LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10018, 3 January 1896, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The s.B. Hiuemoa will leave Auckland again this evening with His Excellency tho Governor, the Countess of Glasgow, family, and suite, for a cruise among the islands of the Hnuraki Gulf, and will arrive at Tauranga on Friday, the 10th. From thence they are due ab Lyttelton on the 13th, connecting with the Uhristchuroh-Dunedin express. A fortnight will be spenb in touring the Southern lakes, the vice-regal party returning to Dunedin : about the Ist February. His Excellency opens the Intercolonial Medical Congress ■on tho 3rd February. The vice-regal party hopo to be back in Auckland about the end of that month. They have greatly enjoyed their tour in the North, having boon favoured with fine weather.

On all hands it has been agreed that the heab during the holidays has been unusually oppressive for the Auokland climate. The highest temperature in the shade, as registered nt the Auckland Institute was reached on Monday, the 30th Deeembor, namely, 83°. The following have been the temperatures recently -.-Christmas Day, 74 ; Boxing Day, 78°; December 27th, 78°: December 28th, 78°; December 30th, 83°; December 31st, 80°; and January Ist, 76°. The downpour of rain which fell on Monday eveaing during a thunderstorm was unusually violent, feeing .55 inch,' or upwards of half-an-inch of rain in half-an-hour. ■<"■* ' ' ■- • i rtuteu l Two splendid brook trout were caught at Rotorua on Saturday last by Mr. A. Warbriok and two natives, in one of the'streams running into Lake Rotorua.' The fish were taken to the Grand Hotel, and the larger wasi foMd to weigh 12Jlb, and the second 1 Jib, the two together turning the scale at 2Mb. Both fish were prosentedto the Grand flobol by Mr, Warbriok. ' News from Samoa is to the effeot that trade is very dull thoughout, the group. The white residents aro agitating for something, to ho done with regard to the Government of the oountry. % They claim that the Berlin Treaty has been a failure, and ask for the removal of the President Owing to the agitation four of the members of the Municipal Council have resigned. > The London Missionary Society's v< steamerf John Williams arrived at Apia from Rarotonga on, December /15. During .the passage a large boat full of men, ; women, and chlldron Was pic«d up a long way out to sea, having been blown aWay from off Tutuila..f lb was • reported at Apia that two other boats full of natives were missing. ) ' pionio of the Franklin Road Primitive . Methodist ;;■ Sunday-sohool g was held on New Year's Day at.Epsom, in' the [Paddoo* of. Mr. R. Hall.. An enjoyable ! day to Bponbby-the children, .

?■ On f New Year's" Day; an % open sailing boat, containing three young women and three men, was capsized, between Birlwn. head and the Sugar Works. The men wore tacking when the boat lost steerage way, and a puff of wind struck the flab of the mainsail and she went over. flavin)? no ballast on board, the boat floated, and the party clung to her. Three young men, who wero at Birkenhead picnicking— Messrs. E. Oswald, K. Doull, and N. F. Main— to their boat at the beach, and pulled off to the rescue of the party. Tiioy got two of the women into their boat, A. second boat, in winch was Sir. Clark, of the HSR(l<i> Office, and others, also cams up immediately, followed by snxetftl boats which had also pushed off. The result was the whole party were rescued and brought ashore, the young women being taken to the house of a resident, where they got changes of clothing temporarily. One of the ferry steamers noticing the mishap, stood towards the scene cl the accident, but the.reacuo had boen effected before her arrival, ,

About a month ago the Maori hostolry at the foot of Constitution Hill, which for the past two or three years has been allowed to fall into disrepair, so much so, in fact, that the natives had completely deserted th< place, was thoroughly renovated, and now as a very spick and span appearance. While the building was in a dilapidated state tho Maoris drifted off to the various cheap boarding-houses about town, but have now commenced to return, and during the holidays tho place was pretty full of dusky visitors.

