was conducted. The fire was gradually got under. The hold in which the fire happened contained a generalcargo for Melbourne and Lyttelton. H'ow the outbreak occurred is a mystery.

An examination of the vessel was made on arrival, but owing to the dense smoke the outbreak could not be definitey located. Several burning cases were taken from' the hold, which it was deemed . wise to cover up again lest the current of air should, cause the fire to break out with greater force. It has been arranged for lighters to be taken alongside to-day, and cargo transhipped in the harbor, the authorities declining to permit the vessel to proceed alongside the wharf until the fire is ■ completely extinguished.

Received Jan. 1, 1.7 a.m. MELBOURNE, Jan. 1. The Irish Monarch is still anchored in the stream. Though the fire is under, and all danger passed, it is not yet possible to make a thorough investigation to ascertain the full extent of the damage. When the hatches wore removed dense smoke issued. Six firemen who went below were overcome by fumes; others on deck were also affected, but all recovered. So far as the investigation lias gone the scene of the fire appears to have been amongst rolls of paper and American goods consigned to Sydney. The work of discharging has commenced.

THE IRISH FLAG. A NEW YORK INCIDENT. Received Jan. 1, 12.5 p.m. MELBOURNE, Jan. 1. An extraordinary incident marked the departure of the steamo* the Irish Monarch from New York. A large gathering of Irish American longshoremen refused to allow the seamen to cast off till she had hoisted the Irish flag. Captain Graham declined to accede to the request, and sent ior the police. As the elections were progressing no police were available. I lie affair began to look serious. Ibe agents of the vessel, being appealed to, decided to overcome the difficulty by hoisting tile British ensign on the foremast and the Irish Hag on the mizzeii. The steamer then sailed amidst the plaudits of till crowd.

IRISH AFFAIRS. SENSATIONAL REVELATIONS PREDICTED. Received Jan. 1, 10.5 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 1. Mr. Sheehan lias been re-elected unopposed. He declared that the election would free the Irish party from the narrow despotism which was rendering it useless for r.nv great national purpose. Mr. William . O’Brien stated that Mr. Sheehan intended to take legal proceedings which would lead to revelations of greater public interes 1 - than anything since the Parnell Com mission.