NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1080, 31 August 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Adjourned meeting of Bowling Club .at Central Hotel to-morrow evening. Rainer’s popular panorama of the American War will open here at the Harmonic Hiill bn Tuesday the 4th of Sept., and no doubt will draw, a crowded house, as it has done in every other part, of the colonyi The pictures are beautifully painted, and tho mechanical effects are works of aft. , Mr Stuart, the lecturer, is a Very entertaining man, and all the southern papers speak highly of his powers in pburtraying the horrors of this war. A band of both brass and stringed instruments travel with the entertainment, and this, together with a monster distribution of presents to tho audience, should draw ono of the largest houses seen in Patoa.’ A meeting of creditors in tho estate of Thomas Wright was to havo been hold at the Courthouse yesterday afternoon, but none being present, the meeting consequently lapsed. Tho only case that came up for hearing at tho R.M. Com! this morning was a charge brought by William Connolly against throe natives for attempting to rescue .< ■goods' seized under a distress warrant. Only one of Hie defendants appeared, and he applied for an adjournment till next Friday, as he wished to prepare his defence. The case was adjourned for a fortnight in order that tho other defendants might bo served with notices to appear before the Court. There was an unusually full attendance of tho choir last night at St George’s Church, to practice music for next (Sunday when the Yen. Archdeacon Thorpe, of Wellington, will conduct the service.

We hear rumours of largo dances here and at Hawcra, and especially of one in connection with the Patea Assemblies—perhaps in fancy costumes. Our townsman, Mr Kenworthy, leaves us about the middle of next month for Now Plymouth. He has engaged a Mr Lee, from Auckland, formerly on tiic staff of the Patea Mail, and who has bocn_ in the book and stationery trade, to bring the business to a close, Mrs Krnworlhy will remain till the end of the month.

At the K.M. Court yesterday before H F. Christie Esq, J.P., Eugene Sullivan for being drnnk was discharged with a caution.

Mr Daniel, according to a Wellington paper; made a touching appeal to the Speaker of the House one day last week. Me begged to be allowed to erect some temporary covering to prevent the cold draughts from sweeping down on his head. If the Speaker Bad no objection, he would like to sit under an umbrella, until s<>me better covering could bo erected for keeping off the draughts, which were dreadful in the part where he sat. To this appeal no one vouchsafed a reply. Mr Daniel did not fetch in an umbrella and sit under it, but there is slid time to introduce this novelty into Parliament bofoie the end of the ses-don.

Mr Thomas Haywood, of tho Albion Hotel, has a handy little time-table for gratuitous distribution, giving the arrivals and departures of trains.

The Harmonic Society purpose giving one of Sir A, Sullivan’s most popular operettas, namely, “ The So-cerer.” When performed some time ago by the Wellington Harmonic Society, it ran for a fortnight, and on several of the nights his Excellency the Governor was present. A narrow escape is reported from Auckland. A railway-guard named Crawford, while shunting, got his head jammed between a waggon and a piece of timber. He was taken to the Hospital with his head badly cut.

'An Auckland lady has presented LIOOO to the Scripture Gift Association. At the Temperance Conference in Christchurch it was resolved to form a political Association, to be called the Canterbury Temperance Union.

The prorogation may take place on Monday or Tuesday. A meeting of the Stewards of the Waverley and Wailotara Racing. Club was held last night, when the following programme of events was agreed upon ; 1, Guineas 105 sovs ; 2, Handicap Hurdles 00 sovs ; 3, Hack race, 10 sovs ; 4, Flying Handicap 50 sovs ; 5, Maiden Plate 40 sovs ; 6, Waverley and Wait otara Handicap, 140' sovs ; 7, Forced Handicap,* 20 sovs. The Taranaki meeting is fixed for the same day as the Waverley one, wnich is rather too had of. the former club, because they must have known that Wave--ley races would be held on the Prince of Wales’ Bhthday, the nominations for the Guineas having been advertised for that date twelve months ago, Mr Cowern holds a; sale at Mr Barker’s to-morrow; Particulars in another column.

