The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-01-17 00:00:00

I EPITOME OF NEWS.
BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The Countess of Portsmouth has consented to blwoma
the president of the Bristol and West of England SoGlety
for 11'omen's Suffrage.
On 3aturday, as the workmen at Messrs. Henry'
Crawshay and Sons' ore furnaces at Canderford, Forest
of Dean, rrtre drawing the molten liquid, the inside
lining of the furnace collapsed, necessitating an im-
mediate blow out. Three hundred hands were con-
sequently thrown out of employment. This was the
only furnace in blast in the Forest of Dean.
The deiith is anntunced of Clan,: Macpherson, ot
Cluny, chief of tbrOlan Macpherson, in his 80th year.
He was a Comm-ander of the Bath, colonel of the
Inverness-shire Rite' 'Volunteers, and held. many im-
portant offices conneeled with the town and' county of
hive ness. His eldest son is Donald Mac-iherson, am-
manding the 42nd Regimental District.
Lord Lymington, the V.lberal member for•Bernstapre,
which under the Redistribution Bill ceases to, have an.
independent political existence, on Saturday addressea
a meeting at Crediton as candidate for the representa-
tion of the new South Molton division of Devonshire.
A vote of confidence in his lord'ship was passed.
A telegram has been received from the Naval Com.
mander on the China Station that the blockade an the
South-West Coast of Formosa was re-established on the
7th inst. _ _

.
Late on Saturday night a woman named Kate Red
mill, Ming with her husband at 46, Meredith-street,.
Nottingham, met with a dreadful death. She was alene
in a room when she overturned a lighted paraffin lamp,.
and her clothing caught fire. She died before assistance
could reach her. So intense was the heat that two rings-
she was wearing were fused together. Her three
children were in another room, and at last the eldest, so
lad aged nine, was attracted by his mother's screams-
and rushed out into the street in search of his father.
He met the latter, but on his arrival his•wife was quite
dead.

A Unitarian chapel, erected about two years ago in
Albert-road, Longsight, Manchester, narrowly escaped
destruction by fire on Sunday morning. During the
usual morning service a fire broke out in a timber yard
adjoining one side of the building. The smoke was
visible to the congregation, and as it rapidly increased in
density and the fire was evidently making headway,
a good deal of alarm for the safety of the building was
felt amongst the people. The service was stopped,
and the congregation dispersed. The side wall of the
chapel, which, was exposed to the full heat of' the fire,
became very hot, and the roof of the vestry, which is
lower than the roof of the chapel, became ignited. The
Manchester fire brigrde on reaching the place put out
the fire in the vestry roof, the half of which was
destroyed, and also extinguished the fire in the timber
yard. The side wall of the chapel was damaged by
heat.

The Lards of the Committee of Council on Education
have caused a medal to be prepared by Mr. Allan Wyon
from designs by Mr. Poynter, R.A., as a memorial of
the founding and endowment of the Whitworth
Scholarships by Sir Joseph Whitworth. Their lord-
ships have also authorised the issue of a copy of this;
medal to each of the scholars who have held scholar—
ships and have gone through the prescribed course
satisfactorily. Scholars,, or the legal representative:=.
of such as are dead, are requested to inform the ecre-
tary of the Science and Art Department at South'
Kensington of the-address to which their medals should
be forwarded.
M. Jules Ferry on Saturday called the personnel of
the French Legation from China. On Sunday General
l'lsle announced the arrival of reinforcements to the
number of 3200, with which he expresses his readiness,
to march upon Lang Son..
The "Northern Agency " of St. Petersburg has re-
ceived intelligence of an extensive Tcherkess con-
spiracy at Constantinople.
King Alfonso XII. arrived at Granada on Saturday.
Another earthquake shock vras felt at Loja the same
morning.
A Reuter despatch from Buenos Ayres states that
the condition of financial affairs is so critical that a
suspension of cash payments is believed to be im-
pending.
At a large meeting of Boers held at Vryburg, Mr.
Rhodes, the Deputy Commissioner of Stellaland, pro-
mised that the Boers'. land titles should be recognised,
that they should have their own Government, and that
funds should be supplied to them pending the annexa-
tion of the country to the Clan

