General News

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29102, 14 January 1960, Page 8

General News

Short, Sharp Quake

Taranaki felt a short, sharp jolt at 9.6 p.m. yesterday when an earthquake lasting not more than three seconds shook buildings.— (P.A.) Staring Match A fisherman and a sea-lion had a staring match on the shingle beach at Jack’s Point, south of Timaru, last week-end. The fisherman and the sea-lion had only one pair of eyes between them. First to drop his one-eyed gaze was the sea-lion. He left the fisherman sitting on the beach and headed out to sea.—(F.O.O.R.) Ship For Sale The Union Steam Ship Company’s 7211-ton freighter, Wairuna, lying idle in Auckland, has been offered for sale. The Wairuna was built in Canada in 1944 and was on the company’s transpacific service until lack of trade forced her to lay up in October, 1958. She is anchored in Shoal Bay. A Union Company spokesman said yesterday the company had offered the Wairuna to its brokers for sale but so far the matter has gone no further.— (P.A.) Closed Again Low cloud over the surrounding hills closed Wellington airport for the first time this year about 8 p.m. yesterday. Viscount flights were diverted to Palmerston North while other planes landed at Paraparaumu. Passengers were brought on to Wellington from both outside airports by bus.—(P.A.) Simultaneous Sailings About 2000 persons watched from Glasgow wharf, Wellington, yesterday the simultaneous departure of two liners for England. At the east side of the wharf was the Southern Cross with nearly 1100 passengers and on the opposite side was the Ruahine carrying 220 passengers. It was a hectic morning for the Customs chief boarding inspector (Mr J. B. Gresham) and his officers. Punctually at noon the Ruahine began to move slowly astern and barely two minutes later the Southern Cross went ahead. A few minutes later the procession down the harbour was joined by a third ship, the Dutch liner Waterman, bound for Australia with 700 passengers.—(P. A.)

Plywood Takapunas If trials being conducted by the Takapuna Boating Club in Auckland are successful, a new plywood hull for Z-class yachts may be introduced next season. At a conference of Cornwell Cup delegates in Christchurch this week, progress with the experimental hull was described and the principle of the use of plywood approved. Should plywood hulls prove satisfactory and be brought into use for Takapuas, it will be the first change made in the class since the Cornwell Cup was instituted in 1923. New Season’s Fruit New season’s Gravenstein apples, from Nelson, were on sale for 55s to 60s a bushel case at city produce markets yesterday Nectarines were available for 12s to 14s a 121 b case. Central Otago apricots are selling from 14s to 225, and peaches 10s to 13s a case. Cherries, • being in short supply at the end of their season, are about 2s 8d per lb. Fruit from Central Otago is arriving in increasing quantities and will be in good supply soonFountain Scrubbed The Bowker fountain, Victoria square, was turned off yesterday while it received its monthly cleaning. An employee of the waterworks department of the Christchurch City Council scrubbed the base of the fountain by hand and cleaned some algae and litter from the pond. The water was several inches deep and he had to wear wading boots. Following Suit Why was it necessary in Lyttelton for a barman or licensee to “shepherd” lodgers and their guests out the front door when leaving a hotel in the evening, a witness was asked during the hearing of a licensing case in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday There was general laughter when the witness replied: “Well, down in Lyttelton, if other people see them leaving the hotel by themselves, they think it’s all right, and then everybody wants to come in.”