The death is announced in Invorcargill, at the age of 76, of Mr. Thomas Williamson Hall, one of the early settlers of South Canterbury, and a brother of Sir John Hall. Tho son of a well-known family of shipowners and shipmasters ab Hull, the deceased was educated in France and Germany, and at the age of 16 went to sea, becoming >an owner and master on his own account at an early age. In 1852, with his wife and two young children he sot sail for Now Zealand. The ship Mahomraed Shah wae burned o:f tho Australian coast, bub all on board were saved. Mr. Hall first took up a run on th-j Hakaio, and later on was one of the pioneer of the Maokenzie country. He afterwards took up his residence in Timaru, bub some years ago he removed to Invercai- ill to be near his sons. In South Canterbury he took great interesb in local aff?,irs, and was a membor of several of the local bodies, including the Timaru Hirbonr Board. His wife, two years her hui band's senior, still survives, and thero is a family pf several grown up sons.

On the morning of the 23i d ultimo a coal mlnernamedJamesKonworthy, aged 69, died suddenly at) Kawakawa. An inquest) was held by Mr. R. Hall, J.P. From the evidenco given it appears that deceased wen! to work as usual at the mine apparently in good health. He was sitting talking to his mates at the time, and was lighting a candle bofore going into the mine, when ha suddenly fall back, apparently in a fit. His mates lifted him up and one ran for a doctor, but before he arrived the unfortunate man had expired. The jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes. Deceased was a native of Lancashire, and leaves a widow and several grown-up children.

_ The arrangements of the railway authorities for the passenger traffic to Ellerslie racecourse on New Year's Day and yesterday were all that could be desired, as the publio were carried to and fro safely and expeditiously. Steps were taken also to obviate previous complaints as to the i?sue of tickets by selling them the day before, and also by placing the temporary ticket offices in the railway enclosure adjoining the Waverley Hotel, so that there was no crushing or bustling, aad everything was carried out so as to promote the comfort and convenience of the public.

Two accident cases were received into the Hospital yesterday. The first was a labourer named John Pulton, who while working on a scaffolding at Woodville, near Helensville, fell a distance of 10 feet and fractured his ankle. The second case was that of a Mrs. Hayter, brought in from Southern Wairoa, and who had one of her legs fractured by a piece of wood falling upon it.

An alarm of fire was given by the Albertstreet firebell yesterday afternoon, and the Fire Brigade tnmed out. The fire, which was an incipient) one, was at the residence of Mr. Adamson, K&rangahape Road, and was put out by Sergeants Gamble and Kelly by a few buckets of water, when the Brigade arrived. It seems that a son of Mr, Adamson, eight years of age, had been left at home, so he stated to the polico, while the rest of the family were away somewhere, and he got some horsehair and wool and placed it at the back of tho house, and set fire to the material. He then went to the residence of tho Rev. S. F. Prior, stating that there was a fire at hie house, and rang up the Fire Brigado station. To the cross-questioning of Sergeant Kelly, ho stated that " he thought ib good fun," but whether the city authorities, who have to pay the fire brigade for turning out, or the police, will see any fun in the business is doubtful. No damage wasdoneto the house, and the whole affair must be regarded as a boyish freak, but one out of the usual category.

Last evening the driver of one of the Tramway Company's 'buses fell off the 'but in a faint in Ponsonby Road on to thi roadway, and cut his head badly. He wat taken into Dr. Knight's residence, whet) his injuries wcro attended to.

