The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-19 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN,

.grom carat& observations made by the Sanitary
Committee of the Port of London it appears that the
number of persons constantly upon the river within
the authority of the Board averages from 22,000 to,
23,000, the average number of vessels of all classes
being from 2500 to 3000, exclusive of ships belonging
to her Majesty's and foreign Governments.
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland have resolved
upon a petition to Mr. Gladstone praying for the resto-
ration of the old hall of Edinburgh Castle, once the
meeting place of the Scottish Parliament, now used as
-
a military hospital.
A copy of the second edition of the Bible in the
Indian language, translated by John Eliot, has just
been sold at Brooklyn for £2OO. It was originally in
the library of the Marquis of Hastings. The Bible was,
published in Cambridge in 1685.
According to the " Neue Freie Press° " of Vienna
the yearly consumption of that city is about 160,000
head of cattle. In 1882, 85,475, or more than half,.
came from Hungary, and 35,904 from Galicia.
In Greece there are 90 printing offices, half of them%
being at Athens. 135 newspapers are published there,.
and an annual average of 500 to 600 books are issued
by the publishers. The Press Laws are very mild.
A Select Committee has been appointed at Manitoba,
to inquire into the operation of the protective tariff on.
agricultural implements, lumber, and canned fruits.

Claret-coloured dress coats are to be introduced in
Paris for evening wear, in order to avoid the present
funereal and waiter-like appearance of the ordinary
masculine full-dress garb.
A newspaper entirely printed by electricity has been
brought out at Ilion, New York State, U.S. An electric
motor was used, which derived the current from a ten-
liglit 15 rods away.
It is stated that the medal to the troops taking part
in the expedition to the Soudan will be ot similar design
to that given for the recent campaign in Egypt with
bars for two engagements.
On Saturday a man named Mosquelin was guillotined
at Douai, for murdering his mother. He 1-as playing
cards with the gaoler when the executioner arrived._

Some miscreants, by unfastening a rail on the Pan.
handle Railway, near Dayton, Ohio, the other night,
wrecked a train. The engine-driver and stoker were
killed.

The value of the exports of domestic breadstuffs from
the United States last month was 10,500,000 dols.,
being a decrease of over 7,000,000 dols. as compared
with March, 1883.
It is officially stated that the revenue of Cyprus for
the year ending March 31st last was £BO,OOO in excess
of the actual expenditure.
A limestone cave with beautiful stalactite and stalag-
mite formations has been recently discovered by chance
in the Department of Mn, near the road from Geneva
to Lyons. It has been explored for about 300 yards.

An extensive lead mine has been discovered at Ghor-
band, near Cabul.
The work of printing the United States census report
has come to a stop for the third time for lack of money.
Several volumes have been published, and the remainins
15 or 20 volumes are ready for printing. In addition to
the insufficient appropriation made for the purpose by
ebngress, the Government printing office is over-
crowded with work.
Unusual activity is said to prevail just now in the
Russian dockyards. Six new war ships are to be
finished by next autumn. Russia has at present in the
Chinese waters, besides a small fleet of war cruisers
forming the Siberian squadron, one powerfully-armed
man-of-war, two clippers, and one screw corvette.
Only 19 actual shipwrecks (10 British owned and
foreign) were reported during last week, against 34 at
the corresponding week of last year, when the total for
the year was 704. The total for the present
year is 555. Missing vessels numbered 4(1 Portuguese,
1 Norwegian, and 2 British), with a tonnage together of
553 tons.

Mr. Simmons's war balloon, "The Colonel," was in-
flated at Havant on Monday. It was held captive by a
cable 7501 t. long, and used for the purpose of overlooking
the Volunteer manceuvres. The distance was five miles,
but a very good view was obtained.
Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States
ports were 33,000 baths; since Ist September, 4,585,000
bales. Week's exports to Great Britain, 27,000 bales;
week's exports to the Continent, 33,000 bales. Total
since Ist September, 3,382,000 bales; stock at all ports,
630,000 bales; stock at interior ports, 58,000 bales.

A petroleum explosion occurred on board a Cape
Clear fishing lugger, named the Henry, while riding at
anchor in Baltimore Harbour on Sunday morning. The
crew picked up a wrecked cask of petroleum in a leaky
state, which they put in the hold near the caitin. The
leaking oil rose to the fireplace. Several of the crew
were severely, if not fatally injured.
Very satisfactory news has been received from the
vessels engaged in the Newfoundland seal fishing.
Several ships have reached St. John's with a full cargo,
and one of them, the steamer Neptune, had the largest
cargo ever landed—namely, 41,000 seals, the net weight
of the skins and blubber being 844 tons. News has
been received of the loss in the ice of the steamer
Tiger, owned by Messrs. Grieve, of Greenock, her crew
of fifty men beiag saved.
A large number of the iron and steel workers em-
ployed at the Clydesdale Works, Motherwell, the pro-
perty of Messrs. M'Corkindale and Co., have struck
work against a reduction of their wages. About six
hundred men ar employed at the works.
According to the latest returns, the number of troops
who have accepted re-engagements for a further period
of service in India now amounts to 7000, the majority
of those accepting being amongst the infantry.
The electric light in the House of Commons has
proved so satisfactory that it is the intention of the
authorities to have it extended to all parts of the
building.
Posen has now been added to the chain of fortresses
which guard the eastern frontier of Germany, and of
the first line only Thorn remains to be completed.
Glogau and Kiistien will then be added to the second
line.
At the Fairy House (county Meath) races on Monday,
during the progress of the Irish Grand National Steeple-
chase, a panic occurred on the grand stand owing to its
taking fire. At one time matters looked very serious,
but owing to the exertions of the bystanders the flames
were quickly subdued. The fire originated in the gentle-
men riders' dressing-room, underneath the stand.
The Paris Municipal Council, b 3 46 votes to 4, has
decided to erect a monument in the Northern Ceme-
tery to the victims of the Coup d'Etat of 1851, who
"died in defending the law December 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th." The ground in which their bodies repose in
the same burying-place will be left Unopened for a
period of 25 years from the present time.
A stoker of a goods train, named Rayment, was
missed from his engine, travelling from Salisbury on
Sunday morning, when it arrived at Templecomiae. On
a search being made he was found dead between the
rails, with both legs nearly severed. In his hand was
shilling, and it is supposed he left the engine while it
was still running for the purpose of making a purchase,
when he was thrown down and killed.

