NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 107, 3 October 1874, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Northern Line, —We learn that the Northern line, beyond Chainey’s Corner to Rangiora, will be repaired, so that traffic may be resumed on Monday morning.

Concert. —The concert, to be held in the Lyttelton Colonists’ Hall, on Thursday night, did not come off, owing to the inclemency of the weather, but, we hear, it will be carried out next week.

Blast. —A great blast, as mentioned in yesterday’s paper, was fired at 4 p.m, yesterday afternoon. There were three chambers containing 140 barrels of powder, and, we hear, the result of the explosion is very successful. A considerable number of visitors were present. The contractors, as before stated, are proceeding with the work in a most satisfactory manner.

Miss Hattie .Sheeparde.— The numerous friends of this lady in Christchurch, will read with regret the announcement of her death in our Australian telegrams this evening. Miss Shepparde had returned to Melbourne, to play a short engagement at the Theatre Royal there, prior to organising a dramatic company to visit New Zealand, when her death under very sad circumstances occurred. Mr Hallam will, we are sure, have the sympathy of many here under his heavy infliction, more especially as he had been married only a year.

Lyttelton Colonists’ Society. A meeting of this society, to nominate officers and committee for the ensuing year, was held on Thursday night, at the Colonists’ Hall. There was not a large attendance of members. The president, Mr H. R. Webb, occupied the chair, and called members’ attention to the objects of the meeting. Mr Carder asked what time the meeting was called for. He thought it should have been properly advertised. The president said the meeting ought to have been held at 7 o’clock, but he had delayed it owing to the paucity of attendance. The nominations were then proceeded with. We give the names of those proposed for the various posts . —For president, Mr J. D. McPherson and H. Allwright ; for vice-president, Dr J. T. Rouse ; treasurer, Mr J. G. Fyfe ; secretary, Mr C. A. Rich ; members of committee, Messrs W. Graham, H. R. Webb, B. Weyburn, J. A. Plummer, J. T. Rouse, H. C. Jacobson, H. N. Nalder, J. S. Willcox, J. Hobbs, T. Y, Whitmore, Dr McDonald, J. D. MacPherson, G. Newell Phillips, J, Mcllroy, H. Allwright, F. Pember, P. Graham, H. Hawkins, and 0. Ward. The annual meeting for the election of officers and committee will be held in the Colonists’ Hall, on Thursday evening next.

Southbbidgb. —The adjourned annual meeting of the Ellesmere Cricket Club, was held at the Southbridge Hotel, on Thursday the Ist inst. A fair attendance of members werepresent, Mr W. B, C. Christie in thechair. The minutes of the last annual and committee meetings having been read and confirmed, the secretary laid before the meeting his balance-sheet, showing the financial position of the club, which, considering the difficulties the past officers had had to contend ag dost, was in every way a matter of congratulation, the debit balance having been reduced from nearly £2O to the moderate sum of only £3 10s. Messrs Laurence and Lewis were elected to audit the accounts of the past year, which, having been examined, were reported by them to be correct, and passed accordingly. The following gentlemen were elected to act as committeemen for the ensuing twelvemonth :—Messrs E. Jollie, W. B. C. Christie, T. Acland, W. D. Laurence, 0. P. Williams, R. B. Willis, and H. Knyvett. Mr E. Jollie was unanimously re-elected as president, Mr. C. J. Williams, secretary, and Mr H. Knyvett, captain. It was proposed by Captain Willis, and seconded by Mr Acland, “ That rule 6 be altered from every Saturday throughout the season “to every alternate Thursday,” and that all members have access to the ground and material of the club by inscribing their names in a book, so long as they do not play across the match pitch.” Carried. It was moved—“ That in view of the uncertain tenure of the present ground,the committee be authorised to select a suitable piece of land, which might be occupied by the club on a more secure basis than that at present made use of by them.” It was resolved that the opening match of the season take place on Wedesday, 13th October.” A vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to Messrs Fitzroy and Acland, who had respectively held the positions of captain and secretary of the club during the past season for the energetic and satisfactory way in which they had conducted the affairs of the club during their terra of office. Several new members were then proposed and elected, after which a vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to a close.

Selwyn. —Owing to the heavy and continuous rain which has fallen during the course of last week, the Selwyn river has been in a very flooded state, and at one time there was every appearance of a repetition of the flood of 1868. Luckily on Tuesday afternoon the river commenced to recede, not however before it had done considerable damage to the southern approaches of Lower Selwyn Bridge, by washing away the banks of the river between the breakwater and the bridge. The main course of the stream appears ti have entirely forsaken its old channel in favor of a fresh one of its own making. The crown of the main road between the river and Doyleston has been likewise for several days past completely covered with water, the drains in the neighborhood seeming to be totally inadequate to carry off the accumulation of surface water in times of such heavy rains. Transit of Venus.— We learn that, after minute inquiry into the advantages and disadvantages of the various places in and near Christchurch which might be suitable for the Transit of Venus Observatory, and after a personal examination of most of them, Major Palmer has decided in favor of Burnham, eighteen miles from Christchurch, as that which best combines the chief desiderata. The main object of course was to choose the spot which offers the best possible prospect of a clear view of the sun between the hours of about one p.m. and five p.m. on December 9th ; and the evidence of the most trustworthy authorities in this matter appears to have been in favor of some point in the vicinity of Burnham or Rolleston. The site chosen for the observatory is a short distance north-west of the industrial school, within the Government reserve. Experiments were made here on Thursday to ascertain whether the gravel of the plain offers perfect stability as a foundation for the piers of the astronomical instruments. A basin of mercury was placed on the gravel at a depth of three or four feet below the surface. No tremor could be detected during the passage of a heavy luggage train at a distance of 400 yards, nor while persons were moving about in the vicinity. The site has now been marked out for inclosure, and excavations for the piers were begun yesterday morning. Besides the advantages of climate and good foundation, Burnham also offers those of railway accommodation for conveyance of the apparatus from Lyttelton, easy telegraphic communication, and an uninterrupted view of the sky and horizon, and accommodation for offices, &c, in the Industrial School building. The risk of deflection of the spirit levels of the instruments by the hill-masses of Banks’ Peninsula has led Major Palmer to decline the offers of sites on their estates, which were kindly made by the Hon E. W. Stafford and Sir J. Cracroft Wilson. The site in Hagley Park, which had also been proposed, fails from want of stability for foundations, and from other defects. In the course of his enquiries Major Palmer has received the utmost help from his Honor the Superintendent, and from Messrs Jollie, Hamilton, Bray, Haast, Cass, Hewlings, and other officers of the Government. We are indebted to the courtesy of Major Palmer for the above information.