AUSTRALIAN NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1679, 4 May 1904, Page 68

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

A SHIP IN A CYCLONE. The Aigburth, a ship of 1700 tons, which anchored in Watson's Bay, Sydney, on the night of the 18th inst., after a passage of sixty-seven days from Iquique, had a sensational experience when off Pitcairn Island on March 7. Captain Read, who is in command, states that the vessel encountered a violent cyclone, which lasted for five or six hours. The wind, which wag from the northwest and north, attained a very great velocity, and mountainous seas were running. The Aigburth strained and laboured heavily, and a very anxious time was spent by all on board. During the height of the tempest a full suit of sails was completely destroyed. So great was the force of the wind that the sails were torn into shreds and carried away. Gigantic seas constantly broke over the vessel, and the decks were awash for several hours. Everything of a portable charaoter on the deoks was swept overboard. Some conception of the strength of the storm may be formed from the fact that the Aigburth rolled toprails under.

Fortunately no one was hurt, and the hull escaped damage. HOMES FOR AGED PRINTERS. The New South Wales Printers’ Overseers’ Association is devising a scheme for the erection of homes for old printers in that State on the lines of the Union Home for Printers at Colorado Springs, America, ancFthe Printers’ Alms Houses at Wood Green, London. The English fund was instituted as far back as 1826. and not only provides homes for the aged printer, but has numerous pension funds, orphan funds, and a fund for the unmarried daughters of printers, promoted by the late Archbishop Benson. The New South Wales scheme is to acquire a plot of land at one of the sanatoria, and erect a number of cottages to house old printers and their wives. The subject was discussed at the last meeting of the association, and a draft scheme is to be presented to a general meeting of members early next month. TRADE WITH THE EAST. An interesting report has been received by the Minister for Mines and Agriculture of New South Wales, Mr Kidd, from Mr J. B. Suttor. New South Wales commercial agent, respecting the prospects of • trade being done between that State and Hongkong. In the course of his report, Mr Suttor remarks:—“Hongkong being a free port, it is very difficult to obtain detail certificates. I have seen quite sufficient to convince me, however, that Hongkong is one of the most important trading centres in the East;’ It possesses unrivalled steam communication, On all sides it has been remarked to me that the Americans and others are rapidly getting a footing in connection with products that could easily be supplied from Australia, The flour trade is practically in the hands of the Americans, and it is estimated that the imports reach a very high figure. During the last few days 1 have personally witnessed over 300,000 501 b sacks unloaded from two steamers from Seattle and San Francisco, It is the general opinion given enual chances, that New South Wales millers are in a better position to compete with the Americans, in consequence of the distance from Sydney to Hongkong being much shorter than from the -American ports. Freights are also now much cheaper from Sydney than is the case with America. To introduce our flour, and to burst up the American flour monopoly, New South Wales millers must be prepared to sacrifice a little. They must adopt the same plans as the Americans, and not send small hand musters by post as samples, as they are absolutely useless. The millers must send at least five tons, sc that proper distributions can be made to likely buyers. The American millers send trial shipments of 100 to 200 tons, and continue to do this for three to six month®. They do not think of making any profit on these trial shipments.” Mr Suttor has supplied the Minister with much information regarding jams, tinned meats, compressed fodder, candle®, butter, soap, etc,, the methods of packing, freights, and the peculiar needs of the Chinese. Throughout his letter he makes it clear that, if trade in the East is to be expanded, it must be by a closer study of .the need® and peculiar demands of the consumers. A MATE’S DEVOTION. A sensational mining accident occurred recently at the Granites, near Menzies, West Australia. A fall of earth buried two men, Albert G. Raft is and Alexander Clark. As Raftis failed to return home that night, his wife got three men to proceed to the mine. These men returned at 2 o’clock the following ranrning, and reported that Raftis and Clark were entombed The whole township was roused, and by 3 a.m. fifty men were at the scene of the accident, Aftef eighteen hours’ continuous work,the drive was cleared. The entombed men were found alive. They had experienced a miraculous escape. Clark was in an upright position, and buried to'the neck in debris. Raftis was crouched over Clark's head on his hands and knees, and as the earth came in on either side he brushed it away from his mate's face, thus preventing him from smothering. This continued for over thirty hours, during which period the men were entirely without nourishment. The air became so bad that a match could not burn in it. When rescued, Clark was in an exhausted state, but Raftis, who is a man of splendid physique and stamina, was little the worse for his experience. Raftis could havo escaped from his perilous position two hours earlier than Clark did, but he stoutly refused to leave his mate. He said: “I kept him alive for twentyfour hours, and I will see it out." BACK FROM SOUTH AFRICA. Bv the steamer Bombala, which reached Fremantle last week, there arrived a large number of Australian® and others who have returned from South Africa. When the Bombala was at Durban thre® hundred persons applied for passages to Australia, but only a third of that number could be accommodated, The returning passengers spoke very despondently of prospects in South Africa. One man said, "I'm quite satisfied that those people who are always running down Australia don’t know what they are talking about. I know this much, that now I’ve been and had a taste of what some people call a ‘grand country,’ and know what Australia is, I'm more than ever determined to set to and make a do of things here.”