The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-29 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.
News comes from Madagascar to the effect that the
Hovas have retaken all the posts on the north•weat
coast of the island except Majunga.

At a recent sale of orchids in Covent-garden there
was realised for one specimen of new aerides in flower
the sum of 235 guineas. It is believed to be the highest
price ever obtained at an auction for a single plant.
The New York Correspondent of the Standard tele-
graphs that a man named John A. Foeney on
Tuesday entered the British Consulate and fired a re-
volver twice. He was pursued and arrested, when he
stated that he had come frosn Canada to kill the
Consul, who had libelled him. He is regarded as a
lunatic.

The whistle of a locomotive is heard 3,300 yards, the
noise of a train 2,800 yards, the report of a musket,
and the bark of a dog 1,800 yards, the roll of a drum
1,600 yards, the croak of a frog 900 yards, and a
cricket's chirp 800 yards.

A German, giving the name of Anthony Riviera,
was charged at Brighton on Tuesday with being a
lunatic at large. He was arrested at the post•office,
where he had written a number of telegrams to the
Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and others,
stating that he had discovered perpetual notion. He
was ordered to be sent to an asylum.
Mr. Hughes, Q.C., the Judge of the Cheshire
County Courts, has taken advantage of the vacation
to pay a visit to the colony which he has founded at
New Rugby, Tennessee. His mother, aged eighty-
six, is one of the residents, who now number 250 souls.
Mr. Hughes, who took out seven new emigrants with
him, will return next month.

The Board of Trade have awarded a gold watch and
chain to Captain Joaquim Martins dos Santos, master
of the Brazilian steamer Roi Velmelho, of Bahia, in
recognition of his gallantry and seamanship In picking
up two boats of the British barquentine Cededon, of
Cardiff, containing her shipwrecked crew of eleven
persons during a very heavy sea and terrific squalls
off the coast of Brazil on the 12th and 13th of May
last.

A. New York telegram says that the visible supply
of wheat on Sept. 21 was 24,500,000 bushels, as against
23,503,000 bushels the previous week. Visible supply
of Indian corn 14,400,000 bushels, as against 13,200,000
buhole the previous week. The export clearances of
wheat for Europe during last week amounted to
1,250,000 bushels. The export clearances of Indian
corn for Europe during last week amounted to 1,250,000
hoshelF.

Five persons were injured on Monday in an acci-
dent which occurred on the Great Western Railway
at Dudley. A train was being shunted from the
North-Western to the Great Western line, when the
engine ran into a stop block, severely shaking the
pa.sengers.

An anniversary dinner, commemorative of tbe Re-
lief of Lucknow, was given on Tuesday at the Army
and Navy Hotel, Westminster. Lord Napier of Mag-
data presided, and among the speakers were Sir Henry
Havelock. Allan, General Willis, and General Olpherts.
There were 90 British and foreign actual ship-
wrecks reported during last week, making a total of
1,377 for the present year, or an increase of 372 as
compared with the corresponding week of last year,
the inctease for the year being 67. Twenty-one
vessels were British owned, 10 were eteamerv,.six being
British; 50 vessels were wrecked off the American
coast during a hurricane, and 10 off the coast of the
United Kingdom. Three were burnt, two being
British and one German; and four were sunk by
collieion.
A remarkable phenomenon is reported to have been
observed lately at several places in the Madras and
B,mbay Presidencies, and has caused much interest,
mingled with not a little alarm, among the super-
stitious. For some days the sun presented a distinctly
green colour. Several explanations have been put for-
ward, of which the most plausible appears to be that
offered by the Government Astronomer that it is due
to the passage across Southern India of clouds of sul-
phurous vapour from the Java volume.

The Admiralty have offered a reward for the re-
covery of a torpedo lost from her Majesty's ship Poly-
phemus on Sept. 12 at Spithead.
A Geneva correspondent of the S. James's GaIWM
gays that it is expected that the boring of the Arlberg
Tunnel will be completed by the end of October, and
the entire line opened for traffic in the course of next
year.

