The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-14 00:00:00

SYMPATHY FOR THE BEREAVED.

Down to Monday evening the Mansion-house Fund for the
relief of the bereaved relatives and the survivors amounted,
Including certain sums promised but not yet paid in, to
between £3,700 and £3,800. Of this amount £2,000, or there-
abouts, came in on Monday. The plipular syinpAthy in the
relief operations was egain testified by the depositing in the
box in front of the Lord Nlayor's residence of the very large
sum of £147 63. 11d, by casual passers-by during the day. Of
this only about £5 was in coppers, and the remainder in notes,
gold, and silver.
An Indian Munnlman, enclosing a donation, writes :
"I cannot adequately express to 7ou the Intense sorrow 1

feel at the wreck of the Princess Alice. Although I am a
Mahometan, I feel as much for Christians as for the people
of my own religion, because, as Bbakespeare says, 'One
touch of Nature makes the whole world kin; No human
comfort will alleviate the sufferings of those who are the
victims of the wreck, and all we can and must do is to
diminish as far as lies in our power the physical and worldly
pail's of those whose beloved one shave now gone to God.
May God bless the deceased, the dying, and the survivors
from the wreck."

There were also paid In the following among other sums :
Messrs Samuda, Brothers, £5O; Mr. John Nobl
'A Friend," per the Town Clerk of Bath, £2l; Mr. Loftus
Leigh Pemberton, £25; Miss M. Balderson, £2O; Ar. A
Cates, £l5 155.; Mr. J. Passmore Edwards, £52 10s. ;
General Lord Rokeby, £25; Mr. J. L. Toole, the actor,
£5 65.; 'The Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick, £lO 103. ; and
Mr. It. E. Morrice, £l5 16s.

Among the subscriptions received is a cheque for £5O from
the Societaires of the Comedie Francaise, forwarded "in
appreciative recollection of the kindly welcome which was
accorded to them in London in 1871." "The letter of
the Comedie Franciise, (says The Times) is another interest-
ing mark of friendly sympathy, and it is not without signifi-
cance that it follows the letter from the Prince who has won
the hearts of Frenchmen as President of the British Com-
mission at the Paris Exhibition of 1878."

Mr. C. J. Freake has placed presentations for the admis-
sion of two orphan girls above six years of age into the
National Orphan Home at Ham Common at the disposal
of the Committee, and suggests that others might take this
practical way of aiding the orphan sufferers. Miss Pugh,
of St. Stephen's-square, offers to take entire charge of an
orphan girl, between six and ten years; and there are many
similar proposals of aid. The Minnehaha Minstrels propose
to give an entertainment towards the fund, and a concert
has been arranged to be held at the Winter Gardens, Black-
pool, which were opened by the Lord Mayor six weeks since.
A donor makes the suggestion that the boxes of the Hospital
Saturday Fund and its staff of collectors should be made
available for a similar collection in the Metropolis next
Saturday. The Croydon Theatre will have a performance in
aid of the fund. Mr. R. P. Taylor, a leading member of the
Common Council, has given notice of his intention to move
that the Corporation of Loudon should contribute £2lO
towards the Lord Mayor's Fund.
The Rev. R Parrott writes from Amwell Vicaraze, Ware:
—" May I be allowed to make known in The Times that I
shall be happy to give rent-free for life my lodge (which is
now unoccupied) to any poor widow whose husband has been
lost in this most dreadful and appalling accident on the
river Thames? I may add that the lodge is most charmingly
situated, but is not capable of accommodating children."

Mr. William Williams, the Secretary of the National
Refugees for Homeless and Destitute Children, has offered
at once to take in 100 orphan boys and some girls into their
homes and training ships.
Miss Sharman, of the Orphans' Home, South•street, South-
wark, offers to give a home to seven of the orphans She
proposes this as a thank-offering, for seven of the orphan
children under her care went safely from Sheerness to
London in the Princess Alice the evening before the accident.
The Rev. G. Gaisford, of St. Saviour's, Hitchin, writes
"We shall be willing to receive into our orphanage here
three girls who have been made orphans through the recent
lamentable colliAon on the Thames. Such children would
be provided for permanently and gratuitously."

The Charity Organization Society have voluntarily offered
to find out and bring assistance to those in distress and to
place their whole machinery at the disposal of the Lord
Mayor and the Committee about to be formed in the City.
A benevolent lady at Plymouth has expressed a wish to
adopt an orphan girl between the ages of two and four.

The proprietress of the Royal Park Theatre, Regent's Park,
has organized a morning performance there in aid of the
fund, when the whole proceeds without deduction will be
handed over.

The managers of the Baker-street Bazaar and the London
Provincial Supply Association have offered to exhibit boxes
for the collection of subscription.
At the Horseshoe Hotel, Tottenham-court-road, £l3 has
already (Monday) been collected in boxes placed in the bar,
and the manager suggests that this example should be gene-
rally followed by other licensed victuallers.

Miss Virginia Blackwood writes from Astley's Theatre,
Westminster-bridge-road, to The Times that being desirous
of offering a substantial contribution to the fund now being
raised under the auspices of the Lord Mayor for the relief of
the surviving sufferers from the fearful calamity which has
made the past week one of weeping and despair among
thousands of our fellow-creatures, she takes the liberty of
announcing that the entire proceeds of a morning perform-
ance, to be held next Saturday, September 14, will be
handed to his lordship free from all deductions whatever,
the whole of her staff have volunteered their services; the
house will accommodate a goodly number, and as she does
not propose to debit the receipts with even the charges for
advertisements, she hopes to be in a position to offer an
acceptable augmentation to the contributions of a public
full of sympathy for the terrible bereavements and sufferings
this calamity has produced.
At a crowded temperance meeting at the Great Central
Hall, Bishopsgate, London, on Sunday evening, the following
resolution was passed :—" This meeting having heard the
melancholy intelligence of the death of Mr. Charlton William
Harrison, who has often done good service to the temperance
cause in general, and the East Central Temperance Associa-
tion in particular, and also of the death of his brother Arthur,
through the sinking of the Princess Alice, begs to express its
deep sympathy and sincere condolence wins the family in
their sad bereavement, and trusts that in the midst of the
dark cloud of trouble that overshadows them they may see
the light of their Heavenly Father's love, though they have
to feel the pain of His chastening rod."