NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1672, 30 June 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Works Committee— A meeting of the works committee was held this morning, at which a number of small matters were considered and referred to the Council, which meets this evening. Opening of Mb Cokee’s Hotel. —Mr Coker’s new Hotel, in Manchester street, which is one of the largest and best appointed in the colony, will be opened to-morrow, and the occasion will be celebrated by a spread in Mr Coker’s best style. Looking fob an Agent.— Certain events ri connection with, but subsequent to the wreck of the French barque 8.L., contained elements of comedy not often surpassed on the stage. When the captain, who could speak very little English, and his crew, most of whom could speak less, were safely housed, attention was directed to communicating with the agent, and in this Mr Hollands (in the employ of Mr E. M. Mein, butcher), kiudly volunteered to assist, he happening to be on a visit to Mr Campbell at New Brighton, who first discovered the wreck from the shore. It was agreed therefore that the captain should visit Christchurch with Mr Hollands. Some difficulty arose at first on account “of the gallant cantain’s imperfect knowledge of what John Bn 1 l delight., to call “The mother tongue”—pn imperfection which had already been productive of certain conversational complications It was eventually arranged that one of the seamen, who was slightly an improvement on “the captain as a linguist, should accompany them, and they set off. The appearance of the party, on arrival in Christchurch was unique. Hollands led the way, and the shipwrecked mariners followed. These latter “ looked the part” to perfection, possessing that well battered, salt-water, sea-dog air which sailors under the conditions are supposed to have. Add to this that the captain carried his chronometer and a long telescope, and the seaman was burdened with all the ship’s papers and the log, it may be imagined that they looked sufficiently interesting. In tb ; s fashion they went about (own from place to place looking for the ship’s agent, for a long time in vain, but eventua'ly they found Mr Guraon, agent for the underwriters, who returned with the captain to the scene of the wreck last evening. Passing Strange. —The “ New Zealander” says : —“ We call attention to a somewhat angular circumstance in connection with the public works or the colony. In another column will be found an advertisement again calling, and for the third time, for tenders for the construction of the Opaki bridge, Ruamahanga River, To the first advertisement, pubhrhed throughout the colony, there was no response, and the second (only one tender was sent in) was not deemed eligible. It remains to be seen what will be the recult of this, the third and last time of asking. It seems passing strange that, with all the cry of unemployed labour, a work which will ca 1 ! for an outlay of seme thousands of pounds sterling should virtually go begging.” The Ticket fob Soup. —Tho “ Southland Times,” in describing Mr Feldwick’s address to the electors of Invercargill, thus puts it : —“As he stood upon tho platform ho appeared in the role of a Ministerial man-at-arms in the bonds of obedience to tho behests of his leader, the Premier. Ho had gone in on the ministerial ticket, and had found it a remarkably good one for soup, and by that ticket he meant to stand or fall. Social High Farming. —Says the “Bruce Herald,” Presbyterianism has loft its true blue and beneficial stamp upon Otago as Episcopalianisin has upon Canterbury, and we hope that for generations to come these characteristics will continue to permeate and savour tho soils which they have so advantageously settled in tho past. Neglected Ohildben. — Three children arrived by the Hawea on Saturday en route to the Industrial Horae. They were committed to that asylum from Napier. Ahhest of a Lunatic.—A man named William Hayes was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of lunacy. Notwithstanding the efforts of railway officials to prevent him, he would persist in at tempts to enter a train on the point of starting, saying he had a ticket for Limerick. Ho was taken in charge by tho constable on duty at the station.

Accident. A man named Lissaman, while leaving the Church bush in the flood yesterday, had a narrow escape from drowning by his horse rolling over him in the water. His horse went away and the man managed to swim to higher ground, p.nd called for assistance, which came to his relief.

Railway Areansemhnts. —An advertisement over the leading article intimates the arrangements made by the railway department in consequence of the floods.

Rakgtoba Lock tip. —An additional cell is being erected to the Rangiora lock-up, to that prisoners may be accommodated in separate quarters. Labceny op a Cheque. —At the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court on Saturday Alfred Moray was committed for trial on the charge of having stolen a cheque for fifteen guineas, drawn by Mr Edward Proctor, farmer, of Ohertsey.

Tkmpebawoe Seemok. —The sermon to have been delivered by the Rev, D. O. Hampton at Kaiapoi on Sunday was postponed in consequence of the number of persons who had gone into the country to witness the floods. The procession of Q-ood Templars was also postponed.

