NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2336, 29 September 1881, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY

Lyttelton Police Coubt. A first offender, for drunkenness, was fined 10s at this Court this forenoon ; and Duncan Ball, of the barque Oooleen, was ordered back to the vessel, promising to behave himself in future.

Nobth Island Aembd Constabulaby About fifty men offered themselves at the Depot for enlistment this morning, the eligible men amongst them being accepted, and passed by Dr. Byrnes. They will be sworn in at four o’clock this afternoon. Mr Coleman was in Lyttelton both yesterday and this afternoon, where ho has accepted several men, and purposes going shortly to Dunedin.

PBOYEsaoB Simon. —A lecture on phrenology in continuation of the series given during the past week was delivered at Bt. John’s schoolroom last night, by Professor Simon. Fibe Bbiqadh Pbaoticb. —A detachment of the Fire Brigade turned out last evening, and had a wet practice with the steam fire engine Deluge opposite the Royal Hotel, Oxford terrace, and also on the Montreal street bridge.

Sunday Teams.— -Though not yet officially announced,it is generally understood that the numerously signed petitions presented to the directors of the Tramway Company, asking for Sunday trams, will be acceded to. Lbctuee. —The Rev. Mr Seaborn delivered a lecture last night at the Orange Hall, on the British and American poets. The lecture, which was interspersed with quotations from the works of several authors, afforded an opportunity to Mr Seaborn, of which he took full advantage, to display his elocutionary powers, which are of no mean order. The various selections were given with great purity of style, and generally the lecture was a most enjoyable one throughout.

CoNV2E3Azxo”B. —The continuation yesterday afternoon and evening of the cqnversalione and art exhibition in St. Michael’s schoolroom, drew a goodly number of visitors. Music, tho phonograph, experiments in electricity, and dramatic rendering?, all served to make up a very pleasant evening. As an experiment in tho matter of art exhibition on a small scale, the ono just closed has been a success. A large number of very interesting and valuable exhibits were on view, all of which received a due share of attention.

Accident to Albany.— On Tuesday a somewhat serious accident happened to the well-known stud hone Albany at Rangiora. After leaving the parade, while being led by his groom, the horse reared and fell backwards on the hard road. The extent of the in juries has not been definitely ascertained. Mr Hill, veterinary surgeon, was sent for, and the horse is now under his care.

An Engineering Curiosity. —A curiosity in engineering has been constructed in America by a olookmaker named Buck. This is in all probability the smallest steam engine ever made, for it is almost microscopic in its dimensions. It weighs only about 15 grains, and is entirely covered by an ordinary thimble. Tho stroke of the piston is a little over two millimetres, or lT2in, and its diameter is less than a millimetre and a half. Nevertheless, tho engine is built of 140 distinct pieces fastened together by 52 screws ; and throe drops of water suffice to fill the boiler and set the engine in motion. Sydenham Minstrels.—Tho Sydenham Minstrels made their debut in the Waltham Hall last evening to a crowded bouse. Tho “ chair business ” was particularly good, the vocalists showing more than ordinary ability. Messrs Marr and Mitchell were loudly applauded for their bone duet, and Messrs Adams and Herbert were equally as successful in their characteristic song. The laughable farce of “ Pinkie ” concluded the entertainment, and elicited roars of laughter. A dance followed, and was enjoyed by a numerous party. Fire, —A fire occurred yesterday in a house belonging to Mr Crawford, builder, Ferry road. The building consumed was situated in his timber yard, some distance from his dwelling home, and used by him for storing materials of his trade, such as mouldings, &c. Both building and contents wore totally destroyed. The loss entailed is about £IOO. The fire is supposed to have been caused by smouldering embeia from a fire used for melting glue the previous night, or from children playing with matches, although there is no evidence to that effect. Edinburgh International Fisheries Exhibition.— lt is proposed to hold an exhibition in Edinburgh in April next, to which exhibits are invited from all parts of the globe, viz. :—Models, drawings, and photographs of boats used in fishing, and of boat harbors, fisheries, houses, nets, lines, fishing tackles of all kinds, both for sea and inland waters, piscioultural apparatus, live fish in tanks, collections of stuffed fish and aquatic birds, life-saving apparatus, fog signals, and lights for fishing boats, fresh, cured, and tinned fish, preparations for preserving fish, models of fish, passes and ladders, and other similar objects. Communication is invited by the secretaries, Sir J. R, S Maillard, Bart., Mr W. Skinner, city clerk (Edinburgh), Mr F. N. Menzies, Secretary of the Highland Society, Edinburgh, and Mr Archibald Young, Advocate and Commissioner of Scotch Salmon Fisheries. The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, to whom a communication on the subject has bean addressed, decided to refer tho matter to Dr. Von Haast.

