The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-20 00:00:00

SATURDAY, SEPT, 20, 1884

1, isatianteits grAtiligtna.'
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

ACCIDENT TO LORD ERNEST HAMILTON. - Captain
Lord Ernest William Hamilton, youngest son of the
iDuke of Abercorn, while passing St. George's Hall,
Liverpool, in command of a detachment of the 11th
Hussars, ordered to Cork, on Saturday evening, met
with a serious accident. His horse became restive and
fell with its rider, whose leg got beneath the animal
The captain was taken to the hospital, when it was
found several of the small bones of the foot were dislo-
cated. The injured foot was dressed, and his lordship
was able to proceed on board the troopship Assist-
ance, which sailed for Cork in the course of the
afternoon.

MYSTERIOUS DlSAPPEARANCE.—Kgentlemanapplied to
Mr. Lushington at the Thames Police-court, London, on
Saturday for his advice respecting the mysterious dis-
appearance of Thomas Henry Vickers, aged 15 years,
living up to the time of his disappearance at 5, Samp-
son's-gardens, Wapping. He left home on the afternoon
of the 4th of this month, and was last noticed in the
street at half-past four o'clock, since which time
_thing had been seen or heard of him. He was five
feet in height, long brown hair, fair complexion, and
blue eyes. His dress consisted of a brown suit, low
shoes, round felt hat, and knitted socks marked
"Edward Vickers, from Norwood College." He had
been unable to obtain any clue to his whereabouts. Mr.
Lushington said he had no doubt the Press would kindly
notice the application.
THE FLOODS IN AMERICA.—The Wisconsin floods
have inflicted heavy losses. The Chippewa river over-
flowed the town of Chippewa Falls, destroying five
bridges and many buildings. The flood in going down
swept out the greater part of Eauclaire, with every
bridge crossing the stream, ten altogether. The damage
is estimated at 2,000,000 dols. One life was lost.
Nearly 300 buildings have been destroyed at Eauclaire.
The Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railway has re-
ceived damage to the amount of 500,000 dols. In the
Chippewa valley vast quantities of lumber were swept
away from the booms along the river. The floods are
now receding.
HOME AND FOREIGN TRAVEL—As an indication of
the extent to which the quarantine scare has interfered
with foreign travel this autumn we hear that the re-
ceipts of Messrs. Cook and Son for foreign excursion
tickets up to the present time are just one-fifth of what
they were at this time last year. On the other hand
what may be called the " bed-traffic " of the Northern
lines, that is to say, the receipts from first-class passengers
who pay extra for sleeping accommodation in the night
expresses, has been extraordinarily large, and the
resources of the railway companies in this respect have
been tested to the uttermost.