Murrain in Maueitius.— The “ South Australian Register ” learns that a private telegram has been received from Mauritius stating that a murrain has broken out among the oxen there, and that a good deal of alarm was being created by the fear that the disease would become general.

Mbs Walter Hill’s Benefit. —An influential committee has been appointed to take steps for organising a benefit shortly for Mrs Walter Hill and her family. A meeting will take place to-morrow afternoon in the City Council chambers, at which the Mayor has consented to preside, and measures will then be adopted for carrying the scheme into effect. From the widespread sympathy felt for Mrs Hill, there is no doubt that the benefit will be largely patronised.

Flooded Stbeets in Christchurch. — The heavy rain on Saturday caused the streets, especially at their intersections, to bo considerably flooded. In one or two instances this was assisted by defective drainage, but the weather has been worse latterly than it ever was during last winter or the winter before, and a tremendous body of water must have fallen to produce the effects of Saturday night. The rain descended in torrents as the evening progressed, and many of the low lying streets wero literally flooded. Lyttelton street, it may bo mentioned, had two feet of water on it, and the flood in that quarter only subsided in the morning. Yesterday the streets were comparatively dry again, the weather being exceptionally fine all day. Complimentary. —lmmediately after Mr J. Beswick, the newly-appointed Magistrate for Lyttelton, took his seat on the Bench on Saturday morning in Lyttelton, Mr J. Holmes, one of counsel present, took the opportunity to express the satisfaction felt by the bar at the appointment, Mr Holmes said that, on behalf of the bar, he wished to congratulate Mr Beswick upon his appointment to the Magistracy. He had enjoyed the pleasure of knowing Mr Beswick for some years, as a business man and a member of the Provincial Council, and ho felt sure that his Worship’s large experience we 11 qualified him for the position of Magistrate. Mr Beswick thanked Mr Holmes and the bar in acknowmeat.

A Gale in Post.— On Saturday Bight last a furious gale accompanied the rain, and blew iu squalls among the shipping at port. With additional moorings the vessels at the wharves and in the stream lay in safety. Ashore, some damage was done to Messrs P. Cunningham and Co.’s new brick warehouse, the eastern gable end being torn out by the force of the wind. The brickwork is down to within about four feet of the second floor of the building. The brickwork had only been up a few days. It was a well fourteen inches in thickness. Messrs Cunningham’s main warehouse, built of iron, was also damaged il : ghtly, and about fifteen feet of the side verandah torn away, and some of the sheets thrown on to the roof. A piece of lead, weighing close upon thirty pounds, was thrown from the roof of the shed over a kindred feet away. Oddfei.xowship. —The Moat Worshipful Giand Master, Bro. R. T. Wheeler, arrived last Saturday evening per express from Duned ; i, for the purpose of visiting officially the various lodges under his jurisdiction. Ho was met on his arrival at the platform by a deputation of members of the Addington and Avon lodges, and conducted by them to the White Hotel, his residence during the time he will remain in this city. It u his intention to instal the officers of the various lodges for the ensuing term in ample form, also to arrange for the forthcoming session of the Grand Lodge, which will open in Christchurch in September. Ratal Accident at Pigeon Bat.— Hews was brought to Port yesterday from Pigeon Bay by Mr J. Newton that a landslip had occurred there or'fly yesterday morning, resulting in the death of a young man named William Bamford, whose parents are living at Lyttelton. Mr Nev.ton gives the following particulars of the occurrence : —William Bamfoid was employed by Mr Macintosh, at Pigeon Bay, felhng bush. He occupied a tent in the bush at the foot of a hill, close to a small creek. There was another tent close by, occupied by three of his mates. About 1 a.m. yesterday a great cracking noise was heard by one of the three men, who at once got out to see the came. The landslip was then upon their tent, and had closed the entrance way. One of b’9 mates tore the canvas open with h'a teeth, and thus made his exit, the other being afterwards rescued thro.ugh the chimney. At this time nothing was to be seen of the tent occupied by Bamford. The three men had just got outside thei- tent when it was swept away by the slip down the gully and into the cresk. Assistance was then obtained from some neighboring bushmen, the three men having lost their picks and shovels in the slip. Bamford, when found below the debris, was doubled up beneath (he branch of a tree. The poor fellow had evidently been smothered while asleep. When Mr Newton left Pigeon Bay the mates of Bamford had gone to Akaroa to inform the police. Deceased was well known and respected in Lyttelton .as a steady, industrious young man. Punishment of Chime in New South Walks. —The Criminal Law Mitigation Bill, introduced by Mr De Salis into the Legislative Council of Now South Wales, proposes to abo’ish the punishment of death for all crimes except those of high treason, murder, piracy with wounding, and such crimes committed with reference to her Majesty’s ships of war, dockyards, and arsenals, ac are now by the law of England punishable by death. For criminal assarHs upon women and children, in addition to any other punishment short of death, the judge- may order the offender to he flogged, .the number of floggings not to exceed ten, and the strokes not to exceed fifty on any one occasion.

