NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 337, 12 July 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Calcutta Sweeps. Sweeps on the Christchurch Steeplechases will be drawn at Morton's Hotel on next Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Lincoln Ploughing Match. This match will take place on Friday, July 30th, and be held in Mr J. Markey's paddock, near the| Prebbleton Hotel; Sitt JULIUS Vogel.—The Auck]and correspondent of the Otago Daily Times states that it is rumoured and believed that Sir Julius Vogel was to leave England via Suez on the 9th of July. The Railway Station.—We have been reqiiested to state that the petition which has already been very numerously signed in favour of the Railway station being in Colombo street south, will not be presented to the Government before next Monday. Lincoln Fair.—ln consequence of the opening of the Southbridge extension on Tuesday next the Lincoln fair will Dot take place this month. The meeting of the association has been postponed until Monday, 19th inst, at seven p.m., to be held at the Lincoln Hotel. Accident at Rangitata.—We learn that an accident happened on Saturday evening at the Rangitata cutting. A laborer named Joseph Firm fell down the cutting on to the railway line. He was brought to Ashburton on Sunday morning and attended to, but he is not expected to live. Inquest.—An inquest was held on Saturday last, before J. W. S. Coward, Esq, coroner, at the house of Mr Thompstone, Halswell, on the body of his late wife, who unfortunately met her death by drowning'in the Halswell river on Thursday last. The evidence given corroborated the particulars which appeared in our issue of Saturday, the deceased, however, when found by her husband, having her nose and mouth submerged. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."

Night Patrol.—To those residents on the North town belt who had complained of being annoyed by the visits of vagrants.after nightfall, it will be satisfactory to learn that after his Worship the Mayor and Cr Raphael waited on the Commissioner of Police as a deputation from the City Council in this matter, under instructions from Mr Shearman, a mounted constable has been detailed off to patrol not only this portion, but all the belts from nine o'clock at night until an early hour in the morning.

Attempt to Upset a Bail way Train. —On Saturday, a boy, whose name is believed to be John Vorvensen, about twelve years of age, was caught in the act of placjng three large stones on the narrow gauge railway to Oxford, with the object of upsetting the midday luggage train. The engine-driver, noticing the stones, pulled up as the train knocked one of them off. The boy was also seen placing them, and the guard (Murphy) gave him chase, succeeding in bringing the boy into Bangiora, where he was taken into custody by the police. Sale of Booths. On Saturday last Messrs J. and R. H. Campbell submitted the right of publican's and confectioner's booths on the occasion of the midwinter show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Thursday next, and also selling the correct card of the Christchurch steeplechases, and erecting a publican's booth. There was a largo attendance, but speculation was not at all the order of the day. After a good deal of persuasion the publican's booth at the midwiuter show fell to the nod of Mr W. Kirkwood for £8 for the day, but the confectioner's booth could not be disposed of the reserve not being ■ reached. For the steeplechase the same state of things prevailed, the only lot quitted being the cards to Messrs Hobbs and Goodwin for £4.

Narrow Escape from Fire.—A narrow escape from fire occurred shortly after seven o'clock on Saturday evening, in a wooden house inhabited by Mr Naylor, in Kilmore street, at the rear of Gould's buildings. It seems that Mrs Naylor had occasion to go across the street, leaving a little girl on a sofa, and an infant in bed in an inner room. The child, de3 : rous of seeing where her mother was going to, took the candle from the table and Hfted the blind, which she set fire to, the flame also catching her clothes, when she commenced to scream, and rushed into the other room under the bed. Her cries attracted the attention of a boy who was passing, who opened the door, and seeing the blinds and some curtains alight, raised the cry of fire, when a Mr Thompson rushed in and put out the flames with a few buckets of water, at the same time dragging the child from underneath the bed, and placing her beyond danger. Sergeant Wilson, who also heard the cry, was quickly on the spot, but beyond seeing that all was safe he fortunately had nothing more to do.

