DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 4, 14 December 1911, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS.

AN ELECTRIC STORM

(Per Press Association.)

Thames, December 13

An electrical storm of unusual violence occurred this afternoon. Blinding Hashes of lightning were followed by loud reports resemuling salvoes of artillery, immediately afterwards rain fell in torrents. One particularly loud crash was followed by what looked like a meteor. It flashed from west to east. A large tree was uprooted and fired. Intermittent flashes and loud reports continued for some time, causing general consternation. A report from the back country states that for over an hour the whole of the districts wore illuminated. In one instance an electrical apparparatus flashed out as though fused. The weather is now calm, but dull and threatening. THE PORT OF LONDON. Wellington, December 13. Advice has been received by the secretary of the New Zealand Producers’ Association from Mr. Shelton, the Association’s representative in London, that the Port of London Authority has given satisfactory indication that the Association’s suggestions in regard to improvements to the SouthWest India Docks will be proceeded with at an early date. , .The proposals of the Port of London Authority are considered so satisfactory that' Mr. Shelton has been instructed to return to New Zealand with a view to placing the whole position before the producers of the Dominion, and is expected to arrive here' about January 20th. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. Wellington, December 13. This morning, A. S. Bellerby, a sheep farmer from Gisborne, was found in the bathroom at the Grand Hotel with his throat cut and a razor lying in the water beside him. A doctor was sent for and ordered his removal to the hospital. He had been staying at the Grand Hotel since Sunday, and the manager could not see any signs that he had been drinking.

ALLEGED THEFT.

Wellington, December 13

lii the Magistrate’s Court to-day, Frederick William Green, a middleaged man, formerly secretary of the Wellington Working Men’s Club, who was arrested by Acting-Detective Bailey, was remanded until the 20th Inst on a charge of having stolen about £2O, the property of the club. Bail was allowed in a surety of £IOO. FATALLY GORED BY A BULL. Wellington, December 13. Nicholas Lopez, aged ‘ls, a dairyman, was gored to death by a bull on his farm at Melrose last night. He went into a paddock at seven o’clock, and some lime later his dead body was found badly mutilated. The bull was known to bo a dangerous animal. COMPENSATION GRANTED. Blenheim, December 13.

Tho Supreme Court was occupied yesterday and to-day in hearing a case in which Margaret Corliss sued tho Marlborough Timber Company for £2OOO damages for the death of her husband, Joim Corliss, at Oporiari Valley, when the company’s engine was derailed. Another case, in regard to Anderson, killed at the same, lime and place, was also heard. It’ was agreed that the evidence in one case was applicable to the other, and the.same verdict, if any, was to be accepted. Considerable" evidence was called with the object of showing that defendant’s, tramline, from which tho engine was derailed, was defective, and that deceased, though they had knocked off work for the day, , were still in the employ of the company while on the way from the bush to tho mill,, and that the rate of speed of the engine was excessive. The defence was that the lino was a suitable one, and that deceased were on the engine at their own risk. Mr. O’Regan, of Wellington, appeared for the claimants,'and Mr. T. G. Russell, of Christchurch, for the defendant. A verdict for £3OO was returned. NURSING HOME DESTROYED. Ashburton, December 13. Mrs. Ainsworth’s nursing home, a seven-roomed wooden building, situated in Eton Street, Hampstead, was, with the contents, totally destroyed by fire shortly after 10 o’clock tonight. The outbreak was caused by the explosion of a kerosene lamp. The building was insured for £350, and the furniture for £l5O. RURAL SCIENCE. Dunedin, December 13. The institution of rural science courses in the district high schools has made such a favourable impression upon the country people that the Otago Central Education Board has guaranteed a sum of £l5O towards the salary of a third instructor to take classes in that district. This contribution guarantees a salary of £3OO a year, as it receives a £ for £ subsidy from the Government. The Education Board this morning proceeded to appoint an instructor. M?. C. S. Ridley, of Now South Wales, who was finally chosen for the post, 1 is 25 years old, and was a pupil teacher at the Sydney Training College and Hawkesbury Agricultural College, and since 1908 has been Government experimentalist at Yanco Experimental Farm. DISORDERLY YOUTHS. Dunedin, December 13. A sequel to the disorderly election scenes in the street last week was the appearance of a number of young men before Mr. Widdowson, S.M., today on charges nf throwing missiles, such as sacks, eggs, etc. One immature youth was admonished and discharged, one was dismissed, and four others fined, the amounts ranging from 10s to 10s, with costs. SLY-GROGER FINED. Tinn«M.lin, December 13. Margaret Parker, owner of the cxRacecourso Hotel at St. Kilda, was fined £75 and costs for sly-grog selling.