Chatham Islands get wireless upgrade

Mr W Furness, workshops foreman to the Post and Telegraph Department, left Wellington by the Himitangi on Friday for the Chatham Islands to make preliminary arrangements in connection with the erection of a wireless station.

A gang of workmen and material for the buildings will be sent down later. The building, which is to be of wood, will be framed at Wellington, and all the parts will be sent down ready made.

It is hoped that the buildings of the station will be completed by the middle of the year, but it is impossible as yet to say how long it will take to install the wireless equipment. The Chathams station will be of 2 kilowatts, so that it will be graded as a low-power station. It is intended primarily for the benefit of shipping. The wireless masts will stand on an eminence 150ft above sea level, and will rise above this another 150ft.

• An elephant belonging to Wirth's Circus, which is at present at Christchurch, attacked a circus hand named Andrews on Sunday afternoon, and caused injuries which necessitated his removal to the Hospital. By some means the elephant came loose and commenced to wander around the grounds. As soon as the animal's freedom was observed, several of the circus hands set out to secure it and return it to captivity.

However, the elephant resented so rapid a termination of its liberty, and when approached it commenced to ''play up''. Andrews was one of the number in pursuit, and when he was close to the elephant it suddenly turned on him, and with a ferocious plunge drove one of its tusks into his body, the blow striking him on the chest and inflicting a painful and serious wound.

• There was a marked shortage of wharf labour yesterday, which was one of the busiest days ever experienced in this port. At Dunedin the steamers Aparima, Nairnshire, and Mamari were discharging Calcutta, Liverpool, and London cargo; the Paparoa was loading large quantities of wool, butter, cheese, and other cargo at Port Chalmers; and a number of coastal steamers were working cargo and undergoing survey and overhaul.

The Union Company could have found work for at least 60 more men yesterday morning, and Mr John Mill could have found employment for a similar number, but they were not forthcoming. The demand was, of course, rather exceptional. At present a large amount of casual labour is finding profitable employment in shearing and harvesting pursuits.

• Visitors to Stewart Island at present are so numerous that the boarding-houses are quite inadequate to provide them with accommodation, and many are living in tents and private residences. The boarding-houses are capable of coping with close on 400, and it is estimated that on Thursday there was an overflow of about 150. Steam launches are placed at the disposal of the holiday-seekers, and have been largely taken advantage of, and, the weather being ideal, the experience could not be more pleasant.

- ODT, 7.1.1913.