Thh Hbat in England. —As a proof of the extraordinary heat of the last summer in England, a date palm, a tropical plant, was on July 22nd found growing in an open field near Salisbury. On being taken up, it was found that the roots had penetrated the soil to a depth of 14in or 15in. It is supposed that the seed was, with some coal ashes, carted from one of the horticultural establishments in the city. A Lucky Haul. —A Volendam fisherman was last July fishing for anchovies in the Zuydor Zee, On drawing in his nets he found entangled in them a heavy lump of some substance covered with mussels. On inspection he found that the mass was mainly an aggregate of little heaps of coins, which examination proved to he mostly silver pieces, 450 in number. They wore chiefly ducatoons ; there were also a few Spanish and other gold pieces. They were all dated between 1660 and 1680.

Cremation in Denmark. —Cremation appears to be flourishing in Copenhagen, At a recent meeting of the Cremation Society of that city, it was reported that it counted fourteen hundred and nine members, among whom were eighty-three physicians and some prominent clergymen. In the furnace projected by the Danish Society corpses are to be reduced to ashes in a little over one hour; and it is calculated that the cost of incinera-

lion will bo reduced to the insignificant sum of from three to five crowns—between one and two dollars. It is stated that this economical feature of the project has met with groat favor among the poorer classes, funeral expenses being high in the Danish capital. Slightly Mixed. —Some of the Australian papers, says a contemporary, have got into a fog over Charters, the Building Society defaulter from Christchurch and North, the consultation defaulter from Wellington, and have “ mixed these persons up ”in a very amusing way. For instance, the “ Melbourne Weekly Times” calls him “a hairdresser named Charters, who held about £4OOO in a ‘ consultation sweep ’ on certain horse races, and who levanted by the Ban Francisco mail, taking with him also the proceeds of a forgery, and sundry embezzlements The paper adds : “ When arrested. Charters had the sum of £ISOO in his possession, so that it found guilty of the charges imputed to him, the societies alleged to be defrauded will notsuffer by his defalcations, the only sufferers being those who patronised his consultation.” A With Accidentally Shot by hbe Husband. —The Timarn “Herald” of yesterday records a very painful accident which occurred about five o’clock the previous evening, the particulars being as follows Yesterday afternoon, three men who had walked all the way from Waimate, went to Stewart Hamilton’s boarding-house, High street, with o view of obtaining lodgings. They had come to Timaru to enrol in the Armed Constabulary, having learnt volunteers for the reserve force were required. Finding no one at the boarding-house, one of the trio proceeded down town, whore he mot Hamilton, who informed him he and Mrs Hamilton would shortly be home. The man returned and about five o’clock Hamilton and hie wife put in an appearance, and entered their lodging-house together with the three travellers. The latter stated the object for which they had come to Timaru and one of them, named Sampson, produced a revolver and a dagger, which he said he had used—and there is no reason to doubt his word—in the Kaffir war at the Capo. Hamilton took up the revolver to examine it, and not knowing it was loaded pulled the trigger. One of the chambers exploded, the ball lodging in his wife’s groin and inflicting an ugly wound, causing her to bleed profusely. Sampson at once rushed away for a doctor, and on his way met Detective Kirby, who at once proceeded to the scene of the accident. Hamilton also went to procure medical assistance, and in a short time Dr, Lovogrove arrived. The poor woman by this time was very much exhausted, and on Inspector Ponder arriving almost immediately afterwards it was decided to remove her to the Hospital, which was , done without any unnecessary delay. On ' examination it was found the wound was a most serious one, and it will require great skill and care to save the poor woman, especially as she has passed middle age. The affair seems to have been the result of a pure accident.

