SPECIAL TELEGRAPHIC.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XVII, Issue 831, 17 March 1885, Page 2

SPECIAL TELEGRAPHIC.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ♦ D U N E D I N . . Monday Evening. A tremendous gale from the north raged on Saturday morning, and Dunedin was enveloped in dust. In the afternoon rain came on, and the wind fell a little. Ever since we have had unsettled weather, and to-day is cold and drizzly, and those who know what a Dunedin drizzle is will know how unpleasant that is. Saturday's gale seems to have been felt all over the Colony, and at Auckland more severely than anywhere else. A great deal of damage was done there both to shipping and property, estimated in all at about £2OOO. New houses were blown down, several small vessels blown ashore, and so forth. One fatal accident occurred through fallen timber, and a young lady had her leg broken from the same cause. More cheering news is to hand concerning the frozen meat trade in London. New Zealand mutton has advanced by a halfpenny per pound during the week, and is now quoted at 6d. The English cricketing team are now playing a combined eleven of Australia in Sydney. The first innings of the Englishmen has closed for 269, and the Australians have lost one wicket for 12 runs. The Rimatuka with the English mails left Lyttelton for London yesterday. She took ]76 passengers. At a meeting of the committee of the Chamber of Commerce, held on Saturday, the question of the defenceless state of the city ih case of an outbreak of hostilities was discusssed, when it was decided upon suggesting to his Worship the Mayor the desirability of asking the suburban Councils to join in addressing a requisition to the Government for the utilisation of such guns and other material as are available for that purpose. It has been decided to hold an Easter "Volunteer Review and Encampment at Tahuna Park—the agricultural show-ground at Muaselbuigh. The men will go into camp on the evening of Thursday, April 2nd, and the review and sham fight will take place on the Monday following. There are to be sports on Saturday, and a church parade on Sunday. It is expected there will be 800 men in camp, which will break up on the Monday night or Tuesday morning. The New Zealand Rifle Association meeting at Wellington on Saturday was greatly interrupted by the abominable weather. The rifle and carbine championships are not now expected to be finished before to-morrow afternoon. At present Lucas, of the Thames, is leading for the rifle belt, with Purnell, of Wanganui, second. The only Otago man well up is Hutchinson, of North Dunedin, who is eighth. Perry, of Wanganui, is leading for the carbine belt, for which Jack, of Dunedin, is also eighth on the list. On Sunday at Auckland the new nave of St. Patrick's Cathedral was opened with great ceremony by Bishop Luck. Bishop Moran, of Dunedin, and Bishop Redwood, of Wellington, took part in the service. At Greymouth and Reef ton on Saturday night a very sharp shock of earthquake was felt at about 11.30, lasting about 12 seconds. The direction of the wave was east and west. It was preceded by a rumbling noise, and was felt by the larger majority of people. On Friday evening a woman named Horn was knocked down by a train at Carleton, near Oxford, in Canterbury. The engine whistled three times, but she took no notice. She was rendered insensible, and died an hour and a-half afterwards. She was the widow of Horn, whose mate murdered him on the railway works about four years ago. The following are the acceptances for the Great Autumn Handicap :—Sou'-wester, Bst 31b ; Trenton, Bst 21b ; Lady Emma, Bst; Rubina, Bst ; Nelson, Bst ; Administrator, 7st 111b ; July, 7st 101b ; Taiaroa, 7st 51b ; Wapita, 6st 131b ; Captain Webster, Ost 91b; Ugly Buck, 6st slb ; Lady Evelyn, 6st ; Nonpareil, 6st. GABLE NEWS. London, March 14. Active preparations are being made both in England and India in view of the AngloRussian situation. The plans of the military authorities provide for the despatch to Afghanistan, if necessary, of two army corps, each numbering36,ooo men, and preparations are being made by the Admiralty for a fleet of transports to convey the troops to be sent from England. Latest intelligence from Central Asia is to the effect that Major-General Lumsden is now close to Herat, and will enter that city if the Russians advance from their present position near Paudjeh. Dispatches to hand from Persia state that the Shah's Government favors the action of Russia in regard to Afghanistan. In the House of Commons to-day Mr Gladstone announced that it had been agreed between England and Russia that no further advances of the troops should be made on either side in Afghanistan ; that the question of delineation of the frontier was under diplomatic treatment, but that it would be premature to pronounce an opinion as to the possibility of a solution being arrived at. At a meeting of the Parnellite Members of Parliament to-day it was resolved that the projected visit of the Prince of Wales to Ireland is ill-timed, and, while deprecating any incivility to his Royal Highness, it is recommended that the Irish people abstain from according the Prince any formal reception. In the House of Commons to-day a vote of £20,000 to the family of the late General Gordon was proposed. The motion was carried without debate. A committee was appointed to undertake the formation of a national memorial to the late General Gordon, and it is recommended to erect a hospital at Port Said. Paris, March 13. Stephens and three other Fenian leaders residing in France have been expelled by order of the authorities. Suakin, March 13. Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham, commanding the expedition to operate in the direction of Berber, and his staff and a battalion of the Grenadier Guards, have arrived at this Port. Cairo, March 14. Zebher Pasha having been suspected of communicating with the Mahdi has been arrested and conveyed on board H.M.S Iris at Alexandria.