Captain Babet.—A passenger by the Aconcagua (says the “Dunedin Herald”), from Melbourne to London speaks of a fellow-passenger (Captain Barry) as follows : “ Captain Barry was first-class steerage passenger (£l6 and all found). He was constantly boasting that he had 1285 acres of land at Palmerston, end I do not know how many head of cattle on it. He said ho was going Home to start a company, as he had found copper on his estate, some very fine specimens of which he claimed to have with him. I consider him a very low and illiterate man.”

Fertilisation bt Bees. —The Rev. M. Sauppe, a great bee-master, in Luckendorf, makes the following calculation, intending to prove the eminent agricultural and econo mi cal importance of the rearing of bees Of each of 17,000 hives to be met with in Saxony, 10,000 bees fly out per diem—equal to 170 millions—each bee four times, equal to GBO millions, or in a hundred days equal to 68.000 millions. Each bee, before flying homewards, visits 50 flowers ; therefore the whole assemblage has visited 3,400,000 millions of flowers. If out of the ten only one flower has become fertilised, 340,000 millions of fertilised flowers would bo the result. Supposing the reward for the fertilisation of 5000 flowers to bo one German pfennig, the united bees of Saxony hrve obtained per annum a sum of 63,000,000 pfennigo 680.000 marks (£34,000 sterling). Each hive represents in this war a value of £2 sterling. Coursing in South Canterbury.—A eoursing meeting, under the auspices of the South Canterbury Coursing Club, took place on Thursday on Messrs. Walker and Clogstoun’s estate at Mount Four Peaks. Hares were pretty plentiful, but not so numerous as usual, which wss accounted for by the inclement weather having driven many of them to the bush for shelter. Some good sport was obtained, especially towards the end of the day, when more hares were found. Mr Slack acted as judge, Mr J. Potts as flagsteward. Mr Kennedy gave great satisfaction as slipper. Some fifteen or sixteen courses were run during the day, and nine kills were scored. Mr Walker sent down a substantial uuch to the field..

Representation of Stdenham^ —A public meeting, to consider the advisability of urging the claims of Sydenham to be represented in Parliament, will ho held at tho Colombo road school this evening.

Chaeitaelb Aid. —The committee appointed at a meeting re charitable aid last week was held this afternoon for the purpose of drawing up a report on the formation of a Benevolent Society for Christchurch. .Resident Maqistbate’s Couet. — A largo amount of business of no special interest was transacted to-day. Nine fish hawkers, charged with a breach of the city bydaws, were remanded.

I. O. O. F., M.U. Loyal Yolunteee Lodge. —The half yearly meeting of this Lo ge took place at the- hall, Montreal street south, Sydenham, on Wednesday lest. There was a large attendance of members. The electioM of officers for the ensuing year resulted in Bro. P. Y. being elected N.Q-.; Bro. Gilmore, G.M.; Brother Murphy, Y.GK ; Bro. W. L. Smith, E.S.; Dr. Campbell, lodge surgeon. The half-yearly contributions were received during the evening, and showed a great increase during the last twelve months. Bro. P. G. Ward and Bro. E. S. Smith were elected to audit Bro. P.P. G.M. Ashton, the permanent secretary’s accounts for the last half year. P.D.G.M. Bro. Liddle, with severel visiting members, also attended.

City Council.— The usual weekly meeting of the City Council will be held at seven o’clock to-night. Papanui Ploughing Match. —The eighth annual ploughing match will take place ou Thursday, July 10th, in a paddock belonging to Mr C, Amyes, situated on the Harewood road, near the Papanui Railway Station. The competitions will bo divided into three classes, for double-furrow ploughs, single-furrow champions, and single-furrow ploueba.