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Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5084, 4 May 1885, Page 2

The Banch in the Police Court was occupied this morning by L. J. Bagnall, Esq., J,P., when 0. Wbitcher, who had been previously before the Court on the same charge, was in formed against for drunkenness. He pleaded hard for another chance, promising to take the pledge and keep it. Fined ss, or 24 hours incarceration ; the fine was paid.

The members of the Thames Rifle Bangers intend presenting their late captain, Mr E. T. Dougla?, with a. shield containing photographs of the members of the company. The Bangers will probably be present at a sham-fight and review to be held in Auckland on the 24th May. '•■..-'.■.. ' ■ '

The regular sitting of the District Court will take place tomorrow. His Honor Judge Smith will arrive by the Kotomahana to-night. The cases Bet down for hearing'are—ln Bank> ruptcy : Re Edward Peel, pubic examination ; re William Green, application for discharge. Applications under the Mining Companies' Act, 1872 : For an order conferring appointment of a liquidator in the winding-up of the New Whau G-.M. Co.; und applications .for orders to remove the names of Ronald McDonald and Alfred Sounders respectively from the list of contributors in the liquidation of the Hobson GKH. Co.

/HEBE is a probability of a large expenditure being shortly made under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act; in connection with providing road communication between Thames and Coromacdel.

Captain Wiibmav, of the Thames Nava Artillery, has selected Aeting-PiO.'s J. Floyd and R. Wilson, and Gunners J. Allen, J. Borryman, O. Clarken, B, HeriTel, T. Johnston, J. W. O'Sullivan, T. Radford, and R. Preeca for instruction in torpedo practice and submarine mitring, a? requested by the Defence Department. The men will probably have to proceed to Auckland to receive it.

A short time ago competitions were held for petty'officerahips in the Naval Artillery, the result being that Gunners G. Bond and P. Pelabunty have been appointed first-clasß, and Gunners J. ffloyd and ft. Wilson second* claßß, P.O.'s, subject to ■the Drill Instructor certifying to their being efficient.

The first prize in the drawing at the Druid Gala held in Melbourne on Easter Monday, 1885, was won by a ticket sold by the Orona Lodge, Palmerston North, New Zealand. The prize consisted of a handsome cottage (or villa residence), valued at £400.

An interesting paper is promised at to* nigti£'s meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society, to be read by Mr F. J. Burgees. The subject [selected is, " Alfred the Great," and several instructive diagrams have been prepared to illustrate the subject. There should be a large attendance. v .

Wb would remind our readers of the of the auction sale of the stock-in-trade of Mr Hamilton, baker, by Mr MoGregor, tomorrow morning. The advertisement states that the shop has been let, and that therefore tto whole of the stock will be offered without the elightest reaere.

* The friends of Dr Suitable, resident at the Thames, will regret to learn that owing to ill-health that gentleman has deemed it necessary to visit Europe. On the Waio-Karaka Flat on Saturday a football match was played between sixteen of tue Football Union—four from each Club— and a team of twentytwo all-oomers. There was only one score, a goal kicked from tho field—four points—by Inglis for the, sixteen } the play was very even all through, and at times remarkably good. The men generally are shaping well for an interesting season.

By telegram we learn that Government has accepted the services of the Christchurch Engineer corps, Lytlleton Artillary, Irish Rifiea, Richmond Rifles, Mounted Infantry as garrison corps, University Rifles as honorary ' corps, Kaiapoi Rifles and country corps, all Oanterburwcompanies.

The stone lighthouse at Taiaroa Heads the entrance to Port Chalmers, is to be taken clown and a wooden one built; This is rendered necessary by the construction of the defence work.

Thomas Bekjbave, a lubourer employed by the Hiccarton Boad Board, in Canterbury, was found hanging dead in his house, at Addington yesterday afternoon. He was a single man, steady and in good circumstances, out his health had been failing lately. Telegraphists are occasionally guilty of making errors of a very comical nature, and one of >he funniest that has occurred for some time past has just come under the notice of the Taranaki Herald. That paper says: — " In one of our telegrams which came through yesterday a girl was Bpoken of as 'wellfeathered.' We presume the telegraphist was either in love or thinking of angels, and bad unconsciously improved on the more natural expression of ' well-featured.'"

At the twelve-hours' walking match, for £50 aside, completed in Auckland on Saturday night, between Bayner v. McKuno, the latter won. Bayner gave 3£ miles start. Record —Bayner, 58 mites 18 laps; McKune, 62 miles 10 laps. Bayner took ill during the evening, and left the track at 10.20 p.m.. ten laps behind MoKune. McKune finished at 11.5. The betliog was 2 and 3 to 1 at the start on Bayuer.

Thb Auckland Seamens' Union does not intend to interfere with the City of Sydney on her arrival as aha only carries a few Chinese servants, unless they receive instructions from the Sydney Union.

When the Wellington-Manawatu Railway is opened as far as Paramatta, the Eimutaka (a tremendous incline) Incline will »>BTe a powerful rival, as an attraction for sightseers, in the Belmont viaduct, which has been built aoross a deep gully about a mile beyond Johnsonyille. This viaduct (designed by Mr H. P. Hlgginson, the company's engineer) is, we are iaformed, \the highest wooden viaduct in the world. It is 373 feet in length, and is 172 feet above the watercouree below. It is built entirely of well-seasoned kauri, resting on 14 concrete piers, the one in the bed of the stream having its foundations sunk 20 feet. The main kauri spars used are 14 xl 4 and each 40 feet long. They are crossed and braced in the most ingenious manner, and from a little distance the structure viewed aideways looks like a Chinese puzzle or kind of spider's web. No lest than 212J000 feet of timber and 35 tons wrought-iron bolts and braces have beea used in the.work. It is much the largest erection of the kind yet undertaken in the colony, and has every appearance of being perfectly cafe and stable, notwithstanding its great height and length. Its design will tend to enchance Mr Higgineon's already high reputation as an engineer, while the ingenious and thoroughly substantial manner in which the design has been carried out by the contractor, Mr Dariaherj is worthy of high commendation.—Poet. ' "

An important experiment accompanied by highly satisfactory results has recently been performed at Sandhurst, Victoria." Mr W. H. Grainger, the inspector of mines for the Sandhurst district, has forwarded a report to the department of Mines, in which he states that an experiment was recently made on«tho property of the Hustler's Quartz mining Coy. for the purpose of testing the efficacy of a epray of sulphate of iron for rendering innocuous the fumes from the' explosion of mtro-glycerine compounds in mines. The trial was made in a crosscut 75ft from the shaft at a depth of 1,017 feet. Two charges of lithofracteur were fired, and immediately afterwards Mr Grain ger, accompanied by Mr Egglestone, the manager of the mine, and two miners, went into the crosscut, which was filled with fumes. They used a spray of sulphate of iron, supplied by Mr J. Cosmo Newbery, as they proceeded along the drive, and experienced no unpleasant feeling, nor hto slightest perceptible injurious effects from the fumes. The temperature in the drire was about 78deg., and as the ventilation of the mine was defective, the test was regarded as a very severe one.