NEWS BY MAH.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1928, Page 1

NEWS BY MAH.

MONSTER ICEBERG’S. VALPARAISO, Nov. 1. A spectacular sight is afforded just now to navigators through tho Straits of Magellan owing to the unusually large number of icebergs. They are in such numbers as to endanger navigation. On arrival at Sandy Point the captain (if the Pacific Steam Navigation Company’s steamer Orita, informed the port authorities that during the. passage of the straits (300 miles) he encountered 30 icebergs, one of which was 10 miles long. Never before have so many and so large icebergs been seen, in the straits. Their existence is attributed to the recent severe storms at Cape Horn. Some of the bergs loom up 1000 foot above 4lie- sea. The Straits of Magellan, which take their name from the Portuguese navigator, Magnlliaes, who discovered them in 1520, divide the Smith American continent from the islands of Tierra del Euego. Tho straits are 2.500 miles from the South Pole.

£1,700 GEM STOLEN. BRUSSELS. Oct, 20. A few days ago two well-dressed men who entered the shop of M. Onitz. a Brussels jeweller, admired a brilliant valued at £1,700, and promised to return on Friday with a prospective purchaser. On that day they again went to the shop and again examined the gem, saying that the prospective purchaser could not oomo till the following day. Half-an-liour later the jeweller’s assistant remarked that the brilliant seemed to have lost its fire, and it was discovered that a piece of cut glass of tho same size and shape had been .substituted for it. “EXECUTED” MAN REVIVES. HAVANA (Cuba), Nov. 1. Spectators wore leaving the death chamber of the Pinar del Rio prison to-day after witnessing the garrotting of a convicted murderer mid the supposed coipse had been laid on a stretcher when suddenly the man revived. Only after a furious struggle were the guards able to overpower him and place him again in the death chair, where the strangulation band was readjusted. The convict remained for 22 minutes in the machine before he was taken out and pronounced dead.

SMUGGLERS \T WORK. LTLLE. Nov. 1. A ton of tobacco was confiscated in a motor car near Avesncs, 50 miles from here, by a Customs officer after an exciting fight. 1 Information led tho Customs authorities to believe that an attempt would he made with" n a motor c-ar to run a cargo of tobacco across the Belgian frontier, and elaborate precautions were taken. A barbed wiie barrier was erected to be thrown across the road at a moment's notice, and Customs officers were stationed at intervals along the road. It was midnight when the oar was signalled. The wire barrier was immediately thrown across the road. The car. however, was filled with large shears in front, and these cut through the harrier as if if had been made of string. The car tore on its. way, followed by a volley of revolver shots from the Customs officers. Post after post fired at the wheels as the car dashed along tho road at 60 mlTes an hour. Some wore effective, for a couple of miles away the car was found half an hour later abandoned but with its valuable cargo Intact,