To-day's News.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XIV, Issue 803, 28 December 1894, Page 5

To-day 's News.

LO?nDON, Dec 23 Terrific gales which have visited the British coast have been experienced

in Holland, Belgium and Hamburg. Great damage been done, and many lives lost. Gales wrecked the chief streets in Belfast. Enormous damage done in the northern part of Ireland, where all towns suffered severely. Four wrecks occurred near Liverpool, and 40 officers and crews drowned. Up to the present, deaths in Britain through gales hare reached 105. The gale on the Mersey wrecked 7 vessels, 50 of those on board being drowned.

The condition of Lord R. Churchill is worse. He is suffering from general paralysis, and is in a highly critical state.

At a fire in the Chatham dockyard Lord Charles Beresford was injured by some falling tiles.

PARIS, Dec 26

In the Deputies, during discussion on '('reason Bill, General Mercier, Minister for War, proposed that officers and privates convicted of treason during either peace or war should suffer death. Jauries, Socialist Member, in opposing the motion, called the Minister a liar. Jauries was temporarily expelled. Capt. Drefus has appealed against the sentence of imprisonment for life inflicted on him for selling secret military plans to foreign spies. Populace in Pans enraged because he was not sentenced to death. He will be sent to Noumea.

WASHINGTON, Dec 21

It is expected that strictures passed by Admiral Walker on Major Wodehouse, British Consul at Honolulu, and the captain of H.M.S. Champion, as to intriguing in Hawaii, will result in official protests being received from British Govt.

SHANGHAI, Dec 23

News has reached here that a severe engagement between Japanese and 1000 Chinese took place at Haitcheng on 18th inst. The battle lasted five hours. After four assaults the Japanese routed the Chinese. The battle was characterised by the fiercest and hottest fighting that has taken place during the campaign. Loss on Chinese side is staled to be 500 killed ; Japanese loss is 420.