Sir Archibald Lamb was on Tuesday sued in the
Queen's Bench Division for about ninety pounds, for
repairs to a house. The repairs were ordered by Lady
Lamb previous to her separation from Sir Archibald cn
account, as was stated, of differences as to whether her
ladyship should live in town or country, her husband
being generally with his regiment, the 2nd Life Guards.
Sir Archibald denied having authorised the expenditure,
and it was stated that Lady Lamb had an ample income
at her disposal. Mr. Justice Lopes said life would
become insupportable if a wife could pledge her hus-
band's credit without his authority The jury, never-
theless, found a verdict for the plaintiff.
The receipts on account of Revenue ;from the Ist of
April, 1884, when there was a balance of £5,632,569, to
January 10, 1885, were £61,593,025, against £63,592,323
in the corresponding period of the preceding financial
year, which began with a balance of £6,972,730. The
net expenditure was £67,598,230, against £68,521,F,10 to
the same date in the previous year. The Treasury
balances on January 10 amcunted to £1,447,764, and at
the same date in 1884 to £1,650,70.
The resolution to again introduce a bill authorising
the 2ontimience of the Channel Tunnel experimental
works has been confirmed by the shareholders of the
Submarine Continental Railway Company.
The City Commissioners of Sewers have referred to a
Committee the consideration of a scheme for forming a
spacious chamber under the roadway opposite the
Mansion House, with four subways radiating in various
directions. The object is to relieve the congested
traffic at that point, and to provide a safe crossing for
pedestrians.
The King of Spain is continuing his journey through
the districts which have suffered from the earthquakes,
investigating the needs of the distressed inhabitants
and distributing relief. There have been several more
slight shocks.
Sir Charles Dilke, speaking in North Kensington,
predicted that the immediate effect of the passing of
the Reform Bills would be the destruction of the Con-
servative Party in the old sense of the word, and its
supersession by a rival Democratic Party. Domestic
reforms, especially those affecting the rural districts,
he believed, would be dealt with in a far more drastic
manner than hitherto, whilst the enlarged metropolitan
representation could hardly fail to give an impetus to
such questions as the City Guilds.
Sir F. Bramwell, in his Presidential Address at the
Institute of Civil Engineers, reviewed the progress of
engineering inventions, and glanced at the Exhibition
of Inventions which is to be held in London this year.
A shocking accident to a workman, resulting in the
death of another person, has happened at Bowling
Ironworks, Bradford. A bolder drawer, named Met-
calfe, had his right foot cut off by a circular saw. The
accident was witnessed by a fellow-workman, named
Readshaw, and he received such a shock that he died
immediately from heart disease.
Speaking at a meeting at Mold, Mr. Cecil Raikes,
M.P., remarked that he believed that never in the
history of this country had there been a House of Com-
mons so unlike its predecessors as the next Honse of
Commons would be to the present one. Their anxiety
was not so much whether the House of Commons in
futore would be honest and public-spirited as whether
it would be equal to the duties,which would fall upon
it. The question how to select the men best qualified
to serve the State was a difficult one. He hoped the
new method adopted for this selection would be
successful.
A lamentable accident has occurred at the Gunton
Station of the Great Eastern Railway. A sailor named
Dix came down to Norfolk to visit his aged parents,
and early in the morning he made gfeat efforts to catch
a train for Norwich at the Gunton Station. The plat-
form being rendered slippery by ice and snow he failed
to retain his footing upon it, and he fell on the line just
as the train ran into the station. He was so dreadfully
crushed and mutilated that he died before the train
reached Norwich. An inquest was held upon his
remains during the day, and a verdict of "Accidental
death" was recorded.

An explosion of gas teok place on Tuesday in the
engine-room of the Cleckheaton Gasworks. The roof,
doors, and windows were wrecked, and the engine and
the walls of the room damaged. The debris was blown
all over the gasworks, but no personal injury was sus-
tained, although several workmen who sat in an adjoin-
ing building had a narrow escape, and another workman
had only just left the engine-house when the explosion
took place. It is conjectured that a piece of gas
machinery called a compensator had suddenly become
deranged, thus leading to an escape of gas.
An impudent robbery has been committed near
Stouyhurst. Mr. James Simpson, farmer, of Winckley
Ilall, near Stonyhurst, was going home through a field
when he was met by three men, two of whom seized
and held him, while the third searched him and took a
purse containing forty pounds in gold from his trousers
pocket. The men then decamped. Mr. Simpson hired
a trap and drove to the nearest police-station to give
information, but could give no description of the men
The following notice has been posted up in the Aber-
deen shipbuilding yards: "On and after the 29th of
January there will be a reduction in the wages of most
of the skilled workmen in our employment to the
extent of about 10 per cent, in time and piece work."
The meaning of the intimation is that the men will
have to submit to a reduction equal to abolt two
shillings per week on their wages. It is not likely that
in the present depressed state of trade the men will
offer any serious objections to the reduction.
_

Canon Smith, of holy Trinity, Nottingham, a leading
Evangelical divine of that town, has been presented
with a service of plate, a purse of money, and four other
testimonials on leaving Nottingham on his appointnaent
as 4car of St. Mary's, the chief church of Swansea.

