Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1887. The Great Earthquake.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2037, 2 March 1887, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1887. The Great Earthquake.

It was only in September last that we were startled with news that one of the most disastrous earthquake shocks felt in America had visited Charleston, South Carolina. Half the city was wrecked or burnt and many persons were killed; great fissures rent the earth, and a strong sulphurous odor pervaded the air. We have now received the intelligence of another earthquake of appalling severity in the South of Europe. These convulsions of Nature are arousing new interest in the subject of seismology, and various theories' of the cause of these tremendous convulsions are being advanced. The explanation most generally accepted is about as follows ; —The planet which we inhabit was once a sun, and as such constituted a molten mass of fire. The outside of course cooled first, solidifying and forming a crust after the fashion of the hardened peel of a lemon. We all know that a heated body contracts as it cools. So with the earth ; as the heat escapes and the interior mass diminishes in size, the outward crust must adapt itself to its shrinking support. In settling, the hardened portion breaks, and portions of it are pushed outward. Thus were thrown up mountain ranges, and thus were caused the uneveness visible upon the surface of the earth. In times past, when the crust was comparatively thin, these changes must have been accompanied with tremendous upheavals and contortions, compared with which modern earthquakes are mere local disturbances. At present the process is slow, and is accomplished imperceptibly, except where the crust is thinnest. It is undoubtedly continuous, and at some portion or other of our globe a perpetual tremor might be noted. The reasons for believing that this is the true explanation of earthquake shocks have been briefly summarized as follows : 1. From very many observations made in mines, artesian wells, &c., it is discovered that there is an increase of temperature from the surface downward, and that this increase is so great that a degree of heat sufficient to melt all known rocks is soon reached.

2. By certain geological agencies, certain rocks from below ate brought to the surface in mountain building, and these rocks show evidence of having been greatly heated, and even of having been melted.

3. Molten matter in very large quantities comes up from the interior of the earth through crevasses and volcanic veins Besides these lines of evidence there ate many accessory facts which tell the same story.

A meeting will be held on Tuesday evening next at Matarawa, to consider matters in connection with the proposed new bridge over the Waiohine River. The meeting has orifinated with the settlers themselves, as it is their hope that all persona having an interest in the matter will make an effort to attend. The work is a most important one, not only as regards Matarawa but also Greytown, and it is therefore hoped that the meeting will be a representative one. The matter ol rating will doubtless ho considers at the meeting. On Easter Monday a Druidioal fate will be held on the Wellington Basin Reserve in celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee. Sports will be held, the principal item of which is to be the Jubilee Handicap, with a first prize of £3O.

A gold wut-h and chain has been presented to Mr McKei zie postmaster and telegraphist, Tenui, by I,is many friends in that place. Mr McKenzie hj aves Tenui for Mohaka.

The ratepan rs in the Gladstone-Wainui-orn district 6 ve voted iu favor ol the proposal to borio-.v £i)00 under the Loans to Local Bodies Act to complete the GladstoneWainnioru road.

There was a heavy fall of rain during Monday night, accompanied with a thunder stoim.

A notice to those persons int ■ ding to became impil teachers appears in o.n .d.ertisiug r,l .,lumn-.

Messrs E. McEwen, T. E. Chamberlain, A. W. Hogg, J. Hessey, and J. Harding have been elec ted a licensing committee for the Borough of Masterton.

A lady on horseback on Sunday had a narrow escape of getting her neck broken through her horse stepping into a hole in the road near the Platform, near Greytown The horse fell and was cut about the mouth. This defect in the road should be at onee repaired.

Must people, and all who have travelled by iail in the Old Country, will know something about Messrs W. 11. Smith and Sons, the book and newspaper agents, whose stalls have been n prominent feature for years at eveay railway station of any importance in G'vat Hritaiu. Mr W. H. Smith some time ago retired from all active work in connection with tiie Him, and entered into politics. He is uosv Secretary of State for War. He has, however, a million sterling lying with the firm at 5 per cent.

