AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14146, 23 August 1909, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

ACTION FOR DAMAGES. In the Supremo Court at Brisbane, last; week, a case was commenced in which John • Unitt claimed £5000 damages from the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zea- ''& land for aleleged breach of contract to carry plaintiff safely to British Columbia in their ; ! steamship Manuka. Tho claim set out that ■'■ plaintiff took a passage on the Manuka on/ $' May 13, and during tho voyage was in- Js jured by spars used in supporting an awn- ' % ing falling on him. He alleged tho spars i; were rotten and unsubstantial, and that the injury was caused by defendants' negligence. He had been obliged to undergo ■'■;■ an operation, and was permanently injured. He landed at Suva, where he was ' in hospital for several months. The defence claimed that the injuries, if any, were caused by an unusually high sea coming ; on board, and carrying away some spars' supporting the awning. They held that plaintiff became a passenger under an agreement set out on the ticket that the defendants should not be responsible for and should be exempt from all liability in respect of loss, damage,, or injury, whether by causes of nature, employees, defects in tackle, etc. * s „ A SPORTING DIVA. Mr. H. Byron Moore, secretary of the Victoria Racing Club, last week received' a letter from Madame Melba stating that it was her intention to become an owner of racehorses, and that her colours should be registered as olive green jacket, mauve sash, and white cap. Miss Murphy j Madame Melba's private secretary, said I that Melba had always been fond of sport ' and fond of horses, and had been, thinking for a long while of trying whether her luck would be as good in this direction as in others. So she had enrolled herself as a patron of horseracing. " The last time she ' spoke to me about it," said Miss Murphy " was on the ship,' on the way out from England, but I don't think her arrangements are complete even now.- Oh, yes, ; I think she certainly means to race in New - South Wales, as we'll as in Victoria. You know her son is a very fine rider, and her brother-in-law, Mr. Lempriere, is a mem-' ber of the Melbourne Hunt Club. Perhaps she will have the luck Mrs. Langtry had, '"• • or the Duchess of Montrose. No, I don't know what horses she is going to buy, or ' how many, or when she intends to begin racing. You see, I don't fancy her plans fll are quite made out just yet." ~'*-, BIG BUILDING PEAT. The addition of another storey to Dai gety and Co.'s wool and grain stores at Kensington, near Melbourne, has involved a building feat which it is believed consti- ■''■"' tutes a world's record of this kind. The work had to be completed within two months from the time it was started on -•■ July 22, and. during its progress business had- to be carried on as usual. To meet v these conditions the contractor decided■?, to raise the roofs bodily on screwjacks without dismantling them, and then to build the walls up to them. The difficulty of the operation will be understood when it : is stated that these two glazed "saw-tooth" v pattern roofs are respectively 236 ft and v 216 ft long, with a width of 10ft. In the case of the first this was successfully accomplished. The work on the second roof ■ was started last Tuesday. : CURIOUS BEQUESTS. . * Several personal bequests of a rather ' ; curious character were contained in the will of the late Mr. William Webb, a Bendigo (Victoria) miller. He left personal estate valued at £28,415. He bequeathed to the widow and children of John Gallagher, an old employee of , the firm, £100, ~ in equal shares, as an acknowledgment for their attention , and kindness 'to mv poor dog Fido during his illness." Samuel Trengrove was left £100, "in acknowledgment of his kindness and attention to my second dog Fido."

"TRIPPED OVER THE CAT." A woman , named Eliza Cooper, 22 year* of age, was brought to the Newcastle (N.S.W.) Hospital on Saturday week in a state of collapse, and she died early the next morning. A post-mortem, examination revealed the fact that she had re-, ceived an injury to the head, causing con- ! cussion of the brain. The deceased,' who was ' a married woman, lived at Hamilton, and it was stated that some days ago she tripped over tho cat and fell downstairs. She pursued her domestic duties for some days, but was taken suddenly ill on the Saturday, and had to be taken to the hospital. - '. „].)

LONG-DISTANCE LADY SKATER. j Miss Muriel Funston put up a world's record at the Bondi (N.S.W.) Rink last: week for ladies' endurance skating. Miss Funston skated for 15 hours without*-a rest, and covered over 90 mile*;. She slewed down only to take her meals, and finished so fresh that experts present expressed their confidence that she could have continued for the full 24 hours. "TIRED OF LIFE." ./- Issac Byrne, the young man who took quantity of rabbit poison at Menindie m fortnight ago, died last week as he wasi; being escorted to the Broke;! Hill Hos-J, pital. Byrne was apparently recovering as! ho left Menindie, but a few miles out he suddenly collapsed and expired. Deceased,] who was only 25 years of age, had walked) from Cobar, and told the police he was] out of work, starving and tired of life. He said he had twice attempted to drown himself, and took about a quarter of a tin of rabbit poison. i-M ''-? DEATH FROM TETANUS. -v J Francis Burke, a labourer, died in. the* hospital at Merriwa (N.S.W.) last week from tetanus, contracted through a scratchy whilst Working in a paddock. h