ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1126, 26 July 1883, Page 1

ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

Intelligence of a frightful calamity at a place of amusement in t.Derdio, on the shore of Lake Como reached London on June the 251 h. When the performance was in progress at a puppet show, the structure took fire, and was entirely destroyed. Forty-seven persons lost their lives, and twelve were injured; The show was held in a ! ! ge hall over a tavern, There were ninety persons in the house, A Bengal light was used to represent a fire, and sparks from this set fire to a quantity of straw and firewood in the adjacent room. On perceiving the flames, the showman shouted ‘ Fire,’ but the spectators thought the fire was merely a realistic detail of the show, and remained seated. The cry of fire was soon raised or.uidi* the hall, and the audience thinking an affray had risen in the streets burst the door leading from the hall. Thev did not discover their mistake till the flames broke into the room. After the fire was extinguished forty-seven corpses were found near a table. Included among the bodies were those of the showman and his wite. A large number of the lost are women and children. Ihe wounded were hurt by leaping through the window, A child wa- flung out a window hy its mother, and fell on a pile of straw. This is the only one of the spectators present in the hall not hurt.

The New Zealand FT' raid's London correspondent’s letter, inc'miing date to June 14th, has the fo lowing item*:— A new issue of obligations of tlie Panama Canal will probably tike place A New Y<>rk Herald’s Paris despatch of June 25th, says, ‘ Tlr's c mcern does not progress very .rapidly, although it was started two years ago., The trenches are not yet begun, De Lesseps’ son informs us that he has 700 workmen on the spot, and that there arc not. more than 3 per cent of siek. He asserts the Company intends beginning-trenching, etc., with the intention'-'.of terminating the whole work in 5 years; the giv. n time. The Company is spending at present 2,750,000 bancs, per nonth. The first two years will have swallowed up 00,000,000 of francs without reckoning 50,000,000 for trenching machines. It is estimated that hU).OOO.COO or 600,00n,00l will he required in order to finish the enterprise. For this reason the Company is going to call on the shareholders for more funds.

l’he Rev. Bcnj. Jenkins, of Deansfield, Louisiana, having reason to believe the Rev J. Lane, a boarder at the President Mansfield College, had seduced r young lady friend of his, shot the hoarder on the Bth June, patting six bullets into his body. Both were ministers, one of the Methodist and the other of the Episcopalian Church'. It is considered prolnb'e in well informed circles that if the Australian colonies maintain the firm attitude which they have assumed in connection with the annexation of New Guinea, Karl Derby will consent to annexing a p rtion of that territory, together with some of the islands in the Pacific, rhmihl England adopt (his policy, however it is hardly likely that she would extend it to the New Hebrides, as the Government appear perfectly willing to allow the French to annex those Isb<n is if thev desire.

At*the invitation of Sir J. Wilson, a number of gentlemen hoi ting conservative views met last night at Hnghenden Manor, when the question of annexation of New Guinea was introduced and discussed. Sir J. Wils.-n, in tins course of some remarks, severely denounced the action of the Glad to;ie Government in regard to this question.

Mother Swan’s Worm Syrup —Tnfa'Hble, tasteless, harmless, curilurlic ; for feverishness, restlessness, worms constipation. Is, at Druggists. Moses, Mo a jand Co, Sydney, General Agents.