The match between the I’eatheretou and I'liorndon Rifles on Saturday resulted in favour of the latter by three points, the scores being—Thor, don Rifles, 410; Featherston, 437

The rteimer Hauraki foundered 20 miles off Caie Farewell, at 2 o'clock on Monday morning. The crew were safely landed. The Hauraki was a b 'at of 90 tone register, and when ene met with her disaster she waa on her nay from (iuymouth to Waitata with a o rgo of coal,

The Grey town Baud of Hope is a useful i. -lifntior, and it is good to know that a hup-number of boys and girls attend the fortnightly meetings. This afternoon there is to be « tea and in the evening a public meetmg in connection with the Society, and while we hj ive hula doubt about a good attendance on tin- part n| ihe young people, we hope their a-lnlt friends wid encourage them by atlenlint at hoist the Hiteilaimuent. The t ing-., ri ■i'.ii-o>,, ,vm , wi 1 be W'i'.h bearing. The Gni t-, 01,1,1 i"-,ii n.r Denartmeut I) in nil-!;. 11, nod a in w ,1-p-irlurn, viz , lending m ■ ,y on (i,,-’i,.i I prop -iii-.-t to had value ; '•> io,i being leptyabln by instalments extand.T g over four to twenty years.

Thu monthly meeting of the committee of the Greytown Fire Brigade will be held at the Fire Brigade station, at 7 p.m., on Mon. day next, March 7th.

The Government of Western Australia commences this year with a credit balance of £83,418.

The upper waters of the Opihi, near its junction with the Opuhn, Canterbury, appear to be literally swarming with trout. The thermometer at Adelaide on January 9th, reached 111 in the shade, and 164 in the sun. Eight sudden deaths are reported.

In Switzerland more women than men are employed in the creation of watches at their own homes—as a matter of fact upwards of 20,000 women are employed in the canton at Neuchatel.

William Tweeddale, a lumper, fell 30 feet down the Hauroto’s hold at Dunedin yesters day. His back is much hurt. The first meeting of the new Wairarapa Hospital and Charitable Aid Board will probably be held on Monday next, at 12.30. The second match between the English team of cricketers now in Australia and a combined Australian team has resulted, as the first one did, in a victory for the visitors. William Taylor, farmer, died suddenly at Dunedin yesterday. Mr Hobbs, M.H.8., writes to an Auckland paper stating that he has kept bis orchard frea from the codlin moth by syringing the trees with a weak solution of " Paris green.” But he does not expect people will take the trouble to do this.

It is proposed to erect a large theatre at Beef ton.

On Mr Mannering’s estate, at Fernside, near Christchurch, a paddock of dun oats threshed out 60 bushels per acre, and the machines of Mr W. Pearson put through 2000 bushels of it iu one day. The sample was sold at Is 7d.

The Floods Relief Fund, Brisbane, now amounts to over £SOOO.

The Loudon Morning Post has sent out a lady correspondent to New Zealand, Mrs T P. Hill. She has had an interview with Sir B. Stout.

The Government are making considerable land purchases in the Tanpo district. It is said that the last three seasons in Hawke’s Bay have been the driest ever known.

The cantata " Under the Palms,” or the “ Jewish Flower Feast,” is to be given at Featherston on Tuesday the 14th, at Carterton on Friday the 18th, and at Greytown on Monday the 21st inst. This cantata has been in practice lor some time, and bids fair to be an unqualified success. The soloists are Miss E. Searle, who is to take the part of “ Miriam " (soprano), Mrs J Ward ” Zillah ” (alto), Mr 0. S. Gamble “ Jesbua ’’ (tenor), and Mr B. C. Black “ Ezra ” (bass). The choir is to number 10 voices, the children’s choir 20 voices, the chorus 40 voices, and the full chorus 70 voices. In addition there is an orchestra of six violins and other instruments. Miss Marian Bowler is pianists, and Mr Walter Udy organist, Bev J Ward con ductor. The prices of admission are extremely moderate, Is 6d for chairs, and body of hall Is. All the singers belong to South Wairarapa. Such an entertainment as this has never been given in the Valley before. We expect to see in all the places crowded houses. There ate only to be two mote rehearsals of the cantata ” Under the Palms.” These are to be held on Friday next and the following Friday in the Town Hall. Performers are desired to be present early so as to start at half past seven punctually. As the whole of the cantata is to be gone through, visitors will not be admitted.

