AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2734, 12 February 1910, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

A GIRL’S STRUGGLE —FIGHT FOR £IOO,

SYDNEY, Jan. 25. A young lady clerk of Sydney named Aliss Dorothy Boyd had an exciting encounter with a street thief on a recent Liter noon: The young woman had been sent to the. hank to get sufficient loose cash to pay the weekly wages, and carried with her the sum of £IOO. When she alighted from the tram at Smith-street, the chauffeur of a motdr car waiting close by blew the horn, and Aliss Boyd turned her head to see what was amiss. Instantly she was set upon by a muscular young man, who, approaching from behind, tugged violently at the bag containing the money. For a moment or two the lady messenger thought she would have to let go, but getting a firmer grip with both liantis she hung on like a grizzly, and screamed loudly for assistance. Presently, attention was directed, and the young man, fearful for hi.s own safety, decamped, leaving Aliss Boyd gasping on the footpath, but tenderly clasping her employer’s cash. The driver of the motor car watched the proceedings from a few yards away, and made no attempt to interfere. On the contrary, when the struggle was over, he drove quietly away in another direction. The description, of hey assailant furnished by the. young woman is such a good one that the police expect to make an arrest shortly.

HER LITTLE PART. An unfortunate woman, with no fow_ or than 2uo convictions recorded against her, nearly all of them being either for drinking or cases arising therefrom, was brought before the Sydney Central Police Court on a charge of being a habitual drunkard. “AVe’rc all [haying our little part on the stage of life," she ejaculated in a -melancholy way, after the charge had been read over. She was sent to Long Bay Penitentiary for twelve, months.

A RACE AATJ’H DEATH. Thus an impressionist in the “Bulletin —The loss of the U.S.S. Co’s, excursion steamer AVaikare in Dusky Sound (ALL.) will he remembered, long after the narrow escape from a dire catastrophe is forgotten, by the story of how the engine-room staff stood by while the broken vessel, with its bottom torn out, fought its mile* and a half to the beach. AY hen the full measure of the disaster was realised the passengers were sent away in boats, and the skipper turned the, dying vessel’s head tor a ledge beneath the towering dills. Down in the engine-room all the men were at their [rests. The dang of the bell “Full speed ahead” struck across the strained nerves like a crash of glass. Those men knew, the firemen knew, every soul below knew how little time there was; in every mind Hashed a review of the odds that Bookmaker Death was offering, ai:d only the wildest punter would have looked at them. Thd pumps * clamored like the betting ring; the condensers sobbed like a hysterical woman where the horses fall in a steeplechase. Steadily the outsider—the sea—crept un and up, and the AA'aikare fell away. It was liable to go down at the next, hurdle. 'The lower fires were out, and the higher ones would not last long. At the furnaces the water was knee-deep, where blackened men with wrenched faces drove the vessel on. And now there was only a mile of that green, heavy course. AA’aist deep, now, they were at the fires, and Death was holding out his hand to collect. The vessel’s hoe] dropped, but no desperate wretch fighting, all but armpit in water, u> drive life into the ship’s lungs for another instant, turned his face to where the scaling ladders ran up to comparative safety. It was the Grand Gamble. Even as the water spat upon the upper fires, the hell tore the stifling air and said “Stop.” The AA’aikare laid her nose on a slanting rock —it had beaten the sea bv a nose.

MAX BLOAYN HIGH IN THE AIR

A serious blasting accident occurred on the first section of the North Coast railway on February 1. It appears while a workman named Robinson was engaged charging a hole for blasting in a cutting on AVira-Gulla Estate, near Airs. J. K. AlacKay’s residence, Cangon a piece of rock fell int® the hole, blocking it up. The hole contained half a charge, and Robinson with a drill and a ganger named Sharp with a hammer proceeded to drill the stone out, but the charge suddenly exploded, with the result that Robinson was thrown high in . the air, sustaining terrible injuries. Sharp was also badly injured. Medical aid was summoned. Both, men were removed to Dungog Hospital, where it was found that the skin of Robinson’s right hand had been torn to shreds. One arm was filled with stone and gravel. The left hand' was severely' injured, with a big hole in the wrist, his face studded with small stones, and although the eves were seriously injured the doctor thinks the sight may be saved. He also received dislocation of the anklo amP a deep cut in the head. Ho is suffering severely from shock. Sharp escaped the full force of the explosion, hut received a nasty cut on the eyebrow, which necessitated several stitches. His lip is also ent through, and the arms are also studded with stones. Just before the explosion occurred the ganger instructed the other workmen to move from the place whore the accident happened.

LIGHTING THE MOUNTAINS. The Bine Mountains arc to be lighted by electricity. A contract has been signed between Messrs Blakoy and Sinclair, of Sydney, and the Blue Mountain Shire Council, by which the former undertake to electrically light the mountain townships, with the exception of Katoomba, in all 13 townships, .at a cost of £4 10s a lamp. The Bathurst road from Glenbrools to Mount Victoria, is also to he illuminated, and the contractors hope that

they will ultimately extend their mains light from Penrith to Mount Victoria, so as to take in Emu Plains, which is portion of the Blue Mountains Shire Council. The contractors estimate that they will expend £15,000 at the. start and they expect that the streets will bo lighted by July 1. Besides sup. plying 300 street lamps, each of 200 candle-power, they will supply power, which it is expected will he largely required for pumping and other purposes.

PAPUA GOLDFIELDS. Urgent warning to Australians not to proceed to the new Leko Kamu goldfield, in Papua, has been received by a telegram from the Lieutenant-Gover-nor of the territory, Judge Alurray, by the Commonwealth Minister of Internal Affairs. Judge Murray's telegram runs thus:—“As regards Leke Kamu goldfields, am issuing warning that supply of stores at present available is insufficient lor large number of people. No man should come without at least throe months’ supplies and £IOO. The field cannot bo worked without native labor. Field is not easily accessible. Communication with Alotu Alotu is irregular. It means transhipment, as only two launches are on the river. Field is distant three or four days at least by river, and one day by land. Nothing to warrant rflsh. Field is not proved. Have heard large number of Queensland miners coming across immediately. Fear consequent danger of famine on field.”

AUSTRALIAN FLYING MACHINES

The Federal Alinister for Defencetakes a very favorable view of the prospects of the £SOOO prize Australian aeroplane competition, which closes at the end of next month. When speaking on the subject Air. Cook said: “I am of opinion that '.vo shall got something very good of Australian design and workmanship before this is through. AYe have already one or two very good practical notions, and several ottiers are coming along. The Australian inventive genius is at work, and in this matter, as in many others, I don’t think Australia will he far behind.”