The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-07-29 00:00:00

Mistellaiiczu J ntelligenct.
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

SEASONABLE PASSWORD.—Pass the Bottle.—
Fun. '

PIGEON RACES.--A flight of 444 Belgian
pigeons was liberated on Thursday, in last week, at
11 a. in. at the Alexandra Palace, to race to Brussels.
The first arrivals were at 5 43 the same afternoon, and
the 37th and last prize was won by the couple arriving
at 71, On the same day 27 English birds were set
free in Brussels to fly to England. Several birds
belonging to Colonel Colville, Lullington, 300 miles
from Brussels, Mr. P. CheffinApf Dunenow, and Mr.
Tegetmeier, the secretary of .the concours, succeeded
in acc,implishing the distance. In addition to the
utilization of the homing faculty of the pigeon for
lightship service it may be stated that these birds are
now sent with the boats going from Wick to the
herring fisheries, so as to convey to land information
SS to the amount of fish captured and enable prepara-
tions to be made for its salting or distribution.
Loss OF A STEAMER A.ND TWENTY•SEVEN
LIVES.—The New York Times Pay s the steamship Se.
Clair, belonging to the Ward's Line, on her way from
Duluth, lac Ontonagon for Houghton on the tue 9th
Inst., having on board eighteen passengers and a crew
of fourteen persons. When off Fourteen Mile Point
a fire was discoNered in the forehold of the vessel, and
in less than five minutes the boat was enveloped in
smoke and flames from one end to the other. Owing
to the rapidity with which the flames spread, but one
boat was launched. Life preservers were brought on
deck, and all the passengers sucoeeded in putting them
on, when a rush was made for the yawl, which was
swamped six or oeven times. The water was very cold,
and it was not long before all but one of the passengers
perished, together with ten of the crew. When the
boat caught fire she was about five miles from shore.
WHAT WE MAY ALL EXPECT TO MEET WITH
DURING THE HOT WEATHER —Warm friends.—Judy.
FATAL DWLY ACOIbI2.II4T.- Dotwoou aovon aad
eight o'clock on Sunday night a pleasure party, Fop hist-
ing of three men and a young woman, were rowing on a
yens of water known as Kirby's Pool, in the vicinity of
Birmingham, when owing to some mismanagement the
hist shipped a quantity of watere,nd suddenly sank.
The bant s were crowded with specettors of the accident,
and there were several other boating parties on the
pool at the time, but every one appeared to be paralysed
for the moment, and it was not until the occupants of
the boat had sunk that any one went to their assistance.
Eventually a man named Motteram succeeded in
bringing out the young woman and her father alive,
and after a brief and necessary interval of rest,
plunged in again andjecovered the dead body of one of
the missing men. Tne other was brought up soon
afterwards by the drag.

GAME PROSPECTS.—Land and Water states
that in Norfolk both pheasants and partridges have
everywhere hatched well, and are already beginning to
show their strength. If no epidemic falls upon theta
we may anticipate a very good season. The accounts
from the various laces in Banff and Morayshire (Sc.
cording to the Field), go to testify that the 12th of
August will see a comparatively large number of birds 1
in exc.,llent condition. From all quarters keepers
report that *there is not the slightest appearance of
disease, that the coveys are strong, and of average
numbers. This season has been all that could be
wished, and it is stated that the birds have multiplied
bey( rid expectation.
IMPORTATION OP CANADIAN CATTLE.—A sen-
sation was caused in the Metropolitan Cattle Market
on Tuesday by the arrival of 102 Canadian oxen in
splendid condition, ex Scotland, from Montreal. They
realised 6s. to 6s. 4d. to sink the offal, and were much
admired.
GREAT PORTS.— Of the twenty millions
sterling received fur Customs' duties iu the United '
Kiugd‘im in 1875 no less than £9.940 000 was collected
tha port of London, and £2,919,000 at Liverpool.
As many as 11.311 vessels, of 4,910,533 tons, arrived
Within the port of London from foreign ports in the
'ear; and 5,481 vessels, of 4,402,116 tons, arrived at
Liverpool. The returns show a general advance in
the quantities of foreign produce entering the port of
London. The importation of tea into London in 1875
reached the unprecedented quantity of (in round
numbers) £197000,000. Tee list of passengers whose
baggage was examined within this port in 1875 shows
111,789 persons, and their packages so examined were
74;776; but the number of packages examined by no
me,aps represents Viet total number passed.. Except in
doubtful or auspicious cases, it is not the practice to
open every package, but to select a portion at the
discretion of the officers.