The inland parcel post system will be brought into operation in Victoria on Ist July next.

The Patea Harbor Board are endeavoring to raise a loan of £20,000 for harbor improvements.

The loan placed in London on January 20, brings the public indebtedness of Victoria up to £33,110,935.

Mr Hayter estimates that the population of Victoria at the end of 1886 was;— Males 555,426 ; females, 477,579 ; total, 1,033,005] A disastrous fire is reported from the Chinese camp at Dimboola, Victoria, where all the dwellings, except five houses, were levelled to the ground. One hundred Chinamen were rendered homeless.

A large body of unemployed paraded the streets of Sydney on Monday night, but were dispersed by the police without disturbance. Mr F H Wood is engaged today in selling first class ewes, portion of Mr W C Buchanan's Tupurupuru flock. Tomorrow he will sell the dairy stock, &e. , of Mr Wilder, at Carterton.

It is understood that a contract has been accepted, through the Union Mortgage and Agency Company, by the Lake Creek works, Queensland, for 10,000 oases of beef, each two dozen 61b tins, with a probability of a farther order for 5000 cases ; in all, over 2,600,0001b weight. Charles Augustas Smyth, a local Wesleyan preacher, was charged at Melbourne on the 15th inst., with having obtained £3700 from Thomas Retallick Cornish, a farmer, who bad lately arrived in the colony, by means of false pretences. The accused was committed for trial. A civil suit for the recovery of the money is now ponding. There is a movement amongst the schools of New Zealand, which should be taken up by the school children in the Wairarapa district. In order to provide penny dinners for starving children iu London it was suggested recently that the children of the New Zealand schools should subscribe a penny each. In some districts the suggestion was taken up in a very hearty 'manner and we learn from a Wellington paper that his Worship the Mayor has received from Mr Wilson, MHR, the sum of £SO subscribed by the children of 70 State schools throughout the colony, in response to an appeal made to Mr Lee, master of the Stoke school, and Mr Wilson, on behalf of the fund for providing penny dinners for starving children in London. As there are upwards of 1000 schools, comparatively few have subscribed. His Worship the Mayor bas forwarded the amount to the Lord Mayor of London, the Bank of New Zealand gene, tonsly granting a draft without charge.

The Wellington Woollen Company has had to go to Canterbury and Marlborough to purchase merino wool for its requirements, and 400 bales were bought in Christchurch.

The report of the Savings Bank of New South Wales for the past year shows that the total number of depositors was 52,378, and the amount of their deposits was £2,080,498, including 42,835 depositors of £1,694,850 in Sydney.

Political feeling would appear to run high at Peilding, for the Mayor and Borough Councillors are to be asked, by means of a petition now being signed, to resign, on the ground that they recently appointed a dog. tax collector who is not a ratepayer.

Some sensation wss caused at the Melbourne Wesleyan Conference by Dr lientonl declaring that the contest in the Presbyterian Church was in its last resource a contest between Christian righteousness on the one baud and looseness of living on the other.

The Waikato Times says;—On Tuesday evening a oat was observed in the Victoria Road standing on its bind legs and content tsiily sucking a cow's teat. The cow did not appear to object, and stood perfectly still lor the operation to be performed.

“ Rough on Corns." Ask for Wells’" Rough on Corns." Quick relief, complete, permanent Oiire. Corn warts, bunions. At chemists and druggists.

The Wailara, New Plymouth Freezing Works are to be abandoned and the machinery for tinning and freezing removed to Auckland,

“Rough on Itch." " Rou.h on pjh " cures skin humors, erupt ions, ring worm teller, salt rheum, frosted feet, chilblains,’ itch, ivy poison, barber's itch,

The Grey town Borough Council are inviting tenders for leasing the Borough Reserve ol 15 acre-, north of Greytown. Mr Geo, Stevens has commenced the management of a new butchery business in Greytown.

