The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1884.

Kumara Times, Issue 2399, 10 May 1884, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1884.

A cablegram received at seven o'clock last evening reports a disastrous explosion at the factory of Nobel's Explosives Company, at Stevenston, county of Ayr, Scotland. Ten girls employed in the works were killed, and other employees were more or less seriously injured. There is a degree of interest iii this intelligence beyond the calamity which has overtaken these unfortunate girls. The little packages of Nobel's dynamite cartridges, about the size of a packet of rifle cartridges, are every day in use amongst the miners of this field, and the hands and fingers of many that were employed in the delicate operation of putting these dangerous explosives into the handy little packets that arc destined to break up or remove some huge boulder in a claim or claims and shatter it into fragments, have, in the course of their very hazardous occupation, been themselves the victims of their own unfortunate employment. Stevenston, where the factory is situated, is but a small town, a railway station on the Ardrossan and Saltcoats branch of the Glasgow and Ayr Railway, and about three miles east of the seaport town of Ardrossan, the summer bathing-place of Ayrshire. Cotton-weaving used to be the chief industry of Stevenston, but its prosperity now depends on the collieries and

ironworks in the vicinity, and the factory of the Nobel's Explosives Company.

The Christchurch coach arrived this afternoon at the usual hour, bringing East Coast, Australian and the San Francisco mails, which were at once sorted and delivered.

The fancy dress ball which is to be held in the Adelphi Theatre on the 23rd inst., the eve of the birthday of our beloved sovereign Queen Victoria, is engaging the keen attention of many ladies and gentlemen who purpose going. The day chosen is perhaps of all days in the year the most fitting for such an occasion. The members of the Volunteer Fire Brigade who form the committee to carry out the arrangements met on Wednesday last, and we have every confidence that the unity of action that exists amongst them for inaugurating the first fancy dress ball in Kumara will prove successful. Although the word "Fancy" which is a corruption of the word fantasy, from the Greek fantasia, had originally a meaning identical with the word imagination, it has now a shade of meaning somewhat different, being applied to those creations that are most widely removed from the world of reality. Ladies and gentlemen who have good imaginary powers should have no difficulty of choosing a fancy dress, for, when, as in the present case, in order to gratify the unbounded longings of the mind, one chooses to construct a fairydress in characteristics without limit, one is said to exhibit the fanciful and the fantastical in a marked degree ; one is desiring something to admire and love beyond what the world usually supplies. There is perhaps too much lack of originality in fancy dress balls of the present day. The newer the idea, probably the more interesting and effective will be the character.

A fire broke out at three o'clock this morning in the cottage occupied by Ser-geant-Major O'Grady, Greymouth. The Argus informs us that the whole building was in flames before the alarm was given. The fire was discovered by Sergeant-Major" O'Grady himself, who was awakened by the noise of breaking glass. On getting out of bed and opening the passage door he discovered the cottage to be on fire, and with the utmost difficulty he managed to save the lives of his wife and his children. With the exception of a few articles of wearing apparel belonging to his daughter, the Sergeant lost every article of furniture he possessed. When the fire brigade arrived it was too late for their services to be of any avail. The worthy sergeant, we regret to say, is totally uninsured. The fire, we are led to believe, was caused by a defective chimney."

Evidence of the auriferous nature of the quartz recently discovered at Cedar Creek, near Ross, continues to be furnished. The West Coast Times states that yesterday Mr Jack, with very primitive appliances, crushed two small pieces, obtaining very excellent results. Messrs Girdwood, Lahman and Co. will sell by auction on Monday next, at Arahura, forty exceptionally grand quiet seasonable bullocks. The sale will take place at 12.30 p.m.

Great indignation is felt and expressed at Gisborne at the conduct of Mr A. M'Donald, M.H.R, for the East Coast, who has left the colony without resigning, as the district must be unrepresented part if not all of the session, and it has several local Bills on hand. He had promised explicitly to resign in time for another to be elected before the session ; but lie was a passenger by the mail steamer for San Francisco, and it is stated that whilst on board vessel he declared he had withheld his resignation simply in order "to spite his constituents, and he "would sec them damned first before he would resign." Mr J. M'Kenzie, M.H.R., forMoeraki, is reversely popular with his constituents. He addressed a meeting of the electors at Palmerston South lately, and received a vote of thanks and confidence, and an illuminated address and purse of 172 sovereigns. Mr M'Kenzie intimated that he would permanently invest the amount for the benefit of his family, so that they could hereafter refer to it as the gift of the Moeraki electors.

Coimnander Edwin wired urgent yesterday to watch barometer, and expect bad weather from any direction between north and west and south-west; glass to further rise, but after 12 hours will fall again witli wind backing and sea considerable during that time. The following case is recorded by one of the native papers published in Hiogo, Japan :—"The wife of a dealer in sand for scouring, who resides at Nippo-Bashi, Yochnie, in this city, gave birth, on the 6th inst., to five children, all of whom are strong and healthy."