lb has been generally believed that ib was impossible to escape from the new prison at Mount) Eden, so complete were the arrangements, but Albert Edward Alloy, who oscaped from the Righ.streeb polico station the other day, has had as little difficulty in negotiating the 20-feob wall of tlid Mount Edon stockade as he had in scaling the chevaux-dt-frize at the Highstreet |ock-up, although after ho gob cut on that occasion he surrendered the same evening at the residenco of Archdeacon Dudley, to the police. The facts of hie present escape are as follow :— appears that he was in gaol on remand on various charges, and on New Year's Day was missed aboub three o'clock from tho exercise yard. On a search being made, it was found that he had got into the outer enclosure, whore a plank which had been used for building purposes was lying. He had placed it against an angle of the wall, and climbing up on bis hands and knees, had got to the top and jumped ovor, an act which might have ended in his breaking one of his legs. Although he was missed in ten minutes, and a thorough search made by the officials, no trace of him could bo discovered. No one, strange bo Bay, saw the escape being effected. About four o'clock ho wan aeon nob far from the gaol. At ten p.m. it was stated that Alley was seen hiding in Princesstreet, bub on the police arriving there Alley had lefb. There is reason to belief* that ho was in the Epsom distriob the same evening, and visited the homestead of one of the settlors, to whom he told a pitiful bale, and who not knowing him gave him a taw shillings. The police are on the look oub in all directions, and the various stations have been warned. As ho has already led them a merry dance they are strongly hoping that he will call in ab Archdeacon Dudley's once more and do the surrender business.

' The Auckland Sunday-school Union held their pionio in the Domain on Now Xear'i Day. The procession formed near tin Tabernacle, marshalled by Mr, J. Toneon Garlick, and headed by the Salvation Army Band under Bandmaster Qladding, and the Union's banner, marched to the Domain as follows -.—lleresford-street Congregational, Superintendent) R. Tildehope, roll 250 ; Tabernacle, Superintendent] W. Baker, roll 500; Pitt and Edwin-street Primitive Methodist, Superintendent Frank Taylor, roll 120$ Pitt and Vincent-street United Methodist, Superintendent K. Hutson, roll 200 ; Newton Congregational, Superintendent E. Wood, roll 830 J™* street Wesleynn, Superintendent O. Winstone, roll 480; and St. James' Presbyterian, Superintendent A. Entrican, roll 400? Mount Eden Baptist, Superintendent F. N. Andrews, roll 120; Alexandra-street Primitive Methodist, Superintendent D. Qoldie, roll 1 300; and St. Andrew's Presbyterian,' Superintendent Stillwell. The schools went to- their respective tents, and games were, indulged in, and abundance 6f refreshments sorted during the day. His Worship tho Mayor (Mr./J.'J. Holland) was present ; during the afternoon, and vißitod many of ■ the schools. The Newton Congregational Sunday-school, as usual, went to the Hoe-; pltal And Bang a number of selections. ; }

ißS*—SSsSß **——*—■——— «—*a<—. An elderly woman .named Elizabeth Delaney was taken suddenly ill onTuosday afternoon ab the residence of Mr. James O'Brien, Summer-street, Mount • Eden. Dr. Roberton was sent for, and finling her suffering from inflammation of tie lungs and general debility, the result -of old ago,, had her removed to the Hispltal, where she died noxb day. No inqmab was held under the oircurastnnces. A fire occurred at Kaeo, on the nfjrhfa of the 28th ultimo, by which the residono* of a Frenchman named EaueLccocq was burned down._ Lecocq was in the house ab kalfpast nine, when all appeared to be safe, and had gone to a neighbouring house, wlere be was in half-an-iiour informed thab his house was on fire. Owing to the rapidity with which tho fire sproad little was saved savo six casos of goods belonging to Mr. Jacintho, of Kaeo. The house was uninBused, and the loss is over £100. Leeocq;

wag a carrier between Whangaroa an Kaeo, and a largo quantity of goods belong ing to various residents were in the house i the time. /

