Our Illustrations

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 11, 17 March 1909, Page 16

Our Illustrations

I AN ENVOY FROM ITALY. Dr. Capra, who is visiting New Zealand, is particularly devoting his attention to immigration, agriculture, and laud settlement, on behalf of the Italian Government and the newspapers “11 (Sole” (Milan) and “Il Corriere d’ Italia” (Rome). He has already visited West Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. His next tour will be through Queensland, thence returning to Italy, after an absence of about eight months. He is greatly impressed With the scenic beauties of New Zealand, and acknowledges the kindness and hospitality that has been extended to him everywhere. “For a young country you have made very solid progress,” says Dr. Capra, “and one of many pleasing features to me is the great interest taken in the instruction of the people, not alone in your schools, but by your newspapers, and the facilities given everywhere throughout the country by free reading rooms and libraries.” “Rotorua is very wonderful —wonderful because of the very strength of Nature that one sees there. It made a very great impression on me,” said the Dr. ■When a boy I received a book about New Zealand, and now that I have come to see it, it seems all like a dream to me, and 1 ask, ‘ls it true I am in New ” Then he enthusiastically Commented upon Waimangu. Lakes Rotomahana and Taraivcra, the extraordinary steam holes on I he shores of the Bold water lakes, the green and the blue lakes, Te Wairoa, Whakarewarewa, and other wonders of the thermal regions. The living plants in the hot springs, with their light green, yellow and red Colourings, did not pass unobserved by film. “In its natural aspect New Zealand is very beautiful,” he continued. “For a young country you have made very solid progress, and one of many pleasing features to me is the great interest taken in the instruction of the people, not alone in your schools, but l>y your newspapers, and the facilities given everywhere throughout the country by free reading rooms and libraries.’’ ’ k FROM FAR PERU. Mr. Gerardo Klinge, of Lima, Peru, has lieen investigating, on behalf of the Peruvian Government, the methods of agriculture, and more particularly dairying, which are practised iu the Dorn-

inion. The Peruvians are bent upon improving the vast natural resources of their great country; and, encouraged by the success of the Argentine in catering for the English and Continental trade in frozen meat and dairy produce, they are paying considerable amount of attention to these departments, which in the past have been somewhat neglected. The fact of sending a representative so far afield as New Zealand is an indication of the thoroughness with which they are tackling the matter. PIPIRIKI HOTEL BURNED. Pipiriki House, the well-known tourist hostelry, bwned by Hatrick and Company, at Pipiriki, was burned to the ground on Wednesday night. The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, and it had a good hold before being discovered. The building, being of wood, was soon a mass of flames. Fortunately it was an off tourist night, and very few people were in the house. There will be no inconvenience to tourists, as arrangements have been made for passengers to Taumarunui staying on the houseboat. Pipiriki House contained about 100 rooms, and was a comparatively new building. It will at once be rebuilt. The insurances are £4700 on the building, and £ 1300 oh the contents. Of these amounts £7OO is in the Law Union, and the balance in the Royal Exchange, reinsured with the South British, Victoria, Sun, New Zealand, United, and Ocean. The loss is estimated at £6OOO above the insurance. The fire will cause very little inconvenience (if any) to the tourists doing the 'Wanganui River trip. There is another house at Pipiriki, and the proprietors of the river service will at once fit up their large two-decked steamer Manuwai as a houseboat, and locate it at Pipiriki, pending the rebuilding of Pipiriki House. The hour of starting from Taumarunui will be altered from C. 30 a.m. to 9 a.m. This will be a welcome alteration to those arriving at Taumarunui by the late night trains. Downriver passengers will stop overnight at the houseboat. FIRE AT WELLINGTON. The Wellington Harbour Board's wool and hemp store at the base of the Railway Wharf, Waterloo Quay, waa totally