A boy named Feningham, of Stony-lane Hindley,
Wigan, hp been drowned through the breaking of ice
upon which he was sliding. Another boy, named
William Roper, was sliding on the Spring Dam, Abram,
when the ice gave way. A companion ran for Ralph
Roper, the father, who plunged in to rescue his SOll, and
Jucceeded several times in lifting him on to the surface
of the ice; but it broke every time, and, the man's
strength failing, he was with difficulty rescued by
means of a ladder and carried home. The mother alto
jumped in to save her son and husband; but the boy
was drowned.
Lord Vernon, in replying to the strictures of corre-
spondence on his refusal to reduce the rents on his
dairy esbate in Cheshire, states that over-production of
milk is impossible while we import twenty millions of
dairy produce, with a growing demand. As feeding
stuffs fell in price, so more cows could be kept cat the
same acreage, and he looked forward to the time when
double the amount of manure would go on the vastures.
His estate consisted of 10,000 acres, and durirk,z the last
25 years close on £lOO,OOO, had been borrowed fr(
land improvement companies alone, for which he pa d
£3OOO annually, quite apart from mouey spent on
repairs, taxes, agency, &c., amounting to over MOO a
year, or nearly 0 per acre. If any man of business
considered the net profit on land showed an undne
margin of profit, Lord Vernon, advised him to invest
his money in it, when he wr.itild soon find out for him-
self.

1111M..PrEramorewmanammommiiin
Sir gather. Alcock, late Minister in %pal:4
opened, on Saturday afternoon the Japanese Exhibition
at Humphreys' Hall, Knightsbridge.
Mr. Burt, M.P., in presenting the prizes to the stu-
dents at the Science and Art Schools, Newcastle-on-
Tyne, on Saturday, said that the Education Act had
accomplished a revolution in the thoughts, aspirations,
and habits of our countrymen. - The' expenditure on
education was high, but we had got a good return for
the money. So far as elementary education was con-
cerned he advocated science ;11d art schools. All that
was wanted was energy and determination on the part
al localities and encouragement from the Education
Department.
TheßOard of Trade inquiry into the foundering of
the Liverpool and Cork steamer Pochard, with all
hands, numbering twenty-four, off Holyhead, on
Decembnr 1; was cc-included on Saturday at Liverpool.
The Court found that the vessel was in thoroughly good
condition and properly stowed, but conjectured that
there must have been some sudden influx of water,
which filled' the after-hold,- and caused the disaster.
Every effort was- made front the shore to render assist-
ance.

A land meettng was held on Sunday at New Pallas,
county Limerick, under peculiar circumstances. No
public announcement was given of the intended gather-
ing, lest it shouldlo proclaimed by the Lord' Lieutenant,
and the matter cam* by surprise on the local constabu-
kry. About six hundred persons assembled, the Rev.
DI. L. Ryan, -parith priest, presiding. Resolutions of
the usual character were agreed to.
Twelve thousand pounds damage was done en Sunday
marning by a fire which broke out at Crediton, and
destroyed Messrs. Car-thew- and Sons' flour mills. The
property is an extensive one, and the- stock included
20,060 bushels of cora: The fire broke out at five
o'clock, a strong westerly gale blowing, and within two
hours the mills and the divelling-house were totally
destroyed.
Great disappointment in-felt throughout the extensive
dairy districts of Cheshire at the issue of a. circular by
Mr. Haddon, manager of the- Anglo-Swise Condensed
Milk Company, Middlewich, Cheshire, condemning the
use of eusilage for dairy cattle, and declining to take
further milk supplies from Cheshire dairy farmers usiue
ensilage;
Two men and six horses were killed by & singular
accident which happened on Saturday upon some rail-
way works at Limpley Stoke, near. Bath. Behind a
goods-shed which is being erected is-a stable at a lower
level, upon which a large quantity of material fell, bury-
ing two labourer3, named George Marment and Arthur
Mustyn,:and the hoises.

