TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 382, 10 December 1889, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

■ fatal &on Accident; . 9. News has reached Auckland of the tragic death at Honolulu of a young American aoronaut named Joseph Van Tassel, whose brother, also in

the balloon business, was a through; passenger to Sydnev by the Mariposa. Ail exhibition of a balloon ascent and de

acentby meansof a pavnehutu had been arranged'"in connection with the festivities given in honour of King

Kalakaua's Birthday, and thousands of persons assembled to witness fhe

thrilling feat. Yan Tassel made the ascent safely, and 60011 reached an altitude of oyer 2,000 feet, He then cut loose the parachute, but here it waa caught by tho prevailing trade winds, and tbe aoronaut waß gradually carried out to sea. The parachute came down a short distance, and then began to ascend.' Soon it appeared ovor the harbour with not the slightest indication of ooming diwn. Tho reef was passed and the parachute remained at about the same

leight, but shortly afterward loscended, and Yan Tassel dropped nto the water out of sight about 500 yards boyond the reef. Tho

balloon dropped into the water nearly five minutes after the parachute, but they were a long distanee apart. A long search by rowing boats and a steam tug was niado with all available pnmplitudo, but no trace of the ill fated leronaut \va3 found, and ho was'never afterwards seen. Van Tassel had received a letter from his mother in- America' begging'him to give up the ballooning business, and an hour before ho made his fatal ascension he wrote to her stating tuat he was going to discontinue the ascents. ' ' ■

Silver Mines. Auckland, Deo 9. •The >Herald correspondent says! i ■ A similar stone to that found in the prospectors' claim at Pahipuhi has been found at Whangarei in a country about seven miles to the south-east of the prospectors' find. It has riot been testod yet, but the silver is plainly visible in patohes all through the stone,

Woollen Factory. Oammhj, Dec 9. • At the annual meeting of the Oamaru v \oollon Factory Company to-higbt, the "report showed that the revenue had exceeded' the expenditure by about £2OOO. No dividend was declared.

FEILDING SPORTS. " Feilding, Tuesday. Two lumdred. and'' forty-aevi nominations were received last nig for the Feilding Boxing Day sporl Fifty-five more than last year.

,' .An Exciting Scene. "' CuaisTCHNRGH, December 9. An exoiting scene occurred in the Police Court to-day,' whena man named Phillip Wilhorforco, with several aliases,, was charged with stealing £lB from tho Sandridge Hotel. Ho asked for the case to be heard by the Resident Magistrate. This could not bo done, and he violontly abused the Justices, Messrs Hulbert and Johnston, calling them cads, jaokdaws andliars, asserting ho would not bo tried by them, and interrupting the evidence till, tho Bench ordered the case to bo ad journed, and conimittod him for contempt. Inspector Pender persuaded him to apologise, and the case proceeded, The evidence showed that he lodged at the hotel under the namo of Porliam. While he was thore money was missod from a caehbox in a drawer in the landlord's bedroom. Late one night tho accused was seen crossing the passage from tho direction of tho landlord's room to his own; the gas was turned out. Tho pblioe found on Innia keyiwhioh unlocked the draw where the money was kept. Tho Bench considered the evidence insufficient, and dis missed the case, Tho committal for contempt was withdrawn.

. A Multy. Settled. CnßiSTonottOH, Deceinboi" 7. To-night the City Council by eight votes to four agreed to the settlement of the difficulty with the Gas Company, Tub Company agreed to abolish meter rents and reduoe the charge' for lighting tl)'e street lamps from M to H 4s. Tho Council agreo to give the Company three years contract for street lighting,' and. to abstain from promoting an opposition gasworks for the time of the contract aiid a;''further period of four years, seven years in all. Thoro was some dieouasion .over the. matter from which it seemed that the mombers thjnk that tlio'price of gas to private c'omsum'ers will riot but probably lowered at the end of three years,'