Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1547, 3 February 1874, Page 102

Interprovincial Items.

Large Swordflsh. The Aucklaii'l Star, 20th January, says :—An cnorinous swordfish was picked up yesterday luonriug in a dying state at Shlly Beach by a crew of our local watermen." It appears that the fish was seen ou Sunday by people living near the harbor, and was then apparently engaged in combat with a shark or other large fish. Yesterday morning the retiring tide left the swordfish on the beach, when Marshall, Keenej Hnlbrook and another rowed down to the spot and succeeded in getting the monster, which is over 12 feet long, into the boat. It is now on view at McLean's on the wharf. The skeleton has been purchased for the Auckland Museum. The Auckland Graving Dock. The Evening Star, 28th January, says: —We are glad to learn that the protest of the Chamber of Commerce and the indignation of the whole peoplo respecting the conduct of the high-handed log-rollers of the Harbor Board are assuming a practical and effective form of expeession, and that a memorial to his Excellency is in course of preparation. We have no doubt that a stop will be put to the iniquitous dodge which has culminated in the decision of Mr Moriarty. The scheme was deliberately and well laid, and included, as we now see, the prliminary stuffing of the Harbor Board. But.it will be found that 'the best laid plan of mouse and man, 'gangs oft agree." It appears that wow after the decision has been made, an investigation of the bottom of the sea at the proposed site is being made. We would timidly suggest that this operation, as well as a glance at all the possible positions would niqro appropriately have preceded than succeeded the pronouncement of an .opinion. We believe nothing that has taken place in public affairs in this city for many a year has excited such general irritation as this misleading of Mr Moriarty at the hands of. our wily jiellow-pitizens,

A Dangerous Playtamg. The Otago Witness says :—The folly of permitting young children to play with knives was illustrated in the case of a boy named William Wale, aged 2f years, whose parents reside in Cambray Plaee, the other afternoon, when he met with an accident which narrowly escaped being fatal Whilst playing with a pocket-knife he fell upon it, causing the blade to ruu into his stomach. He was taken to the Hospital, where the wound was examined and dressed by Dr Yates. Narrow Escape. A foolish fellow, whose name we have not learned (says the Otago Witness), nearly lost his life on the Port Chalmers Railway last week. As the six o'clock train was running along, a man was observed lying on the rails on the Port Chalmers side ot Burke's Brewery. He just managed to stagger off the line in time to escape the train, which was stopped, and the delinquent was taken into custody by Mr Rolfe, the General Manager, and the guard, who took him to the Port, where he was locked up for the night. Crops in Canterbury. A special reporter of the Press, in writ ing of the extent and state of the crops in the Ashburton district, Canterbury, says: to the Ashburton is a poor tract of country. For eighteen miles there is nothing to break the monotony of the road, but two poor dogs, who are tied up at the gateways to prevent the sheep from mixing. They are supplied with food and water at regular intervals, and tales are told of weary travellers across the barren plain stealing the poor dogs' water." The same writer states that, "on the Acton station, there have been no less than 100 ploughs at work at once this spring and summer, no less than 7000 acres having been turned up for autumn sowing." Invercargill Athenaeum. A new Athenaeum is to built at Invercargill, by the Athenaeum Committee there, The building is to be situated at the corner of Esk and Dee streets. It will be two storeys high, the upper portion being devoted to the purposes of reading room, ladies' reading room, library, and committee room. The main reading room is to be a commodious apartment, 65ft. by 29ft. The lower portion of the building will be s undivided into shops. The building will, if finished according to plan, have a very handsome appearance. Mr Vogel's Projects. In a speech made by him on the occasion of the turning of the first sod of the branch of the Waikato Railway from Mercer to Ngaruawahia, the Hon. Dr. Pollen, referring to Mr Vogel, said: —" He has, I am advised, some projects which, with the concurrence of the Superintendent, he proposes to carry out for the settlement of Hawke's Bay land, and lands in the Tauranga district, and lands in other places." Tauranga. The following items, under date of Saturday last, are from the telegraphic correspondence of our contemporary the Herald : —The Murray, steamer, arrived this morning, and leaves to-night for Auckland. Expectations are high in anticipating the visit of Mr Mackune, the Good Templar. The wheat crop is abundant and nearly harvested. The potato crop is suffering from the long drought. The Late Mr W. Langford. The Poverty Bay Staudard,27th January, says: Our obituary this morning announces the death of Mr W. Langford, at the comparative early age of 42. Mr Langford arrived in the Colony some 20 years since, and resided for a long time in the Province of Hawke's Bay, subsequently joining the Armed Constabulary Force, which he left about 18 months since to go into business for himself, in Gisborne. His end came rather suddenly, although, perhaps, net unexpectedly. He leaves a wife and six children, two of which are at present with Mrs Langford on a visit to Napier. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon ; the Rev. Mr Root conducting the funeral service. A Relic. A curious relic of the war which was carried on in Wanganui from 1845 to 1847, was discovered a few days ago (says the Chronicle.) The workmen employed in excavating the foundations for the new Tutaeheka bridge, found a congreve rocket imbedded in the mud at the bottom of the stream. The missile was doubtless discharged at the Maori pa, which then stood on what is now Mr Field's orchard, but falling into the stream had remained unexploded and uaknown till now. Ascent of Mount Egmont. The Taranaki Herald reports that some gentlemen from their district had reached the top of this mountain, but unfortunately npoh their arrival the mountain was partially clouded. The Herald suggests that the Provincial Council should place a sum on the estimates for improving the tracks. Last Sunday week Dr Earle and Mr H. I. Jones left this town for the purpose of ascending Mount Egmont, and have not yet returned. A Poisonous Bite. A few weeks ago, as Mr Wright of Arrow Town, was drowning a cat, it broke loose from the bag in which it was placed, and fastened on his hand severely lacerating his little finger. Beyond poulticing the wound Mr Wright took no further notice of it; but it did not heal, and became so much worse that he was obliged to go to the Wakatip Hospital, and last week Dr. Douglas amputated a portion of the linger, which is now healing. The " Tumbling Tom." The following from the Otago Daity Times, is of considerable interest to the mining community : —Recently a trial was made of a " tumbling torn " in* the yard of Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen and Co., Vulcan Foundry. " Tumbling Tom" is an ingenious arrangement, self-acting, by which the small wagons used in conveying stuff from tuunels on mining works are emptied. It is an iron cage, slightly larger than one of the waggons, balanced in peculiar way on a shaft, and placed so as to project over an embankment at the end of a line of rails. The loaded truck rushing down the line enters the cage, or " tumbling torn," which thereupon tilts over, tilting the truck over with it also, and the stuff is thrown out. As the iron work of the ''tumbling torn" catcljes only on the rim of the waggon, the stuff is shot out. The " tumbling torn," on the waggon being emptied, rights itself, and causes the waggon to rush out of it on the line. This plan of emptying waggons is followed in coal-mines, but has, we understand, been hardly ever adopted in goldmines, even where it could be used to a great advantage. The " tumbling toms" and iron trucks Messrs Kiucade, M'Queen and Co., are now turning out are for the Shotoyer Terrace Goldmining Company! '^

