AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1923, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. NEW A FSTKA LI AN RAILWAY. M KLIiOF 11 NE. Kept • 28. The turning of the first soil oi the Afonina - Ralranald Railway ol 12. i miles, look place to-day. The amision \v;is unique in llie history ot tile Commonwealth, in that it was the Itrst time that one State allowed another to lnii!;! a railway m its territory. Ira' new line forge* a link between New South Wales ami Victoria, and open-.-~r H wide area of well-watered country lor closer sell lenient <m the NewSouth Wales side* whit- Victoria i* constructing the line to get 'he benefit (Vt the carriage of the large amount of trn llie to its sea Ik inrd, which formerlv maili* a roumlahoul- jourttoy to nov tints roliavinji tin* Northern hivein a settlers of a long-felt handicap.

ESCAPED PC EG LA R CATGUT

SYDNEY. Sep. 28,

A sensational burglar hunt took place in the city. Charles Ccorringe. a notorious burglar escaped from the gaol warders at Parramatta, in February last after being sentenced to d years for robbery. He bad since been dodging the police, narrowly escaping them laCt week, when they fired upon him. Sc -fringe i- sti-pocled of several recent robberies in the C hinese quarter of the oily. The police, when watching in this vicinity, surprised him in the lorenoon to-day, rifling a safe on the second floor of a house. He tumped through an open w indow on to a verandah. He saved himself from tailing hy grabbing the spout. The police were watching below. They dragged him down. Kcorriuge carried a fully loaded revovlver. Subsequently ho was remanded mi charges.of escaping from custody anil stealing t’22 sterling I rum the safe which lie was silt prised in rilling. RKI.I.BIED ENQTTRV.

SYDNEY. Kept. 28

Ai the Bellbird inquiry. Mr .Teilries (superintendent of the Abennain (. olliories) who oiganised the rescue operations. gave gi*apliie details ol r -lie work, lie staled the ditfienlty was to keen the volunteers Irom entering the mine in the face ot all dangers froll, gas and falls. Mr Jeffries, who is a recognised authority on mine fires, was of opinion that the initial fire was caused by the careless handling of an unprotected light. This fired the coal, which generated a gas. and an explosion followed. The miners succumbed from carbon monoxide poisoning in attempting to escape. It there had been spontaneous combustion the. fire would have been noticed long before it assumed the proportions it did. He condemned the use of naked lights. A piopoily protected light was necessary. idle mines rescuing. •Received this day at 8 a.m.) SYDNEY. Sept. 28. All idle mines with the exception of one of the northern field, have resumo.l.