LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1884, 17 March 1874, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

CimisTcnuiiCH City Gttabds. — An inspection parade is advertised for to-morrow evening. H.A.C.B.S.— The Christchurch branch of the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society will celebrate St. Patrick's Day by a dinner this evening at the St. Patrick's Hall, Barbadoes street. Theatre Royal. — The piece played on Saturday was repeated last evening to a moderate house. To-night, " St. Patrick's Eve," an Irish recitation, and an amusing farce constitute the bill. St. Patrick's Day. — The banquet at the Foresters' Hall, this evening, promises to -bo a great success. Mr Ringwood is the caterer, and the wines will be supplied by Mr Baylee, ot the Criterion Hotel. The chair will be taken by Mr C. C. Bowen, RM.., punctually at 7 p.m. Rifle Association. — A meeting of the council was held at Warner's Hotel, last night. Present — Captain Puvitt in the chair, Messrs Manning, Hesketh, Allison, Stokes, Raven, Roberts, and Paton. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The programme for the Easter meeting was finally gono through and adopted, and the chairman was requested to have some copies of it printed ; also to obtain a supply of scorers' cards and members ' tickets. Messrs Allison, Manning, Raven, and Roberts were appointed as a committee to arrange the targets, and to employ markers for the meeting. Diptheria. — This disease has made its appearance in the vicinity of Southbridge, where a, farmer named Sloane has lost four children within about fourteen days. The disease is confined to this particular family. Peat Fiee. — Tho strong north-west wind of yesterday made the peat fiVo at Flaxton burn very furiously, and it crossed the drain road near Mr Mullcock's house. A number of men assisted Mr Mullcock in saving the building by throwing water over it, and, so t'tir as could be ascertained when the train left, they were successful in their efforts. A good deal of damage is likely to be done to property on tho east side of the drain road before tho fire exhausts itself. The smoke and heat which the fire emitted fairly stopped traffic on the road yesterday, and several pei%si'iis had to retrace their steps and proceed to Rangiora, via Woodend. Tha horses could not be induced to travel through the dense cloud of smoke " Abraham's Bosom." — " Some of the names of localities in Victoria and New South Wales," writes the Murray and Hume. Times, " smack slightly of irreverence, and have an odd effect when mentioned in public. At the Albury Court of Quarter Sessions a witness, on being questioned as to his occupation, said he was a contractor, and lived in Abraham's Bosom. The judge opened his eyes somewhat wide at tho answer, but it was explained that Abraham's Bosom was the name of a place on the road from Albury to Ouraie, so termed, it is to be presumed, from ite extreme difficulty of access," J^JJ^Jj SSS li _

Scientific Discovery. — The Melbourne Argiis of March 2nd reports that about 60 gentlemen interested in the iron trade assembled at the Soho Foundry, Queen street, in the afternoon of the previous day, for the purpose of witnessing the trial of a new method of refining steel. The invention is that of a gentleman named Herrenschmidt, who has taken out a patent for it. The process is a very simple one, and from the experiments made yesterday the invention promises to be of great value" to the iron trade. By mean 3of it the commonest steel can be made equal in texture and value to the most expensive. A short bar of very common steel was made red hot, and instead of being plunged into cold water for the purpose of tempering it was dipped into the patent solution. The effect was almost magical, for upon the bar being broken in three places the action of the chemicals contained in the solution was plainly visible. The upper part, which had not been dipped, was coarse-grained and poor-looking, while the lower end was clear and fine-grained, and evidently free of all impurities. The centre fracture, where the solution had only partially acted, showed a very fine grain in the middle of the bar, but round the outside it was poor and coarse. The cost of the solution is not more than Is 6d per gallon, so that it cannot be objected to on the score of expense. The composition of the liquid is, of course, the patentee's secret. Another advantage it possesses is that burnt steel which is now thrown away as useless can bo restored to its original value by merely dipping it in this solution. Those who were present at the trial expressed themselves very favourable to the new invention, but it is intended to mike some further experiments in the course of a few clays. A Valuable Invention. — The Melbourne Argus states that several experiments were tried on March 4at the Fire Brigade office, Little Collins street, of a respirator for use at fires. The inventor is Mr Joseph Sullivan, of Flinders lane. The invention is a very simple one. It consists of a triangular frame of stout wire, covered with two thicknesses of flannel, with a smull space between them. This respirator is so shaped that it securely covers the mouth, nose, and chin. Before it is used it is dipped in a chemical solution the composition of which is a secret. With this fixed on their faces and their eyes covered with closely-fitting glasses, several of the firemen went into a room which had been filled with dense smoke by means of burning straw. They remained in the room from three to seven minutes, and when they came out declared that they had not had the slightest difficulty in prosecuting any work that might have been necessary at a fire. The inventor alleges that the chemical solution used has the power of repelling the smoke, while it allows free use of the lungs. He ha 3 also the ! authority of Mr Cosmo Newbery, the analytical chemist, that the liquid contains nothing deleterious to health. The fireman who tried the experiment stated that had it not been for the respirators they would not have been j able to remain in the room half a minute. This invention should be of great use on board ship, as on many occasions a fire could have been put out had the men been able to bear the smoke in -the hold. It will also be useful in large warehouses, in the event of a fire being discovered early, as it will enable the men to get at the seat of the fire at once, without damaging a large amount of property by turning on the water from the hose too soon. Importation of Stock to Victoria. — The Melbourne Argus, of March 4, reports that : — A deputation from the Victorian Agricultural Society, consisting of Messrs M'Caw, M'Culloch, Eudd, Murray, Peck, M'Farland (secretary), and Curr (inspector of stock), waited, upon the hon. the Chief Secretary yesterday, to urge the desirability of removing the prohibition of the importation of stock from New Zealand received by that country direct from England. It will be remembered that it was determined at the intercolonial conference held in December, 1872, that the colonies represented should unite in prohibiting for two years the importation of stock from beyond the Australasian colonies. . New Zealand had not power to carry this out without an act of Parliament, and the measure introduced by the Government of that colony was defeated. The New South Wales Government then prohibited the importation of stock from New Zealand, and this prohibition was subsequently extended by New South Wales to Victoria, on the ground that the latter colony received cattle from New Zealand. To remove this ban as regarded the exportation to New South Wales, the Victorian Government were compelled to prohibit the importation of cattle from New Zealand. The Government of New Zealand thereupon wrote to the Government of Victoria, pointing out that their proclamation was ultra vires, inasmuch as they were only empowered to prohibit the impoi ration of cattle from places where infectious diseases were known to exist. The Victorian law officers being also of this opinion, the proclamation was rescinded. This colony is therefore at present obliged to receive cattle from New Zealand on the ground that it is not an infected district, although the cattle imported from that colony may have been sent there direct from England, where pleuro-pnou-monia, rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease, and other infectious ailments are known to exist. Mr Francis pointed out to the deputation that nothing could bo done without fresh legislation. The Government of this colony could only acfc where diseases were known to exist, as provided in section 30 of the Act No 310, though the New South Wales Government could act where disease was believed to exist. The deputation asked that the introduction o£ cattle from New Zealand should either be prohibited, or that the prohibition as regarded Europe should be altogether removed. After some discussion it was agreed that the deputation should place themselves in communication with the ' law officers, with a view to considering the best measure to adopt.