CABLE NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6709, 30 May 1900, Page 3

CABLE NEWS.

{By Electric Telegraph — Copyright,) (Per Press Association.)

NEW STEAMER SERVICE

Melbourne, May 29. English advices states that the Ger-man-Australian Steamship Company has started a new monthly service to Queensland, touching at the Cape and Sydney, and returning viaj] Java and Sumatra this month. TONGA. Mr Basil Thomson, who carrried out the mission of hoisting the flag at Tonga, says details of the negotiations with the chiefs are unavailable till they have been considered by the Imperial Government. A NARROW ESCAPE. The man Handcock, who has been charged with tbe the murder of one L'awson at Kempsey, has been adjudged insane. ! THE CAPE CABLE. Sydney, May 26. The Premier (Sir William Lyne) states that the Government will assume the ; same attitude with regard to the Cape I Cable as that outlined by the Post- ! master-General of Victoria. j SHIPMENT OF GOLD. Melbourne, May 29. Fifty thousand sovereigns were to-day shipped to India. THE TYSON ESTATE. Brisbane, May 29. The Government has issued a writ for the recovery of £68,000 against the administrator of the late Hon James Tyson's estate, for succession duty. The object of the action is to test the question of domicile. SOLAR OBSERVATIONS. London, May 29. Splendid observations were made of the solar eclipse in the Mediterranean and in America. The corona was an exact duplicate of the corona of 1889, confirming the theory of an eleven years' period and variation with .sun spots. Venus and Mercury were conspicuous dnring the period of the eclipse. MRS GLADSTONE. j London, May 28. Mrs Gladstone, widow of the late Right Hon W. E. Gladstone, is seriously ill Her condition is considered critical. CONSTRUCTION OF WARSHIPS.

An experiment has been made o^ Selsey Bill, on the Coast of Sussexwhich has demonstrated the danger of the use of woodwork on Warships. The battleship Majestic opened fire on the old coast defence ship Bell Isle at a distance of 1800 yards and in a few minutes sank her. With two minutes of the first shot the Belle Isle was ablaze.