NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 January 1921, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

SAFETY AEROPLANE.

PARIS, Nov. 4,

Safe flying seems a stage nearer reality after the experiment made yesterday at Etainpes, near Paris, with an aeroplane fitted with extensible wings. This machine, designed by M. Levasseur, a pioneer of French aeroplane construction ; M. Jean Latham, cousin of tile pilot killed before the war; and M. Gastambide, has wings fitted with sliding portions front and rear. With its wings area reduced, the aeroplane was able to fly yesterday at 125 miles an hour. The pilot, M. Grandjearn, when he had reached 3,000 ft and had flown across Etainpes aerodrome twice, put into play the mechanism for increasing the wing area and planed down. Two extra flaps slid out from above the centre of each wing and the speed of the aeroplane decreased to 37 miles. . At that slow speed an excellent landing was effected. The aeroplane was brought to a standstill within 35 yards of the point'of impact with the ground.

SLEEPING-CAR RAH)

NEW YORK, Nov. 4

As a New York Central Railway train from Chicago to New York, composed of several sleeping-cars, was slowing down before entering Buffalo, New York State, Station three bandits witlf pistols jumped on to the rear platloim of the carriage.

George Sinclair, one of the train crew, attempted to bar their way, and was shot and badly wounded. The bandits entered the coach, firing bullets through the roof, and ordered the passengers, most of whom were still in their berths, to march to one end o! the ear. While one man kept the haltclad passengers covered with his pistol, the other two ransacked the berths, collecting wallets and watches from under the pillows of the passengers and from their clothes.

Half an hour later the police arrested two men, John and Stanley Dcpka, whom, it is said, the passengers identified as two of the robbers.

SHAWL DRESSES. PARIS, Nov. 4

Indian shawls, used already in many different ways this season, have now been turned to account by the Baris milliners, and a smart round and widebrimmed hat lias been designed with a cashmere crown and a brim covered with long white fur. A dressmaker, too, has launched a new halt-length cloak of the same shawl, with'(lark sealskin hands and a sealskin funnel collar. There is also a dainty breakfast jacket of Indian slmwl trimmed with sealskin, and, of course, you can get the popular purse-bag in rich cashmere. It used to be considered a ciime to cut an Indian shawl, but they are now apparently so plentiful that they are not respected.

CANADIAN CONVICTS STRIKE MONTREAL, Nov. 1

Two hundred convicts at Portsmouth Prison. Kingston, Ontario, are on strike, and the number has doubled since tobacco was cut off on Saturday, after the discovery of a plot to blow up the building. “We want blood and murder,” declared a Polish prisoner, who launched the strike in the tailors’ shop. Marched back to their cells, the con victs at prearranged intervals caused a pandemonium by pounding on their doors and yelling, booting, and shrieking.

H AIR-CTTTING OUTRAGE. LONDON, Nov, 4,

Parties of unauthorised persons posing as soldiers,, wearing khaki and steel helmets and armed with revolvers, have, says a Dublin C'astle report, raided houses in tho Dublin district,

Jn one case, o-ccou)i>ani.\*d by two women, a party entered a house *iud threatened the occupier's wife with w revolver, while one oi the women euf oil her h.air close to the scalp with a pair o! scissors.

POACHERS’ SENTRY. LONDON, Nov. 4

Cutting through 9ft high wire-net-ting, three poachers entered a pheasantry at Cockayne’s Wocjd, Elmstead, near Colchester, Essex, early yestejday. piorning. fine man stood sentry at the gap with a double-barrelled gmt and the other two knocked on the head 75 phji‘fl.sa»ts apd put then) ip hags, At 2 q.m. Alfred Jones, head keeper, and Percy Harvey, his assistant, opine up and tiie sentry slum tod, ( ‘Ha]t, or I iji’M, 1 ’ Harvey rushed at him and was shot in the arm, hand and shoulder. Jones then tackled the man and was shot in the leg- . The poachers got away With their booty. FALL INTO THE SEA. LISBON, Nov. 3. Starting from tisbon Aviation Camp on Monday morning, n Portuguese airship en route to Madeira lost its beati„gs in to log .nd 101 l into the »• about 200 miles east-north-east, ot -Madeira. , , . Two officers of the ship are reported to have been picked up.