WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4431, 17 March 1883, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

- . : ....?,.:..-.- Yesterday. Five insolvencies have been declared since yesterday. One ia of Henry, Mace, formerly a well known brewer. * .... ... The ship Parerra has cleared for London with a valuable cargo. ; This day. •The British King, steamer from London, was sighted by the Hinemoa this morning about 15 miles from the Heads She is now signalled. H.M.S. Diamond has arrived. j Messrs Dransfield's barque, Conference, which arrived at the Heads yesterday from Newcastle with a cargo of coal, struck a rock while beating in owing to the wind being baffling. At a late hour last night she was still fast, but it was expected she would float off with the rise of the tide. The Conference is an iron vessel of 400 tons, and has on board 600 tons of coal.' The hull cargo and freight are ■ insured in the Union Office for $4000. {■; The steamer Kawatero went to the assistance of the barque Conference at 6.30 o'clock this morning, and three hours later the latter floated, and is coming up the harbor under tow. It is thought that she has received but little damage. After discharging her cargo she, will be placed on the slip. The weather to-day is splendid for the regatta and the Hibernian Society's sports. A man named Peter Johnson, who was thrown from his horse on Thursday, died in the Hospital last night. His Excellency the Governor returned from his Southern tour this morning. - The British King, the first of the New Zealand Shipping Co.'s direct line, is expected to arrive here from: London to--morrow. - • ■ ' * ; There are six cases set down forbearing at the April sitting of the Supreme Court. None are of a serious nature. The steamer seen by the Hinemoa, and taken to be the British King, must have been the Wairarapa, which has since come in, and reports that the only other steamer in sight is the Beautiful Star. ; A serious explosion of gas took place in the refreshment room of Peter Laing's establishment on Lambton Quay. It appears that last night the chandelier had been pulled so far down as to cause a leak. On Mr Laing and the cook named David Smith entering the rocm this morning at 6 o'clock the air was strongly impregnated with gas. Smith struck a match to see where the leak was, and a terrible explosion followed, Smith.being Bent in to the next room through the open doorway ; he Was burnt about the head, shoulders, and arms, but not dangerously ; the outer door was blown open, and the skylight and windows were blown out. Mr Laing was sent through , another doorway on- to the counter of the shop, and was burned about the face and hands. He had, however, the presence of mind to take off his coat and beat out the flames which bad seized on, the inflammable contents of the room. The two doors being opened,* greatly I lessened the force of the explosion, or the .consequences, would "have been very serious. ";.''