THE ADVANTAGES OF CRICKET.—The " Spectator "
says: "Every country match is a lightning conductor
against revolution. If the French nobles had played
cricket in their parks with the villagers instead of
playing tennis among themselves in their castle-yards
the French chateaux would not have gone up in flames,
and themselves would not have needed guillotining.
Every park-owner who opens his gates to village cricket
acquires a new lease from public opinion and a new
title in public sanction. Mr. Henry George would have
small chance of persuading the members of the village
cricket club that all land should be parcelled out for
cultivation, especially and to begin with land not culti-
vated already. While we are inclined to protest against
the excessive importance attached to high-class
cricket' in life and in the press, we are glad to recog-
nise the growing importance and social efficacy of
country cricket."
SAD FATALITY AT A SHOOTING RANGE. —On Satur-
day afternoon, while the members of the linutsford
corps of the 15th Cheshire Rifle Volunteers were
engaged in the shooting competition at the range at
the moor between the railway station and Tatton-park,
a marker named Peers, residing at Crosstown, Mints-
ford, was accidentally killed by a bullet fired from the
600 yards range. The accident is attributed to the
carelessness of Peers, who was engaged marking at the
particular target. Without exhibiting the usual red
flag as a preliminary to cease firing, it is stated that he
placed his head from under the cover just at the
moment the shot was fired. It seems that shortly
before the accident happened there was, from some
cause or other, a slight cessation in the firing, when
Peers put out his head for the purpose of ascertaining
why the firing had been suspended, when the bullet
went through his head between his eyes. He expired
in about an hour after the accident.
CANALS AND RAILWAYS.—From the fourth volume of
the United States Census Report it appeara that in the
States, as here, the railway has proved too much for the
canal. In 1880 the total length of canals that had been
constructed was 4468 miles the total cost of construc-
tion being estimated at Z 42,808,000. Of these, how-
ever, no fewer than 1,953 miles, costing 8,806,000, had
been abandoned, and of the remaining 2505 miles a
large portion was not paying expenses.
IRON IN BRAZIL.—In some of the provinces of Brazil
iron ore occurs in large quantities and of great richness.
In the province of Minas the ores are said to be very
pure and rich, and are to be found almost everywhere in
the centre of tie province; sometimes in outcrops of
enormous extent, often worked to a great depth by the
gold miners in search of the precious metal • sometimes
deposited in large masses upon the bed and upon the
banks of rivers, the floods of which carry them away
and scatter them over other localities. So abundant,
indeed, is this ore, and so ready to hand, that large
quantities of it are used as building stone.
A PLUCKY FEAT.—On August 25 Lord Frederic
Hamilton and Mr. Cecil Baring, second son of Mr.
Edward Baring, swam across Niagara, just beneath the
Falls. They jumped into the water at the foot of the
American side and struck out diagonally across the
stream. Lord Frederic unluckily struck his knee
against a rock on entering the water, and this partially
disabled him. They both swam safely through the
rough water, being carried down some way by the cur-
rent, which is very violent there, and reached the smooth
water on the Canadian side. Lord Frederic, with his
crippled knee, failed to reach the bank, and was hauled
into a boat Nine twenty yards from the shore, and
about half a mile from the starting point. Mr. Baring
swam on, however, in excellent style, and landed a
hundred yards below the New Suspension-bridge, none
the worse for his novel bath.
THE REV. O. H. SPURGEON.—After several weeks'
absence from the Metropolitan Tabernacle on account
of illness, Mr. Spurgeon again occupied the pulpit on
Sunday morning. He looked very ill and careworn,
and asked his hearers to grant him every indulgence on
account of his extreme weakness, as he found he had
hardly recovered strength enough to be with them, but
had endeavoured to do so in fulfilment of his promise.
The rev, gentleman then preached a powerful sermon
upon faith to the immense congregation which crowded
the building. He was not able to preach in the
evening.

THE VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY COMPETITION IN
CANADA.—A Reuter's telegram, dated Quebec, Sept. 14,
says: The artillery competitions were concluded yes-
terday. Captain Allen's detachment (English) won the
Queen's Cup and 265 dols. in money, besides the Mont-
real Merchants' Challenge Cup, and several individual
cups presented by the Montreal garrisons. Quarter-
master-Sergeant Garard, of the 3rd Middlesex, won the
first prize for individual scores with the 40-pounder,
and Captain Boulanger, of Quebec, the first individual
prize with the 64-pounder. The Halifax garrison won
the Quebec Merchants' Cup for the best aggregate
score with the 64-pounder. The British won the second
and third prizes, Quebec the fourth, and Montreal the
fifth. The A Shifting Ordnance Competition was
not completed. The B competition was assigned under
protest to the Montreal men, who knocked over one
of the stakes which marked the ground.
SUICIDE.—On Saturday a determined suicide was
committed at Mr. Chisholm's dining rooms, in Black-
friars-road, London. About four o'clock in the afternoon
a foreigner of gentleman-like appearance entered the
house, and informed the landlady, in broken English,
that he had been recommended by a gefftlernan to take
apartments there. He was accommodated with a room.
As he ascended the staircase he carried a small black
bag in his right. hand. In a very few minutes the
deceased locked the door, and immediately after the
report of firearms was heard. The police were com-
municated with, and on the door being forced the man
was discovered lying doubled up behind the door, a five-
barrelled revolver lying by his side. On the arrival of
a doctor he pronounced him to be dead, the bullet
having penetrated his brain. Three 20fr. pieces and
three sovereigns in English money, as well as twenty-
four French coins, were found in one of the pockets.