There were three casos of drunkenness*". New Year's Day before the Bench at/ho Police Court, and two yesterday. MfR8. Bush, S.M., the presiding inngisfata on both occasions, discharged each piquant with a caution, in consideration! the season. The only other caso was tliafof a man charged with the thofb of two/owls, valued at ss. A fins of 40s with cofl was inflicted, or, in default, seven dap' imprisonment. I A little girl two years of age, daiiiter of Edward Green, was seriously brnb at Stroud, New South Wales. It ppoars that tho fathor was burning a in a paddock when the child's clothejeaught fire, and before he could extinaish the flamos the child's legs and body wle badly burnt. Hopes are entertained for the child's recovery. i There were in the lockup lastflvening one person on a chargo of druhonness. Thomas Atkinson Heaps, on a large of stealing, on the 31st ult., £30 10* rom tho person of James McGuinness, of i aotunu. Heaps arrived here by steamer, md was arrested by Constablo Finnorty.if Freeman's Bay police station; al James Murray on a charge of stealing 10 rem the person ot John Murphy. Durine the marching of tho sliools of the Auckland Sunday School Unii to the Domain, one of the scholars of tin Newton Sunday school, William Nicolson,,god 12, eldest son of Mr. Charles Nicolsoi draper, Karangahape Koad, met with an icident. He fell out of the ranks near tho uteway, end before he could get into his pi :e again a milk cart, belonging to Messrs. imbury and English, dairymen, passed y, and accidentally ran over tho little ellow's foot. The boy was taken to t'n9 capital, where it was found that the bone at the ankle were broken, and tho lira! was at once set. Constable Hutchinson if Parnoil, who was on the ground, trie full inquiry into the circumstances cc nected With the accident. ... [

The Opera House was again owded yesterday evening, when tho Blail Holt company re-produced their greatest iccess, as yet, in Auckland, "A Life of PL sure." Both for staging, scenery, and se ation, the piece stood out again as the Ist yet produced, nnrl as an index of evei better things to come, " A Life of Pieasurj" will be repeated this evening for the lasijtiuieiii Auckland, I The performance of the Tivolimusicil Comedy Company was was witnased by a Tery large and delighted audince Inst nieht. The whole of the varied and attractive programme went off mos successfnlly, every item being heartily iplauded. This evening there will be a/complete change ; new faces, new songs] and new dances, and there is every reason to expect Another crowded house. j The annual picnic of All Saint' Sundayschool took place on Wednesday at Wallace's grounds, Birkenhead, a tyeamer conveying the children, parents, end friends from Ponsonby wharf. TherJwas 6 very large gathering, and a most ajoyable day was spent in the usual spots and pastimes. The teachers, under Taylor, the superintendent of the tchool, were assiduous in their efforts to make everything pass pleasantly, all being landed back home again safely beforjeundown, The annual festival picnic )f the Devonport Wesleyan Sunday-pchcl was held yesterday at Mr. Thome's paidocks, Lake Takapuna, and there was k very considerable attendance of the ihildren with teachers, parents, and friends. The excursionists were taken lut through Rangitoto Channel to the like Wharf in ono of the Ferry Company's steamers, and the trip to and fro was by no means the least enjoyable part of the day's outing. On the grounds arrangements vera made for an enjoyable day's sport, and ample provision was made in regard t» refreshments. The Sunday 'ic : :iool teaehers and others were indefatigable in their efforts to promote the enjoyment of the chldren, but to Mr. J. G. Henderson, who had charge of all the arrangements for the picnic, its success was mainly due.

The Rev. (J. H. Yatman evaigelisfc from New Vork, has returned from Wellington, where heconducted a mostsuccessf ul mission. He went via the Lake Country to Napier, and thence by rail to Wellington, and has come baek by the West Coast, making the i'ourney by rail from Wellington to New 'lymoutb, so that he has a very good idea now of the North Island. Mr. Yatman was greatly pleased with his visit to the Wonderland, and says that tho Americans have no idea of the Lake Country, otherwise a larger percentage of American tourists would come hero. That ignorance he will endeavour to dispel on his return to the Slates. He now commences a scries of united revival services in thin city, and the opening services will take place to-night at the Y.M C.A., when he will give an address to Christum workers. The Rev. gentleman has had an excellent record in New York for evangelistic work,

Tho annual tea-meeting of the Salvation Army was held on New ear's night at the barracks, Albert-street. There was a large attendance, Captain Tilbrook presiding. The children of the poor were admitted free. At the alter meeting a number of prizes were presented to the juniors by Captain Tilbrook. A Sunday school picnic in connection with St. John's Wesleyan Church, Ponsonby, «as held on New Year's Day at Brick Bay. The children were regaled with refreshments, and a variety of games were arranged for their amusement. Tho day was pleasurabiy spent by tho children, their parents, and friends.