AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8392, 4 April 1907, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

| SSVIMMLNGL Ifteceived April 3,. ILS7 p.m. SYfcNEX, April 3. BSlington, the English swimmer, has issued a challenge ,te,. swim any man in Australia,; Cav&U preferred, j over various distances, Uie stake to ! be not) less than £IOO. .i BURGLARY IN MELBOURNE. Received 3, 10.8 a.m. MELBOURNE, April 3. Duringftthe holidays burglars rifled iti safe at premises of Wright and Neil, .drapers, of £IOO. Tbey .(Hit a hole through the wall to the premises of Newman, jeweller, next door, and commenced operations on a cafe containing £SOOO worth of jewellery, but- they were evidently disturbed.

IJEVENUE QUESTION IN , PAPUA. Received April 3, 10.8 a.m. MELBOURNE, April 3. The Commonwealth Government is considering a proposal to tax the natives of Papua (New Guinea) who enjoy Government protection. AUSTRALASIAN SQUADRON. Received April 3, 10.8 a.m. SYDNEY, April 3. • H.M.S. Torch has been re-commis-sioned, with the crew of H.M.S. Pegasus. The latter has been laid up for an overhaul. H.M.S, Penguin has paid off her crew, who left for England yesterday.

METEOROLOGICAL. Received April 3, 10.8 a.m. MELBOURNE, April 3. The Central Meteorological Bureau is. being re-organised, with headquarters at Melbourne. The Commonwealth will be divided into zone?. It is also intended that the reports will cover the whole of Australasian waters. . 1 , . •

SMOTHERED IN MUD. Received April 8, 8.31 a.m. MELBOURNE April 3. A youth while riding a bicycle ovejr a railway bridge, fell SO feet into the dry bed of a river. He was buried in mud, and was smothered. LIBEL ACTION DEFENCE FUND. Received April 3, 8.31 a.m. SYDNEY, April 3. The Country Press Association hap decided to establish a libel fund for defence against speculative black-, mailing actions. SALE OF YEARLIJSiGS. Received April 3, 8.31 a.m. SYDNEY, April 3. At the yearling sales Mr Trenchard, of Victoria, paid 1,300 guineas for Dividend's half brother. New Zealand buyers secured the following tots:—D. O'Brien, Grafton—Cello colt, 130 guineas; Mr Hazlett.' Ayr Laddie— Lady Grafton colt, 80 guineas, and Simmer—Toque colt, 140 guineas; M» Palmer, Ayr Laddie— Anrfeslie colt, 120 guineas.

. EXPLOSION OF BENZINE. A CHINESE KILLED. Received April 3, 9.27 a.m., > ; FREMANI !'jE, April 3. The steamer Alabruna has arrived from the Island of Sumatra, in the Malay Archipelago, with a cargo of 35,000 cases of benzine. When the boat was off Java, the head boatswain and a Chinese carpenter went down the forepeak with a naked light. A terrific explosion followed. The Chinaman was blown on deck, shockingly burned, and died two days later. The rest of the Chinese crew,', with the firemen, , bolted aft when the explosion > took place, and left the chief mate to take the wheel, while the captain and four European officers played a hose into the bulkhead between the cargo and the forepeak, to keep it cool. They soon got the fire in the forepeak under control. The ship's stores were all destroyed. !Had the bulkhead, through which the gas from the benzine came out, became heated, nothing could have saved the ship.