TELEGRAPHIC.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 40

TELEGRAPHIC.

AUCKLAND, January At a meeting of’Auckland builders, notice was received from the Operative Bricklayers of a required rise of wages, to take place on March Ist. The s.s. Kawau, from Mangawai, reports having seen a ketch ashore about two miles north of Te Arai. She appeared to have been driven hard and fast on the beach, and heavy seas were breaking over her. The identity of the ketch was not ascertained, but it is believed do be the Lizette, bo unci in ballast from Auckland to Ngunguru. AUCKLAND, January 11. A highly respected citizen, 'Mr David Nolan, died shortly before noon tc-clay. He has been suffering latterly from affection of the spine-, which ultimately caused his death. He came to Auckland from Sydney ever thirty years ago. For fully a quarter of a century he was connected with the cattle trade. Deceased was seventy-two years of age. The ketch which went ashore at Te Arai, proved to be the Lizette. The vessel missed stays while working, close in shore against a strong northerly, and was driven hard up .on the beach. BeycncU" carrying away her rudder the ketch suffered no damage, and the crew landed in safety, after vainly endeavouring to get the vessel oft the beach. The s.s. Durham, will leave for the scene of the aeoident to-night. ' The death is announced of Captain Alexander McGregor, long identified with shipping interests in this port, and head of the McGregor Steamship Company, which owns a number of small steamers trading between Auckland and the coastal ports further north.

Julia Steenson has been committed for trial at Waihi on a charge of concealment of the birth of a child. • The Primitive Methodist Conference commenced its ,sittings to-clay, when there were fifty-five delegates present. The liev W. S. Potter was elected president, Mr J. C. Thompson, of Feilcung, vice-president, and the itev S. Drake secretary. A great deal of routine work was done. In the evening the ex-presi-dent , the Rev James Cocker, of Wanganui, delivered his retiring address, and the" newly-elected-president was puuiicly in-.talled.

The following is the first reading cf stations:—New Plymouth, J. Nixon; Wellington No. 1, G. H. Mann, J. W. Dean and J. Dumbell, sup. ; "Wellington ■No. 2, J. Dawson, K. Hall: Auckland No. 1, W. Laycock. H. "Williams, B. Dudley; Auckland No. 2, W. S. Cotter; Invercargill, T. Ft. Lyon; .Timc.ru, W. C. Woodward; Thames, E. Drake; Greendale, P. J. Cossum ; Christchurch, C. E. Ward; Ashburton, li. Paine; - Feikling, S. Henderson, P. ."W. Jones, and cue to be obtained; Geraldine. J. Sharp; Dunedin, J. Guv, J. Southern, W. Woollams, J. Featherstone; Tlaicornbe, S. Barnett; South Invercargill, T. H. Fybus; : Stratford and Eltham, J. Clover, G. P. Hunt: Waimate and Oamaru, one to he obtained; Westport and Denniston, J. B. Merrett and one to be obtained; Hunterville, T. .B. Woolcxall; Home Missionary at BHiff. F. W r . Boys: Waihi, G. Clements; Wan- - ganui, J- Cocker. AUCKLAND, January 14. Nathan’s bonded store and gum and produce store let to Wheeler, were completely destroyed by the fire which broke out on Sunday. The building and stock were insured in the Norwich Union for £51.500, which was largely reinsured. The loss above the insurance is estimated at £20.000. The rehisur- • slices included: South - British, £2400; Commercial Union, £2o00; Phcemx, £750.

The American Tobacco lost •in Nathan’s bond cigarettes and cigars to the value of £6090, which was fully covered in the Norwich L mon. Wheeler was insured in tlie Now Zealand office, but expects to bo, a heavy loser. Bond and Bell were insured for £I4OO in the Phoenix office* and £3OO in the Alliance, and they expect to lose £7OO additional. Their building, owned by Mr Yates, was insured fer £4OOO. Marks and Maddox, who' sub-leased a portion of Bond and Bell’s store, were insured ill the Victoria office £or_ £SOO ; their loss i» estimated at £2OO additional.

