A SERIOUS MISFORTUNE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2493, 3 July 1888, Page 2

A SERIOUS MISFORTUNE.

(by telegraph.—press association*). Wellington, Saturday. The Telegraph Department have received advice that theßaujoewangie cables failed suddenly at one p.m. last night (Singapore time). This interruption isolates the Australian colonies from all parts of the world so far as cable news goes. Monday. The distance between Ban joe wan jie and Fort Darwin is 10S2 miles, which a steamer would cover in about four days. If the Cable Company send messages along this way, as they did some time ago, a batch may be expected about Friday. The Sherard Osborne's eneagement in New Zealand will somewhat retard the labour of repairing, as she is the steamer best suited for the work at long distances from ports. Her mission here is all but finished. Std.n-kv, June 30. No information has been disclosed as to the break of both cables from Port Darwin to Banjoewangie. The failure of both cables at the same time—they being some distance apart —is regarded as singular, and it is sunnisad that possibly one of the cables was broken some time ago, and the fact k>'pt secret until the second also gave way. July, 1. The local manager of the Eastern Extension Company states that there is no ground whatever for believing that one of the cables was broken before Friday last, and the fact kept secret. It is thought that the break of the cables was caused by an eruption iu the Straits of Bali, which are near Java. Disturbances, which have hitherto been, frequent in this locality, have beea the cause of the cables being interrupted on previous occasions. The company have made arrangements for at once repairing the break. The new cable broke 100 miles from Java, and the old one 500 miles froin Port Darwin. Melbourne, July 1 The whole of the day great excitement has been prevalent in the city, it being thought that war had broken out. The excitement evidently originated owing to the sudden interruption of the two cables between Port Darwin and Banjoewangie, The authorities here have wired to Admiral Fairfax, of H.M.s. Nelson, who is at present in Brisbane, on the subject.