Telegraphic Intelligence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1490, 26 November 1872, Page 3

Telegraphic Intelligence.

£*E<?M THE AN&IiO-AUSTEAMAN PEESS TELEGRAM AGENCY.}

CRRISTCHURCH.

GREAT FIRE LAST EVENING.

ESTIMATED DAMAGE, £IO,OOO.

Tuesday, Nov. 26. An alarming fire broke out shortly before 7 o'clock last night, in High-street, amidst a closely-packed row of shops. It rapidly spread, being fanned by a light N.E. breeze. The fire brigades were detained owing to the want of hordes—only a short time elapsed, however, before the engines were brought into play. The fire is supposed to have originated in Dunklcy's hatter's shop, and spread from thence right and left, to Moss (clothier), Firsth (grocer), Bonnington (bookseller), Holmes (confectioner), Percy (bootmaker), M'Allum (jeweller); it also spread through the back into the next street, commencing with Raphael's Atlantic Bank, and extending to Gardener's (pianoforte maker.) The Brigades worked splendidly, as shown by their confining the fire to five (nine?) houses in a closelypacked row ot f>hop*> all wood. Scarcely anything was saved from any of the places, except from Percy's, from whose place most of the stock was got out. The damage is estimated at ,£IO,OOO. The fire has been got under. A curious coincidence occurred in connexion with this fire. The Fire Brigade had been turned out on a false alarm for the purpose of testing the engines. The signal guns were being fired, and the engines were playing, when the fire-bell rung out a genuine alarm, and the Brigade had to set to work in earnest.

TIMARU.

Tuesday, Nov. 26. Tee adjourned inquest on the body of George Blackall has been held, and is still furthei Adjourned to Wednesday (to-moirow.) The jury were not satisfied with the medical testimony adduced. The body will have to be exhumed for examination by two medical men.

PICTON.

Tuesday, Nov. 26. The body of a man, supposed to bo that of the cook of the City of Newcastle, has been found near the scene of the wreck of that vessel.

WELLINGTON.

Tuesday, Nov. 26. THEtUvclling-hou.se of Mr Williamson was discovered to be on fire in three different places last night. The alarm was given, and the brigades promptly turned out and succeeded in extinguishing the tire without any serious damage resulting. An inquiry will bo held.

Sailed. —Halciono, ship, for London

KELSON.

Tuesday, Nov. 26. A. man named William Small has committed suicide by swallo-ving a quantity of Milestone. An inquest has been held, and a verdict of temporary insanity returned.

HOKITIKA.

Tuesday, Nov. 26,. Mr. White, M.H.R., addressed a crowded meeting last night. A unanimous vote of coufidenco was passed.

The Worgan Commission came to a conclusion on Saturday, Nov. 16, Mr Worgan making a speech in defence lasting one hour and a quarter. Fatal and dangerous accidents in Westland seem to be frightfully numerous. Three issues of the Grey River Argus contain notices of seven such, viz., two deaths by drowning, one death by falling down a water hole, two severe fractures of legs and two narrow escapes from death. The value of the amount of flax imported into Melbourne during the year ending 31st March, 1872, is stated at £14,661. Petitions for and against Sunday trains are in course of signature in Canterbury. =. The Queenslander states that the Brisbane market has recently been supplied with a shipment of bacon and hams from Port Cooper, New Zealand, of really splendid quality, the whole of which has gone into consumption at full rates—viz., 14Jd for cases of both, and 16 for hams alone. In the New South Wales Parliament a Newspaper Postage Kepeal Bill has been read a first time.

The London Echo has been throwing open its columns for the discussion of "the questions at home," or, in other words, the dear coal and dear meat questions, an J lias been flooded with letters from enthusiastic correspondents each advocating some pet economy. Some of the suggestions are sensible, some are impracticable, and others comical. One correspondent bluntly says that we " musfe do without something," and suggests " Beer, 'Baccy, and Babies/' as the articles in which retrenchment is most needed Another has saved J 62 a quaiter by reducing the size of his gaslurners, and recommends his fellow-countrymen to go and do likewise. A third points to the extravagance of women in dress as preposterous, and adds that "an expensive dress represents many joints on the family table." While yet another finds fault with the quantity of meat eaten by Englishmen, and gives a recipe for what he calls a "satisfying dish." Hero it is : —Boil a cabbage, strain it, chop it up fine, season it with salt and pepper, and fry it till brown, in fat. When served sprinkle it well with bread crumbs This vegetarian enthusiast o-oes further into detail than most of his brethren, and after suggesting "slices of bread fried in fat till brown" aa likelv to mako a delicious meal, adds, " 1 am going to dine off carrots," which wo hope ho did and enjoyed it.

No little excitement (says the Pail Mall Gazette) will be caused in Scotlaud by the appearance of the «ea serpent in a Highland loch. He has been seen twice by a correspondent of the Inverness Courier, on Lochourn* It is satisfactory to learn that he is on the whole looking well, and is in good spirits. Indeed, Ihe second time he made his appearance ho was "careering swiftly along the surface of the water," making a whizzing noise with his head half out of the A-ater. The writer suggests that he should be -hot or captured with the view of " solving a very interesting question in natural history," but it is to be hoped that these harsh steps will not be taken without some consideration. There are few creatures that have done so little harm as sea serpents. They hate a very creditable habit of appearing at convenient seasons when the world requires a little excite* ment. If the mystery that hangs about them were once .solved, life would lo><e in interest what it gained in science* and so long as they confine themselves to the water it would bo impolitic to meddle with them. If they are illadvised enough to make inland expeditious, of course they should be shot down. One of them was so foolish as to come ashore on the coast of Orkney in 1808. He speedily died, however—it is supposed of ennui} and some of his bones having been sent to London, Sir Everard Home commited the extraordinary blunder of pronouncing him to. be a - shark of the species. Squalu* maximus.

A Yankee journalist who is bald offer* a reward of one thousand dollars for a tale that will wake his hair stand 01% encL