The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-02 00:00:00

Miscellaneous Intelligente:
HONE, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. '

AVERAGE PRICES or Buenas Conic-41e following
are the average prices of British corn for last week, as
received from the inspectors and officers of Excise:
Wheat, 375. ld. ; barley, 278. 5d.; oats, 235. 4d. per im-
perial qr. Corresponding week last year: Wheat,
425. id.; barley, 275. 6d.; oats, 225. Bd.
MINERS' SAFETY LAMPS.—The adjudicathrs on the
prize of £5OO offered by Mr. Ellis Lever for a new
miner's safety lamp have issued their report. They
have had to examine 108 lamps, of which four were
electric and 104 oil. Not one of the electric lamps ful-
filled or approached fulfilment of the conditions of the
award. Amongst the best of the lamps tested the two
regarded as deserving of special merit were the Marsaut
lamp with three gauzes, and the lamp of Mr. William
Morgan, of Pontypridd, South Wales, which presents
several features of marked originality.
AN ICE-WATER WATER WELL—The "Portland Orego-
nian "says that in digging the well to supply the railroad
tanks at Palouse Junction, W. T., the workmen passed
through strata of alkali, clay, and finely-broken basalt
rock, to a depth of 185 feet, where water of great
purity and limitless quantity was found. The water
iii
the well is 5 feet deep, and a steam pump,. actively
worked, makes little impression on the quantity. The
most curious thing about the well is the fact that in
digging the last 50 feet the workmen in the well irad
to
wear heavy clothing and wrap their feet and legs
in
gunny bags to keep irom freezing, while the men in the
open air worked in their shirt sleeves. Water left
in
the bucket in the well over night would freeze. The
water in the well does not freeze, because it flows too
fast.
CHURCH PATRONAGE.—The following is the text of
the resolutions arrived at by the Select Committee on
Church Patronage: (1) That the sale of next presenta-
tions be prohibited; (2) That resignation bonds be
abolished; (3) That donative be turned into presenta-
tive beneficea; (4) That if a fair method of compensa-
tion be adopted the sale of advowsons be prohibited
within certain limitations; (5) That the limitations be
those specified in the Church Patronage (No. 1) Bill,
clause 7; (6) That the price to be paid for advowsons
by Queen Anne's Bounty Board be limited to five years'
purchase of the present value of the advowson.
TRADE IN THE RIVER PLATE.—The "Buenos Ayres
Standard" of June 22 says: "The wool season is at a
close. The few thousand bales that remain will be
shipped this month. The stock both here and in the
Mount is very small, much under that in the market
this time last year. The clip has been the largest ever
known in the Argentine Republic. We calculate same
at over 300,000 bales. The export market, meantime,
is not idle, as immense quantities of grain are pouring
into the Once from the districts of the West and North.
As the railway to the Colonies is being pushed ahead
with great activity and will be completed next year, all
expect a great increase in the production of grain in
Santa Fe. The export of maize from Buenos Ayres
has only begun; heavy shipments will be made for the
next three months. The first large cargo was shipped
yesterday in the Sultana-30,000 bags."
A DIVER Dnowiarto.—News was received at Sheerness
Dockyard on Saturday that a rigger's diver, named
Moreton, belonging to Sheerness, had been drowned
while engaged in overhauling the moorings of the
armour-plated ship Lord Warden, at Queensferry, N.B.
The man was lowered into 17 fathoms of water to
examine the moorings. After a short time his attend-
ants were horrified th find that both the air tube and
the life line had been cut, although by what means has
not at present been ascertained. The deceased, weighed
down by his heavy boots, never rose to the surface.
Moreton, who had previously had two narrow escapes,
leaves a wife and five childrer
DISASTERS AT SEA.—The Bureau Veritas has just
published the following statistics of maritime disasters
reported during the month of June,lBB4, concerning all
flags: Sailing vessels reported lost.—Four American,
one Austrian, 23 British, two Danish, two French, six
German, six Italian, nine Norwegian, three Portuguese,
one Spanish, one Swedish—total, 58. In this number
are included eight vessels reported missing. Steamers
reported lost. —l2 British, one Danish, on French, one
German—total,ls.
LONDON ATHLETIC CLun.—On Monday evening, at
the Stamford-bridge Grounds, Fulham, W. G. George,
running in a 12 miles open handicap, attempted to beat
