LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12068, 11 September 1902, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The renovation of the Public Library, particulars of which have already been published, has been commenced, and the contractor is making good progress with tiie work. The readingroom and reference library have beeu closed from the beginning «i this week, in order to permit of the work being carried out, but stands for tie principal newspapers have beeu placed in the vestibule for the time being. The readingiooiu will be reopened on Monday next, and the reference library on the 30th hist. .The lending library will be closed from the 22nd to the ah inst. When the Tyser liner Tomoana, which arrived from London and Australia yesterday, was in latitude 41deg. llai. south, raid longitude 26deg. 17m. east, en route from London to Melbourne, she was spoken by the barque Lawhill. The master of the barque reported that he had had an exceptionally boisterous encounter with the .elements on July 28, during which the j vessel lost six topsails and the foresail. The j barque, however, was not in need of as- j distance, but desired to be reported to Lloyd's and the Standard Oil Company. The j Lawhill is a British vessel of 2749 tons, and ! sailed from New York on May 24 for j Macassar and Sourabaya. The number of invalid troopers in ran- j tine at Motuihi was reduced by seven yes- j terday by the discharge of 1). Campbell, j Lorrett, Tenemore, Kensington, Wilkinson, Kane, and Ryan. Vincent, whose case is the most serious of those remaining on the island, was slightly better yesterday. Troopers Ghczslie, Hyue, and Webb were discharged from "the hospital yesterday. Parker, Mausou, and Blaoklock were reported to be slightly improved. There was no improvement in Shellock's and the other patients remained about the same. Inspector Cullen received word yesterday that a native, named Nopera lleini had been committed for trial at Whaugaroa on a charge of horse-stealing. Another charge of | similar nature is to be heard against the same man at Kawakawa in a week or two.

An alarm of fire, which brought out the 'Albert-street auxiliary brigade, was raised at nine o'clock yesterday morning, but the cause was only a bunting chimney at the residence of Mrs. Bennett, in Victoria-street. Daring the morning there was an outbreak in the yard of Messrs. Winks and Hall, in Shortland-street, where a small heap of shavings and paper in front of a stack of wood was on hie. The wood did not ignite, and the fire, which is supposed to have been lighted by spine children, was soon extinguished.

Our Paeroa correspondent writes:--At a meeting of directors of the Thames Valley Dairying Company, held on Tuesday night, Mr. A. J. Thorpe was reelected chairman for the ensuing year.

The investigating Magistrate for old age pensions, Mr. Brabant, S.M., held a sitting of the Court yesterday. The Court ordered certificates to be issued for the full amount of £18 to .Anna Maria Bannister and Mary funded, whilst Richard Olney was awarded £2. 'the B.M. will hold another sitting next Wednesday.

Mr. T. B. Jacobsen, architect, lias received the following tenders for the erection of houses at Epsom:—-J. Williams., £1130; Bathbone, £1150; S. I. Clarke (informal), £1-136; Lures and Cook, £1097 ; T. Moore, £105-5; Greyson brothers, £1063 ; Wrigley, £1045 ; Usher, £1023 ; W. C. Johns, £989 ; Thomas Mandno, £871 (accepted) ; T. More, £859.

The New Zealand Yacht Squadron's newlooms in Smeelon's Buildings, Queen-street, are now fully completed and furnished for the use of members. The rooms are to he formally opened by a social to-morrow evening, for which a very good varied programme has been arranged.

, At the Lyceum Theatre, Sydney, a few I Sights ago, an alarm of lire set a number of tie audience towards the doors. The Bland Holt Company was playing " With Plying Colours," when smoke began to gather in the auditorium. The players preceded with their pails, but the stage began to grow dim with smoke, and nervous people left the theatre. Eventually a portion of the roof was removed, and the smoke leaned. it appears that a pot of varnish Was somehow or other ignited, and hied some inflammable mattei'iu the propertyloom. The fire brigades turned out, but before they armed -Mr. Holt and his employees hail subdued tiie Humes. Mr. Holt was singed about the face and hands, but not seriously burned.