T. Macky and Co.’s large stock, which was a total loss, was insured in the Northern Assurance for £6OO, and in the National for £4OO. Heather' Bros, wore insured in the Norikorn Assurance for £9OO, which will about cover their loss. The building occupied by them, owned by Brown, Barrett and ' Co., and damaged to the extent of £->SO, wrs insured in the New. Zealand Company for £1166. G. W. Owen was covered by £1750 on the building and £IOO9 on i he stock ; both are a total less. F. Tucker was insured with the New Zealand Company t#

for £'l2-50. "W. S. Laurie and Co. were insured in the New Zealand for £2OOO on the building and £2OOO on the stock; :he building is much damaged, and the less*of stock is considerable. The Loan and Mercantile building is uninjured, but probably had the contents damaged by water. The insurance is £250 in the Alliance office. Later. There is little doubt that the fire of yesterday was one of the most disastrous that- has ever occurred in Auckland. The properties affected were those of Messrs Bond and Bell in Commerce street, the large bonded, stores of L. D. Nathan and Co. at the ,corner of Custom street and Commerce street, and the adjoining property of Messrs G. W. Owen and Co. Custom street. Ocher properties, including those of Messrs T. Macky and Co. in Commerce street and of Messrs W. P. Laurie and" Co. in Custom street, suffered a good deal of damage, but the fire was practically confined to the three buildings first mentioned, which cover together about- 120 feet frontage to Commerce street- and about ISO feet to Custom street, L. D. Nathan and Co.’s store being by far the largest of the three. The total loss cannot be far short of £90,000, the insurances covering all but about £21,500, of which loss some £2o,ooo_will fall upon L. D. Nathan and Co. When the firehells rang out Bond and Bell’s building was in a hopeless Naze,, the flames having apparently caught the - whole cf the interior and burst through roof and windows. A glance showed that L. D. Nathan and Co.’s store could not escape. When the Fire Brigade arrived the fire had hold of the upper floors of this building at the corner adjoining Messrs Bond and Bell’s. In the building in which the fire originated the flames' soon played themselves out but they had gained a firm hold cn Messrs L. D. Nathan and Co.’s store, and for three hours the fire blazed furiously, gaining strength with every minute till about a quarter past six, when it was at its height. By this time the fire had got a footing in all four floors of the building, which, except for a portion cf two lower floors at the Custom street corner, was one mass of seething flame. One after another the heavily laden floors had given away with thunderous crashes, and there was. little left'but the bare-walls. The adjoining v arehouses quickly caught alight, and their contents were consumed at an amazing rate, and the fire

defied all the efforts of the brigade. At one time it was impossible to say where the fire would stop. W. S. Laurie and Co.’s building, adjoining Owen and Co’s, was at one time in great danger, but fortunately this was saved, and by a. little after .-even o’clock the fire had. done its worst. The adjoining properties, though damaged to some extent, we r e saved from utter destruction.

Airs Flynn, who had her thigh broken , and George Tierney, a bo v a gee] thirteen, who wa.s also seriously injured by the fall of a. telephone post, were taken to the hospital. NEW PLYMOUTH, January 11. Mr Stanford, S.M., gave judgment this morning in the cases in which a toll-gate keeper proceeded against one Rawlings for evading the payment of toll by leaving the main road within 800 yards of the gate. Tlie information was dismissed on technical grounds. WAIMATE. January 11. About a month ago the election of fire Borough Councillors was upset through a legal informality. A fresh election took place to-day, and all the unseated Councillors! were re-elected by large majorities. A poll as to- rating on unimproved value in the borough resulted as follows: —For, 235; against, 61; informal, 14. The proposal was carried. GISBORNE, January 11. While some men were excavating on, the Gisborne-Karaka line they unearthed what Las been pronounced to be portion of the foot of a moa. Mr John Andrew, seventy-five years of age, died this afternoon. He arrived in the Figment half a century ago, and claimed that ho held the pick which struck the first gold in the famous Moanatairi and Caledonian mines at the Thames. GISBORNE, January .12. The Mararea arrived afc daylight this morning, and after hovering about for a time, took shelter under Hicks Hoad. The fierce southerly gale gradually abated, and at 6 p.m. the tender went out and passengers were .safely embarked and incoming passengers landed, but cargo could not be handled. During the evening there has been further communication by signals, and the vessel waits until the morning. The lighters are going out at four o’clock to handle the cargo, which includes seventy-nine

