INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 252, 24 October 1877, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[PRKSS AGENCr.] Auckland, Tuesday. Sailed— Rotorua, for Sydney, at 5. 30 p- m. The City of New York, with the outward 'Frisco mail, passed the Bay of Islands at 3 30 this afternoon. The ship Mary Shepherd, ouce a regular trader between Loudon and this port, has been wrecked near Manilla. The ship sailed from Mauritius on April 19th for Manilla, in ballast, and struck on a reef off Luben Island, south of Manilla Bay, abont the middle of June, and went to pieces immediately after she struck. There was no time to get a boat out, and the commander (Captain Caroline), the cook, a man named White, and two apprentices named Sherman and Smith, failed to reach the shore and were drowned; the rest of the officers and crew weie saved. A cablegram received in town by Messrs Brown, Campbell, and Co., says:— "The Lusitauia, belonging to the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, which left Melbourne on the isth Sept., entered the Suez Canal on the 17th Oct. Chrisxchurch, Tuesday. Rain last night removed fear for the crops, which began to look very parched. Collections iv aid of the ludiau Famine Belief Fund amount to over £1800. A serious bush fire occurred at Alford Bush, doing immense damage. It was caused by the carelessness of bushuien whila cooking. The fete to-day in aid of the Famine Relief Fund was an immense success. The weather was iine, and 6000 to 7000 persons were present. The programme comprised a muff cricket match iv costume, Richardson's Show, under the management of Mr J. L. Hall, assisted by members of the Gaiety Theatre Company and several members of the American Variety Troupe, now placing at the Theatre Koyal, fortune tellers' tents', performing dogs, gift auction, &c. The total receipts up to 5 o'clock amounted to about £400. Wellington, Tuesday. From further particulars of the fire, it appears that the water was turned on by the watchman kept for the purpose, immediately after the alarm; but either through a stoppage somewhere in the pipes, or else through the pipes being empty aac i tne wa t er low in the reservoir, which is a long distance from the scene of the fire, it took such a long time to fill the empty pipes that the fire got tremendous headway, and even when the water did begin to run there was not enough to fill the eight jets which had been gofc ready to play, and four had to be taken off, so that some force might be obtained iv the other four. One of the houses burnt was occupied by Mr Faruall, of Auckland, while Sir George Grey occupied a room iv the Princess Hotel facing the fire, aud the hotel itself had a very narrow escape. Mr Cattel was one of the first at the fire, put up a ladder to the room where* Mrs Johnson and her children slept, .and broke through the window, in the hope of rescuing them, but the flames burst out with such force as to knock him off the ladder from the top to the ground, receiving cuts and bruises by the fall. Mr Diamond, his partner, tried next, but he also had to desist after being considerably injured by cuts and bruises. The weather fortunately, was calm while there was no' water, otherwise the fire must have assumed much larger proportions. Mr Cattel, who is the chief loser, estimates his loss at £Moi) He also lost all his papers, such as land deeds aud maps, which he forgot all about in the excitement of the time. All the bodies were disfigured beyond recognition. The mother's body and that of the youngest child were found clasped together. She/vas accustomed to have a kerosene lamp burning, which it is believed must have burst or capsized. No cries of any kind having been heard/ it is supposed that stupefaction saved the poor unfortunates all torture. Masierto.v, Tuesday. James M'Dougall, aged about 50, was arrested this afteroon for an attempted rape on a young child, lie will be brought up to-morrow, but is expected to be remanded till Monday, the regular Court day.

Tisuru, Wednesday. The Indian Famine Relief Committee have collected over £300 since last Friday, and this sum is to be forwarded to Christchurch at once. Greymouth, Tuesday. The locomotive that went into the river through the collapse of the harbor works was recovered last night. During the night about two chain 9 of the stone facing of the harbor works disappeared j in the river, carrying with it a large crane, which is now in the river. A special meeting of the Borough Council was held to-day, at which it was unanimously resolved to memorialise the Government to slop making works.of sand, and to substitute stones.