Yesterday William McCabe and' Harold ■r:..;'. C Peuton, trading as Andrew, Sons, and L " , C°-. 'bus proprietors, Hied a petition in vy. bankruptcy with the official assignee. ." Mr. W. J. Napier announces that he will -■; *g»iu be a candidate for the City of Auckfe«<i at the forthcoming general election. The Huddart-Parker steamer Elingamite kit Sydney for Auckland yesterday, and the I',. - ttn ! ,on Company's steamer Mouowui left Mel- ■ boitme for Hobart and the Bluff.

Fatalities through contact with "live"' electric -wires are becoming alarmingly frequent (says the Melbourne Age of September 3). Another has occurred at Collingwood Jol„, Fellows, a bricklayer, was employed at a, transformer pit at the corner iof Langridge and Little Oxford Streets | with his brother, .Edward Fellows. Both men -went into the pit with the intention of cleaning out a quantity of mud and slush that had accumulated at the bottom. John Fellows was in the act of removing Us coat, and in .stretching out Liu left hand unwittingly reached to the wall whereon the circuit wire was resting. Immediately he made the contact he shrieked f'llt, "Oh!" The brother turned and saw him writhing in agony, unable to open his hand and so release the death-dealing wire. Edward made a daring attempt to nee his brother, bub immediately he put his hands upon him he received 'a shock, and was forcibly reminded that he had run the risk of experiencing a like danger to that his brother was in. In his dreadful extremity he rushed up the ladder to the surface, vainly hoping that some means of succour might be available. He next saw his brother lying at the bottom of the pit in a position which plainly indicated the terribly paroxsyni to which he succumbed. The left hand was badly burnt, the flesh being actually cleared from the fingers, and there was a large patch on the back of the head where, the electric current had also been in contact. Constable Mafferzoni was in the vicinity. He saw that the man was beyond any human aid, a fact of which Dr. Hefferuan, who happened to be passing, also assured him. The constable made an inspection of the pit. and found flesh and hair on the brick wall and the circuit. A lead pipe was partly melted. Deceased was a married man, residing at Madden . Grove, South Richmond. He had been in the sendee of the Electric Light Company for 16 months.

Before Justice Boucaut in the Adelaide Supreme Court, on September 3, Benedict Lang, executor of Andrew Lang, formerly of West Australia., sought to obtain probate of a will made by the testator on March, 3, 1902. Testator had made a previous will in January, and in April, wishing to'revoke the second will and revive the first, lie wrote across the March will, " Cancelled by me, Andrew Lang, this 14th April, 1902."- This was signed and witnessed, the testator saying, "That leaves the earlier will good." Mr. Vanderbergh, for certain defendants, contended that the Court should hold that the deceased died intestate. Plaintiff's solicitor and Mr. Henderson, who appeared for some friendly defendants, said the dead man only intended the revocation to take effect provided the earlier will was revived, and was under the erroneous belief that the effect of cancellation was to revive the earlier will. Therefore the (Joint should say this was no revocation, because it- depended on a condition that was fulfilled. Judge Boucaut agreed that the will was not revoked, and probate should follow, omitting the words "cancelling the will."

A meeting of the council of the. Australasian Ornithologists' Union was held in Melbourne on August 23. In answer to a letter from the Victorian Inspector of Fisheries, it was decided to recommend that magpies, which are now somewhat destructive, Da protected during the nesting season only. It was arranged to hold the annual meeting on November 20, when the State Governor of Victoria, Sir Geo. Clarke, will preside at the illustrated public lecture in the evening. It was decided to suggest to the Commissioner of Lands that poison laid for rabbits should be covered with soil, instead of being left exposed, when so many useful birds ate thereby poisoned.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of Messrs. D. Hay and Sons* spring catalogue of 1902, for chrysanthemums, dahlias, choice flowering plants, etc. This catalogue has now swelled to 20 pages of closely-printed matter, which gives our readers some idea, of the large collections of new and choice plants which this firm Lave for disposal. The manner in which the introduction of new varieties of plants is proceeding may bs guessed from the fact that in the list of chrysanthemums alone there are no fewer than 18 new varieties catalogued. There is also a very long list of new cactus dahlias, some of which have a very high character. There are decorative dahlias, double show dahlias, pompons, spring bedding plants, tomato plants, tuberous-rooted begonias, palms, ericas, etc. The catalogue can be obtained from the firm direct, or from their town agents, Mesas. Vales aud Co., -street. It has been neatly printed at the Herald Works.