rams from Napier for Mr Perry, or ToIce;a. Bay. The Mararoa leaves for Auek-i land about nine on Sunday morning. NAPIER. January Id. A party consisting of Messrs A. McKay. Government- Geologist. W. Kay, Assistant Geologist, and R. Yuiil. will begin a prospecting survey of the Kaimnnawa range early next week. The instructions of the Government are to make a. thorough survey of the district to be explored. NELSON. January 10. For some months great quantities of slime have been apparent in Tasman Bay, and it has now* proved highly fatal to fish. Of late it has been less apparent in tliis vicinity, but reports just to hand from Golden Bay state that it is increasing. The captain of the .Lady Barkis - reports that in steaming from Colliugvvood to.Takaka and thence to Separation Point, he passed through slime and dead fish the whole way. the fish being so close together that they were not a yard apart. He observed hapuka, hake sclmapper, kawhai, cod. .herrings, gurnard and oilier fish- The beaches of Golden Bay are strewn with dead fish, in places to a depth of three feet, and such is the stencil that some settlers contemplate leaving their homes for a time. At West. Wanganui the' beaches are strewn with flounders and ether fish. Captain Stevens says the waters are thick with slime, and appear a beautiful green by daylight, while afc night they are like liquid fire. CHRISTCHURCH, January 10. This morning Dr Mason, the Government Health Officer, saw the woman who was supposed to be suffering from leprosy, and he and Dr Clayton will go further into the case to-morrow morning. Ifc has been decided by medical experts that the case is cue for isolation, as much in the interest of the woman as of the public, though no clanger to the public is anticipated. It is expected that an arrangement will bo eerne to between the City Council and the hospital authorities whereby the woman will be taken in charge of by the latter. Dr Mason will meet the Mayor to-morrow morning and discuss the matter with him. * CHRISTCHURCH, January 11. A' meeting of delegates of the master plumbers of Neiv Zealand was held here this week, at which representatives were present from Wellington. Dunedin, Ashburton, Hokitika, Invercargill and,Chris t_, church. The plumbers of Napier, Wanganui, Miltons and Gore apologised for not being represented, and expressed sympathy with the object of the meeting, namely, the formation of a national association. It was unanimously agreed that it was desirable to form a Federated Association of Master Plumbers of New Zealand. The following officers were elected: —President. Mr J. M. Xavier (Christchurch'); vice-president, Mr J. I). Colville (Christchurch): secretary. Mr A. E. Bradley; treasurer. Mr T. 'Banks. 'The following provincial vice-presidents were elected: —Messrs T. Christie (Dunedin.), R. C 4. Spiers (Invercargill). E. J. Fco'thead (Wellington), M. Hardiey Ashburton), W. Heing (Hokitika). It was resolved that the executive be chosen from the Christchurch members for the next twelve mouths. Each year they will be taken from a different centre. The fiftieth anniversary of the first publication of the “Lyttelton Times’' was celebrated to_day, when the paper, came out with an issue appropriate to the occasion. During the day the editor received congratulatory telegrams from the Premier, the Postmaster-general, the Minister of Labour, and editors of ail the other leading journals in the colony. This evening the premises of the “Lyttelton Tiroes” Company are brilliantly illuminated, and to-morrow evening the proprietors will entertain the members of the staff, numbering about two hundred, at a banquet. Afc a meeting of the Canterbury Memorial. Committee_to-day it was reported that the celebration funds showed a balance of over £BOO for a memorial. Correspondence was read from F. J. Williamson, an English sculptor. It was decided that the Finance Committee be recommended t.o order by cable Mr Williamson’s enlarged statue of the Queen in a standing position, to cost 700 guineas : also a red granite polished pedestal, and that the reliefs *be ordered when sufficient funds are available. The site for the memorial has not yet been decided upon. The “Lyttelton Times” has the following:—A very unpleasant rumour was in circulation yesterday afternoon concerning a gentleman having a Jv-gh official position in Christchurch. It is alleged that he left Christchurch two or three weeks ago tor Australia, and on arrival there was joined by a married lady very much bis junior, who is well known in local society, and who bad been so ending the Christmas holidays in Melbourne and Sycinev. The gen olemail has left his wife and'family behind him, and it P reported that be has written to his solicitors stating that he has no intention of returning to New Zealand, or of c poo sing any proceedings the Unhand or his present companion may take to secure divorce. At Lyttelton to-day William J. -Kinley, T. Clark and G. Hayden were committed for trial on a. charge of wilfully damaging, to the extent of £7O, a Ferris wheel, the property of J. Stewart, of Pet one. The wheel had been erected ;n readiness for regatta day, and the damage was done late on New - ■ - - ——