The Waiohine Lodge ef Druids, Greytown, meet tomorrow evening at 8 o’clock.

Since last acknowledgement, the following further amounts have been received by the Greytown Hospital, and the trustees wish to express their thanks to those so kindly subscribing ; —Messrs W Nicols (supplementary) os, W C Buchanan £5 2s, Jas Smith (Empire Hotel) £llos, Jas Baillie £6, D Morrison £1 ss, and Featherston hospital boxes 4s lid. Mr F.H. Wood's next stock sale, at Taratahi Yards, is unavoidably postponed until Thursday, 17th March, being a week later than previously advertised.

A notice concerning a concert to be held on the 11th inst, in aid of the Dalefield school prize fund, appeals in another column. The piioe of tickets for admission will be one shilling, children half price. As the children attending this school have been very diligent in their studies, it is to be hoped that they will receive the encouragement they deserve. Any tickets required by intending visitors to the concert we will be happy to procure. Mr Moriarty, bootmaker, of Carterton, announces in another column thnt he will be pleased if his Greytown customers will pay their accounts due up to the time of the recent fire at his Greytown branch, as he intends shortly to reopen in Greytown under entirely new management and wishes all the old transactions cleared up. Mr Moriarty has invested in some useful labor saving machinery and informs us that by this means and witn some excellent Scotch and Colonial Kip just received, he will, when prepared to make another start in Greytown be in a position to supply the requirements of his customers to great advantage.

We are informed by the secretary of the Greytown Cricket Club that owing to an excursion train running from the Wairarapa to Wellington next Saturday, the Mssterton team find that they are obliged to postpone the match with Greytown until the 12th inst., as several of their team intend taking the opportunity of the cheap fares offered to the public. Membe.s of the local club are requested to put in their appearance tomorrow evening at 6.15 pm on the Kesetve to assist in watering the ground.

At a meeting of fruit growers, at Wanganui, Mr Field exhibited a Cape creeper, which had been introduced into this part of the colony by Major Lockett. The plant has a small white flower, shaped like a bell, and iu neatly every one was a moth, which had apparently been caught while attempting to extract the nectar from inside the flower, Mr Field ventured the suggestion that the creeper indiscriminately planted about fruit trees would possibly assist in ridding the orchard of a troublesome and annoying pest. There are some rather dangerous holes in (he culverts at the far end of the Dalefield road.

The Morrison's Bush cricketers will play against the Tnnberenikau Club next Saturday at Tauherenikan.

At the Magistrate's Court, Greytown, this morning, before Mr Von Slnrmer, RM, there was only one case, and that was a private enquiry into matters connected with some officials in the Native Department. The partnership hitherto existing between Hood and Shaw, of the Club Hotel Stables, Masterton, has been dissolved. |Mr T W Shaw thinks of returning to Bogland.

A scheme is on foot for the establishment of a number of industrial villages throughout England. The object of this is to relieve the present congestion of population in London and other large towns and cities. The idea is good on the face of it, but it is looked upon as somewhat Utopian, or rather chimerical.

We have to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Handbook of the Fishes of New Zealand, prepared under the instructions of the Commissioner of Trade and Customs by Mr BAA Sherrin, and printed by Messrs Wilsons and Horton, Auckland. To those interested in the subject, this work affords much useful information.

At 7.30 last Sunday night a fire broke out in Sussex street, Eden Terrace, Auckland, and before it was checked caused damage to the extent of £2OOO, six dwelling houses being destroyed. The fire began at the residence of Patrick Brady, in the centre of the block, and spread both ways. Being beyond the city boundary, and having no water supply, the flames could not be cheeked, except by the efforts of the Salvage Corps, under Captain Field. The origin of the fire is unknown. The bouses destroyed were occupied and insured as follows—Mr Brady, £l5O in the Colonial; Mr Johnston, £2OO in the Colonial ; Mr Evans, £l5O in the South British; Mr Shepherd, £IOO in the South British ; Captain Nicholas, £175 in the New Zealand. Mr Bayliss was insured by a building society in a company which is not known.

