[Special Wire.]

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1533, 16 January 1879, Page 3

[Special Wire.]

Auckland, January 15. 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 two coal trucks ran on to the main line. The passenger cars turned off into the siding. The fore part of the train was then running on one line of_ the rails and the hinder part on a different line. The engine was going at a good speed, and could not bo brought up quickly. There was considerable swaying of the carriages, and the passengers were much alarmed. On a cry being raised to “Jump!” all the passengers scrambled to the doors and jumped out. A first and second-class carriage were thrown off the rails before the engine stopped. A crowd of people came down from 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-men-tioned train could not get back. After an hour’s work the second-class carriage was got back on the rails. There were forty or fifty people on the train. The rails were twisted, and will have to be replaced with new ones. There was a narrow escape from a serious catastrophe in the harbor to-night. At halfpast eleven o’clock the paddle steamer Annie Milbank, 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 yacht amidships. The smaller vessel had her starboard side partly stove in, and the other side considerably damaged. The steamer passed, and the occupants of the yacht, six lads, headed the boat for shore. The boat filled rapidly, but the shore was reached in safety. The injured vessel was a fishing yacht named the Zodiac. She had no light at the time. The Annie Milbank’s bows are somewhat damaged. New Plymouth, January 15. The valuation of the Borough of New Plymouth for the current year was £27,000, being an increase of £2OOO over that of last year. Wanganui, January 15. The match was fired this morning between Wanganui and Taranaki rifle teams, eight men on each side, firing on their own ground. Taranaki scored 535, Wanganui 539, thus winning by four points. Between one and two thousand people assembled on the bank of the river this afternoon to see Professor Scott walk over the river on a wire rope. The wind was rather strong, and the rope slack, and the attempt consequently was an utter failure. Wellington, January 15. The “ New Zealand Times ” has a paragraph to the effect that the appointment of Mr Dignan to a seat in the Legislative Council will be made under the strong disapproval of the Governor, on the ground that the present namber of members of the Council in proportion to population exceeds that of any other Upper Chamber in the Australasian colonies. For the Wanganui Education Board scholarships seven in number, of £2O each, there were twenty-three competitors, of whom five have been successful. . , , , An arrangement of alarm signals has been made by which the public will be enabled at ni"ht to know the locality of a fire. Dunedin, January 15.

From a report read at the Synod to-night it appeared that the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland have 91 schools, 6391 scholars, 664 teachers, 106 teachers not members, and 9745 volumes in the libraries. A private letter received from England states that the Prince of Wales intends to send Ins eldest son to the Australian Naval Station, also that the Prince himself would be glad to visit Australia, if asked by the colonists to do so. A farmer from up-country reported to Constable Gilbert, at Mosgiel, at five o clock yesterday afternoon, that he had been robbed of a purse containing £123, giving a description of the suspected person. The authorities in towp u ere at once acquainted with the circumstances, and Detective Henderson was told off to inquire into the case. Several places of business in the city were visited in the course of half an hour, and it was found that a man answering to the description furnished by Constable Gilbert, |had changedja£oo note in one shop after purchasing some minor articles. By the night train Constable Gilbert arrived in town, and went out in company with Detective Henderson in search of their man, who was arrested an hour later. Un hi-> person was found £ll3 odd, and ns goods purchased by him of the value of JJIO 7s 6d were secured, all the

money, with the exception of .£5, _ has been accounted for. The name of the thief is William Wallace. He was brought before the City Police Court Ih a morning, and committed lor trial. A telegram fr am Tapanui states that the continued delay in opening the Clutha-Clinton line is causing groat inconvenience here. A large quantity of goods ordered at Dunedin in anticipation of the opening of itho line on the 7th, are still in town, and buyers are at their wits end. Wool and other produce have been kept here for weeks, and now have to be forwarded to Invercargill and the Bluff.