THE EXHIBITION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2014, 25 February 1907, Page 3

THE EXHIBITION.

(By Telegraph Special Service.l CHRISTCHURCH, last night. The attendance at the Exhibition was again big on Saturday. There was a large audience at the organ recital given by Mr. W. H. Monk, Sydney organist. Mr. Monk was assisted by his brother, of the Exhibition orchestra, who played several violin solos. In the evening a vocal anil instrumental concert was given, at which Mrs. Arthur Mead acquitted herself well as a vocalist. The arrival of one hundred and twenty-two Hawke’s Bay Maoris gave a numerous population to the pa. They will give performances of pois, hakas, and war dances daily during their stay. The Amateur Athletic Association’s Championship meeting was concluded on the sports ground on Saturday, in the presence of about a thousand spectators. The second season of the Besses o’ th’ Barn Band will commence on Thursday next, and performances will be given every afternoon and evening in "the sports ground during their fortnight’s visit. Extensive preparations are being made for a display of daylight fireworks to take place next Saturday. These fireworks, which are an entire novelty to New Zealand, are a Japanese invention. Shells will be thrown up into the air, where they will burst, emitting fighting cocks, horses, and riders, birds, and fish, swarms of butterflies, and many other curious contents. Special arrangements are being made to enable the school children to witness this exhibition, and a record attendance of young people is expected 'to arrive. Arrangements are now almose complete for the motor car - gymkhana to be held by tlio Canterbury Automobile Association on the Exhibition sports ground on March 9, when a large number of cars will take part in a procession through the city to the Exhibition. The programme of competitions will include some highly novel events. The Besses o’ th Barn Band will play on the rotunda as an additional attraction. Entries for the pet show to be held in Wonderland on Friday, March 8, close on Monday, March 4. Already a largo variety of pets have been entered. Shilling tickets for the pets’ show will admit to Wonderland and Exhibition, and a record attendance of young people is expected. The week of the Fire Brigades’ Competitions, which will take place on the sports ground, commencing on March 19, should be one of the most important the Exhibition has yet seen. Teams from eighty brigades will take part in the contests. One hundred brigades altogether will be represented, and over eight hundred firemen will be engaged in the competitions. ■ , On the evening of Tuesday, March 19, a water display will be given on Victoria Lake on highly novel lines. The lake will be surrounded by fire brigade steamers, and twelve of fourteen branches of hose will he led to the centre of the lake, whence they will throw up powerful lets of water to a height of 150 feet, making, the lake resemble one gigantic fountain, whose columns will be lighted from beneath by changing colored pieces of

Ut'iiuavu . . Roman candles and other pyrotechnic devices. On the following evening one hundred boats containing firemen discharging fireworks will form a procession on the river, led by two motor launches carrying the teams and band, and on Thursday evening an elaborate water display will be 1 given by the entire Christchurch : plant, and on Friday night, when prizes will be presented by the judges ' one thousand firemen and guests will ' dine together publicly m the main : C ° r Sho course of the water display it is intended to send up 2500. gallons * » and another novel feature

will he a tost; of all tho chemical engines in tlio Exhibition. Largo sized, small, and medium buildings will ho erected of different sizes on tho sports ground, which will ho sot lire to and the flames extinguished by different engines in the presence of competent judges, who will time the respective performances, and decide which chemicals aro most efficient lor their work.

A THRILLING EXPERIENCE. FIRE ON LAUNCH AND ESCAPE OF PASSENGERS. Press Association. DUNEDIN, last night. Yesterday afternoon there was considerable excitement at. tlio wharf, the event being the burning of tlio launch Maitai in tlio steamer’s basin, and tlio rescue of ftlie passengers under somewhat thrilling circumstances. It appeared that tho Maitai left the wharf about 2.30 p.m. for Maori Kaik, carrying sonic sixteen or seventeen excursionists. As she reached tho middle of the basin a dicker of flame was observed amidships by thoso who wore watching from the wharf. This very speedily developed into a substantial blaze, tho whole loro part of tho vessel being enveloped, while thero was, of course, much dangor of the flames reaching the benzine tanks and causing an explosion, which would probably have boon fatal to everyone on hoard. In this emergency, Mr. G. McPherson, who was in charge, at onco put the launch about, and headed for the dredge Vulcan, which is lying at the end of Rattray street wharf. It took three or four minutes to reach the Vulcan, and by that time tho launch was fairly ablaze. Tho passengers scrambled out of .her and on to the dredgo as fast ns possible, and in tho hurry three passongers, a lady and two gcntlomen, fell into the water. It appears that the lady missed her footing, and stumbling, drew in the two gontlemen. She went clean under, and thoso who were lending a hand had two accidents to cope with at the same time. Mr. Sullivan, the owner, was now on the scene, and gave what directions were Pocessarv. The people who were struggling in the water were fished out, and in tho meantime Air. McPherson and others were busy filling the launch with water by moans of buckets, besides which a hole was broken through her bottom. Having landed the passengers, some of whom had tlieir clothes and hair badly singed, the next- thing was to get the burning vessel away from tho dredge. With that end in view a launch was brought alongside and towed hor, now blazing furiously, away to shallo wwater, round past the boat sheds, near the jetty street wharf, where she was sunk. The Maitai cost about £2OO. It' is surmised that the conflagration was caused through some one throwing down a lighted match ,which ignited the vapour of bonzine.

