NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1564, 22 February 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

TnK Kaitangata Catastbophe.—Pull particulars of this sad event will be found in another column. Thirty-four men have lost their lives, and numerous widows and children will have to mourn the loss of the breadwinner. It is a case which appeals to the sympathy of the whole country, and wo feel confident that it will not be backward in answering to the call. Hospital and Ohasitabib Aid Boabd. —A special meeting of this Board was held yssterday at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon at the office of Mr J. E. Brown, Cathedral square, when a long discussion on the subject of the medical staff took place. A report appears elsewhere. Addington, Bible Christians.—Services will be held to-morrow in aid of the building fund. At 11 am. Rbv. J. Crump will preach, at 2.30, Rev. W. H Keaßt, at 6.30 Rev. Mr Tout. A public tea will be held on Thursday. Bible Chbistianb, Gebman Chttboh The Germans being about to re open their services the Bible Christians will conduct their last service in the church to-morrow night. English speaking Q-ermans are invited. The Rev. W. H. Keast will preach. Subject, "The One Name." The administration of the Lord's Supper will follow. Full announcements of of the future place of worship will be given during the service. Sydenham Wesleyan Chubch.—The Rev. J. S. Smalley will conduct service at this church to-morrow. The subject in tho evening will be " The monstrouß assumptions of infidelity." Abtilleby.—The E battery will fire for District prizes on Monday next. Firing to commence at one o'clock. St. Paul's Chttbch. —Morning service at this church will be conducted by the Rev. R. M. M. Sutherland—service to commence at 11. In the evening the Rev. James Paterßon will officiate —service at 6.30.

Crjßiotrs Accident.—Yesterday afternoon a dray and team of ten bullocks belonging to Sir Cracroft Wilson, which was conveying blocks of stone for the Cathedral, broke down at the corner of the square next to the office the Canterbury Jockey Club. The weight of the stone, of which, there were half-a-dozen blocks from the Hoon Hay quarry, weighing about a ton each, caused the near wheel of the dray to break through the crust of the road and sink bodily up to the box, where it remained firmly imbedded. As it was found impossible, after many efforts, for the team to pull the dray out, there waß no alternative hut to unload, a task that occupied a considerable time, as from the great weight of the blocks they had to be laboriously levered out and deposited on the road. When this was done, the bullocks drew out the empty dray, and the stone was subsequently rolled into the Cathedral precincts by the masons employed on tho edifice.

Teleoraphio Communication. Th e Außtialian overland line to Port Darwin» which has been interrupted for some days> was repaired yesterday, and communication resumed.

Lyttelton Habbob Board.—The first meeting of the newly elected Harbor Board was hold at the Provincial Council Chambers yesterday afternoon, when the Hon. Edward Richardson was unanimously re-elected chairman. This was the only official business which could be done at that meeting, though several notices of motion were given for the no st.

Gaietv Theatre.—Dr. Ananias Ferrari, an illusionist, who comes heralded with no inconsiderable fame on his bills, will give his opening performance at the Gaiety Theatre on Monday next. The programme contains a number of items in the magical way, new to Christchurch audiences, and no doubt the Doctor will bo as successful here as he appears to have been in the various ports of the world visited by him. He will be assisted by Madame and Miss Moeller, Herr Bunz, and an efficient orchestra.