Deerfoot's record for one hour—viz.,ll miles 970 yards.
The champion ran splendidly, and when the hour
expired he had covered 11 miles 932 yards, after which
he stopped. The handicap resulted as follows: Twelve
miles Open Handicap.—J. E. Dixon, London Athletic
Club, 6min. 15sec. start, 1; S. S. Smith, London
Athletic Club, Bmin., 2; C. F. Turner,Spartan Harriers,
4min. 40sec., 3. Won easily in lhr. Bmin. 22 3-ssec.
AGRICITLi unAt Prioseacrs.—According to the "Mark
Lane Express," the rain which has fallen during the
past week has still further improved the prospect for
keep of all kinds, and the root crops of Scotland—a
veryimportant feature in the situation—are spoken of
very favourably. Grazing prospects in Ireland are now
very promising. The barley and oat crops are also
benefiting greatly, but the wheat crops are literally
"under the weather." The heavy thunder rains have
flattened down the laid crops until they appear to be
on the ground itself, and rust is spreading rapidly in
some districts. The weather has been unfavourable to
the hop crop, and mould is spreading. Foot-and-mouth
disease continues to spread, and values for store stock
have not yet shown the improvement that was expected
from the altered situation with regard to keep.
THE PRICE OF LAND IN LEICESTERSHIRE.—A corre-
spondent writes to the" Times": "A. sale of farm by
auction took place last Saturday at Ashby-de-la-Zouche,
Leicestershire, which is worthy of note at the present
time. The farm consists of 91a. 3r., is distant four
miles from the towns of Ashby-de-la-Zouche and
Melbourne, and adjoins the station of Worthington on
a branch line of the Midland Railway system. There
was a large attendance at the sale, and after a brisk
competition the farm was knocked down to Lord
Doniugton, an adjacent landowner, for £97 per acre.
When stamps and fees are paid it will cost the pur-
chaser more than £lOO an acre. The farm adjoins Lord
Donington's limeworks at Breedon, but there is no
limestone on the farm, which, as far as it is possible to
guess, is valuable only for agricultural purposes. If,
therefore, in Leicestershire, a county which has suffered
so severely from the depressed state of agriculture
during the last few years, land is still worth buying at
£lOO per acre, it is clear that the future of land need
not be despaired of, and that that future appears suffi-
ciently brilliant to warrant its purchase even at what
seems at present so exorbitant a price."
A DESPERATE .3 ore.—ln London, on Saturday, at
the Mansion House Police-court, Patrick Hanlan was
charged on remand with uttering counterfeit coin. At
the conclusion of the evidence the Lord Mayor dis-
charged the prisoner, who left the Court by the public
entrance at the head of the flight of steps in front of
the Mansion House. An officer of the Metropolitan
Police, however, who was in waiting, rushed after him
to arrest him upon another charge, when Ffanlan, in
order to avoid arrest, jumped from the balcony and
fell in the roadway where the omnibuses stop. He gave
a sharp cry of pain, and on being picked up was found
to have sustained severe injuries, it being stated that
one of his legs was broken. A good deal of excitement
was caused in the vicinity of the Court by the occur-
rence, arid the injured man was at once put into a cab
and conveyed to the hospital, where his injuries were
attended to. The incident was heightened by the
shrieks of women, relatives of the prisoner, who wit-
nessed his desperate jump.
IMPORTANT TO BICYCLISTS.—At Solihull County
Court, Alfred Wright, clerk, summoned Superintendent
Yardley for 335. damages alleged to have been caused
to the plaintiff's bicycle by the defendant. On April
11 the plaintiff and two friends were riding bicycles a
short distance from Meriden, in the direction of Bir-
mingham. They were on the footpath, owing, accord-
ing to their statement, to the bad state of the road.
Defendant was approaching in a trap from the opposite
direction, and suddenly drove his vehicle upon the foot-
path, colliding with the machine:af the friend. of
plaintiff. At this moment the plaintiff, who was thirty
or forty yards behind, turned off the. footpath into
the road, whereupon defendant seized his itrr.a, causing
him to fall, whereby sustaining personal injuries and
damaging his bicycle to the amount claimed. His
Honour gave a verdict for the amount. claimed and
costs, holding that the defendant had no right to arrest
the plaintiff, who at the time was not committing any
offence. he having already turned upon the road.

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