Page 1 Advertisements Column 5

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12766, 12 April 1910, Page 1

j THE BOATING FATALITY. [United Pkess Association.] I Wanganui, April 11. j Those drowucd.yesterday were: — : Mrs Ludlam, aged 49. , AY alter Ludlam, aged 20. ; James Ludlam, aged 18. j Claude Ludlam, aged 10. Gladys Lu'dlam, aged 5. Mrs Anderson, aged 48. : Maude Anderson, aged 18. t Ernest Anderson, aged 3. I The body recovered was that of Walter Ludlam, [ Mrs Ludlam's body was found claspI ing the body of Ernest Anderson to ; her breast. . The police and search parties have f been engaged since daylight dragging I the river for the bodies of the victims .of yesterday's, fatality ; but so far no further bodies havo been recovered, and it is thought that most, if not all, havo been washed out to sea. There was an exceptionally strong outgoing current at the time of the accident, and a strong wind was blowing, and the river was choppy aud rough, rendering the passage across the river anything but a light task for a better class craft, much less for a sixteen foot flat-bottomed boat filled with people. Tiie fact that the river was rough accounts for th© absence of other boats, which on fine. days dot the river on Sundays between the; town and the heads. The accident occurred about midday, between town and the entrance, at a locality always looked upon as I a difficult place to negotiate by small ! boats when the wind is blowing, as I the wind aud the current generally 1 cause a jobble. There are' no houses i near on either side of the river, and • the accident was seen by only one or i two persons, including Mr Anderson, • who had previously crossed the river, • and was standing on a sandhill watch- I ing the boating party. He saw the boat upset and his wife and family drowning, but he was powerless to render assistance. Most of the launches | wore engaged up the river, and could j not be obtained till late in the even-] ing. Consequently there was only a ! fisherman to render assistance. | Later. ! No more bodies of the victims of Sunday's drowning tragedy have been ' recovered, though dragging operations were continued all day. j

FIRES. DISASTROUS OUTBREAK IN 3 SYDNEY. TIMBER MILL AND YARDS DESTROYED. [Pbess Association — Copj-etghx.J \ Sydney, April 11. Edwards and Company's large timber yards and mills at Camperdown ' took fire this morning. I Tho timber yards covered about an acre. The fire was discovered oy a watchman in the feed room, and. before he could summon the brigades the flames caught the surrounding timber stacks and spread with tremendous rapidity. The whole yard appeared doomed. I The brigades did good work and managed' to cut off and save a por- ! tion of im, stacks, but a largo part, ' including valuable machinery, the : stables and carts, was destroyed. i The watchman, using a revolver to frighten them, succeeded with great difficulty in driving fifteen horses safely out of the stable. | The bulk of the" timber had been stacked only in the past week. .... , [United Press Association.] FIRE AT. AUCKLAND. Auckland, April 11. An outbreak of fire in a house in Grey street, occupied by Mrs Davis, on Saturday night was subdued by the brigade when three rooms were de- ' strayed. In consequenco of the report that there were children in the back part of- the house Superintendent AA r oolley and Deputy-Superintendent Berry proceeded to investigate, and sustained burns and otlier injuries. The former was slightly injured and Mr. Berry was severely burned. It transpires that the children had been removed to another house. - i

FIRE AT DUNEDIN. I Dunedin, April 11. i McKenzie' s store and 9 roomed dwelling combined,- North-East Valley, were destroyed by fire yesterday while tho owner was away for the week-end at Brighton. The store was insured for £400, and the stock, furniture, and effects for £250. The offices are unascertainable. j THE FATAL FIRE AT RICHMOND. Christchurch, April 11. , At the inquest on Daniel Buckett, who was burned to death in a fire at Richmond on Sunday morning, a verdict was recorded of accidentally burned to death. The deceased's sons in evidence stated that their father was given to drink. Ono son was sleepiug in a tent in the garden, about sixty yards from the house, but ho was not aware of the fire until he was awakened by a policeman. Another son sctated he last saw his father alive at 10.15 p.m '.on Saturday. He was then perfectly sober, and was talking to a man on- the road. This witness left shortly afterwards on a shooting expedition. A married woman whe saw deceased about a quarter of an hour later, stated that by the way deceased was speaking to a man in the road she thought that he was intoxicated. ' . , I ntMini; -m pi ants. '

DAMAGE TO PLANTS. FROST AND CATERPILLARS. [Unit£» Pnuss Association.] . Christchurch, April 11. > Following on yesterday's southerly blow, there was a sharp fall in tlio temperature inst night, and frost played havoc with the* tender plants in tho open. A local scientist has made some interesting observations on the caterpillar pest that did such extensive damage to the crops iv Canterbury lately. He collected 50, and placed them in* a box with two inches of earth at the bottom and covered it with glass to facilitate observation. ;In 24 hours every caterpillar had (sunk into the soil,, and in seven days the batch haet been converted into moths of a slatey grey colour, having ' four wings. With the moths appeared several blue flics, not unlike blow- . flies, but smaller* and more active. About a third of the chrysalides had j been destroyed by a maggot, and the ■scientist concluded that tho blue fly was the natural enemy of the pest. It laid an egg on the caterpillar's back, • and the egg hatched underground. H.M.S. Invincible reports haying towed into Fayal the Portugese barque Fortuna totally dismasted. Everj'. thing movable had been swept off the decks, and no fewer than nine of tho crew had been drowned. The captain of the Fortuna said that he had two of his sailors lashed. at the wheel in an effort to keep the barque on her course, but it was impossible to do anything with her, and she was hove to. The next morning the lashings were intact, but the men had disappeared. He believed that the men were cut in two by the seas.