The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-08-04 00:00:00

EPITOME OF- NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Last Saturday Dr. Taylor and Thomas Cairns, a
chemist, both residing at Leith, were bathing behind
the Leith Albert Dock, when a heavy swell carried
the latter beyond his depth. Dr. Taylor tried to
rescue him, but ineffectually.

In Sardinia phylloxera is ravaging the vineyards to
such an extent that the inhabitants are beginning to
despair of being able to overcome the plague.
Bishop Keane (R.C.) of Richmond, Va., who has
been visiting Palestine, has shipped from that country
a corner stone for the new cathedral that is to be
built in Richmond. The stone is 20in. by 15in. in
and was cut from the rock of the Garden of
Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives.

It is expected that a large number of native princes
will be present at the opening of the Calcutta Exhibi-
tion, and that numerous visitors will also arrive from
Australia. All the available space is said to have
been already taken,

Lucy Fish Curtis, of West Randolph, Vt., who
died on June 16, was aged 100 years 9 months 14 days.
She has six children living, the eldest being nearly 80
years, and the youngest 55 years of age, all of whom
attended her funeral.

The University of Melbourne has received a hand-
some bequest from a rich Western district squatter
named Wyselaskie—a Swiss brouwht up in Scotland.
He has left to that university £12,000 for bursaries,
£20,000 to endow professorships of divinity in connec-
tion with Ormond College, and £lO,OOO to the college
itself.

The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon was still unable to take
his accustomed place on Sunday at the Metropolitan
Tabernacle, and, as on the previous Sunday, his son,
Mr. Charles Spurgeon, of Greenwich, officiated.
The annual meeting of the Cobden Club was held
in London on Saturday, when Mr. T. B. Potter, Mr.
Rylands, and Mr. Briggs spoke of the importance of
continuing to teach the principles promulgated by Mr.
Cobden. They insisted that the soil of this country
is capable of producing enough food for the people;
and disappointment was expressed at the insufficient
character of the reform proposed by the Agricultural
Holdings Bills.
An inquest was held at Poole on Saturday on the
nf ea Ic. p <lomat xticamiti nuauc a rriee,
aged 60, who was found drowned. She bad been
staying at Bournemouth, and a day or two ago, after
walking along the beach, bathed her feet in the sea.
It is hupposed that, being very weak, she fell and
was drowned. A verdict of " Accidental Death" was
returned.

Twenty-seven British and foreign actual shipwrecks
were reported during last week, making the total for
the present year 1,076, against 851 at the correspond-
ing period of last year. British-owL'ed vessels num.
bered 16.

According to statistics just issued by the German
Iron and Steel Institute, the total production of raw
iron of various kinds in the German Empire, including
Luxemburg, during-the month of June last amounted to
274,857 tons, as against 246,735 tons in the same month
of last year. From January 1 till June 30 last there
were produced 1,670,354 tons, as against 1,515,180 in
the corresponding period of 1882.

In the kingdom of Italy there are published daily
918 papers, of which the province of Rome has 200,
Milan 141, and Naples 120. In Sicily there are 49
daily papers, in Palermo 24, Messina 15, and Catania
10; none in any other of the towns. The oldest daily
paper is the Gazette of Genoa, founded in 1797.
The cavaliers and officers of the German Emperor's
suite will present him in October, on the occasion of the
25th anniversary of his accession to the Regency, with
a huge bronze shield, embossed with the portraits of the
princes and generals who fought for and under him in
the French campaign.
The Berlin Academy of Sciences has granted the
following amounts from its Humboldt Fund :-2250
to Dr. Otto Finch, for working at the collection he
made during his journey in Polynesia; £3OO to Dr.
Ed. Arning (Breslau), for researches on the leprosy
epidemic in the Sandwich Islands; and £3OO to Dr.
Paul Giissfeldt to enable him to continue and extend
his exploring tour in the Andes of Chili.

The Prince of Wales acknowledging receipt of the
annual report of the Co•operative Wholesale Society,
writes expressing his gratification at finding so large a
body of working men united in carrying out a scheme
admirably adapted to raise the standard of their
knowledge and intelligence, and to increase their
welfare and happiness.

- -
Miss Ringwood, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Ring-
wood, Rlal School, Dungannon, has been drowned in
Desertveat Lake, near Cookstown. A party of four
were enjoying a row on the lake when the boat over.-
turned, and all were rescued except Miss Ringwood,
who was about twenty-four years of age.
- The Athenceum states that the catalogue which the
British Museum authorities are preparing of English
hooks—including books in English published abroad—
printed before 1641, is making rapid progress. Two
stout volumes are in type, and another will complete
the work.

A bill providing that, after a divorce, neither party
shall marry again during the lifetime of the other,
except that both parties may at any time again marry
each other, has been overwhelmingly defeated in the
Legislature of Massachusetts.
During the 46 days on which the Paris Salon was
open the exhibition was visited by 514,083 persons:
285,000 enjoyed free adwission, while 229,183 paid.
The tickets of admission sold this season produced a
sum of 297,909 f. The sale of catalogues brought over
31,0001., and the refreshment buffet about 8,000 f.,
yielding in all some 351,000 f. As the expenses for
the season were under 185,0001. a profit of 165,0001.
was realised.

On Tuesday morning, an extensive drapery ware-
house, in St. George's.street, Dublin, was totally de.
stroyed by fire. The male and female assistants were
roused from their beds, and with great difficulty
escaped. Some of the young ladies were unable to
dress themselves. The damage which is considerable,
is covered by insurance.
On Monday, damage to the extent of £5,000 was
caused by a fire which occurred in a mill at Sowerby
Bridge, occupied by Messrs. Fielding, Ball and Co.
The premises were insured.
A new York telegram says that the visible supply
of wheat on July 27 was 17,700,000 bushels, as against
18,200,0,.0 bu.hels the previous week. Visible supply
of Indian corn, 11,500,000 bushels, as against 11,600,000
bushels the previous week. The export clearances of
wtreat for Europe during last week amounted to-
-84,000 bushels. The export clearances of Indian corn
for Europe during last week •amounted to 880,000
bushels.

It is now nearly eighteen years since there was a
widespread attack of cholera in Europe. In 1865
cholera carried uff 10,584 lives in France and 13,000 in
Italy ; but in the next year the pestilence in the latter
country had 130,0(.0 victims, and in England no fewer
than 14,378, of which 5,596 oases wers in London.
From criminal statistics Just published it appears
that in the year 1881 the total number of persons con-
victed of the various penal offenoss in Prussia, with a
popul tion of very nearly 29,000,000, was 238,732, 01
these 186,222 were males.

On Tuesday the Trinigl9s, a large steamer, 2,000
ton 4 burden, sden with maze, the property of Messrs
Spaight and San, of Limerick, was totally wrecked on
a rack in the River Shannon.

, A New York telegram says that Senor Berea, the
Spanish MiniAter of the United States shot himself on
Sunday at the Albemarle Hotel.

.g
,114:0 atl44_ lust. _POlisked,...it appears that the
number ‘of locum .tixes running on Ger Man railways
at the end of 1881 was .10,869, only. 530 of which were
supplied by foreign manufacturers. The railway
companies constructed in their own shops only 241
engines. Of the locomotives imported, 286 came from
Austria, 193 hailed from England, and 51 were built
in Belgium,