A telegram from Wanganui states that the dwelling of Captain Wells, Waitotaro, was burned down early on Bunday morning. Nothing was saved. There is an insurance of £IOO in the Union office.

A lire broke out in the Prince of Wales Hotel, Masterton, at a quaiter to 11 o’clock, on Monday evening. It was promptly suppressed before much damage was done. The circumstances in connection with the outbreak are suspicious, as some half burnt paper was discovered subsequently at the back ol the premises. Anthony Tyrer, schoolmaster at Midburst, formerly at Ngaire, has been arrested on a warrant, charged with indecently assaulting a native girl at Ngaire, named Mary Morgan (Mokena). The management of the Comedy Company now performing at the Opera House notify that they have made arrangements with the Railway Department to ran a train as far ns Masterton after the performance on Saturday next, calling at all stations.

Yesterday's Times says "We repret to learn that the Right Rev the Bishop of Weis lingtou met with a somewhat serious accident yesterday, from the effects of which he is still confined to bed under medical care. Un the alarm of fire being given on Sunday morning, his lordship rose hastily and went to the nearest window which afforded a view. Unfortunately on bis way thither the Bishop stumbled and fell down a flight of stairs. He was taken to his room and Or Grace attended, fears at first being entertained that serious internal injuries had been experienced. After a lengthened examination of the sufferer, however, the doctor gave it as his opinion that no hones were broken, but that the patient bad sustained a severe shock and shaking, which, at his lime of life, and in his somewhat frail state of health, rendered rest and careful nursing necessary for a few days.” A canvass of Palmerston was made, when nearly the whole of the residents stated their willingness to take the electric light. The Gas Company having fallen thi -Hi, there is now a proposal to introduce the elo He, light tor illuminating purposes.—Wanganui f Roald Thete have now been sixteen persons executed within Mount hlden gaol since its opening in 1863. Of these eight were Maoris, five of whom were executed together, including two charged with the murder of the ll«v Mr Yoikner at Opotiki.

We learn (says the Post) that 1000 acres of land are being surveyed neat Alfredton, Wai. rsrapa, for the purpose of establishing another settlement under the Village Homestead system, and a further area of 1000 acres in the Mangatainoko Block, near Pahiatna, will (hortly be opened lor a similar purpose. The whole of the sections previously thrown open in that district have already been taken up, and it ie expected that iu a very short time upwards of 1000 people will be located upon the land under the Village Homestead system. About 1500 people attended the fuueial of the late Mr Maoandrew, MHB, yesteidiy afternoon. The coffin was borne by the Mayor and Councillors of Pott Chalmers.

Ur H Trotman, builder, of Greytown. has now in hand, and nearly completed, a very commodious and well arranged dwelling house lor Mr Q Wall at Riverside, near Martinborongh, Viewed from the road between Morrison’s Bush and Martinborongh the house presents a most commanding and prominent appearance.

It lis reported that a well known builder, who has recently completed the alterations to an old established hotel in the Wairarapa, has levanted, after drawing his cheque for the work, and has forgotten to settle with the painter and his workmen. The hotel keeper is also bewailing the possible loss of the board and lodging supplied to the absent man during and since the progress of the work.

Mr Mannsell has informed ns that during the last week a large fire has been raging across the laige flat upon his estate. Upon several occasions be, with the assistance of several men, has had considerable difficulty in saving his dairy from the flames. Upon one occasion a few days ago, the Waibakeke School was seriously threatened and the children had to be dismissed daring school hours. About 250 acres of toitoi and other rubbish has been consumed, and the ground, which is of a peaty nature is now smouldering at a great heat. Mr Mannsell says that although daring the coming winter he may suffer the loss of a quantity of valuable feed, still the fire has done the work of fifty men in clearing the land which will now be in a fit state for ploughing, &o. According to Galignani’s Messenger, of the 22nd, and Paris, of the 24th of December, “ the Australian pianist, Mdlle. Florence Menk Meyer, of Melbourne, won an enormous success at her last concert at the Salle Pleyel.