General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 36, 12 February 1944, Page 4

General News

Grass Fire. Two enginescone from the Central Fire Station, were required to quell a grass fire of large proportions in Cross Street, Castlecliff, yesterday morning. Rotary Speaker. The speaker at the Wanganui Rotary Club on Monday will be Mr. Schmid, Consul for Switzerland. The subject of his talk will be “Switzerland.” Wreck of Penguin. Seventy-five lives were lost when the steamer Penguin struck an uncharted rock off Cape Terawhiti, 35 years ago to-night. The vessel was bound from Picton to Wellington and the disaster occurred about 10 p.m. when very heavy seas were running. Of the 30 survivors nearly all came ashore on two rafts. Road Repairs Delayed. Because of the railway restrictions chips were not available for repairs to the bitumen surface of the No. 30 Highway (Wanganui-Kauangaroa), reported the engineer, Mr. R. R. Dawson, at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui County Council yesterday. These repairs, the engineer added, would be effected as soon as chips were available. Clay binding had been carrid out between Deniair and Kaungaroa. Kaione Due To-day.

After a slight delay, the Wanganui Harbour Board’s suction-hopper dredge Kaione came off the Patent Slip, Evans Bay, yesterday, and was to have left Wellington last night for Castlecliff, where she is due this evening. The vessel has been absent from Wanganui since January 31, and while in Wellington was slipped for her annual overhaul and survey. The dredgemaster, Captain W. Jarman, is in command of the Kaione and has a Wanganui crew. Deaths From Tuberculosis.

According to the report of the health inspector, Mr. J. F. Dimes, received at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui County Council yesterday, three Maori patients in the countydied from pulmonary tuberculosis infection during the November-Decem-ber period. One new case of tuberculosis was notified. A death from eerebro spinal meningitis had occurred early in February. The patient was a girl, aged 10, who had come from Te Kuiti with her family. The source of infection was unknown. Reception to Soldiers.

Advice that a meeting of the Soldiers’ Reception Committee would be held next Monday afternoon was received from the Wanganui City Council when the Wanganui County Council met yesterday. The meeting will be for the purpose of discussing arrangements for a public reception and entertainment in honour of Wanganui district men who have returned with the second furlough party from the Middle East. The county clerk, Mr. G. Daibyshire, and the engineer, Mr. R. R. Dawson, were appointed to represent the bounty.

Health Stamp Appeal. It was unfortunate that compared with past years, normal sales of health stamps in the Wanganui district did not show a .very favourable position, stated Mrs. J. J. Scott, in a letter received by the Wanganui County Council at jts monthly meetiiig yesterday. Asking the council to place an order for these stamps, Mrs. Scott said she had taken an interest in the appeal on behalf of the chief postmaster, Mr. C. B. McNatty. From each stamp sold Id was devoted to the care and attention of little children, and it was necesary to accelerate sales. The council decided to purchase health stamps to the value of £2. Spectacular Gorse Fire. Rumour spread quickly in the business area of Wanganui yesterdayafternoon that the Fordell Timber Company's yard was on fire. Dense smoke from Durie Hill enveloped parts of the city. The rumour almost proved correct, for at one stage the timber yard was endangered, due to a wind springing up. Property adjoining the timber mill was covered with gorse and scrub and it had been decided to burn this off on a calm day. However, during the process a breeze sprang up and the fire jumped the fire break. All hands from the mill were called out and with the use of beaters the fire was soon under control. The area burned off was approximately 10 acres. Coal Cargo Expected. Circumstances permitting, the coastal steamer Holmlea is expected to load at Greymouth early next week for Wanganui. No information is available as to the date of her expected arrival, or the destination of her coal, but it is believed the vessel will bring a full load for discharge at Castecliff. Following a shortage of supplies and bad weather delaying shiopin®' at Westport and Greyfnouth, few colliers have discharged at Wanganui since the start of the New Year. The Titoki arrived early in January with a full cargo of domestic coal, and the Holmlea was here about a fortnight, ago, but on that occasion practically all her coal was for the Railways Department. Wanganui County Roads. Reporting on the condition of various roads in the Wanganui County, the engineer, Mr. R. R. Dawson, stated at the monthly meeting yesterday that a bulldozer’had widened the Mangahowai Road and cleared various slios. At a later date the grader would be used for re-shaping the road. The l-'arihauhau and To Komai Roads are in good order after light metal repairs. Metal repairs had also been carried out on the Makirikiri Valley and Kaiwhaiki Roads, and at an early date surface repairs would be effected with a grader. “The Long Acre and No. 3 Line Roads have been reshaped by the use of the grader plant and are now in good condition,” the engineer added. “Other roads will receive similar repairs at an early date. The sealed portion of No. 3 Line will be renaired when chips are available.” The engineer stated also that the outlet of the Kaitoke Lake was being cleared to prevent flooding of the road during the winter months.