[Per Press Agency.] AUCKLAND. 15th January.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 321, 16 January 1879, Page 2

[Per Press Agency.] AUCKLAND. 15th January.

There was a narrow escape from a serious catastrophe in the harbor to-night, at halfpast 11 o'clock. IThe paddle-steamer Anne Milbauk, from Mahurangi, was coming up the harbor, when a yacht was observed a short distance ahead. Before the vessel's course could be altered she struck the yarht amidships. The smaller vessel had her starboard side partly stove in, and the other side considerably damaged. The steamer passed on, and tbe occupants of the yacht, six lads, headed their boat for the shore. The boat filled rapidly, but the shore was reached before she sunk. The injured vessel was a fishing yacht named the Zodiac. She bad no lights at the time. .The Anne Milbank's bows were somewhat damaged. The Star says there appears to bo a gang of skilful scoundrels at work in Auckland watchlog every opportunity to rob the coffers ot tradesmen and hotelkeepers. Twenty-four sovereigns were abstracted from a box in a bed-room of one of tbe hotels, but no clue has been found to lead to the conviction of the offenders. A myst«ry still hangs over tho more extensive robbery from Mr. Warren, no trace whatever of tbe guilty per-ons having been discovered. Other robberies of a similar nature are reported. The Waikato passenger train ran off the line just after leaving Mercer for Auckland. Through some oversight the points were not quite turned. One engine and twoconl trucks raa on to the main line, the passenger cars turned off into the siding; the fore part of the train was thus running on one line of rail«, and the hinder part on a different line. The engine was going at a good speed, and could not be brought up quickly. Amid considerable swaying of carriages, the passengers were much alarmed, and on a cry being mised to jump, all the passengers scrambled to doors and jumped out. A first and a second class carriage were thrown off the rails before the engine stopped. A crowd of peoplo came down Irom Mercer, and as the Auckland train had just before got into Mercer, the engine was obtained from it to pull the carriages out of the way, as the engine attached to the first mentioned train could not get back. After an hour's work the second class caraiage was got back on the rails. There were 40 or 60 people on the train. The rails were- twisted, and will have to be replaced with new ones. 16th January. The City of Sydney will be detailed here at least ten days as a new crank pier is to be cast at Sydney, and will be brought down by the Hero on 25th. It is considered it would be dangerous for the City of Sydney to proceed in her present condition. John Penman, proprietor of the Te Ari sawmill, was killed, whilst working, by a blow from a plank. He died in half-an-hour after the accident.