The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-23 00:00:00

STEAMSHIP COLLISIONS.

Cois.ii; -
nbt gusto. Bon.rilyrni.m"pcbowirtisat writes
enows t
important that
thlpfhiacathtat lhlhe steamshipavi)seanitluyre.lV
concsur eb ajt
anddue t
itohne
ocfli discarding dfionrgmo
unno-
ticed. I allude to the almost universal adoption in
the construction of steamers of the "straight stem,"
th
hithertowc passeds'n'otlnohst out
tisoinn
the
e results
cBo el
lf
iosri
oe n
sthew e
ri
en tnr
not
t-
so disastrous, because the bowsprit, the overhanging
bows, the chains, &c., acted as buffers, and diminished
the force of the shock, whilst at present the straight
stem, entirely unguarded, cuts like a knife clean
through the approaching vessel, with disastrous results,
as too frequently evidenced recently to one or both
vessels. No doub:, the advocates of the modern style
may allege technical advantages in its favour, espe-
cially convenience in berthing, but the safety of
ships, their crews, and passengers, must outweigh
all other considerations, and any suggestions on the
the careful consideration of steamship owners and
ns
ebnjt u
te co f,
tshopspeo supported, ain
qualified s
tofthisform
instance,
m
vinbiyonte
,hdeiuserdvge-
underwriters."

SAIURDAY, AUG. 13, 1884

FATAL BOATIMI ACCIDENT.—About nine o'clock oir
Saturday evening two pleasure boats, containing
altogether eight persons, were capsized by collision on
the Avon, about half-a-mile from Stratford. Two
young women named Stanley and Clarke, living in
Shakespeare-street, Stratford, and a young man named
Jones, were drowned. The others had narrow escapes,
only one of the party being able to swim. The bodies
were recovered.

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN COLUMBIA.—A telegram
from Kicking Horse Lake, in British Columbia, show,
that the first party of the British Association has
reached the summit of the Rocky Mountains. Sir James
Douglas, Captain Bedford Pim, and other members are
among this party. Their message state that they have
reached the end of the track of the Canadian Pacific
Railway in the mountains after an agreeable trip
through the North-West and through splendid moun-
tain scenery. Members are now arriving daily at
Montreal, and so far as can at present be learned the
arrangements made by the Monireal Committee for the
reception of members are proving satisfactory.
BITTEN BY DOGS.—The folloNting persOfis, who had
been bitten by dogs in the streets of South London,
were attended by the surgical staff at St. Thomas's
Hospital on Saturday: Henry Ludlow, aged 30 years,
residing in the Blackfriars-road ; Jane Bolton, aged 12
years, living "With her parents in Lambeth, bite of
hands. F. Munday, aged 11 years, of Lambeth-road,
was also bitten by a dog, and Anne Bohen, aged 22
years, bitten on the forearm. The injured persons had
their wounds dressed and caiitorised, and were allowed
to proceed to their homes.
THE ANTWZRP EXHIBITION? OF 1885.--The Swedish
Government has appointed a Royal Commission for
this Erhibition, and decided to convey the goods of
exhibitors on the State railways free. Norway will
also take part in the Exhibition, and local committees
have been appointed in the principal to•wns. The
Governments of Haiti and of Sarvia have also deter-
mined to exhibit officially. France, Italy, Portugal,
Spain, Holland, Belgium, and Germany are
.also
occupied in active preparations, and British exhibitors
are coming forward freely. •
A FroarrNa ISLAND.—On lake Derwentwater, the
floating island, a phenomenon which has not yet been
satisfactorily accounted for,has again made its appear-
ance. It is now of comparatively small area, though it
is gradually enlarging, and it is four years since the
island was first seen. On Monday afternoon there was
a short free concert upon this singular natural platform,
and the novelty of the circumstance attracted a
numerous audience. The isand only appears during
exceptionally hot weather, and is locally regarded as
the forerunner of continued fine weather.
GORED TO DEATIL—A farmer named William Bur-
dett, aged 70 years, died on Monday afternoon at Stoney
Station, near Hinckley, Leicestershire, from the effects
of injuries received on Sunday from a bull. On that
day Burdett went out to bring in the cattle, when a
young bull, not two years old, attacked him from
behind, and, knocking him into a ditch, gored him in a
frightful manner, the man being unable to help himself.
Mrs. Burdett discovered the dangerous position of her
husband and courageously drove the animal away, but
not before it had inflicted mortal injuries on the unfor-
tunate man.

