Mail News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 281, 1 December 1904, Page 4

Mail News.

FIRE IN NEW YORK HARBOUR. IMMENSE LOSS. NEW YORK, Oct. 28. Two piers, (our large steamships, and two lighters were destroyed by lire earlv this morning at the loot of Forty-second street, Brooklyn. The fire was still burning at tliro» o'clock, and the damage done is roughly estimated at three million dollars. One pier, which cost halt a inillio* dollars, was burned to the water's edge. It was the largest pier in New York Harbour. The ships were all laden, and the piers were filled with valuable merchandise. Pant of the loss was 30,000 bales of cotton, valued at fifty dollars a bale. There were many narrow escapes from steamers and lighters. At 1.30 a-" 1 - the big freight steamers America, Nebraska, and Arizona which ply betwe?n this port and the Hawaiian: Islands, and th£ steamer City of Palermo were on fire. Tremendous! flames illuminated the whole southern sky, and attracted ; attention all over Manhattan. The barges Victor and Adelaide, laden with cot> ten, wore destroyed. The fire started on the barge Victor, and communicated to a pier stored with cotton and general merchandise. The siteamers were tied to the pier, and the flames spread so rapidly that they were in flames before the crews could be arouSeS. All on board had to jump over-board. The barge Victor had been cut loose and drifted, setting fire to the Adelaide, and to pjer, No. 6, also freighted with cotton and merchandise. Tied to this pier was the large transatlantic steamer City ol Palermo, rumiing between New York and Mediterranean ports. The flames caugjht the vessel, and the crew had to take to the water to save their lives. In on hour and a half all that remained of the piers was the charred ends of the piles. The Nebraska, America, and Arizona, were burned to the water's edge, ®nd the City of Palermo looked , like a total loss. The firemen were practically helpless, as both piers were ablaze from the shore to the extreme water's edge. Where so much cotton is stored .there is always danger of spontaneous combustion. The last fire on the piers occurred two days ago, and resulted in damage amounting to fifty thousand dollars.

ELECTIONS IN ITALY. ■ 1 ROME, Nov. 6. The general election of members of the Chiamlber of Deputies took place to-day. Up to midnight no serious incident had been reported. The results obtained fro;n about tto'ee-fifths of the constituencies show that the power of extreme parties has been d. mini shed, without, however, materially augmenting the number of Ministerial followers, as most of the new recruits are Conservatives, who may be expected Soon to abandon the Premier, Signer Goilitti, who is % Sl ff nol ' Stonino, leader ot the Constitutional Opposition has lost some of Ms followers, owing to the fact that Milan, which tlormerlv wasi represented by extremists, has elected two Conservatives, one Clerical on J two Socialist Economists. lOne of the latter, Signor Turati was supported even by non-Socialists. As Signor Turati, though leader of the Socila Economists, condemned the general strike, his election is regardad as a reply to the strike. Genoa, where the strike was most violent', overthrew the Extermists. Signer Ferri, Socialist leader, in most of forty constituencies, gathered only a few votes, especially where Socialist candidates were competing with prominent politicians. The Clericals voted almost everywhere for the Conservative caniiiidates.

CONTINENTAL NEWS. BERLIN, Oct. 20. That the people of Alsace-Lorraine have given up the hope of ever rejoining. France and'are resigned to remaiin German for the future is demonstrated by the unanimous petition of the provincial councils just presented to the Imperial Chancellor asking for legislative action to raise the conquered provinces to federal States, with independent Legislatures based on : manhood suffrage. On the other hand, Germany is reminded that France has not lost all hope by the discovery that almost all the hunting ,territories of Germany in the west especially at Baden, are packed with French noblemen, whose employees amid guests, including many officers, roam about the country. The Berlin newspapers, therefore, are convinced that in the next war the French army will know every inch of the ground. It bitterly complains that Germans are not allowed to hunt in France, and insists that legislative measures are necessary against the French, hunting in German territory. BERLIN, Nov. 3.

At an opera performance here last night, at which the Emperor was present, many women' were refused admission because they wore highnecked gowns instead of low-neck, His Majesty having commanded full evening dress to be worn whenever he attends the opera. Many women borrowed scissors from attendants and cllipped their bodices to meet the Emperor's requirements. There w#re some uinusling and some painful scenes in the corridors anid anterooms, where the floor was soon strewn \vitli fragments of ladies' apparel.

COLLIERY EXPLOSION. A despatch from Trinidad, Colorado, Oct. 28, .says I The most terrific explosion in history of coal mining in Colorado occurred at Mine No 3 ol Rocky Mount/aim Fuel and Iron Company, Teroio, to-dav, and 40 men are believed to .1* dead. The exact number killed may never be >? O Z n^ aS the niine is ■'»™ in g. and the bodies are likely to be cremated. A spectator says: "The explosion was preceded by a low, rumbling sound. I looked towards the mine, and out of the mouth 0 f the tunnel ancl the two air shafts eame a great iviolumc of smoke .and jchist which- continued nearly a' minute, limbers 2ft to .'{ft in diameter were siiot into the air and splintered, ami rocks were thrown a distance 0 f >a quarter of a mile.. The explosion, which wias like a volcanic eruption was followed 'by scenes of wild excitement. Women whose husbands were ;n the mine had to ibe* draggled away to save them from the deadly fumes. Nearly all the miners were Slavsi."