LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 254, 15 September 1877, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[pEU PRESS AGENCY.] ■ ♦ " AUSTRALIAN NEWS. ! o—[PER ROTORUA.] MELBOURNE. September 5, The new Synagague, just opened, cost £5,000. The Tanjore took £220,000 worth of gold. The Victorian Commissioner'applied for 2,000 feet of extra space at the Paris Exhibition. BRISBANE. September 5. The Government proposed a vote of £2,000 for a representative at the Paris Exhibition. NEWS PER EASBY, FROM SYDNEY. Wellington, September 13. The Sydney Morning Herald contains the following special cablegrams, not yet published in New Zealand : LONDON. September 4. The battle winch took place on the 31st ultimo at Poredin Pelisat, commenced early in the morning. The Turks attacked the Russian position in great force. The Russian entrenchments were thrice taken and recaptured. McMahon, who was an eye witness, says that at 4 o’clock in the afternoon the Turks were everywhere retreating. The Russians admit that in recapturing their first position they lost I,OGU men, and 30 officers. The Turkish losses were heavier. A sortie by eight battalions from Rustchnch on Friday cost the Russians 7 killed and 30 wounded. The Russians in possession of Shipka Pass have been reinforced. There was again severe fighting on Saturday. A sword, bearing a suitable inscription, has been presented to Genera' Radotsky, on behalf of the Czar, for his successful defence of the Shipka Pass. The whole of the Roumanian army crossed the Danube on Saturday, and fixed thenhead quarters at Parcix. Nicopolis is now garrisoned hy Roumanian soldiers,

GREAT FIRE AT WELLINGTON. SINKING OF THE AVALANCHE. % SOULS DROWNED. WELLINGTON, September 12. A fire broke out in Alcorn’s drapery establishment on the beach about 8.20 last night with alarming suddenness. No sooner was the alarm raised than the whole upper story was in flames. Tne owner was out at the time. When Mrs. Alcorn’s attention was directed by the servant, she opened the door, and was immediately driven back by a sheet of flame, and prevented from rescuing her little son, three years old, who was asleep in another room. With some difficulty she passed the other four children on to roof of the verandah from which she threw her infant to the bystanders below, and soon after she was assisted down by a ladder by her husband, who had just arrived. The other children were handed down to the bystanders. Water was soon playing on the fire, and would have been shortly mastered but that some volunteer broke the stand-pipe in endeavouring to turn on more water. A delay of ten minutes occurred before the accident was remedied and the water again Rowing, during which time the building was blazing furiously, and all the buildings to leeward seemed doomed, but great exertions confined the fire to Alcorn’s. The body of the child was found when the fire washout. Two branchmen, who were on the verandah when the water was cut off, were severely burned before they came down. Intense excitement prevailed last night. Thousands of people swarmed about the vicinity of the fire. The beach was only passable with the greatest difficulty, the crowd being so dense. The terrace was lined three deep with people for holf-a-mile.

A good deal of doubt was for a long time felt as to whether any of the children were burned, some being in one neighbor’s house and some in another, but about 10 o’clock the body was found. The origin of the lire is still a mystery. Correct insurance:—Yal ue of stock,_£4,ooo; building, being £2,000. On the building— South British, £1,000; reinsured with the Imperial for £500; Phoenix, £6OO. Stock— Trans-atlantic, £2,000; Standard, £SOO. According to a valuation of Alcorn’s stock, made by experts, it is estimated to have been worth between £9,000 and £IO,OOO. During the day, £SOO, was subscribed amongst the mercantile community in a few hours, for Mrs Alcorn and her children, so keen was the sympathj-. Very much more could have been gathered if required. About two ago it is said Alcorn came here with £5,000 or £6,000, and by this fire he loses every shilling. September 14. Government has just received the following cablegram from the Agent-General, dated London, 12th September :—“ The Avalanche, for Wellington, had a collision in the Channel, and sank immediately. Ninety-nine souls on board. All lost except three of the crew. Will wire tomorrow names of returning colonists.” In the' Legislative Council to-day, the Native Appeal Court Bill was ordered to be read this day six months, on the motion of Colonel Whitmore.