ALARMING ACCIDENT TO A MIDLAND EXPRESS.—The
express train which left Derby on Monday morning at
9 27, and was due in Sheffield at 1047, met with an
accident, which caused delay and considerable alarm
to the passengers. From the Bradway Tunnel to Shef-
field the line drops, and express trains come down with
steam shut off at the rate of from 40 to 50 miles an
hcur. The present train as a heavy one, and as it
was passing Ecclesall one of the side rods broke, and
caused great damage to the engine. The train was
stopped as speedily as posstble and information of the
accident was telegraphed to Sheffield. An engine, with
assistance, was sent down, and after about an hour's
delay the train proceeded to Sheffield.
FACAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.-011 Monday, shortly
before noon, Henry Joyce, aged 41, of 72, Eversholt-
road, Crouch-hill, a ganger of platelayers in the employ
of the Midland Railway Company, whose duty it was
to look after the metals between Haverstock-hill and
Crouch-hill, on the South Tottenham Branch line, was
walking along between the lines near Crouch-hill
Station, when, hearing a train approaching, he stepped
out of the up line on to the down line, and, before he
was aware of it, owing to the noise made by the train
on the up line, a train came along on the down line,
knocked him down and shockingly injured him. He was
taken as soon as possible to the Royal Free Hospital,
Gray's-inn-road, but died before he arrived there, _

_
FALL OF A IiGLISE.—At Liverpool a house and shop
in Carisb.am.street—the shop occupied by Mi.. Hughes,
provision merchant, and the upper portion of the pre-
mises let out to various tenants—suddenly collapsed,
the roof falling in and carrying with it the various
floors between it and the shop. The shop assistants
had time to escape, but an old woman named O'Neill
was buried in the debris, and when extricated was found
tc.?be dead.
DEATH BY DROWNING.—A verdict of, "Accidental
death "was on Monday returned at an inquest held at
Enfield Lock on the body of Henry Wood, aged 22, a
machinist in the Royal Small Arms Factory, who was
drowned in the River Lea on the Thursday previous
while bathing with another machinist named Frederick
Dudley. The jury complimented Dudley, who made a
gallant attempt to rescue the dravning mp.n.
A CHURCH LIGHTED BY ELE-CTRICITY.—The Roman
Catholic church of St. John, built by the Marquis of
Bute, at Old Cumuock, Ayrshire, has recently been
fitted throughout with the electric light under the per-
sonal superintendence of Mr. William Massey, of Twy-
ford, electrical engineer to the Royal Palaces. There
are in all 70 glow lamps of 20 candles each, and the
effect is very perfect; the architectural features of the
building having been carefully studied and the lamps
arranged with due regard to the religious character
of the place. The necessary current is supplied by
means of a dynamo and steam engine placed in a small
house hidden among the trees of the churchyard,
where it is also intended to generate electricity for
working the organ bellows

ESCAPE FROU HOLTAWAY GAOL.—On Friday evening
is 104 lysek a priSotlet, iedßarris; Eneseds,s_l_
effecting his eAtiipe from Holloway Gaol, sili-eie he was
undergoing a term of three months' imprisonment with
hard labour for stealing coal in the parish of Padding-
ton. It appears that on Friday evening Harris, among
others, was engaged in the carpet-beating ground
within the precincts of the prison, and at the hour for
ceasinglabour was missing, subsequent examination of
the premises leaving no doubt in the minde of his
custodians that he had contrived to effect his escape.
TRAIN L:GHTING.—A trial of incandescpt lighting is
now being made on the London and North-Wearn
Line. A locomotive running one of the trains betweeti"
Liverpool and Manchester has been fitted with a
Brotherhood engine and a dynamo, the latter wipplying
the requisite current to a Swan lamp in each of the
compartments of the train. A duplicate lamp is also
provided, and so arranged that it would be switched
into the circuit directly the other lamp went out. The
current is regulated by a switch from the footplate, a
lamp indicating to the driver the candle-power at
which the lights are burning.—" Electrician."
TEE JEANNETTE.—A Reuter telegram from New York,
dated Aug. 17, says that some fragments, bearing marks
which indicate that they belong to the ill-fated ex-
ploring vessel, Jeannette, have been found on the
south-west coast of Greenland. One of the owners of
the vessel. in making the report asserts that the frag-
ments drifted westward 2500 miles in a thousand days.
DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—At Preston County
Police-court, on Saturday, John Hopwood and Elizabeth
Tatham were charged with highway robbery and
violence. A man named Lawrence Walton was coming
along the highway from Longridge late at night when
he was attacked by the prisoner Hopwood, who threw
him down very violently and held his hand over his
mouth to prevent him from shouting while the female
prisoner rifled his pockets. The male prisoner then
struck Walton in the face and ran off. The prisoners
were afterwards arrested by the police.
PRESENTATION 05 NEW COLOURS BY 'THE QUEEN.—
In the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales,
the Crown Prince and Princess of Germany, and other
members of the Royal family, the Queen presented new
colours to the Ist battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders
at Osborne on Saturday. Addressing the regiment, her
Mitesty gave expression to the feelings of deep emotion
with which she made the presentation ; as, had it not
been for the great loss which they had all sustained,
the duty would have been performed by the late Duke
of Albany, or else by his wife. Lieutenant-Colonel
Stockwell, in replying, asked permission to place the
old colours on the tanab of the late duke in St. Georze'e
Chanel. Windsor