NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 717, 6 October 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

C.V.F.B.—A meeting was held last night in the reading room, Lichfield street, to consider what steps should be taken in reference to the Dunedin demonstration on December 26th. After a full discussion of the matter, it was resolved that the meeting adjourn until the feeling of other provinces be obtained; representatives from Lyttelton, Kaiapoi, and Rangiora were present. A vote of thanks to the representatives terminated the meeting. Defaulting Jurors —At the opening of the criminal sitting in Dunedin there were eight defaulting grand Jurors. His Honor exol«ined that hitherto it had been the practice to inflict a fine of two guineas only, and said that it was a great mistake for people to suppose that the payment of that amount exempted them from serving upon Grand Juries. He concluded by imposing a fine of £5 in eight cases, but on satisfactory explanations being given, he subsequently remitted it in four instances. Supreme Court.—The criminal session of the Supreme Court concluded yesterday, when the jury in the case of Regina v Norman Evans, for perjury, returned a verdict of "Guilty." A point of law raised by Mr Joynt for the defence, as to the information in the case on which the perjury was alleged to have committed, was reserved for the decision of the Court of Appeal. The prisoner was removed in custody, and will remain in gaol until the decision of the Court of Appeal is known. West Christchurch School Com mittee—An adjourned meeting of the committee was held on Wednesday evening. Present—Messrs I Booth, Bickerton, Bowie, Nairn, and Dunford. Mr Booth presided in the absence of the chairman. The minutes of last meeting were read and approved. A letter was read from the Provincial Architect, stating that he was satisfied with the progress made with the new school buildings by the contractor. Sixteen applications were received for the third mastership in the district school, and after careful consideration Mr J. R. Wilkinson was appointed. The visiting committee reported that the drainage of the school grounds had been completed, the total cost having been £ls 17s. It was decided to continue the present arrangements for teaching French for another six months.

Canterbury Scandinavian Society.— The annual meeting of this society was hold last evening, at Savage's Scotch Stores ; Mr Bergh, president, in the chair. There was not a very large attendance of members The hon secretary (Mr Lieske) read the annual report, showing the progress made to have been very satisfactory. The nucleus of a library had been formed, and a further order for books would be sent borne shortly, and the financial condition of the society was in a nourishing state. The report was approved. The election of officers for the ensuing year then took place with the following result:—President, Mr N. Schwartz ; vice-president, Mr Otto Lieske; treasurer and secretary, Mr L. Bergh ; committee, Messrs F. Mauritsen, 0. Puschel, M. Henrichsen, and B. Pedersen. At the conclusion of business several songs ware sung, and a very pleasant evening was spent. Loss of the Atlantic—The Newcastle correspondent of the Sydney Evening News writes':—" The steamtug Rapid, Captain Hu uter, arrived at Newcastle on September 20th, and reported falling in with the derelict schooner Atlantic bottom up, about twelve miles north-east from Nobby'a. Captain Hunter states that when cruising about he came across the wreck, and was about to take her in tow when a large ship, the England's Glory, hove iu sight, bound for this port The sea being perfectly smooth, he persuaded one of his deck hands to take charge of the wreck. The man assented, and calmly sat down on the keel of the Atlantic, whilst the Rapid went after the England's Glory, took her in tow, and brought her into port. Captain Hunter then came ashore and reported the occurrence to his managing owner, Mr J. C. Dibbs, and bavin" procured the assistance of the Cooperative Steamtug Company's steamer Leo, the two boats started off together in search of the derelict. Meanwhile, Mr Dalton's tug Challenge cume across the wreck, but finding a man in possession who refused to vacate, the master loft her. The two tugs, Rapid and Leo, were afterwards seen from the hill*to hive reached the vessel, and taken her in tow. The Atlantic is reported to have a very valuable cargo of cedar on board, estimated as being worth about £SOO. The man whom Captain Hunter placed aboard the wreck is considered to have shown a great amount of pluck in thus taking charge, from the oppressive beat of the morning a southerly buster might have been expected, and any ordinary sea woqld have easily swept him off the vessel's bottom,"