A Husk Rabbit Wakbbn. —We learn from the “ European Mail ” that a large estate on the confines of Hants and Wilts, and consisting of over 1000 acres, which, after being let to a tenant for a number of years for £3OO a year, was at last abandoned by him, has for some time been without an occupier. The owner, determined to put it to some use, has now resolved to make a huge rabbit warren of it, and for this purpose has turned out 1200 rabbits to populate it. Considering that of all animals ‘rabbits are among the most prolific, and that they soil for about Is apiece in England, the experiment will probably be a successful one, though whether the owner’s neighbors will not before long consider they have just cause of complaint against him in the too frequent visits of these industrious burrowers remains to be seen. Wages on the Pacino Slope. —Men’s wages in this country (writes the Ban Francisco correspondent of a contemporary) are always paid by the day or month. Twenty-six working days is considered a month’s work on land, and thirty days a month on the water. The employed have the same right to quit work whenever they please as the employer has in discharging them whenever he wishes to. The employed receive pay for only the actual time they work. With a few exceptions, ten hours constitutes a day’s work all over the United States, and there does not appear to bo much smoking or beer drinking done during this time. The wages paid haying, harvest, and threshing hands average from 8s to 12s per day ; carpenters and cabinetmakers, 10s ; bricklayers and stonemasons and miners, 12s; farm hands, teamsters, stagedrivers, millmen, lumbermen, and shepherds, from £6 to £lO per month and boarded.

, Thb Premier— The following telegram i was received to-day by the Hon. B. Richardson from the Hon. John Hall :—“ Am compelled to defer visit to the South. Have to i meet Native Minister at Opunake.” INT 118 COLONIAL WEATHER EXCHANGE. — Sydney, Wednesday evening—Fine weather, with light winds from 8.8. toW.B.W,but cloudy along the South coast. Barometer — Albany, 30.3; Portland, 30.4 ; Hobart, 30.1; Gabo, Sydney and Br.sbane, 30 2. Thbateb Royal. —Miss Pomeroy’s impersonation of Imogen grows upon one by repetition. Last night she gave ua a really excellent rendition of the character, one too in which the auditor was enabled to discover fresh beauties. She was loudly and frequently applauded by a large house, and called before the curtain several times. The other characters, especially Mr Holloway as Posthumus, and Mr Flemming as laohimo, were played excellently. A word of praise is also due to Mr O’Brien for this admirable rendering of the part allotted to him. To night “As You Like It,” with Miss Pomeroy as Rosalind, will be played. Miss Pomeroy has won golden opinions wherever she has played the character, and as tho piece itself is a very great favorite here no doubt there will be a largo attendance. Engineer Volunteers.—A meeting of the above will be hold at the orderly-room at 7.30 p.m. to-morrow. Lyttelton Regatta.—The Mayor of Lyttelton, by advertisement elsewhere, has convened a public meeting tor to-morrow (Friday) night, in the Lyttelton Oddfellows’ Hall, in connection with the settlement of last year’s regatta, and tho consideration of holding one on the Ist of January next. Interesting Discoveries.—Some more arobseologioal discoveries of a very interesting nature have just been signalled at Algiers, this time not on tho borders of tho Sahara, but near tho sea coast on the seat of tho ancient TJtioa. Among the objects already found, and guaranteeing, as is believed, a wealth of artistic treasures to come, are the remains of a temple, consecrated to the infant Hercules, a statuette of the god in white marble, evidently Greek, and described as a chef d’ceuvre, a Bacchus, life size, also in white marble, and a great number of fine mosaics. Excavations are being actively carried on under the auspices of M. de Billing and M. le Oomte d’Horisson ; a number of archnsologists having contributed towards tho necessary funds The objects before referred to were found at a depth of seven or eight feet only below tho surface. Some particulars of those discoveries will ha read at the congress of the Association for the Advancement of Science, now being held at Algiers. It is curious that simultaneously with these excavations a present of fine pearls, affirmed to be part of tho buried treasury of Jugurtha, has been offered, so say the newspapers, by a Muroo tribe travelling in those regions to the Governor-General of Algeria This would seem to show that native excavators had already been at work carrying away objects of value from other places.

The Dangers op Dynamite. —Dynamite (remarks tho “ Pall Mall Gazette ”j is too destructive an agent to be sold as treoly as sealing-wax, yet it seems to be procurable without any difficulty in all parts of tho country. Hardly a month passes in which cases are not reported of poachers using dynamite as a means of catching fish, and tho dynamite grenade used to kill trout in a pool might just as easily bo employed to destroy human life. So familiar are some people with the explosive that it is oven being used as a means of suicide. A Yorkshire correspondent sent to tho “ British Medical Journal ” recently an account of sn extraordinary case, in which a drunken well-sinker put an end to himself by exploding a dynamite cartridge in his mouth. Strangely enough, although his tongue, teeth, palate and maxillary bones were blown to pieces, the skin of the cheeks and lips remained intact, and, except for extravasation of blood about the eyes, there was little to show externally tho cause of hii death.