The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-09-13 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Gena, the gorilla, which has been exhibited at the
Crystal Palace since Aug, 19, has just died, the cause of death
being pleuro-pneumonia. A post-mortem examination
showed that the heart was also affected.
On Tuesday evening a successful experiment was
commenced in Bristol for the lighting of the streets by the
employment of reflectors for the gas lamps, the result, it is
said, being the production of 60 per cent. more light with
less than half the number of lamps.
An inquest has been held at Barrow•in•Furness, on
the body of Richard Parks, labourer, 37 years of age, who
met with his death at the Barrow Hematite Iron and Steel
Company's works in a most painful manner. He was
engaged in claaning out some gas tubes when he acci-
dentally fell down a man-hole, and the tubes being hot, he
was burnt to death before assistance could reach him. A
verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.
With regard to the Kentish fruit plantations. the
Maidstone Journal reports unfavourably. Apples and plums
are almost a complete failure. Pears of the common kinds
are plentiful, but will not attain any great size. Nuts,
which at one time appeared good, are fast disappearing
through the molar) wet.

The Duchess of Norfolk gave birth to a son and heir,
at Norfolk House, St. James's-square, London, on Sunday
morning.
Several samples of new wheat were shown at Col-
chaster market last Saturday.
- -

There were 28 British and foreign wrecks reported
during the past week, making a total of 1,101 for the present
year, or an increase of 119 as compared with the correspond-
ing period of last year. The approximate value of property
lost was £510,000, including British £370,000.

The Earl of Carnarvon has, in consideration of the
Prevailing depression in agriculture, returned to the tenants
of his Soniersetshire and Hampshire estates 10 per cent, on
the amount of their rents

The Cologne Gazette describes the Sedan anniversary
In that town as a decided falling off from last 'ear, and as no
onger assuming the character of a public festival.
A renqrt has j,ist been issued by the Minister of
Public Works in France showing the number of railway
accidents between 1868 and 1877. The total number of
accidents has been 799, causing injury to 2,168, and deaths
to 218.

Another party of amnestied Communists reached
Paris on Tuesday morning. There was no demonstration of
any kind. The party numbered 200.
Amid great popular enthusiasm the Exhibition at
Toronto was opened by the Marquis of Lorne and Princess
Louise on Friday in last week. There was a general illumina-
tion of the town at night.
The Paris carpenters have struck for higher wages
and shorter hours. _ _

The population of Stockholm, the Swedish capital,
now numbers 161,594 persons, 88,830 being females and
72,764 males. Personal taxes are paid to the Government by
109,616 of the inhabitants—namely, by 63,513 females and
46,103 males.
- -

•
Forty-three deaths from yellow fever took place at
Memphis during the past week.
Bees, which have had no summer to " gather honey
every day," like other farmers have been unable to make
a good honey-harvest; Ills the worst on record.
A naturalist gives us this consolation that rampant
and strangling as the weeds may have been, the seeding of
our enemies has been much less than usual.

It is strange to hear of Sir Evelyn Wood, after all
the adventures and hardships through which he passed
scatheless in Africa, being so severely wounded in a game at
lawn tents that he is now confined to the sofa, and will be
for a whole week. His visits to Balmoral and Chislehurst
have consequently been postponed.

- -
Following the example of the London and North-
Western Company, the Midland Railway Company on Mon-
day ran an excursion train from Rugby to Liverpool and
Manchester for their employes and friends, and the trip was
largely patronised.

It has been officially announced that the King
ot Spain, while recently staying at Arcachon, solicited the
hand of the Archduchess Marie Christine in marriage, and
that the consent of the Emperor of Austria, as supreme head
of the Imperial House, having been obtained, the proposal
of King Alfonso was accepted by her Imperial Highness.

The more cheerful feeling in the iron trade con-
tinues. The reports from all our manrfacturing districts
and from abroad speak of amelioration, and more confidence
in the future is everywhere being shown. —Pali Mall Gazette.
A Reuter's telegram states that the churches in
Memphis were closed on Sunday on account of the yellow
fever epidemic.

The Imperial Statistical Office in Berlin has pub.
Hailed a review of the population of the States of Germany
according to the enumerations which have been taken since
1816. In that year the number of inhabitants of the States
now included in the German Empire was 24,831,396. At the
census which was taken about three years ago the popula-
tion enumerated was 42,727,360, being a total increase during
the half century of 17,895,064.