A camp of exercise, on a limited scale, is to be
formed near Poonah this cold season. It will consist
of the troops in and near Poonah, and, in addition,
Of some regiments passing through Poonah in course
of relief.

A memorial is to erected in Highgate Cemetery by
the comrades and friends of the late firemen, Thomas
George Ashford and Henry Berg, who lost their lives
m the fire at the Alhambra in December last.

The Philadelphia correspondent of The Times states
that a hurricane at Nassau, New Providence, on
Sept. 18, destroyed many buildings, killed 60 per-
sons, and wrecked 50 vessels, mostly American brigs
and schooners.

Recently published official statistics show that the
number of suicides in Russia in 1882 amounts to 1,811,
and during the last five years to 7.713. Moscow fur-
nishes the largest contingent, then follow Kieff,
Warsaw, and St. Petersburg.

Last month the number of immigrants who landed
in the United States was 38,388, being a decrease
compared with 1882 of 4,688. The immigrants from
Germany numbered 13,868, or a decrease of 2,142; from
England 6,310, or an increase of 67; and from Ire.
and 3,595, or a decrease of 48.

A train from Arcachon on Sunday morning ran
into the Bayonne express at the San Jean station.
Fifteen of the passengers were slightly injured, but a
Post-office employ was very seriously hurt.

The Agent General for South Australia has been
advised by telegram of the arrival at Adelaide on the
25th inst. of the ship Hesperus, which sailed from
Plymouth on the 13th July last with 602 emigrants;
all well; passage 74 days.
The Belgian Statistical Commission publishes full
particulars of the population of Belgium at the end of
last year. These show a considerable increase com-
pared with the returns of the 31st December pre-
ceding. In 1881 there were 5,585,846 inhabitants-
-2,790,608 male 3 and 2,795,238 females; whereas in 1882
thee,. were 5,655,197, or 2,826,722 males, and 2,829,475
female..
,_,lnsecinence of an enormous fall of rook at
Finkenberg, near Botzen, in the Tyrol, where two
perpendicular walls of rock form a narrow ravine
through which a rapid mountain stream forces its
way, the river has been stopped, filling the ravine,
and causing a lake to form which is already twenty
yards deep,
During a recent storm at Constadt the torpedo boats
Crorlthsa and Koriuschka sank near Borkoe. Measures
are being taken to raise them.

An international conference upon geodesy is to be
held at Rome on October 15, and it is expected that
this conference will surpass in interest and importance
its six predecessors. Among the questions to be dis-
cussed is the settling of a first mericiian, to be univer-
sally adopted, and a uniform international standard
of time. All the European States will send repre-
sentatives.

The receipts on account of Revenue from the let of
April, 1883, when there was a balance of £6,972 730,
to Sept, 22, 1883, were £37,4931,666, against £36,693,195
in the corresponding period of the preoviing financial
year, which began with a balance of £5,976,585. The
net expenditure was £38,380,145, against £39,682,487
to the same date in the previous year. The Treasury
balances on Sept. 22 amounted to £5,332,568, and at
the same date in 1882 to £3,678,039.

In accordance with instructions received at the
Admiralty, a large number oz workmen were dis-
charged from Chatham dockyard on Saturday, and the
number employed is to be still further reduced by
weekly discharges. The workmen mostly consist of
fitters and those employed in the machinery depart-
ments.

The traffic receipts of the railways in the United
Kingdom for the week ending Sept. 21, upon a mileage
of 16,627 i, amount to £1,427,898, being equal to £B6
9s. per mile. For the corresponding week of last year
the receipts were £1,397,925, the number of miles open
16,422 i, or £B5 2s. per mile. A comparison of the
two weeks shows an increase in the total retieipts of
£29,468, and an increase in the number of miles open
of V4l.