Accident at the Railway.—When the men were shunting yesterday at the railway station, Christchurch, an unfortunate accident happened to Mr G. Saunders, one of the shunters. Whilst in the act of shunting a goods' train, he got jammed in between the waggons. Dr. Campbell was at once sent for, and attended most carefully to the sufferer. The man was taken home in a cab immediately after the accident, and after an examination by Dr. Campbell, who came at once on being sent for, it was found that no very serious injuries had been inflicted, and that with care the patient would soon be able to resume his duties. Theatbe Royal.—There was an excellent houee last night at the Theatre on tho occasion of Little Eva's benefit, and the opportunity was taken of presenting the youthful bencficiaire with a testimonial, which was subscribed for by the Jubilee members of the company as a mark of their admiration of tho little lady's talent. The testimonial consisted of a handsome gold locket and necklace, the former bearing on one side an inscription recording that it was her hundredth representation of the character, and on the other tho names of the recipient, the donors, and the date of the presentation. The company will hold a matinee to-day at 2 p.m., which will be tho last appearance of " Uncle Tom's Cabin." They will return to Christchurch about the 15th of March next with new pieces and new scenery. Cbuelty to a Horse.—A man named Charles Rogl, who owns a farm at Rhodes' Swamp, was arrested yesterday evening by Sergeant Morice and Constable Ryan for gross cruelty to a horse. At the time they saw him he was urging on with blows a wretched specimen of a horse, which was harnessed in a tip dray. Tho animal was dead lame, ring-galled, spavined, and apparently foundered, but notwithstanding his condition, the driver was unmercifully beating him and goading him to a gallop over the large boulders and shingle which are laid down on the East Town Belt at Bingsland. The man, who was very drunk, was taken to the Police Depot, and the horse and dray placed in Carew's stables, Oxford terrace. Buggy Accidbkt. —Messrs J. S. Stanley Bruce and H. C. Jacobson had an escape on Thursday evening. They were driving in a buggy belonging to Mr Bosenberg, drawn by a horse belonging to the same owner. When about a mile on the Longbeach side of the Wheatstone Hotel one of the shafts came off owing to a defective nut, and the horse bolted. As a bridge was close by, Mr Jacobson, finding the horse was utterly beyond control and had kicked one of the fore wheels of the buggy to pieces, determined to turn the horse sharp into the fence, preferring to be thrown out rather than face the bridge, where they and the buggy would probably have been dashed to pieces against the parapet. Mr Bruce consented, and the result was that both the ocoupants of the trap were thrown out, luckily without any further injury than a few bruises. The horse went over the creek, and a few yards further on the other shaft gave way. The horse galloped on to the Wheatstone Hotel, where he was stopped. District Court. —The sittings of the Dis trict Court were resumed yesterday before his Honor Judge Ward The only case taken was that of Klingenstein v. Ball, in which the plaintiff sought to recover £6B from the defendant. At the close of tho plaintiff's case Mr Grarrick, for the defendant, raised several nonsuit points, which were argued. After argument, his Honor reserved judgment until Monday. In the course of the proceedings Mr Greorge Harper asked his Honor whether it was the intention of the Court to sit on Saturday. He said he believed it would be felt as a great convenience to the profession generally if it were understood that Saturday was regarded, so far as the Court was concerned, as a dies non. His Honor said that, personally, he should have much pleasure in consulting the convenience of the bar. He should, however, like to obtain a general expression of opinion on the part of the bar by a formal application being made. At a later period Dr. Foßter made a formal application to his Honor, in the name of the profession, for passing over Saturday &b a sitting day of the District Court. His Honor said that it might be understood, in the absence of special circumstances, that the Court would not sit on Saturdays. Fast Trains.—The "London Week" gives particulars concerning the paces at which railway trains in England really travel. It Bft y ß ._« The fastest train run by the Northwestern Railway does the distance from Euston to Rugby in 1 hour 50 minutes, but this speed is equalled by the South -Eastern mail, which runs to Dover, 76£ miles in 102 minutes. Both these are far exceeded by the Great Northern Scotch express, which only takes 129 minutes to run 105& miles to Grantham from London, and by the Great Western Flying Dutchman, which reaches Swindon, 77 miles, in 87 minutes. The trains run at 50 and 53 miles an hour respectively, and the laßt-named remains, as for many years past, the fastest train in the world." Employment op Females Act. —The "New Zealand Times" states that in Wellington the Employment of Females Act s«ems to be a dead letter. In many a dressmaking establishment in the town the law is constantly broken. The Reported Case op Distress.—The circumstances under which the Boyle family, mentioned in yesterday's issue, came from the West Coast to Christchurch were inaccurately stated by them. The police have ascertained from a storekeeper who travelled by the same coach that they were not sent by the Westland authorities, but paid their own fare to Christchurch, £1 per head, with the object of bettering their condition. The storekeeper in question also stated that, so far from work being scarce in the county, loggers are in demand at the rate of 12s per day, and cannot be obtained. Bridge over the Avon.—A meeting of persons interested in the construction ot a cart bridge over the Avon, near the boat sheds, will be held at the White Hart Hotel at eight o'clock this evening.