The Newcastle Chronicle, in publishing a series of
reports from its correspondents as to the conditions and
prospects of the crops in the North, remarks :—Nearly a
month behind time, cutting operations have, in a few
cases, been commenced; and the general verdict is that,
both as to quality and quantity, there will be a decided
falling off as compared with past years. The potato crop,
too, is highly aleappointing, and what adds to the mis-
fortune is the fact that disease has, in many instances, ex-
hibited itself.

From the returns just published of the official census
of Sweden it appears that on January 1 of this year the total
population was 5,203,917, of whom 4,631,863 inhabited the
country, and 672,053 the towns, Of these Stockholm had a
population of 169,429, Gothenburg 74,418, and Malmo 35,625.
The total increase of the population during the year 1878
was 47,321.

Two landslips of a serious nature have occurred on
land immediately in front of Durham Grammar School,
the property of the Dean and Chapter. The ground in each
place has subsided in a circular form a considerable depth,
leaving chasms some twenty yards in circumference. The
cause is supposed to be that some old colliery workings had
been bored into on Saturday, when a large body of water was
unexpectedly freed.

- -
Dazing the last eighteen years the rate of progress
has been very great in the United States. In 1860 the
United States exported cereals to the amount of 24,420,000
dols., which by 1878 had risen to 181,777,000 dols. In 1877
the production of butter was 950,000,0001b5., and of cheese
310,000,0061b5., of which 123,784,0001b5. were exported.
Nine years previously to this the export of cheese did not
exceed 57,296,0001b1., while other articles of provision
showed the same rate of increase.

The summer lean stock show of the Agricultural
Association took place at Guildford on Tuesday. Lord
Onslow presided at the dinner of the association. His lord-
ship, in speaking of the prospects of agriculture, said the
hope of the British farmer lay in the direction of cheapening
produce, and that in that respect the Legislature could assist
them but little.

It is reported from New York that the recent feats
of Captain Webb in American waters are likely to give rise
to a "swimming fever" throughout the country.
It is stated that 500 laurel wreaths and several thou.
_ _ _

sand violet bouquets for the Prince Imperial's funeral
were manufactured at Munich, neither Paris nor London
artificial flower-makers being able to undertake the work
In the time allowed. Four thousand persons are employed
in that industry by 37 factories in Munich.
The Berlin correspondent of the Temps remarks
"Since the English, if I am not mistaken, no longer cele-
brate Waterloo, Germany is the only nation which now cele-
brates a battle anniversary as a national festival." A
memorial to those who fell in the war of 1870 was unveiled at
Kiel on Tuesday.
Canon Basil Wilberforce has allowed the use of St.
Mary's Rectory grounds, Southampton, on Sunday next, for
he performance of the Sunday afternoon band.
The Cologne Gazette describes a disease which has
attacked cole worts in Germany. On the stalk just above
the roots appear gall-like excrescences, which dwarf the
growth or prevent the coming to a head. The gall insect
bores its way out, creeps into the earth, envelopes itself in
a cocoon, and after the chrysalis becomes a winged insect,
whose eggs repeat the process.

-- -
Lord Norton, Mr. Newdegate, and several other
gentlemen spoke on Tuesday, at the annual dinner of
the Warwickshire Agricultural Society. They referred to
the depression in agriculture, and encouraged the idea of co-
operation between landlord and tenant.
A great conflagration is reported to have broken
out at Viazma, in Russia, 200 houses and the prison being in
flames whes the telegram announcing the occurrence was
despatched. The fire brigade was sent from Smolensk to
render assistance.
On Tuesday morning the cairn erected on Craig
Gowan on the occasion of the Duke of Connaught's marriage
was inaugurated in the presence of the Queen, the Duke
and Duchess of Connaught, and Princeas Beatrice. On the
face of the cairn is a slab of polished granite, bearing the
inscription :—" Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearne,
married to Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, 13th March,
1879."

The eighteen hundredth anniversary of the de.
struction of Pompeii on the 25th inst. is to be solemnly ob-
served by Italian archwologlsts.
A boiler accident, by which two men lost their lives,
occurred in the railway works at Crewe on Tuesday evening.
An elderly man, named Beck, and a young man, named
Riley, were engaged in the millwright's shop, testing an
engine boiler, when it suddenly exploded and blew the men
about 30 yards, causing instantaneous death. Fortunately,
no other workmen were very near at the time, although one
or two were sufficiently close to receive slight injuries.
An accident happened on Wednesday in last week
to the Crown Princess Louise of Denmark. While out

riding in the neighbourhood of their cnteati at Charlotten-
lund, in company with the Crown Prince, the horse of Her
Royal Highness, frightened by a boy who ran across the road
with a kite, suddenly reared up, throwing the Crown
Princess heavily on the ground Fortunately there were no
bones broken, and her Royal Highness was able to be pre-
sent at the luncheon given to the Royal family on Friday by
the Czarewitch and the Czarevna.

