THE HEAT WAVE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10551, 6 February 1912, Page 3

THE HEAT WAVE.

BUSH FIRES RAGING. HEAVY DAMAGE. (Received February 5, 8.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, February 6. Sultry weather, everywhere, prevails, and it Is extremely hot in the Western Districts, where there are manv tall registers. At Wentworth, 114 degrees were registered. ADELAIDE, February 5. The fires devastating the hill district? are under control. The damage is estimated at £IOO,000, including much stock. MELBOURNE, February 5. Busfti fires are raging everywhere, and wide areas of grass, farm buildinigSj homesteads and stock have been destroyed; One firo in the Victoria ranges is seven miles long. One farmer lost four hundred sheep, and an laipiarist at Payne lost his home and three hundred hives of bees. Many fire-fighters -wereVercome by

tho heat, some being badly burned and others injured by falling limbs. Vessels are delayed owing to the heavy smoke off tho coast, and in some oases were compelled to anchor for safety. HOBART, February 5. Destructive brush hres are burning in the hills round the city. Three cottages and a box factory at Gardner's-Bay were destroyed. There are similar report* from many parts of the islands , Shipping is dislocated owing to the dense smoke on tho coast. The heat is intense. SEVERE WINTER. IX ENGLAND. ROADS BLOCKED. * (Received February 5, 8.50 a.m.) LONDON, February 4. The cold is the most intense foi seventeen years and the thermometer registered zero in Norfolk. The roads in the midlands are im- i passable, the schools are closed and \ telegraphic communication interrupted. - FR'OZEX TO DEATH. (Received February 5, 8.30 a.m.) ST. PETERSBURG, February 4. Eighteen persons have been frozen to death, and thirty buried in the Ishim district. ENGLAND AND GERMANY. PRESS APPEAL FOR ENTENTE. (Received February 5, 8.30 - -O BERLIN, February 4, The "Tageblatt" makes a strong appeal in favour of an AngloGerman entente and co-operation in the development of the uncivilised countries in Africa and Asia. : The journal's remarks are particu- I larly addressed to the Chauvinists J of Britain on the.,one' hand and the I Anglo-phobe PanrGernians .on the ' other, . with a .serious' warning as to the terribly 'ruinous results of any conflict. FUNDS WANTED. (Received February 5, 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 4. Lord Avenbury appeals for £SOOO to cover the expenses of the Angkf-Gei*-man Friendship Society's public meetings. ■ • ••• '■ " ".'.;;■"'" : :>r " ".-. •'■•-. "' CRETAN AFFAIRS. DEPUTIES SENT TO GREECE. (Received February 5, 8.30 a.m.) CANDEA, February 4. The Insurrectionary Assermhly, representing the whole Christian population, of Crete, lias resolved to send deputies to the Greek chamber. The Mohammedans are awaiting the action of the Powers. _ . ESPIONAGE CASE . STEWART SHOCKED. GERMAN CAPTAIN ALSO SENTENCED. (Received February 5, 12.40 p..m) BERLIN,; February 4. The evidence showed that Captain Stewart failed to secure information endangering the Empire. Stewart was shocked at the .severity of his sentence. . A court martial at Wilhelmshaven j sentenced Captain Steimbrinck to a . year's imprisonment for, carelessness J at Christmas in leaving papers con- j nected with the Stewart ca.se in the waiting-room at Hamburg, whence they were stolen. AFFAIRS IN CHINA. REPUBLIC TO BE FORMED. (Received February .5, 8.5 a.m.) PEKIN, February 4. > An Edrict has been, issued directing General Ytian Shih Kai to form a republic in conjunction with the SoiitiliI ern Republicans. ! OPEN CONFLICT. ! NEGROES AND CHINESE. RUSSIANS INTERVENE. (Received February 5, 8.50"a.m.) ST. PETERSBURG, February 4. Mongols fired on the Chinese garrison, at Lubinfu station. Russians intervened to prevent the "violation of the neutrality of the Manchunian railway and during the firing a Russian officer was killed and | a soldier wounded. 1 The commander ordered the.Mongols and Chinese concerned to be arrested and disarmed. * . "HOLD-UPS" IN CANADA. POLICE POWERLESS. LABOUR TROUBLES GROWING. (Received February 5, 8.5 a.m.) OTTAWA, Fohruary 4. "Hold-ups" continue in Vancouver, and the police are powerless to trace a single case. •An armed and tiiumasked man held up two hotels at midnignt, and, escaped with large sums, after binding •the night clerks to a water-pipe. Labour troubles are also growing, being fomented.'by'the Socialists, who demand the right to ipea,k in the streets contrary to tho special police j regulations. . ,