Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1900.

Manawatu Herald, 19 April 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1900.

Sipido the youth who' recently fired at the Prince of Wales when he was travelling in a railway carriage at Brussels, has been committed for tria'.

Mr R. Chapman was at last Satur day's meeting of the Horowhenn. County Council, appointed inspector of works for that County. The remuneration is £150 per annum.

When President Loubet's steamer reached the Alexander 111 bridge, at the opening ot the Paris Exhibition, ?. great French-Russian demonstration was made in that vicinity. Afterward.the Russian and British Ambassadors together escorted President Loubet in his progress through the various sections of the Exhibition. The majority of the visitors to the Exhibition are British.

Have they the plague in Opotiki ? The East Coast Guardian of last week says :—" A number of dead rats hay. been found along the banks of Mr J. White's island, and also along the se?> beach and near the private houses an : stores. The rats found on the beac v were evidently not thrown over fron passing vessels, as shown by the stat of the dead bodies."

Britain's^ position as the oceancarrier of "the world is more largely dependent upon the skill of the engi^ neers, who supervise the work in the stoke-hold and amid the clamour of the engine-room, than is quite appreciated. The shipbuilders may bonstruct the' most perfect ships, yet, unless these vessels are run with an intelligent appreciation of their possibilities as to economy as well as efficiency, sue'; excellence will not avail. One marine engineer may save in coal alone £1 foi every hour the ship is at sea, and more in upkeep, as compared with another having the same machinery, but lacking in the qualities which make for economy.

A man named Joseph Watson, a labourer, about forty-five years of age, met with a frightful death at the Christchurch railway station. He endeavoured to get on to the 6.15 train for Lyttelton, while in motion, and fell between the carriages, but caught hold ot the guard iron. Two young men on the footboard of the carriage got hold of Watson and held him up for over 300 yards, but eventually he slipped out of his coat and fell under tbe wheels of the carriage, which passed over him, killing him instantly. The body was tearfully mangled. One arm was clean cut off, and the left was jambed between two rails. Two policemen who were on the station picked up the remains and conveyed them to the Railway Hotel. Watson leaves a wife and family.

A girl is wanted to assist in housework.

Sir Frederick. Hodgson, the British Governor of Ashanti, has sent reassuring messages to the Colonial Office regarding the position of affairs at Kumassi, where he has been p'rieying with the leaders of .the various tribal factions who have lately been at war.

A man named Richard Direen was killed on the railway at Deborah, near Oamaru, on Monday night. His hat fell off while the engine was shunting, and he got off to pick it up. While doing so a carriage moved, and the wheels passed over him.

The Mayor has been authorised by the Government to frank all letters, telegrams and parcels in connection with the Indian Famine Fund.

Four feet of snow has faller. at Kiandra, a district in the mountains of the extreme south of the colony of N.S. Wales, 4600 feet above the sea level.

The German pro-Boer electors in America threaten to desert President McKinley at the Presidential election. Admiral Dewey's strong condemnation of Mr Bryan's anti-Imperialism threatens to split the Democratic party.

It is stated that " Birthday honours " will this year be freely showered upon the colonial statesmen who have been prominent in the patriotic movement that has^affprded such satisfaction to the Imperial Government.

A dastardly incident is related by the special correspondent of the Cape Times as happening before the Essex Regiment carried a position at Driefontein- just before Lord Robert's army reached Bloemfontein, The Boers appeared on the skyline with their hands above their heads and with their rifles slung on their shoulders. The instant the whistle sounded the cease fire they swung their rifles round and fired, causing many casualties. Lord Roberts observed this treachery.

The air of Ireland has greatly invigorated the Queen. Her Majesty's activity in visiting the hospitals and other institutions has astonished everyone.

A girl named Ellen Dawson, eighteen years of age, a servant in the employ of Mr William Allen, residing at St. -Übans, was found drowned on Monday morning in an open box attached to a well on the premises. At the inquest the evidence showed that the girl had been troubled because she had got into debt to the extent of £2 ss, some 30s having been incurred for drapery. The jury returned a verdict that deceased committed sujeide while tern insane, and added a rider that ■in their opiuion all overflow wells from artesian pipes should be covered. r ertainly a curious conclusion to come to. .

The Colonial Secretary proposes next session to introduce drastic legislation dealing with the question of sanitation. He considers the present local and central boards of health almost useless, and he will suggest that these be abolished, and a supervising medical officer tor the whole colony and local medical officers be appointed to take the whole of the sanitation of the colony into their hands. Dr Mason and Mr Gilruth, in their inspection of the colony, will ask power from municipalities to enable them to make a thorough inspection of each place desired. They will communicate by telegraph to the Colonial Secretary the ond'tion of each town inspected, also nch recommendations as they consider secessary.