The Directors of the Meat Freezing Company meet at 2.30 pm, to-morrow. Business important. Some little time ago Mr Win. Wilson, of Whenuakurn, sent home some 180 sheep frozen in Wellington,which wore sold at (he rale of Gfd per pound; One carcgss sent especially to his relations, arrived in splendid condition, and was pronounced excellent

Telegrams from all the ports on the East Coast or both Islands report a phenomenon, in'-the shape of a tidal wave, on ','uesday night and Wednesday morning. At Auckland (lie-tide.suddenly rose six feet, and at Lyttelton harbour it as suddenly fell the same distance below low water mark. A marked disturbance of the water was noticeable at Tirnarn. At Port Chalmers the tide rose 16 inches very rapidly, and receded again in five minutes. Similar accounts are to baud from Gisborne, Mongonui and Russell. At a meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, Dr Hector gave it as his opinion that the tidal wave which visited the New ; Zealand coast on Wednesday. was caused by the volcanic eruption which had been experienced in the neighbourhood of the Straits of Snuda. He said the Island of Sunda was renowned for the severity of its eruptions. In 1772, a track of country 15 miles, long and 6 miles broad was swallowed, up, 3000 persons losing their lives. This was followed in 1815 by' another severe shock, when 7000 lives were losti The noise of the eruption was heard ‘thousands of miles away.

A public meeting will be held in the Borough Council Chambers, Hawera, ‘ tomorrow, to take into consideration the canvassers : for the Egmont Dairy Factory’s report. It is considered there is every likelihood of the Company being started, as a large number of shares have already been subscribed. , In consequence of an outbreak of diptheria the Christchurch Convent has been closed, and the nuns have gone to Sumner, the local watering place. Country fife brigades are likely to meet with some encouragement next year. In the House last week the • Hon Major Atkinson, replying to Mr Petrie .as to granting capitation allowance to volunteer fire brigades, said such brigades did render valuable service in country localities." The Government would- consider the advisability of introducing a Bill next session . for assisting such bodies.

At a meeting of stockbreeders held at Oamaru on Wednesday, it was decided to establish meat-freezing works there. The three, lads Roy, who shot the fireman; of the Clinton train, were brought up at . the. Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, but the charge was withdrawn by the police', as Mid matter had already' been sufficiently investigated'.'by ’the Coroner’s jury. Two of the Idds, James and Alexander, therefore stand committed to the Supremo Court for manslaughter. A meeting of the Hawera Cricket Club was held last Saturday evening, the president, Mr Bayly, in the Chair. Messrs Phillpot, Lucena, and Hutchison were elected members of the Club, and Mr Bate president for tho ensuing year. Mr Wanklyn was ;Votcd to tho position of captain of the first eleven. Managing and ground committees, and secretary and treasurer, wore appointed ; and it was resolved to play the opening match io tho last Saturday in September, A meeting of the Wanganui Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held on Wednesday afternoon, when it was resolved to hold the show bn October 18th, and (o request the Hon Secretary to take measures to have the day proclaimed a holiday throughout the district. Mr F. R. Jackson agreed to take office as Hon Sec; and after adopting die programme of last year’s show, with some amendments, together with other routine ■ business, the meeting adjourned. The barque Kiirneny, which’ left Wellington for Newcastle on the sth May, has not since been heard of, and it. is surmised that she has been lost with all hands.

A correspondent of the Waterbury (Conn.) American, writing from Watertown, says that Mr Benjamin Marvin, of that town, in splitting a Jog of black oak, observed a picture on the smooth grain in the heart of the tree. It is a landscape, or rather a clump of trees, with trunks and branches and twigs as clearly defined as though drawn with ink or photographed by the sun’s rays. The trees form a picture about four inches square, showing like the open leaf of a book, and the same on the opposite page. Mr Marvin says it is a pretty good portraiture of the clump of trees which ho felled, the picture appealing in tho heart of the largest one.

The shipment of frozen meat from Lyttelton by the Catalonia comprised 14,346 carcases of sheep, their average weight being 661 b. The cargo was supplied by fifty five shippers.

Waikato “ larriteinism” is said to bo a disgrace to the community. Last Sunday evenin'? the TVesleyan minister at Hamilton had to publicly rebuke certain lads for disturbing the service, and one of the offenders noisily left the church, slamming the door behind him.

