The Wakatipu Mail reports that Mr J Edgar, jun., had a very unpleasant experience last week at Glenorchy, whither he had taken a small party in the Thelma on Monday. He was doing something with the engine preparatory to the return journey, when, through some agency or other, a tin of benzoline nearby became ignited, and almost simultaneously Mr Edgar found his clothes on fire. With characteristic presence of mind he jumped into the lake, and thus extinguished the flame. This accomplished, he quickly got back into the launch, and grasping the tin of benzoline, which was blazing mass, heaved it overboard. In doing so, he sustained most painful burns on his hands and arms. This plucky action meant the saving of the launch, as by that time it has also joined in the conflagration. Further efforts on the part of Mr Edgar, however, averted such a catastrophe. The Thelma was towed down to Queenstown by the steamer from the Head of the Lake on Friday evening.
• A remarkable incident is reported to have occurred in a public hospital in a southern town within the last few days. It is stated that two men died about the same time, and the funerals of both were fixed for the same day but a different hours. One body was interred in the morning, and a little later the relatives of the other man arrived at the hospital with the object of attending his funeral. We understand that one of the relatives desired to have a last look at the body before the coffin was finally closed, and that, to his consternation, he discovered that the body was that of a stranger to him. Further investigation is said to have disclosed the fact that the wrong coffins, and the sequel was that the body had to be disinterred in order that the unfortunate error might be rectified.
• A seaman off the Warrimoo managed to get locked up twice on Wednesday for being drunk at Port Chalmers. Whilst the vessel was lying at the wharf he got drunk during the forenoon, but was bailed out in order to rejoin the vessel before she sailed. Shortly afterwards he came ashore again, and soon fell into the hands of the police a second time, and had to spend the night in the cells. On being charged with his offences yesterday he was convicted and discharged for his first lapse, and for his second he was fined 5s, with the alternative of 24 hours' imprisonment. A fireman on the Warrimoo was also convicted on a charge of being drunk, but, as it was his first offence, he was convicted and discharged. Messrs De Maus and N Dodds were the presiding justices, and they commented strongly upon the manner in which both accused had acted, as the steamer to which they belonged might have been seriously delayed in consequence of their absence from duty.
• There is a new piece of furniture at the German Embassy in London in the shape of Baron Marschall von Breberstein's typewriter (the Express says), with a type that is different from all others in the world. It is locked up in the Ambassador's desk, only to be brought out when there is confidential and important cypher correspondence to be typed. Then the Ambassador sits down and types with this secret typewriter himself, not even entrusting the messages to his private secretary. - ODT, 9.8.1912.