A very sad case of drowning occurred at Otaki beach on Monday afternoon, says the Mail, whereby a young man named H. D. Hayes, who had been blacksmithing for several months past in tbe town, lost his life. The deceased and an Otaki fisherman named Duilio went out in the morning n-hing, crossing the bar of the river in m open boat. During the afternoon he sea became rather rough, and the -vlnd was blowing pretty strongly. When the two men attempted to make for the shore, at about 3 p.m., the boat swamped. They struck for the shore, both being good swimmers, but the current was terribly strong. Duilio managed to reach the shore after great difficulties. Seeing that Hayes had ' ; ttle chance of doing the same, onlookers from the beach shouted to him to return to the boat (which was anchored bjfthe anchor falling out when it capsized), and cling to it until assistance arrived. He tried to do so, but tmMerrific current of the ebbing fide prevented him regaining the boat, md he was very soon seen to. disappear. The news was quickly brought nto town, and Constable O'Rourke at >nee went out to search for the body, vhich he found shortly after near the .vater's edge a little below the City of Auckland wreck.

A spiritualistic medium named Mrs Praed received a sentence at Melbourne the other day of six months for imposing on a simple old woman, one Mrs Parry. Mrs Praed went off into the trance state, and brought Mrs Parry's daughter back from the grave to speak to her. The daughter declared that she was a teacher of the little children in heaven, that she was clothed in a black dress, and that she .vished the " good medium " to have one like it. Mrs Parry, who had made money in the hotel business, thereupon bought the medium a black silk. She had previously given her a grey silk, because grey was the colour of the robes worn in heaven. Presently Mrs Praed took a higher flight. She promised the credulous old woman a conversation with the Mother of God, but the heavenly visitor could only make her appearance if "everybody was clothed in pure, white," so Mrs Praed was rigged out as Mrs Parry's expense in a white tea-gown, a silk dress and petticoat, and the best of underclothing. The "Mother of God" thereupon vouched a visit or rather a conversation, and explained that it was the first time she had spoken to 'anyone in the world v for 500 years. Naturally Mrs Praed worked her gold mine for" all it was worth. She got a diamond ring, a gold cross, a house and furniture, and in the end a sovereign every Monday morning. The judge let Mrs Praed off lightly with six months, and gave Mrs Parry back her diamond ring and furniture.

Mr T. W. Kempthorne, chairman of the Wellington More Men Fund Com : mittee, offers to send 200 remounts to South Africa if the Government will pay the cost of transit from Dunedin or Port Chalmers. The Premier, with thanks, accepts the offer, and wires that from a report received from Major Robin, dated Kimberley Camp, March 22nd, " New Zealand horses have proved the best up to the present. We have had no remounts; but are promised a few as soon as the army people can get them. The horses unfit for further use were to be destroyed to save food. I had, however, the good fortune to come across a farmer who lfved some way out, who took the lot, eight in all, and paid £17 10s for them. The British army sold 300 at 30s apiece. Worn out geldings are of no value. Mares are valued.

An interesting relic of the past now lies in Messrs Hoadley and Co.'s auction room, says the H.B. Herald, in the shape of the first organ ever brought to Hawke's Bay, if not to New Zealand. The late Rev. Mr jColenso brought it with him when h*e came here, and it was the only article saved when his house at Waitangi was destroyed by fire, the Maoris risking their lives to rescue it- It is a true pipe organ, though played by turning a handle, on the " hurdy-gurdy " principle. It has three slops, and a capacity of twenty- two hymn tunes. Notwithstanding its age the tune is excellent.

On his last two trips up the East Coast Mr H. Hill secured two curiosii ties. The first is a very large cannon ball dug out of a cliff by the natives. How it got there is a mystery, for no cannon used in the Maori war fired such a large ball, and it is evidently' of such age that few ships of that period carried such large guns. The second is a piece of iron chain fished from the bottom of the sea. The oxidations of the iron evidently set up a cementing action in the surrounding mud and stones, and the result is that at each end is a mass of shingle and small boulders firmly cemented into a hard conglomerate. Is there not a hint for the Harbor Board here ? If old scrap iron useless for any other purpose 'were thrown among the rubble protective upon it should set up a similar action and in time bind the whole mass together as one rock. The process is evidently a rapid one, as the links connecting the two chunks of conglomerate in Mr Hill's possession show very little signs of corrosion.— H.B. Herald.

The Otaki Licensing election has been declared void. In connection with the fitting of the Westinghouse brake on the rolling stock of the New Zealand railways, two large buildings will be erected at Wellington and Auckland (says a con temporary). There is no room for the work in the qrdinary workshops. The fitting will take several months even after appliances arrive, so that it jnay be about a year before the brake will be in general use in the North Island. The next English and European mail, via San Francisco, will close at the local office on Friday, i ith May, at 8 p.m.