Captain Kelly, of the British King, made a comparative trial of Westport and Newcastle coal on his last voyage Home, which had resulted greatly in favour of the former. The latest sensation in small-arms is an electric gnn. Colonel Fosbcry is stated to have created a sensation at a lecture he gave to an assembly of officers, small-arm inventors, and other experts at the Royal United Service Institution, by suddenly drawing from its place of hiding, undei the table, a wonderful new gnn which he he had just brought frmn Liege. He called it a “ baby electric gun.” It looked' like a pretty carbine, but it bad no mechanism and could not possibly go off until connected up to the source of electric force.That done, it could he fired with amazing rapidity—lo4 rounds having a few days before been fiired from it by its inventor, M Pieper, of Liege, in two minutes. Colonel Foabery fired two rounds with infinitesimal powder charges. Ho had prepared himself by secreting under his vest a small circuit of wire, and putting on a banderole, supporting what looked like a 2oz phial, but was, in fact, an electric accumulator, with sufficient stored up energy to discharge 2000 rounds. The opinion was expressed by various speakers that the electric gun must once more revolutionise the manufacture of smallarms within a brief period.

Tlie Dunedin Refrigerating Company has received a cable message from London, stating that the lonic’s moat realised on an average 7fd per lb, but the market has a declining tendency. In point of intemperance, Belgium excels all other countries in Europe'. Since 1830 the consumption of spirituous liquors has quintupled, and the annual average per capita of the adult'male population is computed at ten and one-half gallons. There 102,000 drinking-shops, or one to every 12 persons. The physicians in the Brussels Hospital state that, of 100 cases of mortality among their patients, 80 were from the effects of liquor. The number of suicides in 1875 was 352 in 1880 it had risen to 681. There are now thrice ais many lunatics in Belgium as there were 30 years ago—a fact which the increase of population will not.acconnt for. More testimony to the value of oil applied to deaden breaking seas. Letters received from her Majesty’s ship Swift- 1 sure state that on April 6th, whilst on a voyage from Honolulu to Esquimalt, she encountered a terrific gale, during which several heavy seas broke over her, shaking ..everything inside her. As an experiment a bag containing oil was rigged out over the weather side, and had such a marked effect on the waves that tlie vessel rode bravely through the gale, which continued with great severity, followed by heavy rain squalls, until the Swiftsure arrived at Esquimalt. The galo is described as the most severe the ship has experienced since she was commissioned in March of last year.

An extraordinary affair happened on the Loudon and North-Western Railway, between Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay, recently. The down Irish mail from Hulj-head to London was due to pass the junction, but happily the driver saw tlie lights against, him and stopped his train. An inspector went down the line and found that'at some distance’from Colwyn Bay ?n empty train-.had come to a standstill oivthe rails. The driver and firemen were fast asleep, and the fire in the firebox was nearly out. A neat little church is being built for the Roman Catholic congregation of Wyndham, which has just been the scene of a wanton outrage. The alter and sacrist}' were almost finished, and a few days would have seen the woodwork.of the interior entirely completed. Pome person or .persona,'animated either by the spirit of destruction or by private spite against the contractor, entered the building on Sunday, and with a saw deliberately, set to work to damage the edifice. The top of the altar was defaced,-the doors of the sacristy were sawn almost through, and one of them smashed. The ornamental work at the base of the communion-rail was taken outside and. smashed, and what the Mataura. Ensign Walls ‘‘ other giant-like feats ” were performed. The contractor, for some unexplained reason, has not placed the matter in the hands of the police.

The Mome JVews ot June 29 th says -The Earl of Albermarle, who last week entered his 85 th. year, , and who is now the;only survivor of ; the Waterloo Banquet,: having been present at the Battle of Waterloo 68 years ago, received visits of congratulation on June 18th from numerous relations .and friends on the double occasion. .Magnificent bouquets were presented to. Lord Albermarle by Her Royal Highness : Princess Mary Adelaide, Princess Mary : of Teck, the Countess of Wemyss, the Dowager Duchess of Cleveland, the Countess of "Dartmouth, Countess Summers and Lady Borthwick, who brought a beautiful nosegay of flowers, representing the Waterloo colours of blue and red.

An up-country constable named Colbourne (says the Dunedin Herald) recently. Held a Government appointment which turned out to be .anything but a remunerative one. During twelve months as clerk of theTapanui Court he received, according to the local paper, a sum of LlO fov his services. A 'few days ago he \y.as fined L2O at the instance of the authorities in Wellington for not furnishing a copy of his cash-book. ,