destroyed by fire, with all contents, at a late hour on the night of March 9. The splendid efforts of the brigadesmen were responsible for confining the fire to the Harbour Board's shed, though at one time the barque Hippolas, berthed in the immediate vicinity of the shed, the Harbour Board’s two tugs, and the launches Moturoa and Riwaka were in imminent peril. The two latter - vessels had to be hastily rushed out into the stream, and liberally drenched with .water to prevent their destruction. The furled sails on the topmast yard of the barque’s foremast blazed right merrily while the fire was at its height, but the crew got to work, cut the lower canvas away, and then attacked the sails on the ripper yard with a vigour which ultimately spelt success. The vessel, which had a lucky escape from being burnt beyond recognition, got off with inconsiderable damage. Two ocean liners made preparations to depart into the stream in case the fire spread beyond the shed. The wonder really is that the damage was not more extensive. At a rough calculation, the value of the goods stored in the destroyed shed can be put down at £ 6.000. The s.teamer Cape Breton, which arrived in port the day before, was to have conveyed the whole consignment to the London market. Had the vessel arrived a day or two earlier, the whole of the produce would have been saved. The “U” shed, adjoining the one destroyed, contained a store of wool, the value of which may be set down roughly at £40,000. Fortunately, only about 35 to 40 bales were damaged by water. The window’s at the northern end have all been broken, and the charred doors vividly indicate what a narrow escape this particular- building had from destruction. A quani’ty of the flax and tow stored in “J” shed has only been charred, and a portion of it will be capable of re-grading. The total value of the property destroyed may be roughly estimated at from £lO,OOO to £12,000. Inside the building destroyed were five trucks belonging to the Railway Department. The value of these conveyances cannot be less than £ 1,000 —a direct loss to the Department in many more w’ays than one. FIRE BRIGADES' DEMONSTRATION. The delegates to the Fire Brigade Conference nnd Demonstration in Auckland were favoured with beautiful weather in the early part of the week, but on Fri-

day and Saturday the events were somewhat marred by rain. The results of the Demonstration competitions on the Domain were:— Hose, reel, flat, and ladder (five men)'. —Masterton, 37 2-ssec., first; Auckland City , 37 3-ssec., second; Dunedin South, 37 4-ssec., third; and Timaru, 38 2-ssec., fourth. The winning team (Masterton) — Superintendent Jenkins, Foreman E. Jenkins, Firemen J. Duggan, V. Braggins, and T. Fielding. Manual Engine Competition (five men) —Napier, 41 3-ssec., first; Timaru, 43sec., second; Hawera (present holders of the Manual Shield), 45sec., third; Hastings, 46sec., fourth. The winning team (Napier)—SubSuperintendent Willis, Foreman Peterson and Gilberd, Firemen Ashworth and Piested. Manual Engine Dry (one man). —T. Rogers (Hawera), 35sec., first; L. Ashworth (Napier), 36see., second; J. Allen (Geraldine), 37sec., third; P. Campbell (Timaru), 38sec., fourth. Coupling Event (two men). —• Hose, Hydrant, and Union (five men). —Fitzroy, 29 3-ss, 1; Wanganui, 31 2-ss, 2; Dunedin South, 31 3-ss, 3; Eastown Railway, 325, 4. The Speight Shield, awarded for manual events, was won by Napier, the points being: Napier, 21 points, 1; Timaru, 15 points, 2; Hawera, 14 points, 3; Hastings, 8 points, 4. Ashburton and Geraldine scored four points each. Rescue event for two men.—Napier, 23 4-ss, 1; Auckland City, 25 l-ss, 2; Dunedin City, 25 l-ss, 3; Onehunga, 26 l-ss, 4. Ladder Race (results). —Masterton, Bs, 1; Auek.and City, Bs, 2; - unedin City, 8 l-ss, 3; Ashburton, 8 l-ss, 4. Alarm and Disabled Hose. —Timaru, 58 2-ss, 1; Dannevirke, 79 2-ss, 2; Dunedin City, 60s, 3; Napier, 60 3-ss, 4. Old Boys’ Coupling Event.—This event for two men was arranged for old firemen, fivi t arns competing. The contest excited great interest: Roberts and Macdermott, 20 4-ss, 1; Moulder and Fenton, 33 1 os, 2; Beveridge and Lepine, 345, 3. 220 yd» Handicap Race (for Amae Final. Winstone 1, Sansbury 2, Taylor 3, Time, 10 2-ss. 100yds Handicap (for Amateurs).—* teurs). —Macindoe 1, 'x. F. i.ilson 2, Edwards 3. Coupling Event, 2 men.—Timaru, 34 2-ss, first; Wanganui, 34 4-ss, second;; Dannevirke, 355, third; and 35 l-ss, fourth.