The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 16, 19 January 1880, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1880.

Information has been received in town of a fire at Reefton, by which the Golden Age and two adjoining shops were completely destroyed this moruihg. The fire broke out in the hotel, and was purely accidental. We hope that the account will prove to be exaggerated, as the Association has sent us no information on tbe matter.

To-day is Black Monday in Nelson, when the Government schools re-open after the Christmas vacation. In Wellington we notice that by the exercise of a little ingenuity they have obtained a week's extension of the holidays. The schools were to have opened to-day, hut it was discovered that the anniversary of the province occurred this week, and as tbis would be a break in upon the scholastic duties so soon after their resumption it waa thought better to postpone the re-opening until next Monday.

The Committee of the Institute deserve the thanks of the subscribers for the work they have done during the fortnight that

the library has been closed. The books, of which there are nearly 4000, have been re-arranged, and catalogued, and tbere should not be any difficulty now in keeping tbem in thorough order. The collection of booka in this library is a most valuable, ot c the history department especially being well stocked with standard works. The Stella was sent over from Wellington yesterday to convey the balance of the miners who arrived in the Opawa to Canterbury, where work can be found for them in the coal mines. She sailed foe Lyttelton today. Mr Acton Adams will address the electors at the Provincial Hall to-night. A telegram from the Bluff says that the Hinemoa has sailed f or •" The Snares." This is with a view to ascertaining whether any traces of the missing ship Knowsley Hall are discoverable on the islands. A tea party, to be followed by a lecture by Mr Cowles illustrated by dissolving views, will bo given at the Temperance Hall to-morrow evening to the cbildren attending the Sunday school at that "building. The remains of the late John Glover, junior, were escorted to the grave by a large number of the Town and Stoke Volunteers, the latter mustering in force. The Band played the " Dead march " as the procession marched through the streets, and the H battery of Artillery, of which the deceased was a member, supplied the firing party at the grave, where the service was performed by the Rev. J. Beckenham. Dr. (?) Wallace, who was fined £50 at Collingwood the other day for a breach of the Medical Practitioners Act, or in default three month's imprisonment, was brought over in custody in the Lady Barkly on Saturday, being unable to find the money. He at once sought the seclusion that the prison grants, and will spend the next ten or twelve weeks under Mr Shallcrass' care. The whaleboat recently built by Mr T. R. Taylor for the Wellington regatta, to be held on Thursday next, will be sent across by the Kennedy to-night. She has been named the Wheel of Fortune. It was intended to send s^ crew from the Naval Brigade for the Volunteer race, but the prizes iv that race are not sufficient to make it worth their while to go into training, the first prize being only £7. On Saturday last the Rev Father Garin gave a pic-nic to the boys attending St. Mary's School to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the above educational institution. At 9 o'clo&k the boys assembled at the railway station making quite a picturesque scene with their numerous bright flags floating gaily in the breeze, and shortly after, accompanied by their master Mr A. M Kavanagh and Father Garin, they started for Mr Drager's at Wakefield. Instead of the trucks that are ordinarily used for school pic-nics, first and second class carriages were substituted wbich was a great improvement. Upwards of 50 pupils of St. Mary's attended the picnic, and every credit is duo to Mr Drager for the manner in which everything was prepared During the day all kinds of games and sports were played, cricket and football being the favorites. Tea with abundance of cakes &c. was served in the garden and was done full justice to. Just as the boys were iv the height of their enjoyment a sad accident happened to one of them named Daniel O'Connol who resides at Richmond, which cast such a cloud over the boys that all sport was subsequently laid aside. Mr Kavanagh started the boys for a hurdle race, about 20 entering for competition, and in jumping one of the hurdles O'Connel fell and broke his arm. Mr Kavanagh bandaged and spiced the fractured limb aud had him conveyed to his home, where the limb was set by Dr. Waring and he is now progressing very favorably. At 7-30 most of the boys were home being well pleased with their day's enjoyment and thankful to Father Garin for the the trouble he had taken for their amusement. To-morrow Mr John R. Mabin will commence an extensive sale by auction at Mr James' premises, Bridge-street, of furniture, carpets, musical instruments, &c. As these goods are all now, and are being sold without reserve by order of the liquidators of Mr James' estate, the auction should attract a large attendance. An Auckland telegram gives the following particulars of the recent hurricane at the South Sea Islands : — The schooner Meg Merrilies, from Fiji, brings news to the 3rd instant. The tidal wave and hurricane at Fiji on the 3rd uit. did great damage, and caused serious loss of life. Among the drowned were Macpherson, of Taviuni, and J. B. Grundy, manager to W. Birley. St. L. P. Winter and two Fijians were lost at Bau in a half decked boat. Three Fijian men and three women were also drowned in a canoe at Curu. Two natives were drowned and every house blown down at Kadavu and Nadroga. The whole country is denuded of timber, and the native food crops destroyed. — The steamer Go-Ahead, engaged in towing a number of logs for the construction of Nicoll's patent slip, had to cut them adrift to secure the safety of the steamer, and the progress of that much-needed work at Levuka is retarded in consequence. The schooner Stanley, of Queensland, 113 tons register, caught the full force of tho gale. She had 150 islanders on board for Fiji, who were kept under battened hatches for thirty hours, with neither air nor food, and some of them suffering from dysentery at the time. Fifty subsequently died, and one committed suicide on being discharged from the Levuka Hospital. Ten more deaths are expected. _ H.M.S. Emerald, which had on board Sir , Arthur Gordon and suite en route for Rotu- ' mah, encountered the cyclone off that island, but managed to weather it safely. Strange to say, the wind was in a very different direction at that island from what it was at the Fiji group. Rotumah suffered some damage in consequence of the gale. i The following telegrams dated London 14th instant appear in the Post:— News from Cabul states that the Afghans are concentrating in great force near Ghuznee, and have assumed a menacing attitude. Ifc is considered probable that further reinforcements will be required if the supremacy of the British is to be established in .Afghanistan, .as General Roberts is unable to spare suflicient men from Cabul to cope with the insurgents in all parts of the country.— The floating of the South Australian loan has been deferred, owing to a dispute with the banks as to the price to be fixed as the minimum.— The situation in Europe is becoming more complicated. France appears to he disinclined to act with England Germany and Austria in the proposed coalition for the settlement of the Eastern difficulty, and the restraining of Russian aggrandisement. On fcbe contrary, there are daily increasing indications that France from jealousy of and opposition to Germany, is disposed to enter into an alliance with Russia. The explanation of the Czar as to the object of the massing of the troops in Poland is considered unsatisfactory by Germany, especially as other steps of a threatening character are now being taken by Russia, Following on fche recent sweeping changes in the French War Department, great military activity is being observed on the part of France. As a precautionary measure and a counter-demonstration, Germany is making extensive additions to her artillery, and orders have been given to Krupp for a number of field pieces and heavy ordnance. —Disastrous storms and floods are reported to have taken place at the Island of St Kitts, in the West Indieß. Over 200 of the inhabitants were drowned, a great deal of destruction was done to crops and property apd there is much distress in consequence.-^

Duke Frederick Christian Augustus, of Schleswig-Holstein (brother-in-law of Prince Christian, son-in-law of tbe Queen), is dead —After a protracted hearing, the Garibaldi divorce suit has ended, the Court, on Garibaldi's application, declaring the marriage null and void.— Serious riots have occurred at Pesth, Hungary, owing to the' (iistress among the inhabitants, . wbich has been greatly increased by tbe recent inundations. Vienna has a new idea— a Zulu Concert Troupe, with choruses in tbe native tongue.