PROVINCIAL NEWS

Kumara Times, Issue 2977, 18 May 1886, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS

[united press association.!

Wellington, May 15, Government have received a cable message from the Agont-General announcing that the seal of the New Midland Railway Company has been affixed to the assignment of the contract to the company, and that a deposit of £SOO has been paid by the directors to the Agem-General,

May 17. Telegrams have been received from Otaki stating that Mrs Jas. Sheath, wife of the Postmaster at Tauranga, was drowned in the river yesterday. Dunedin, May 15. An escape of gas yesterday evening in Mr T. Gilmour’s house, Walker street, resulted in the death of his father, James Gilmour, senior, by suffocation. A gas meter was being put into the house during the day, and a leak must have been left in the pipe. Gilmour, senior, went to bed about 6.30, and his son upon entering the room at 8.30 noticed a strong smell of gas and found his father in bed dead. Gilmour was about 80 years of age, Laier. At an inquest on Gilmour, who died from an escape of gas in his room a verdict of accidental death was returned. Christchurch, May 14. Daniel Burns, a coach driver, was sentenced to three months’ hard labour and lined £lO at the Resident Magistrate’s Court to day for obstructing the Ferry bridge to the. danger of the lives and limbs of the passengers in another coach, which lie blocked on the bridge, assaulting a young man, and using indecent language in the presence of ladies.

Samuel Heaton, a fisherman, dropped dead at his house at Sumner yesterday. May 17. Mr H. Davenport, formerly grocer here, cub his throat this morning at his residence in Sydenham. He had been unwell and low spirited for a considerable time. A DESTRUCTIVE FATAL BLAST. Dunedin, May 17. A fatal accident occurred just about five o’clock this afternoon. The unemployed working in Dowling street (a cross street from Princes street) have been firing blasts within the past few days. Just a little before five a blast was let off, and either through too much powder being used, or not sufficient blinding, or probably both, (he stones, some of them of very large size, were hurled some distance away." Some fell in Princes street, usually crowded at that time, and an expressman is said to have had bis thigh fractured. A number fell on (he roofs of shops in Princes street, and one large one, which came crushing through the roof of the Loudon Photograph Rooms, crushed and instantly killed Mrs Finch,' sister of the wife of the proprietor, Mrs Irvine. Mrs Irvine herself, who was sitting working at the same table, had her skull (raoUuvd, and her recovery is doubtful, iwo other ladies sitting in the room received slight injuries. ' As the blast took place in a deep cutting of about 80 feet, the s f oncs must have

passed over the intervening houses. The force of the explosion may be judged when it is stated that the London Photographic Rooms are fully 150 yards distant from where the blast took place. Showers of stones fell on all the houses in the vicinity, and some penetrated through the other roofs, while a chimney of one was wrecked. The fascines used for blinding, were found about ten yards away. The blasting operations are said to have been in charge of one of the unemployed, who received an extra ,6d per day. TWO CHILDREN BURNT to DEATH. Dunedin, May 16, A fatal fire took place on Saturday night in a three-roomed wooden house at Mornington. Mrs Stokes, wife of a labourer, had put her five children to bed. The eldest, Edward, aged 11, and the second youngest, Jane, slept in her own room, and she left a lamp burning on the chest of drawers. The other two, Albert, 9, and Amy, 6J, were in the next bedroom, while a baby was in a cradle in the kitchen. Mrs Stokes was in the kitchen waiting the return of her husband from town, when she heard an explosion, and on looking found her bedroom ablaze. She called out to the oldest boy, who caught up bis little sister sleeping with him, and they made their escape, but Mrs Stokes, instead of snatching the baby from the cradle, ran out for assistance. The boy Albert managed to escape, but his sister Amy, who was in the same room, became confused, and appears to have gone into the room, where the fire started. All attempts to reach the two children when the alarm was given proved unavailing, and their bodies were afterwards discovered very much charred. The house was owned by Muir, and the furniture was insured for £SO. May 17. A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest on the two children burned to death at Mornington on Saturday.