On Saturday the funeral of Emanuel Geibel at
Lubeck was the occasion of a general popular mani-
festation, the entire town being in mourning for tho
late poet, who was born and who died within its walls.
Representatives attended from all parts of Germany,
and both the Crown Prince and Prince Bismarck sent
wreaths to be placed on the coffin.
_

On Monday morning the police interrupted a prize-
fight which had been commenced in the vicinity of the
Clifton Colliery, Nottingham. The principals managed
to elude the vigilance of the officers, but from a large
crowd they succeeded in arresting three men, whom
they charged with aiding and abetting in the lawless
proceedings, and who Were subsequently brougkt before
the Borough Bench and remanded.
Two silver medals which have been awarded by the
King of Denmark to Charles Spratt, the master, and to
Richard Chandler, the second hand of the fishing vessel
England's Rose, of Ramsgate, fot having rescued the
crew of the Danish ship Anne Catharine, in the North
Sea, during a gale of Sept. 2 last, were presented to the
men on Monday.
A despatch from Libertad of Monday's date
announces that an attempt was made on the previous
day to assassinate General Barrios, President of Guate-
mala. The despatch adds that the president was
slightly wounded.
The other day a boy in Philadelphia constructed a
flying-machine out of an umbrella and a pair of turkey's
wings, which he put on his little sister, and, having in-
structed her how to use them, he dropped her out of a
two-storey window. The girl had one of her legs
broken.
A grand procession of dray and other horses num-
bering about 300 animals, took place at York on Monday.
They were divided into nine classes, and prises were
presented to the successful competitors by Lady Milner,
wife of Sir F. Milner, M.P.
The Winnipeg and Hudson's Bay Railway Company
have bought out the rival company for the sum of
10,000 dols.' thus securing the Government free grant
of 9,000,000 acres of land.
Owing to the competition among the North Atlantic
steamship lines for emigrant traffic, the steerage rates
have, a New York correspondent says, been reduced to
20 dole. for passengers from Great Britain, and 18 dole.
for those from Germany.
On Sunday night a violent attack was made upon the
houses of a number of Jews residing in Edward-street,
Limerick. The windows were smashed, and when two
of the occupants appeared in the street they were
stoned, receiving nasty injuries, so much so that they
had to seek refuge indoors again, Ultimately the
police succeeded in restoring order.
It is rumoured at St. John's, Newfoundland, that a
whaling schooner has rescued the members of the Gree-
ley Expedition from some floating ice. The United
States Consul states, however, that he attaches no
credence to the report.
The total number of beasts entered at the Metro..
politan Cattle Market for consumption for the week
ending Saturday last was 2380 head- the corresponding
period of 1883,2460; 1882, 2130; 1881, 3080 ; 1880, 4210;
1879, 3470; 1878, 3410; 1877, 3230; 1876, 3930; and
1875,4560.
The "City Press" says it is estimated that to main-
tain the Metropolitan Police Force in the same state of
efficiency as the City of London force, and to pay theta
the same salaries, will cost the ratepayers an additional
£60,000 a year.
The additions to the Zoological Society's gardens
during the last week included a macaque monkey from
India, presented by Mrs. F. Mortimer; two secretary
vultures from South Africa, presented by the Rev. G.
H. R. Fisk, C.M.Z.S. ; dblue and yellow macaw from
South America, presented by Mr. H. Wlliingdom ; two
common peafowls from India, presented by Mr. R. F.
J. Cobbett Allen; a common viper (black variety)
from Hampshire, presented
cat from SoutherdbyLo AmrdLoeria
ndces, a L
boreeh:
do uguh
E*Zrf'S'e.Cl. a gu
deer from Amoorland, two Jardine'sparrots from
West Africa, three rhinoceros hornbills from the Malay
Peninsula, two Nepal hornbills a green cochoa, two
Nepal tree pies, a grey-headed thrush from Nepal, three
bronze fruit pigeons, two white-breasted gallinules from
India, two white-backed pigeons from the Himalayas,
seven waxwings, two proteus, European, purchase{; a
Lucian's parrakeet from China, a Geoffrov's dove from
Brazil, received in exchange.