ATHLETICS. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. Tho New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association’s annual championship meeting was concluded this afternoon on the Exhibition sports ground. Tho weather was fine and the attendance good. The results were:— 50 Yards Handicap.—A. Anderson (41 yds) 1, R. H. North (21 yds) 2, Tune 5 1-5 secs.

220 Yards Schoolboys’ Handicap.— L. Muir (15 yds) 1, F. Sanders (20 yds) 2. Time 26 secs. Three Miles Flat Championship.— H. Penderville (Wellington) 1, H. C. Murray (Otago) 2, S. P. Moore (Canterbury) 3. Time 15 mins. 24 3-5 secs.

High Jump Championship.—C. L. Mcßell (Canterbury) oft. SJin., 1; G. Ti’omasson (Wellington), sft. 7Jin., 2; H. T. Cook (Wellington), and G. H. Davies (Canterbury), sft. 6in., equal, 3. 440 Yards Flat Handicap.—W. Trenbath (8 yds) 1, M. C. Soger (22 yds) 2, G. S. Collyns (22 yds) 3. Time 51 4-5 secs.

One Mile Walk Championship.— A. E. M. Rowland (Canterbury) 1, F. H. Hubberfield (Canterbury) 2. 11. E. Keen (Wellington) was disqualified for lifting. Time 6 rains 46 2-5 secs.

120 Yards Hurdles Handicap.—T. Ruddock (owes 10 yards) 1, R. J. Dansey (owes 9 yards) 2. Time 18 4-5 secs.

Half-mile Championship.—H. G. Burk (Otago) 1, J. Bradbury (Wellington) 2, J. Wellis (Canterbury) 3. Time 2 min. 1 2-5 secs.

220 Yards Flat Championship.—E. E. Fisher (Wellington) 1, H. Henderson (Wellington) 2, W, Anderson (Canterbury) 3. Time 23 2-5 secs. 120 Yards Flat Handicap.—G. F. Drury (7 yds) 1, C. F. Binns (6 yds) 2. Time 12 1-5 secs.

Three Miles Harrier Championship. —Otago 1, Canterbury 2. Time 16 mins. 58 1-5 secs.

440 Yards Hurdles Championship. —II. T. A. Murray (Canterbury) 1, J. W. O’Kane (Otago) 2, T. S. Ruddock (Otago) 3. Time 61 secs. Pole Jumping Championship.—L. McKay (Wellington), 9ft. 6in., 1; T. R. Overton (Otago), 9ft. 3in., 2; J. McLaclilan (Otago), 9ft. 3in., 3. One Mile Club Championship Relay Pace. Wellington Amateur Athletic Club 1, Pioneer Amateur Bicycle and At) letic Club 2. Time 3 mins. 35 ,1-5 secs.

Throwing 161 b. Hammer Championship.—J. Wallace (Auckland), 127 ft. lin., 1; T. A. O’Grady (Auckland), 123 ft. 9m., 2; S. Baird (Canterbury), 122 ft. 7in., 3. Wellington won the Championship Shield with 74J points, Canterbury being second with 39-) points, Otago third with 25 points, and Auckland fourth with 9 points.

RIFLE SHOOTING. MOST EXCITING MATCH. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, last night. Tho final day’s shooting opened m dull, heavy weather, which brightened up later. The principal events were the champion teams’ match and Weekly Press Challenge Shield match for the public school cadets. The champion teams’ match, in which 30 teams competed, w-as won by Green Island Rifles, who beat Hawke’s Bay Mounted, on a tie. Tho scores of the arincipal winners were: —Green Isanti 465, Hawke’s Bay Mounted 460, Weber 463, Ivaroro No. 2 462. The competition was one of the most exciting, ever seen on any range in the colonv. For the Weekly Press Challenge Shield there was great comnetition among five teams, the match being won by Waimate public school, with Kaiapoi second.

minister for lands. jiiJjlilONS OF ORANGES ROTTEN Press Association AUCKLAND, last night. The Minister for Lands visited the Cable Station at Doubtless Bay yesterday, and was shown round by Mr Hertslet, the Company’s supermtenMcNab cabled to Norfolk Island, ‘•Have you had a dry or a wet seasou?” The reply came in twentyfive seconds, “\ery wet—much more rain than in the previous two years. A great orange crop, estimated at millions, is rotting on the ground for the want of a market.” . , The Minister afterwards visited the new hospital of twelve beds, overlooking Doubtless Bay.