NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1930, 1 May 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Edwin Fox. —A private telegram received yesterday at Lyttelton states that Captain W. Cameron, of the steam-tug Titan, spoke the barque Edwin Eox off Otago Heads on Thursday. The Edwin Fox is out 114 days to-day from London for this port, with 108 passengers. She is consigned to Messrs Edwards, Bennett, and 00., and will probably arrive in port to-morrow.

Elementary Class.—As will be seen by advertisement Mr Edmonds’ Elementary Class will bo held on Wednesday the sth instead of Monday the 3rd of May, but the time and place will be the same as before notified.

The Little Bibbs. Two dead greenfinches were to-day opened at the College Farm, for the purpose of examining their crops. In the crop of the one was found 240 seeds of the hog or bind weed, in that of the other upwards of 200. As this may be said to bo merely half aday’s work, the amount that a flock of these birds would devour, during a day, must be something enormous. The little birds are credited with doing much damage, but they undoubtedly also do much good. Besides devouring insects they help to keep down the weeds, as the above instance conclusively proves. A Runaway.— A small horse with a large dray behind it, was this afternoon, seen careering down Figh street There was no occupant in t'ae diay, s > that the little horse hud it much its own way. The horse being pi culiorily small, the number of people that rushed out to atop it, or to sacrifice their lives in the attempt, was very large. The little horse seeing the crowd approaching, became to-rifled and, attracted possibly by the admirable display of tobacco and photographs in Mr Simpson’s shop, made for that establishment. But the wheel of the dray caught against the verandah post, and the little horse was thrown on its little beam ends on to the pavement. The crowd immediately sat on its head, and otherwise distinguished itself. The verandah post withstood the shock, the dray was not damaged, the little horse was not stifled, and everthing ended happily. A Basque in Distress —A barque named the Hanna Bella, 334 tons, bound from Sydney to London, was coming up Lyttelton harbour this afternoon. She was reported to have had her but works carried away and to have put in for repairs. Vital Statistics. —The following is a return of the births, marriages, and deaths for the city of Christchurch and district for the month ending April 30th :—Births, 187 ; marriages, 45 ; deaths 60. For the corresponding month in last year the numbers were respectively 191, 30, and 67. Bible Chbibtian Connection. —The Bev. J. Crawes will preach in the Templar Hall, Worcester street, to-morrow morning, and in the Bible Christian Church, Addington, tomorrow evening. Subject for the day, “David.” (See advertisements.) The Rav. W. H. Keast ba> been much worse this week than he was last; but he has bean slightly better during the last day or two than he was on Sunday and Monday. The following gentlemen have consented to be trustees for the pr. posei church at Templeton, viz.:— Messrs T los. Yoyce, Hooker, Barter, Cheverton, Guy and the Bov J. Orewes. A plan of the proposed building was submitted by the Rev. J. Orewes at a trustee meeting held at Mr Voyce’s last Wednesday, and was tiiy cordially adopted. At a meeting of the trustees for <ho new church to be erected on the Ferry road, Christchurch, a few days ago i; was reported that between £4O and £SO had been received within the last few weeks tow-rds this ere;t on. Several substantial promises were also rect ivod. The South Town Belt. —A conference was held yesterday afternoon at the City Council Chambers, at which representatives of the City and Sydenham Borough Councils were present, and also the three members for the district, the Hon. B. Richardson and Messrs E. O. J. Stevens and J. T. Fisher. A rather lengthy discussion ensued, and ultimately a resolution was arrived at, which it is thought will put an end to the difficulty which has so long existed.

