LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

It is a year since the auxiliary schooner Isabella de Frairie capsized on the Hokinnga Bar and the master and the crew of seven were drowned. The vcssql was entering the harbour and was i aught by the wind and the heavy swell, the captain being thrown from the rigging and the members of the crew being sucked under the water as the schooner turned over. The disaster was the most serious that had happened on the Nqw Zealand coast since the steamer Ripple foundered off Cape Palliser on August 7, 1924, with the loss of 17 lives.

Although July is a month when pneumonic influenza may bo expected to bo more prevalent than usual, the Auckland district has been singularly free to date. Tho health office had received no notifications for the month yesterday and tho number of other notifiable diseases was not above normal.

Ono ot the most cheerless days on record, as far as the weather is concerned, was experienced at Hamilton yesterday. There wero 4.4 degrees of frost in the morning and a dense fog shrouded tho town until nearly noon. The sun did not dispel the damp, cold atmosphere during the day, which was raw and unpleasant.

Tho trowel used by Mr. Robert Graham in setting the last corner stone of tho Panmure Bridge is possessed by Mr. A. S. Graham and forms an interesting souvenir ot his father's association with tho eaily public works of Auckland. The tool is inscribed, "This trowel was used by His Honor, R. Graham, Esq., Superintendent of the Province of Auckland, in setting tho last corner stone of tho Panmure Bridge, October 20th, 1865." Mr. Graham was one of the "makers of Auckland," and during his superiutendoncy a number of important public buildings and other amenities were provided.

"That is going back too far," said a debtor at the Magistrate's Court yesterday when being examined as to his financial position. "I would ask Your Worship to protect me," added the witness, who thought that counsel should not go back further than last May, when the debt in question was incurred. "You seem to bo very familiar with the Act," remarked the magistrate. "Well I have been here so often," frankly replied tho witness.

A motor-lorry which became out of control as the result of the steering-gear failing, crashed into an empty shop, owned by Mr. F. S. Morton in Lower Trafalgar Street, Onehunga, about 11 o'clock yesterday morning. The front of the shop and the plate-glass windows wore wrecked, while the brickwork below tho windows was damaged. The driver escaped injury, and was able to drive away the lorry, which was slightly damaged.

The seasonal run of Whitehall in the Waikato River is now beginning and catches are coming forward from the waters near the mouth of the river. It is expected that in about 10 day.-, or so whitebait will bo fairly plentiful

Two Chinese market gardeners were fined £lO each in Wellington yesterday for "topping off" sacks of cauliflowers, says a Press Association message. The inspector for the Department of Agriculture stated that, the publicity given to the many cases before the Court last year had effected much improvement in regard to packing market produce.

Initial reports of earthquake damage intimated that the well-known landmark on the West Coast route, the mountain known as the "Old Man of the Buller," had been shaken down. This very humanlooking profile has always been pointed out to travellers, and regret, was expressed that it would no longer be seen. But, according to Mr. F. \V. Furkert, Government engineer-in-chief, the landmark has not been destroyed. All that has happened is that a slip has taken place just below that portion of tlie mountain which forms the old mail's nose.

While boring for water at the Waipuku dairy factory, near Stratford, recently, a considerable volume was tapped at a depth of 187 ft., and as it was thought that sonic gas would probably be coming up also a light was applied to the end of the pipe. Fames immediately shot up, almost to the top of the derrick, to which height water was also flowing. A crosspipe was later put on, and a large quantity of water was ejected. The flames continued, and as time went on the supply of greatly diminished and the gas seemed to increase. It is thought that the gas has been caused by decayed vegetal ion. of which a considerable quantity was encountered as the bore was being put down. The water which has come up is of a dirty, muddy colour and contains no traces of oil.

The channel between Lake Ellesmere and the sea was opened a few days ago at low tide, and the succeeding favourable north-east wind assisted the lake waters to scour it about a chain in width. The water lias been running freely, and the outlet is becoming wider each day. The body of water in the lake is so large that practically no difference in the level is yet discernible, but by next week end a considerable area of land now flooded should be aliovo the water-line.

Tho two largest bells of tho Wellington Memorial Carillon-—one of five tons and the other four and a-lialf tons in weight—have been landed from the steamer lluruuui. The Harbour Board is providing storage for 12 days only, when the bolls will have to bo removed to some other place. Such weights are not handled easily, and the task of moving them may require the provision of shcerlegs. Tlim sarno vessel also brought a number of tho steel girders for the bell framework of the campanile. As the rest of the carillon is to bo erected in Hyde Park—after having finished duty at tho North-east Coast Exhibition at Newcastle-on-Tyne—-it will not arrive until the end of the vear.

Speaking at tho recent jubilee celebrations of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Blenheim, the Right Rev. W. llcwitson, Moderator of the General Assembly, remarked that few people realised how laborious was a minister's life. When ho was at Knox Church, Dunedin, and living in tho manso next door, a workman passing in a traniear was overheard to observe to his mate: "A nice little billet in there, spinning two yarns a week!" "That man did not realise that I worked more hours than lie did; tliafl worked as hard, and went 1 to bed just as tired as he did when I had that great congregation on my shoulders," declared the speaker. There were, he added, more kinds of labour than physical labour; and we were only just learning what tho expenditure of nervous energy meant.