AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8825, 17 March 1909, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

MAD IN THE BUSH

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES

Two Dowerin (W.A.) selectors, lU'.raed Eteinberg and Grossman, and cue latter's two sons, became lost in the bush on February 28, when returning to their camp, and, running short of water, experienced terrible pangs of thirst. The two boys got separated from the men just after they started for camp, but by following the track they came upon a camp late on Sunday night, and received succour. There< was almost a tragedy. One brother, being mad for water, was going to shoot the other, but the latter prevailed upon him to fire all his cartrides at a tree. In the meantime Steinberg and Grossman, sen., lad also lost their way, and as they were not back in camp when the two boys returned on Monday night, Surveyors Birch and Chown and others in the vicinity organised a search pa;ty, but did not come up with the lost selectors until three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. Both were in a very bad state. Steinberg was lying down with his boots and shirt off. and was temporarily insane ; and Grossman stated afterwards that they had given up all hope, and said their prayers, and had gone a little way from each other so that one would not see the other die. Chown said that if the old man had not been found that night he would' have died, and Steinberg would have gone mad. FEMALE SMUGGLERS.

Quite a mild sensation was created oil board the German steamer Prinz Sigismund, berthed at Sydney, on the night of March 1, when an encounter took place between two lady visitors to the vessel and a Customhouse officer. It seems that for some time past the authorities have suspected that the Chinese smugglers employed the services of women to assist them in landing the contraband, and two women who boarded the vessel, and remained on board for several hours, aroused the suspicions of Officer Anderson, who concealed himself on the wharf. As the women were walking along the main deck with a view to making for the gangway', Officer Anderson suddenly sprang on board, and the women shrieked and fled. The officer gave chaso along tho deck and through one of the dining rooms, but before lie was able to overtake the women they divested themselves of their petticoats, which they left on the floor of one of the compartments, and continued their flight. The petticoats were secured by the officer, and found to contain 37 tins of opuim. The garments had evidently been specially constructed for the purpose of smuggling. There were rows upon rows of flounces, in each of which was a pocket sufficiently large to hold one tin of opium. By an ingenious arrangement, upon an alarm being given, the wearer could drop the garment without difficulty. CHAIRMAN'S NOSE PULLED.

The committee of the Mount Leonora. Hospital, W.A., held an inquiry into friction said to exist among the staff as the result of a complaint by the secretary. The evidence of various officials was taken in regard to a charge against the matrop, from v,'i:ch she was exonerated. During the taking of the evidence of Dr O'Hara, a scone occurred between him and the chairman .(Mr Stuart), Dr O'Hara pulling the chairman's nose. An uproar followed, and Dr O'Hara finally left the room. The committee icsoived to call on the whole staff to resign. The secretary complied with the co?.nmittee's recmest, hut the nie'hi,-il officer and the rest of the staff woi ld not do so, and, if necessary, *hey intended to appeal to the subajvibers.

THE IRONY OF FATE. News of another sad tragedy of the inhospitable back country reached Broken Hill some days ago. C. Chapman, who is in eharge of a couple of paddocks at Topar station, rode into town at about five o'clock, and informed the police that he had found the body of a man on Topar run. about 56 miles from Broken Hill. Chapman states that a week ago, while he was mustering sheep, he picked up tracks which he followed for eight miles, but at. that point the sheep had obliterated all further trace of them. A little later on one of the boundary riders found a swag at a spot about five miles from where the body was afterwards found. By the appearance of the body the man must have died a week before. and probably perished of thirst. As showing the irony of fate there was a good water-hole only in the next paddock to the one in which the deceased lay down to die. CROQUET PARTY POISONED. A party of croquet players partook of cream sandwiches at Werribee (Victoria) recently, and 16 of them were subsequently attacked with a severe illness, which proved to be ptomaine poisoning, believed to have been caused by the fact that the cream used in the sandwiches had gone bad. The sufferers subsequently recovered. | A SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

A sensational experience befel Frederick Irvine, a carrier, in the emptoy of A. H. Garling, storekeeper, of Tooraweenah. New South Wales, during the progress of a storm. Irvine carried between Gilnndra and his employer's place, and' his road lay across Biddon Creek, where there was no bridge. He was on his way out about 11 o"clock, and ho found that just a little water was then coursing down the waterway. It was heavy going, however, and his waggonette, laden with wire netting and a chaff-cutter, got embedded. Notwithstanding the fine team of five horses, they could not shift it, and a wall of water 3ft h?gli came roll&ig down, carrying every : thing before it. The driver and horses were all sweot away. Every one of the team, which was valued at £1-50, was drowned. Irvine was carried down the stream for some distance, but. luckily the current threw him in the direction of land, and he struggled and gained it. Ho landed amongst, a dense growth _ of prickiy pear, "and was severely injured by the spikes.