New Zealand Aobicultubae Company. —The first report of the New Zealand Agricultural Company states that after deducting from the profits €54,851 the expenses, &c., including the dividend of 2s 6d per share already paid, thereremains an available balance of £12,943. The directors recommend that this bo disposed of by placing £3C3O to a reserve fund ; by paying a dividend of 2s 6d per share on £7 10s paid up, which, including the dividend on the vendors’ shares, will amount to £7348; carrying forward the balance of £2594. Supeemb Ootjbt. —His Honor Mr Justice Johnston sat in Chambers yesterday, when a number of cases, the majority of which were formal applications, wore disposed of. His Honor proceeds shortly to Wellington to attend the sitting of the Court of Appeal. Singuiae Accident. While a young lady in Arthur street was working a sewing machine yesterday morning (says the “Wellington Times ” of April 27th), the needle suddenly broke off and struck her close under the eye with such force that she fell back insensible. Her mother,who was near her at the time, ran to her assistance, and, finding that she appeared lifeless, sent for Dr. Tripe. After a careful search a small punctured wound was found on the lower eyelid, but no conclusion could be drawn from its existence until the young lady recovered, and stated that something had struck her in that part of the face. Upon examining the sewing machine the needle was found to have been broken. Dr. Tripe was unable to probe the wound yesterday owing to the excessive pain from which the patient was suffering, but he fears that the part of the needle has completely buried itself in the flesh, and that the eyeball has been graced. Banking in Geemant. —According to a report of the German Imperial Treasury, there existed in the German empire at the end of January last eighteen different banking institutions with the privilege of issuing notes. The notes actually in circulation at that date were to the value of 923,276,150 marks, or £46,163,807, being a decrease of 64,531,650 marks, or £3,226,582, as compared with the corresponding period in 1879. In addition to this, the Banks held in their coffers at the same date notes to the value of 821,390,150 marks, or £41,069,507, being an increase of 69,931,654 marks, or £3,496,582, compared m ith 1879. By far the larger proportion of the notes were those of the Imperial Bank of Germany, those in active circulation amounting to 725,414,850 marks, or £36,270,742, and those in hand to 682,285.150 marks, or £34,114,257. The Tat Beidge Disastbe. —A part of the ill-fated train which wont down with the Tay Bridge in December last has, it seems, turned np at Norway, While some fishermen were engaged in February last in hauling up their nets, an extraordinary object met their eyes. The superstitious fears of sea monsters which have been written a great deal about lately held them back for soma time, but their curiosity made them approach the supposed sea monster, and, to their great surprise, they found that it was something like a building. As the sea was calm they immediately commenced to tow it to shore, where it was hauled up on the beach, and was then found to be a damaged railway waggon. The wheels were off, the window smashed, and one door hanging on its hinges. By the name on it, “ Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway,” it was at once surmised that it must have been one of the waggons separated from the train which met with the disaster'on the Tay Bridge. In the carriage was a portmanteau containing garments, some of them marked “ P. 8.” The waggon was sent on to Hangesund, to be forwarded thence to Bergen.

The Development op Steel. —Every day steel is supplanting iron for some one ol the numerous purposes to which that metal has hitherto been applied. Iron rails are already replaced, or soon will bo, by steel rails on every considerable railway in America. In a paper read before the Iron and Steel Institute, it was stated that many of the British lines could not have paid more than half the dividends they now make if it had not been for the development of steel rails and steel tyres. The opinion is gaining ground among shipbuilders that a framework of steel for vessels would be superior to iron, being a lighter material in proportion to its strength. It is evident that the coming century is to be an age of steel. Upon the perfection of that metal, and its adaptability to the various uses to which it may be put, the safety of the modern traveller must largely depend. And whether ho is rushing over the surface of the earth on an express train at the rate of fifty miles an hour, or driving 380 miles a day through the ocean on a transatlantic steamer, ho wants to rest assured that science has done all it can to make his journey safe.

St. Stephen's. —The Eev. Samuel Williams will preach at the Maori Church, St. Stephen’s, on Sunday next, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Ben More Mining Company. —The annual general meeting of the above company will be held at the offices, Hereford street, at 4 p m., on Friday next. Bazaar. —A bazaar in connection with the St. Asaph street United Methodist Free Church will bo held in the schoolroom on the sth and 6th insts.

Kaiapoi and Ashley Electoral Eolls. The roll of electors for the former district can now be inspected on Mondays and Thursdays at Kaiapoi, and the Ashley roll on Tuesdays and Saturdays at Kangiora. Coursing. —The nominations for the Birthday Stakes in connection with the Canterbury Coursing Club close on Monday next, at 8 p.m., at the Shades.