A handsome block of builaings called the Gladstone
Buildings has just been erected by the Sheffield
Liberals near the parish church, and is to be devoted
partly to the use of the Sheffield Reform Club, which
held its first general meeting on Monday night. Mr.
Mundella, MP., was elected first president. It was
resolved to invite all the Liberal members for the
county to become vice-presidents.
Mr. Vanderbilt, on coming into possession of General
Grant's property as security for his loan of 150,000
dols. to the General, offered to present the whole of it
to Mrs 1 Grantrwho, however, declined the gift.
In the appeal- of Weldon v. Johnson, against a verdict
which Mrs. Weldon had obtained for MO for al%el in
the Paris "Figaro," it was announced, when the case
was called on Monday morning, that the defendant
would not proceed further in the matter. The verdict,
therefore, stands, and Mrs. Weldon was granted in addi-
tion her costs as-respondent in the appeal proceedings.
At Brighton on Monday Frank Meths, rate collector,
pleaded guilty to embezzling £224 and £75, belonging
to the Corporation,. on December 6th. He was sen-
tenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard
labour.

The death is announced of General von Soniclac, the
well-known Austrian Alpine Explorer.
A chapel in memory of the Prince Imperial is in
course of erection on a nook of ground bordering on the
Avenue de la Bourdonnais, on the Champ de Mars,
Paris. The monument consists of a cupola resting on
an entablature, which is sui ported by eight columns.
It is lighted by four stained-glass windows, and con-
tains an altar. It dimensions are about 35ft. by =ft.
The interior is to be almost entirely of marble, and the
decoration of an ornate character. Its cost is estimated
at 300,000 francs. The monument is being erected by
Prince Mirat.

At the High Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh, on
Monday, James Gardiner, S.S.C., and George S. Ferrier,
accountant, both belonging to Edinburgh, were out-
lawed for failing to appear to answer criminal charges
against them. The former is alleged to have appro-
priated £lOOO of clients' funds, and the latter to have
stolen £3OO belonging to an estate on which he was
judicial factor. Gardiner was well connected, and had
a large business.
Orders have been issued for -the discharge of 100
more men from the works of the London and North-
Western Railway Company at Crewe. A large number
of furnacemen have also received orders that they will
be put on short time, namely, four days a week. A.
general reduction of the staff is being made up and
down the system. It is stated that if the depression
in trade continues several thousand Workmen altogether
will be stopped.
Speaking in the Kettering Corn Exchange, Mr.
Bradlai4h denounced the feeling displayed in this
country towards Germany, and attributed the depres-
sion in trade both here and throughout Europe to the
enormous war establishments which are kept up, and
the military promenades which are indulged in. He
was glad to see that a new member of the Government,
Mr. Caine„had pronounced in favour of one House of
Parliament.

The eight young-men who were charged with high-
way robbery with violence in Guernsey, on the sth of
November last, when they knocked down and robbed
Captain W. Lovett, in a public street, were tried before
the Royal Court of Guernsey, on Monday afternoon.
One of them was sentenced to five years' penal servi-
tude, and the other seven to ten years' penal servitude
each. The first was dealt with so leniently on account
of his youth, being only 17 years of age.
On Monday afternoon, at a conference of the Tyne
and Wear master shipbuilders and a deputation from
the Boiler Makers' Association held at Sunderland, an
arrangement was arrived at which settles the wages
question upon both rivers, The reductions agreed upon
were—plating 7 per cent. all round, rivetting 5 per
cent., caulking on steel 5 per cent., other work iu caulk-
ing 7 per cent., angle iron smiths 5 per cent. The
reductions take effect from the termination of the pay
now running.
The Cleveland iron mas,ters met on Monday after-
noon specially to consider the existing restriction in the
output of pig-iron about one-sixth of the previous out-
put having been ;topped during 1884. It was resolved
otfo caoneotimnumeitttheee parpeps:inntterdestotriecontioeindpeer the
etiggtuheereoa of
a suggested further restriction under the circumstances
servant, named of increasing stocks.
death aeltelv.e3sita Br yr
gCh
thoriiis tomn
nadgaeyd
mlo6m, winasg.
buArnesed
She was in service at Eaton-gardens, and it is supposed
that her clothes caught fire in the kitchen. When dis-
covered she was terribly burned. She died soon after
her admiesios to the hospital.