Midwinter Show.—The midwinter show, under the auspices of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association will take place at the Drill Shed on Thursday next. The following are the entries made as compared with 1874 :—Midwinter show, 1875 : Cattle, 35 ; sheep, 9 ; pigs, 4 ; bacon, curtd pork, and beef, 23 ; dairy produce, 17 ; fat poultry, 5 ; grain, seeds, and oats, 53. Grand total entries for 1875, 146. In 1874, the following entries were made in the various classes : —Cattle, 35 ; sheep, 42 ; pigs, 4 ; bacon, &c, 21 ; poultry, 5 ; dairy produce, 17; grain, &c, 37; ale, 9. Total, 170. Thus, as will be seen by the above comparison, there is a marked falling off in the number of entries for the 1875 show from those of 1874. It has been arranged that a dinner shall take place on the evening of the show.

Wheeleb and De Glorion Troupe.— This troupe repeated their opening programme at the Theatre Koyal last evening, and* the little defects and stiffness inseparable from the first night's performance in a strange theatre and to a strange audience, have entirely disappeared. Mdlle Lo Lo's performance on the trapeze on Saturday evening, more particularly the flight through the two balloons from the dress circle to the stage, was gone through with such grace and ease as to detract somewhat from the merit due to her, the feat as performed by her seeming so easy. In a larger building she would be even more success! ul, being enabled to get a longer flight. Her performance was deservedly loudly applauded, and she had to answer a recall. The De Glorion Brothers also deserve notice for their capital performance on the trapeze and rings. Miss Elsie De .Courcy, in her ballads and the various sketches which formed the programme, sang and acted capitally, while the humorous representations of Mr Wheeler and Master Bennie evoked roars of laughter. Tonight there will be an entire change in the programme, Miss Elsie De Courcy will sing several ballads, Mdlle Lo Lo will also appear in new acts with the De Glorion Brothers, and Mr Wheeler and Mr Wheeler and Master Bennie will introduce two new sketches, ''The Upper and Lower Ten" and "The Quarrelsome Servants."

Lytteltojt Harbor Works. These works are progressing very favorably. Since the present contractors undertook the work the Gladstone Pier has been lengthened 700 feet, so that it is now 1155 feet long in all. The curve is beginning to show, and we should think has progressed about a chain. About 630 feet of the Naval Point Breakwater are now constructed, and it already forms an excellent shelter for the small vessels anchored in Dampier's Bay. No less than 80,0001bs weight of powder has been used in blasting by the present contractors, and 18*0 feet of tunnelling complete* Within the'j last eight days two mines have been exploded most successfully, the one at Naval and the other at Officers' Point, they contained 12 OOOlbs weight of powder and dislodged a great quantity of material. The operations already carried out clearly prove that the exploding of large quantities # of powder in mines is attended with less risk to life and property than the ordinary method of blasting, as no accident has yet occurred, though the operations have been so extensive, and of course the present system is infinitely better adapted for procuring the vast quantities of material required for the work. The noise made in letting off these mines is by no means great, which is proved by the fact that one containing about 60001bs of powder was fired at Naval Point whilst the recent dinner was being given on board the Hawea, s.s., and though nearly 100 persons were present at that dinner only two or three heard it, though the distance from the steamer could not have been half-a-mile. The piles for. the extension of the Gladstone Wharf are a ready in the ground, and no doubt operations will speedily commence, so that the wharf may be ready by next wool and grain season.

Scene in the Waste Lands Board, Otago.—lt is announced in our telegrams that 550 applications for land on the Heriot hundred have been received by the Otago Waste Lands Board. The Supreme Court has issued an injunction restraining the commissioners from dealing with the land. Acting on this injunction, the commissioner instructed his officers not to receive applications, but the Board disagreed with the action he had taken. The Guardian of the 7th gives the following account of what took place :—" It appears that at the instance of several runholders, an injunction has been obtained from the Supreme Court to restrain the Superintendent and the Chief Commissioner of the Board from proceeding with the sale of land in the Heriot Hundred, 7000 acres of which has been gazetted as open for application (under the deferred payment system) on the 6th day of July (yesterday). According to the terms of the Gazette notice, applications were receivable at ' any Land office in the province ;' and we are informed that a number of applicants accordingly attended in Dunedin for the purpose of securing homesteads in the new Hundred. The Chief Commissioner, however, refused to proceed, but a motion affirming the previous action of the Board was carried by Messrs Reid, Bastingsand Clark—the other members preset] Thereupon the Chief Commissioner v r aCa t e( j the chair, left the Board room., and des-i patched telegraphic messages to, the various land officers throughout the province, in» structing the officers not to receive applications. The other members of the Board, conceiving that they were not bound to obey an order addressed to their chairman, immediately forwarded other messages to the same officers, through the Provincial Secretary, ordering them to receive all applications made, or to refuse them at their own peril; and to the public, directing them to make applications and tender deposits in the presence of witnesses. Then the Dunedin applicants essayed to lodge their applications at the Land Office here, and their applications and • leposits were refused by the clerks, acting I under the Chief Commissioner's instructions. Whereupon the Under-Secretary, Mr A. Willis, was forthwith appointed Land Officer, and directed to receive the applications. How this will terminate it is not possible to say." The Daily Times of the 9th says—- •' The proceedings in banco yesterday were enlivened by an application by Mr Macassey forarule nisi calling upon MessrsDonaldßeid, Horace Bastings, and Henry Clark, to show cause why they should not be attached and committed to the public gaol, Dunedin, for disobeying an injunction of the Supreme Court, which restrained them from dealing with certain lands in the Heriot hundred. The rule was granted, and cause is to be shown on Wednesday next,"

