NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1927, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

K(>RTUX E-TELLER’S PROP 11 ECY

YEYKY. April 2. The German ex-Crown Prince has arrived at the Villa Roecabella, near Locarno, where he expects In make a prolonged stay. Although there is plenty of room at the Roecabella, the Prince’s other brothers rarely stay there: preferring the freedom of their own villa at the opposite end of the town.

During his visits “Little Willie’’ is always the star attraction for sightseers .and he can be* seen almost any morning on the terrace of a local teashop sipping “aperitifs” under the admiring gaze of groups of compatriots.

Last time he was at Locarno the excolonel of the Death's Head Hussars was much comforted by the prophecies of a local fortune-teller, who predicted his return to the throne “after a series of obstacles have been overcome.”

ALPINE HOTEL .MYSTERY. MONTREUX, April 11. The. mystery of the disnp]>enranee of two men and two women from tho hotel at the summit of the Rochcrs do Naye, 6,0000 ft., near Territct, a week ago, was cleared up this morning. A squad of men on skis who probed with long iron rods discovered the four bodies under 7ft. of snow. Both women were wearing breeches and carrying a mountain kit as though for an excursion. One of tlic men had obviously made a great fight for life by making an air space around him, which probably kept him alive in his snowy tomb for several hours.

It is believed that the party wore overwhelmed by an avalanche a week ago and that a second avalanche obliterated all traces of them. One theory is that the fall of snow was caused by vibrations set up by the victims’

voices as they were crossing a particularly dangerous spot. Another is that the snowfiold was set in motion hy the deep tracks of skiers at the foot of the steep cliff.

BOXER’S FIND OF DIAMONDS. JOHANNESBURG, April 14. Max Gornik, an Australian heavyweight boxer, lias furnished a romance of the diamond diggings. He went to Grasfontein for a fight which proved to he a financial failure, hut while there he found that a claim he had “pegged” on the Water Reserve yielded on the first wash stones valued at £SOO. He has found many stones since then.

£2.500,C0» FISH

HALIFAX, April It. A large increase is shown in the fisheries production of Nova Scotia for the year 1926. The total value was approximately £2,500,000, an increase over the preceding year of £460,000, or 22 per cent, and an increase over the year 1924 of £746.000 or 43 per cent.

All the principal kinds of fish excepting mackerel show increases in quantity caught, and all excepting mackerel, hake, cusk and pollack, show increases in marketed value. The marketed value of cod was £015,000 an increase over the preceding year of £'40,000 or 22 per cent.; of lobsters, £077,000, an increase of £74,000, or 12 per cent.; and of haddock, £334,000 an increase of 47 per cent. The catch and marketed value of cod, lobsters, and haddock are the largest for a number of years.

LEG-LESS MAN’S FATE. PARIS, April 14. A disabled soldier who had lost both his legs in the war had both his arms cut off at Nimes yesterday. He had lieen visiting relatives and was returning home when, as lie was about to climb by the aid of his crutches into the train, he slipped and fell beneath the wheels. The train was just starting and before it could lie stopped his left arm and Ills right wrist were severed.

He died in hospital an hour later. He was to have been married a fortnight lienee. POLICE WATCH. TORONTO. April 2. Harvard University is anxious that observations be taken ol the eclipse of the moon in the early morning of June 15 at Baker Lake, in the North-West Territories. ’lbis lake in the far north lies 150 miles west of the post of tlie Royal Canadian Mounted Police at Chesterfield Inlet, Hudson Bay. Director R. Meldrum Stewart, of the Do. minion University, has received a communication from Harvard astronomers asking if it would he possible to obtain these observations. It would he an arduous journey for the “ Mountics, but officials are inclined to think they would make it in the interests of science if word could be sent to the post at Chesterfield Inlet. WHY THE UNIVERSITY ASKS.

The only means would be hy wireless and it is expected the university will obtain the co-operation of one of the large broadcasting stations to send the message, which would be received both at the inlet and at Fort Norman, on the Mackenzie River, where there is another post.

The shadow of the earth will blot out the moon with the possible exception of one edge, where the border ot the shadow and that of the moon will approximately coincide. Whether any light will come through will depend on atmospheric conditions at the time existing along an are of the earth’s surface extending approximately from Chesterfield Inlet to Fort Norman, as this will he the edge of the shadow. It is for this reason that the university has asked for observations at Baker Lake.

TREK OF THE SWANS. MONTREAL. April 2. Two thousand swans have arrived at Kingsville. Ontario, in their annual spring trek to the north, and are being afforded ample protection from poachers. Five thousand geese have also reached the Jack Milner bird sanctuary, where they, too, are finding food and p retortion.

Jack Milner’s place is the meeca in these days of hundreds of people who like to see the spring swarmings of the birds.