Dr. Baron, corporate medical officer, has declared
Durham clear of small-pox. The schools which have
been closed four months are to be reopened.
The Enfield Local Board of Health prosecuted a gen-
tleman named Gilbert at the local Petty Sessions on
Monday, for supplying impure water from wells to his
tenants. The Board had repeatedly called upon Mr.
Gilbert to take the water supplied from their works,
and their medical officer declared that the well water
was unfit for drinking purposes. Mr. Gilbert produced
a certificate from Professor Tidy, stating that upon
analysis he found the well water of good quality, whole-
some, and that it contained nothing likely to occasion
injury to health. The magistrates dismissed the sum-
monses, and awarded to Mr. Gilbert five guineas as
costs.
The number of live stock and the quantity of fresh
meat landed at Liverpool during the past week from
American and Canadian ports amounted to 827 cattle,
7527 quarters of beef, and 874 carcases of mutton,
against a total of 520 cattle, 678 sheep, 6390 quarters
of beef, 929 carcases of mutton, and 103 hogs for the
preceding week's arrivals, showing an increase in the
imports of cattle and fresh beef, but a slight decrease
in that of mutton. The conveying steamers last week
were as follows: Roman, 393 cattle; Missouri, 364
cattle and 887 quarters of beef ; Barromore, 70 cattle;
Bavarian, 1552 quarters of beef and 85 carcases of
mutton; Spain, 1559 quarters of beef and 325 car-
eens of mutton; Lord Gough, 998 quarters of beef and
64 carcases of mutton; Cephalonia, 971 quarters of
beef; Republic, 800 quarters of beef and 230 carcases
of muttoje ; and Celtic, 760 quarters of beef and 170
carcases of mutton.
Mr. P. J. Smyth, late member of Parliament for
Tipperary, has died at his residence in Belgrave•
square, Dublin, after a short illness. He retired fhen
Parliamentary life upon accepting the position of secre-
tary to the Irish Loan Fund Board a few weeks ago,
but never discharged any of the duties of that office.
Mr. Smyth was respected by all classes of politicians in
the country, and will be remembered as one of the last
of the Young Ir.landers of 1848.

Vice Chancellor Bacon has made perpetual the in-
junction obtained by Lord Lytton preventing the pub-
lication of letters written by his lordship's father to the
late Lady Lytton.
The statement that Germany and Russia refuse to
have anything to do with guaranteeing an Egyptian
loan has been telegraphed to Cairo, where it has caused
a sensation.

The President of the United States has awarded a
gold watch and chain to C. F. Tremlett, her Britannic
Majesty's Consul at Saigon, in recognition of the valu-
able assistance the consul rendered to the shipwrecked.
crew of the American ship Rainier. The English
Government have allowed Consul Tremlett to accept
the testimonial,
In opening the Reading assizes Mr. Justice Hawkins
said that prisoners committed for trial for small offences
should be admitted to bail even upon their own recog-
nisances if there was no likelihood of the accused run-
ning away, because it sometimes happened, as was pro-
bable in a case to be tried at these assizes, the accused
were detained a longer period in prison awaiting their
trial than they would be sentenced to if they were to
be tried and convicted immediately.'
On Monday night Sir Edmund Hay Currie omned a
large school which has recently been erected by the
London School Board in Highbury Station-road, Isling-
ton, at a cost of £21,840. The new building will accom—
modate at present 1195 children, but it is in contem,
iliation at a future date to increase its capacity until it,
will hold 1600 pupils.
aebvoeuntinVonptehresolenzturmoes-
The British Women's Temperance Association WA
tomneLtni "Cgi City Temple,Mndas
were ladies, attending. Speeches were made- by Dr.,
lecture-hail
w°fb.thelom:
Edmunds, who presided, Mrs. M. Bright Lr.oas, Mrs.
Servante, Mrs. Aukland, and Mrs. Reaney,. the latter;
remarking that when the "Bitter Cry oil Outcast.
London' was loudest a public-house oplosite some.
dock gates in the East-end was sold for 19/)O() $n
while the distress in Sunderland caused I39ooweddinr,
rings to be pledged there was no percepOile diminution*
in the drink traffic of that town.
The suspension of Messrs. Rouse,, West, and 00.,,
cotton brokers, of Liverpool, was posted on biondalrt
the Room of the Liverpool Cotton Assooiation.
firm have been in existence in Liverpool kir about
twenty years, and their failure bas caused grgat sgrpriffies
in the cotton market. It is reported thskt the firm are
30,000 bales short on arrival contracts, the,)ffliove 90
which are estimated at ebot £P.OOOc ' -