Official statistics show that the herrings caught at
the four principal Scotch stations this season do not amount
to 250,000 crane, while last year the number was 428,000.
A satirical memento of the present summer is worn
by fashionable Parisiennes—a miniature gold or silver um-
brella to fasten their neckties. Another topical novelty is a
pair of earrings representing the late captive balloon—tiny
golden balloons secured by silver ropes.
At a meeting of the Edinburgh Town Council, it
was resolved to invite the Social Science Congress to hold
their meeting next year in Edinburgh.
Brigadier-General Wood and Colonel Buller arrived
on Tuesday at Balmoral, whither their attendance has been
commanded by the Queen.
A number of new regulations for the volunteer force
were issued on Saturday. Corps which have adopted scarlet
as the colour of their uniform can obtain supplies of clothing
from the Royal Army Clothing Dap6t, and the value of such
supplies will be deducted from the capitation grant; but
corps which retain uniforms of a colour other than scarlet
can only be supplied on prepayment. Other regulations re-
late to the granting of the honorary rank of major to certain
adjutants after 20 years' service, to the age at which volun-
teers may enter or must leave a corps, and to the passing of
volunteers into the reserve.

If the ed th the
fwthh ea ahte
herring
crops, a irt.
• --------
seems to
vest. In the Firth el Forth, where shoals of herrings are
rarely to be seen, steamers have literally of late had to
d the Volunteer Artillery have received orders not to
practise, lest the reports of the guns should disturb them.
wet
h lough their way through myriads of closely-packed fish,
an
In some of the fresh water lochs the fishing season has been
have improvedea t er
has
a the he in
prospectsjur
exceptionally good. In Loch Leven 20,000 trout, weighing
1b,6341b , have been taken during the last five months, as
against 12,525 trout, weighing 8,2881 b., captured last season.
In London last week 2,646 births and 1,393 deaths
were registered. Allowing for increase of population,
the births exceeded by 275, whereas the deaths were 24
below the average numbers In the corresponding week of
the last ten years. The annual death-rate from all causes,
which in the two preceding weeks had been equal to 191
and 20 0, was last week 20•1. Daring the past ten weeks ot
the current quarter the death-rate has averaged only 185
per 1.000, against 22'9, 191, and 23.1 in the corresponding
periods of the three years 1876-7-8. The 1 393 deaths in-
c:uded 7 from small-pox, 37 from measles, 50 from scarlet
fever, 4 from diphtheria, 36 from whooping-cough, 25 from
different forms of fever, and 145 from diarrhoes.
A piece of basalt from Asia, inscribed with charac-
ters which belong to no known language, has been added to
the treasures of the British Museum. The characters are
chiefly representations of trees, crocodiles, &c., but it is
believed that " some grammatical Ey Atom " underlines
them.
"Partridge shooting has up to the present this year
been almost szit, and although it is hoped—and there are in
many instances fair grounds for such anticlpations—that the
cutting of the corn will disclose many late hatches, to sub-
stitute the first and earlier coveys that were destroyed by
the floods, we are satisfied that the present is the worst
partridge season we had had for something like half a cen-
tary. In some few districts the birds appear to have passed
through the trying ordeal of miserably cold and wet hatch-
ing and rearing seasons better than others, and an average
show of strong young birds is reported from some parts of
Leicestershire, Yorkshire, and Cumberland.—Land and
Water.
"President Grevy is certainly a prophet honoured
in his own country. A triumphal arch had been erected for
him at Mont Sous-Vandrey ; the priest and all the inhabi-
tants collected to welcome him; and girls in white presented
flowers to his wife and daughter. A boy, ten years old,
from the Pontarlier College, made a little speech, receiving
a kiss in return; a band serenaded him, and all the houses
were illuminated. The President walked about the village
in the evening and was treated with the warmest marks of
respect.—Paris correspondent of The Times.
The troops at Aldershot, under General Sir Thomas
Steele, marched to Sandhurst-common on Tuesday, and had
a sham fight, the idea being that the rear guard of an army
retiring on Wokingham had taken up a position near Sand-
hurst against a force advancing from Wokingham. During
the action the men's dinners were cooked on the common,
and all the rules of a bivouac were strictly complied with,
as well as thore of a commissariat train on the march and
in the field. General Peyton commanded the attacking, awl
General Pakenluun the delerallng force.