The National Punch (Auckland) is no more. Mr John White, it is stated, will be proposed as Speaker of the Provincial Jounoil of 'Vestlnnd. European and Chinese Laborers appear to be working amicably together or, the Tuapeka railvay Nominations for 51 Immigrants were forwarded from Greymouth by the last mail to the Agent-General in London. Another Sudden Death in the streets of Christenurch has occurred—that of Mrs John Turner, Oranmcr Square. Aquatic— ln consequence of apathy of members, the Lyttleton Boating Club has been wound np. A yachting club is proposed. A drunken Man got on the Port Chalmers railway the oilier day. The train was just pulled up as the engine reached him. The Census of the Colony is to be taken for the night of Sunday, the Ist March. Mr Hoyte, of Auckland, has succeeded in attaining some admirable sketches of West Coast scenery, particularly in the vicinity of the Otira Gorge. A large numderoffChinamen are said to have left some parts of Otago for the West Coast, proceeding overland under the guids ance of a European. Mr Henry Hirst, Orepuki, had one of his hands shattered the other day by the bursting of his gun, with which he was attempting to shoot a wild bull. The sum of £415 was distributed to those of the passengers with families by the wrecked ship Surat, at the Immigration Barracks on Thursday Jan. 15. The Committee have still a sum of -about £3OO in hand. The Molyneux.—Writing of the recent floods in the Molyneux, the Tuapeka Mouth correspondent of the Lawrence paper says the continuous high state of the river must have been injurious up-country, as the carcases of horses, boxes, and other debris have been floating past. A Serious Accident occurred to a laborer named Joseph Koberts, while engaged in transshipping boilers from the Naworth to the Amateur," in Auckland harbor on the 16th iust. A portion of the guiding tackle gave way as one of the boilers was being lowered, and Koberts was violently jammed between the descending boiler and one against which he was standing, one of his legs being broken.