Excelsior Lodge, Woolston.—A concert in aid of the above lodge will be given by the members of St Andrew's choir at the O'MfeZlows' Hall, Woolston, on Monday next, at 730 p.m. Coaches will leave the White Hart Hotel at seven o'clock, and return after the concert. Journalistic—The Auckland correspon dent of the Daily Times states that it is understood that Mr Horton has concluded the purchase of the Southern Cross. The shareholders get next to nothicg, the purchase money being nearly all absorbed by liabilities. Hr Ilorton was at one time a proprietor of the Timaru Herald, and lately of the Thames Advertiser. Fire.—A few minutes before ten o'clock laHt night the Market place bell rang out the alum, and it was stated that a house in Dirham street north was on fire. In a few moments afterwards Mr Superintendent Harris was at the place, and found that a glare of fire was first seen by a man named Elward Lough in a to an untenanted wooden house in Durham street, nearly opposite Peacock street. By the I time the alarm was given and assistance •arrived, the flames had pierced through the j roof of this shed, and had run up the aide of the house and under the eave, communiI eating with the lining of one of the back upj - f *ura rooms. Lough, aided by other men, ascend tQe roo f and p U ii e( i 0 g some BDeets ol i ron) and succeeded in extinguishing the « ro> by meanß of bucketß Qf w>ter Passed up u, them, just as Mr Harris ?T e A h U the ?>?-§ of the h °™e were locked, and wnen the h^ b door wag f d open by the superintendent . f the Brigade it was found that had the fire ot^ ned w . few more moments headway it wo,| d Dava been impossible to save the prt n ; sea The house contains six rooms, u*J until about three weeks ago was occupied by a woman named Sophia Bates. Mr J. Pierce, of Lyttelton, is the landlord, and it is insured in the South British office, but for what amount we were unable to learn. From close observation it was seen that this fire was evidently the work of an incendiary, as when first observed by Lough a large bundle of straw and other materials were burning on a bench in the lean-to, placed alongside the wall of the house. It is somewhat singular that the fire the previous night was also in an untenanted house. The members of the fire brigade, and the fire, and city police, under their officers, were promptly on the ssene. The hand engine went as far as the house, and the steamers had started but were ordered back by the superintendent. Loss of the Dandenong.—An inquiry into the loss of this vessel was held on tie 24th and 25th nit. The Argus gives tie following summary of the evidence :—"An exhaustive inquiry into the cause of the loss of the 8.8. Dandenong, on the 11th inst, was commenced on the 24th by the members of the Steam Navigation Board. The examination of Mr Lawson, the chief officer, and of Captain M'Dougall, a passenger, occupied the whole day. The inquiry was held at the instance of Captain W. Howard Smith, the owner of the steamer, who desired to have several statements that have been made relative to her loss fully cleared up. In the course of the day it was elicited that the names of the boat's crew that went back to the steamer, and brought another cargo of passengers to the barque were Mr Dykes, second engineer; Martin Alfred, boatswain ; John Anderson and John Eklund, seamen. The evidence of the two witnesses contained nothing fresh as to the cause of tbe wreck, but contained several matters of detail that have not hitherto been published. Captain M'Dougall and the other nautical gentlemen present settled, to their own satisfaction, that patent life mattresses and other life-saving apparatus would have been quite useless on the occasion of the wreck. They also pooh-poohed the idea that Samuel Golden was saved because he had an air jacket on. Captain Payne, the chairman of the Board, stated that although it was now only proposed to examine those witnesses connected with the steamer whose names had been submitted by Captain W. H. Smith, the Board would be quite willing to hear any perron who desired to give evidence on the subject. At a late hour in the afternoon the Board adjourned until half-past 9 o'clock next morning. The very full and exhaustive inquiry into the causes of the loss of the s.s. Dandenong on the 11th instant, was concluded by the Steam Navigation Board on the 25th, but after considering the voluminous evidence for more than an hour, the Board decided upon reserving their decision until next morning. The witnesses examined were Mr McSwan, second officer; Mr John Dykes, second engineer ; and Martin Alfred Peterson, the boatswain. Mr Douglas Elder, shipwright surveyor to the Board, and Mr Alexander Wilson, inspecting engineer, were also examined relative to the condition of the machinery and equipments of the steamer at the time she lett Melbourne, and they botb stated that she was well found and equipped. Before the close of the inquiry Captain W. H. Smith, the owner of the steamer, expressed his admiration of the conduct of the four men who bo bravely returned to the steamer a second time for the purpose of saving life, and expressed a hope that the Board would take some notice of it, Captain Payne said it was the intention of the Board to do so, and he sincerely hoped that the men's conduct would be. noticed in the proper place, and that they would receive a substantial recognitioa o£ their services."