Australian News.

Otago Witness, Issue 1787, 20 February 1886, Page 11

Australian News.

(From Our Melbourne Correspondent.)

The New South Wales Government have had three separate offers from private persons within the last 12 months to purchase the tramways, but if they determine to sell or lease them, tenders will be invited. The Government have also had a proposal from an engineer to introduce a method of driving them by compressed air. The express train from Melbourne to Sydney met with an accident on Friday night, February 5. A heavy gale had blown some trucks which were standing on a siding on to the main line, and the express in the darkness ran into them. The train was travelling at a moderate rate, but the shock was severe enough to throw the engine off the line. One of the passengers was rather seriously hurt, and the train was delayed for some hours.

Messrs David Munro and Co., of Melbourne, have two large bridge contracts in hand from the Victorian Government. Both are for bridges across the Yarra in Melbourne. One is for the new Princes Bridge in continuation of Swanston street, to take the St. Kilda road traffic, and the other for the railway bridge on the St. Kilda and South Melbourne line, where it crosses the river opposite Queen street. The contract price for the former is £124,000, and for the latter £106,000. Both are to be completed within two years.

The prosecution of Salvation Army members for persisting in conducting street processions in the Melbourne suburbs continues. At Richmond, on February 3, three of them were sent to gaol, in default of payment of the fine, for 14 days. The body of a man named William Lowe, a well-known resident of Cook's River, near Sydney, has been found at the bottom of a well in a yard adjoining some omnibus stables of which he was the proprietor. It had apparently been there for several days. The deceased was in possession of considerable property, and at the time of his disappearance was reported to have had a large sum of money with him. Foul play is suspected, and the police are investigating the affair.

Messrs Williamson, Gamer, and Musgrove intend producing " The Mikado " in Melbourne on February 20. Mr Alfred Cellier, a well-known English conductor and composer, has arrived in Melbourne under engagement to the firm, and will conduct " The Mikado."

The railway bridge which the Union Bridge Company of New York have agreed with the New South Wales Government to construct across the Hawkesbury River at a cost of nearly £350,000 ; including £20,000 worth of additions, will consist of seven spans. The length between the centres of the piers will be 415 ft, and the level of the rails above high water 45ffc, with a clear headway of 40ft above high water. The minimum width of the bridge will be 25ft, and the waterway between abutments 2896 ft The girder betweeu end pins will be 410 ft liv long and 51ft 3^in wide. The size of the piers will be 48ft x 20ft with semi-circular ends, but towards the bottom the dimensions increase to 52ft x 24ft ; to be built of concrete up to highwater level, and then masonry. Tho time required to complete the contract is two and a-half years. The circular sent by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of. Melbourne to the HibernianAustralasian Catholic Benefit Society, requiring members to be approved of by the priests of the diocese, was warmly debated. At a meeting of delegates from the various branches held in Melbourne on February 4 there was a large attendance, inoluding the Rev. .Dr Corbett, private secretary to the Archbishop. A protracted discussion ensued on a motion for the final adoption of the circular, and this motion was only agreed to by the delegates on an assurance being given by the Rev. Dr Corbett that the now regulations embodied in the circular would be modified in accordance with the wishes of the Society.

Jeremiah O'Sullivan, .who had been found guilty at the Sydney Coroner's Court of the murder of his wife's illegitimate child, made a desperate attempt to destroy his own life while being conveyed from the Court to Darlinghurst Gaol. He was walking in the custody of two constables along Pitt street, near the tram line, when, observing a tram approaching, he broke away from his custodians and threw himself in front of the approaching motor, receiving injuries to his head and body. He was taken to the Darlinghurst Gaol Hospital, where it was found that his injuries were not serious.

Mrs Alex. Robinson has been arrested at Roma, in Queensland, on a charge of murdering her former husband, named Burkett, about two year 3 and a-half ago, by administering poison. The accusation is made by the prisoner's sister, a Mrs Martindale. When Mrs Robinson was brought before the Police Court, her sister deposed that between the 15th and the 25th December 1883 the prisoner administered doses of white precipitate and oxalic acid to Burkett in soup, and on the night of the Ist January gave him laudanum in a sleeping draught, which killed him. The witness acknowledged that she knew that the poisoning was going on, and did nothing to stop it. 'At the close of her evidence the Police Magistrate ordered her into tho dock as an accessory. She was charged as such and remanded. In Ballarat Bast on Monday morning, February 8, an explosion occurred at the focal ice-

works, by which two men were killed, the pro 5 prietor badly hurt, and much damage done. The works had been bought by a Mr Jenkins only a few days previously, and he and his emplojes had been bhown how to use the apparatus. A lad named Buller was in charge at the time of the explosion, and he appears to have overheated the ammonia in the cylinder. The explosion, which occurred about 4 o'clock, made a very loud noise and caused much alarm. Buller was picked up 50 yards away quite dead, and holding a firerake in his hand. Another workman, named Gustav Hang, was fouud also dead in the dehrh ; ho was quite unrecognisable. Jenkins, the proprietor, who had lain down to sleep at tho rear of the storehouse, was badly cut across the brow by some falling article, and it is doubtful if he will recover. A family named Pavey also slept on the premises, and all had a miraculous escape. Pavey himself was slightly hurt by a small portion of the machinery. Their bedroom Was completely wrecked.