Fiji News.—A correspondent of the Daily Times states tbat " Sir Arthur Gordon and staff have left for Fiji. Private letters state that his Excellency intends cordially working with the Bettlers. He will devote himself to the progress of the colony, and intends introducing coolie labour from India, in which he states there is no difficulty. He believes it better for the planters than island labourers. The seat of Government may be removed, but nothing is settled yet. The choice lies between Levuka, Suva, and Nandia. The Executive consists of new men entirely. They have been in communication with the A.S.N. Company to send down two steamers to enter the island trade, but they had none suitable at present. The AttorneyGeneral, Mr De. Ricci, and wife sailed for Fiji in the barque Meteor."

Severe Cyclone'.—The Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times furnishes the following account of a severe cyclone encountered by the Forfarshire during the voyage from London : —On the 7th and Bth May signs of a change appeared, with a falling barometer. Upon the morning of the 9th, the barometer had fallen to 29.35, with dark lowering weather, and the wind increased to a strong gale, with torrents of rain. At 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. it blew a heavy gale with violent squalls, and the torrents of rain continued. The electric lights were visible upon each yard-arm and the masthead. At 9 p.m., after a heavy burst of wind, it died away and veered to the south, where it remained until 10 p.m., then backed to the eastward, and continued with a very heavy sea, until 3 a.m., during which time the barometer commenced to fall to 28.90, and at 5 a.m. to 28.75. It was blowing furiously at 5 p.m. The foretopmast-head and topgallantmast gear were carried away, and fell by the board ; and shortly afterwards the maintopgallantmast followed, smashing up the starboard forward cutter, and splitting the lower topsails, besides doing much other damage aloft. At 6 p.m. the storm abated, and veered north eastward ; after which the barometer rose slowly, the ship being under close-reefed topsails during the time. A strong gale continued for about eighteen hours after, from the north-west. All the foretopgallant gear, sails, &c, were entirely lost, but I saved a considerable portion of the maintopgallant gear, thus ending one of the most severe storms it has been my misfortune to encounter, and which waß, in all stages, a complete cyclone of the severest kind. A carping old woman said once to her pastor, " Dear me, ministers mak' muckle adae aboot their hard wark; but what's twa bits o' sermons in the week tae mak' up ! I could do't mysel'." "Weel, Janet," said the minister, good-humouredly, "let's hear youtry't." "Come awa' wi'a text then," quoth she. He repeated with emphasis, "It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman, and in a wide house." Janet fired up instantly, " What's that ye say, sir ? Dae ye intend onything personal ?" " Stop, stop," broke in her pastor; "you would never do for a minister." "And what for no?" said she. " Because, Janet, you come ower soon to the application." A farmer dropped in on Wednesday last to> pay his rent, putting on a long face to correspond with the times. On entering the house he told the landlord that, times being so hard he could not raise the money at all, and dashed a bundle of notes on the table. 1 There,' said he, 'that is all I can pay.'' The money was taken up and counted ' Why Pat, this is twice as much as you owe!' By the piper. that played before Moses, give it em again,' said the farmer; 'murtherand ounds, I took it out of the wrong pocket.'