A telegram from Philadelphia reports that a boiler
in use on a bridge which is being built over the Red
River at Milway, near Shreveport, Louisiana, ex-
ploded on Saturday night. Five men were killed and
five injured. A leak had been discovered and the
workmen were trying to extinguish the fire, when the
disaster occurred.

Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States
ports were 96,000 bales ; since let September,
193,000 bales. Week's exports to Great Britain
17,000 bales; week's exports to the Continent, 17,000
bales. Total since let September, 75,000 bales.
Stock at all ports, 285,000 bales.

The following are the average prices 'of British corn
for last week as received from the inspectnrs and
officers cf Excise :—Wheat, 41s. 9d. ; barley, 335. 9d. ;
oats, 20s. 6d. per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 425. id.; barley, 365. id.; oats,
21s. 4d.

The ship North, of 1,284 tone, Captain Lidstone,
chartered by Sir Saul Samuel, K C.M.G., Agent-
General for New South Wales, Failed from Plymouth
to Sydney on the 22nd inst., with 387 emigrants.

The boring of the Alberg Tunnel will be completed
on the 4th of October, the Emperor's name-day.

The back wall of a house fell in Dublin on Monday
in Townsend•street. The wall carried with it a por-
tion of two floors, which fell on a young woman
named O'Reilly, killing her on the spot. She was
engaged at the time preparing her httsband's break-
fast.

A steam horn of powerful calibre is to be provided
for the lighthouse of Planter, Marseilles. The light
Is an electric one, and in clear weather it is distinctly
perceptible at a great distance, but at times mists pre-
vail along the coast, when it is useless. The horn will
then be used and will be heard several miles off.

The Citimen states that the result of the meeting at
the Mansion House in favour of the Society for the
Extension of University Teaching has been that
£217 9s. has been contributed to the funds in done-
Cone, and that the annual subscriptions have been in-
creased by £29 19s. In addition, may be added a grant
from the Corporation of 100 guineas per annum.
The members of the Danish Royal family, accom-
panied by the Emperor and Empress of Russia and
their other distinguished guests, attended a perform-
ance at the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, on Monday
evening. The whole route between the palace and
the theatre was, a Reuter's despatch states, brilliantly
illuminated, and the Royal party were received with
cheers by the crowds in the streets.

On the 17th inst. there was a trial at Spezia of the
compound armour plates of 48 centimetres thickness.
The first shot from a 100. ton gun was fired at
Cammell's armour, with regulation shot of hardened
Iron (gregorini), and penetrated 22 centimetres. The
second shot, against Brown's armour, with the same
projectile, penetrated 21 centimetres. Both trials
were considered highly satisfactory.
Official returns just issued show that last year the
proceeds of the duty upon playing cards in France
were 2,362,086 francs, or 24,444 francs more than during
1881. This is not the only indication that card-play-
ing is growing in public favour across the Channel.
In 1879 there were 39 manufacturers and 13,422
retailers of packs of cards, whereas last year there
were 60 manufacturers and 13,911 retailers.

An inquiry was held at Liverpool on Monday as to
the death of Frederick Augustus Bran; the son of a
Liverpool merchant, who shot himself on Saturday
while riding on horseback. It was stated that he had
been in ill•health. His watch and chain were found
upon him, enclosed in an envelope addressed, "To
my sincere friend Dr. Gee," and saying, "God alone
knows what I have suffered. I hope for His and your
forgiveness. Receive the last blessing of a penitent
sinner." A verdict of " Suicide whilst suffering from
temporary mental derangement" was returned.
A daring innovation has been introduced _on to the
Japanese stage. In Japan, curiously enough, female
actresses are tolerated, but their performances are
never regarded an of the first order. A native im-
presario has, however' taken the "bull by the horns,"
and recently engaged a company of dancing girls to
play at the Gaiety Theatre at Yokohama in the
" Forty•seven Ronins." This is the first time that a
native troup has ever played in Yokohama, and the
performance is said to have been spirited and good.
The company Is to visit India, and will possibly go
farther.