The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-04-25 00:00:00

AN AMERICAN MARTYR.

Misterfaitratts gnitiligenre.
800, FOREIGN, AND COLONIA:a

TEE AclDansry Snow.—Of the 9000 or 10.000 pictures
that have been sent to Burlington House, over 7000
have been 'rejected.
ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL GALLEET.—The collec-
tion at the National Gallery has been enriched by the
addition of fourteen new pictures; it receives this
generous gift under the will of the late Mrs. Elizabeth

V• aughan.-
NEW OPERA.—An opera on the Deluge, "Noah," has
been brought out at Carleruhe. It was begun by Halevy
twenty-two yeas ago, and was subsequently finished
by his son-in-law, Georges Bizet, the composer of
"Carmen," but had never been performed until now.
AN UNTOUNDED RUMOUR.—The "Official Journal"
. __

of Dresden the rumour that the King of Saxony

intended to sell to England RafaePs Sixtine Madonna, at
present in the Gallery at Dresden. The picture is the
property of the State, and not of the King... .
THE GOOD TEMPLARS.—The Swedish Government has
granted to the Good Templars order the use of the Par-
liament House for the session of the Right Grand
Worthy Lodge of the World, which opens at Stock-
holm on the 30th June, when England will send
seven delegates, and many other countries will be
rem esented.

DISCOVERIES AT CARTHAGE.—According to a report
from Tunis a long, lofty, and wide subterranean aque-
duct, in perfect condition, has just been discovered on
the site of ancient Carthage. Twenty-two Phoenician
tombs of tie First Epoch, together witb a. nuirnber of
Phoenician and Etruscan vases, all well, preserved, were
likewise brought to light. A Latin inscription placed
over the site of some baths was also found.

A MISSIONARY OONVRNTION.—A general convention
of clergymen and laymen will be held at Oxford on
May 20 to consider the missionary question, especially
in relation to the Mahometan world. The meeting
will be similar to the one held in Exeter Hairtwo or
three weeks ago, under the presidency of the late Lord
Cairns. Sir William APArthur, M.P., has consented to
take the chair.
WARNINGS OF ICEBERGS.—In pursuance of an
arrangement between London, Paris. and Washington,
the American Signal Office commenced a few weeks ago
to send warnings of icebergs, so that ships on their way
to America will soon be informed of the risks of ice-
bergs, and will know how far outh to diverge ,in order
to avoid 'them Ships boimd .fOr Newfouildland will
also know whether to accelerate Or delay the voyage.

- i
IMPORTANT DiscovEnv.—A Germr.n engineer s re-
ported to have made an important discovery in
aeronautics, by which he is enabled to condense or
expand the gas in a balloon. The agent he entploys is
compressed carbonic acid, with the help of which, he
says, he is able to ascend or descend at pleasure. This
vertical movement would put it in the power of an
aeronaut to go up or down until he finds a current of air
moving in the horizontal direction be wishes... Should
all this prove true, the discovery would be' an important
one for military operations; because in time of war a
balloon would be able to reach the enemy's territory and
ascend or descend without requiring a fresh supply of
gas.—" Iron."
BRIT-1m MUSEUM ADDITIONS.—The latest additions
to the Egerton Library of Manuscripts in the British
Museum comprise: Original letters addressed to 'Mr.
John Hanson' solicitor to Lord Byron, by George
Gordon, Lord Byron, and members of his family and
other persons, chiefly on business matters, 1797-1816,
three vols. folio; Diary of Lady Margaret Hoby, wife
of Sir T. P. Roby, 1599-1605; a miracle play of
"Daniel," with musical notes, thirteenth century;
official letters of Napoleon Bonaparte, 180341 --miscel.
laneous historical letters and papers, 1556-1753;
original letters of Queen Henrietta Maria to Charles 1.,
1642-5; original letters of Oliver Cromwell, 1648-54;
and correspondence and papers of Admiral Herbert,
afterwards Earl of Torrington, chiefly relating„to the
Revolution of 1688.
ANOTHER BOOKSTALL STORY.—Some little time ago
a gentleman bought for a few pence at a bookstall in
London an old book, which was of no particular value,
but which he happened to want. It was bound in
vellum, and by the lapse of time the skin had become
separated from the cardboard to which it had originally
been pasted. On reaching home, and when
.about to
commence the perusal of his purchase, Mr. noticed
a something between the vellum and the boards. With-
out much thought of what he was doing, he unfolded
the vellum, when to his great delight be saw what
proved to be nearly a whole pack cf very rare and
ancient playing cards. After keeping his treasures for
some little time and exhibiting them to his friends,
Mr. was at last induced to part with them fsr a
considerable sum to the British Museum. He has
spent all his leisure time since in examining tlfe bind-
ings of old books at stalls and elsewhere. .
ARTIFICIAL TEETH.—The use of artificial teeth is not
so modern as is generally believed. "Cosmos" states
that in the museum of Oorneto, on the coast of Italy,
there are two curious specimens of artificial teeth
found in Etrescan tombs probably dating to four or five
centuries before our era. These graves contained the
bodies of two young girls. On the jaw of one is still to
be seen tw:, incisors fixed to their neighbthirs by small
gold rings; in the other the rings remained, but. the
artificial teeth had fallen out. The teeth, carefully, cut,
had evidently been taken from the mouth of some large
animal. The dentist's art among the anci-nts'was not
confined to drawing teeth, and replacing them by arti-
ficial ones, for natural teeth have been found which
have evidently been treated in vaTiOus Nvus. That this
Curious fact has escaped notice-so lorig iiedue•te the
rarity of Etruscan skeletons, the Etruscans employing
cremation generally, and also to the circumstances that
modern inquirers are more interested in objects of
Etruscan art and industry than in the remains of -their
ancient owners.—" Nature." .
FOREIGN LIVE STOCK AND FRESH MEAT.—There

being a larger number ot steamers arriving at Iriver-
pool last week with live stock on board from American
and Canadian ports than during the preceding week, the
imports consequently show a large increase in both live
stock and fresh meat. The total arrivals amounted to
1771 cattle, 504 sheep, 13,n86 quarters of beef, and 2425
carcases of mutton; and the conveying steamers were
as follows: Venetian, 600 cattle, 1279 quarters of beef,
and 140 carcases of mutton: Borderer, 1538 cattle and
504 sheep • Thanemore 377 cattle ; Helvetia. 256 cattle,
2380 quarters of beef, and 580 carcases of mitton ;
British Crown, 831 quarters of beef, 255 carca-ses of
mutton; City of Rome. 1600 quarters ,of beef ane3oo
carcases of mutton: Arizona, 3060 quarters of beef and
70.0 carcases of mutton; Britannic, 1600 quarters of
beef and 300 carcases of mutton; Catalonia, 16,55
quarters of beef; and City of Montreal, 680 quarterlPf
beef and 150 carcases of mutton.
LAST 'WEEK'S WRECRS.—Nineteen actual shipwre,cke
were reported last week, of which eight were British
(seven sailers and one steamer), four being wrecked off
Great Britain. The other vessels, all sailers, including
two German, two Spanish, and two Norwegian-owned,
were lost off foreign coaste. Two vessels sunk by
collision, one off English coast and one off Danish.
Total wrecks for year, 335. Lives lost for week. 20.
Corresponding week of last year: Wrecks, 21; tOtal
for year, 576; off British Isles, 5; lives, 45.
CORN AVERAGES.—The following are the .average
prices of British corn for last week, as received from
the inspectors and officers of Excise: Wheat, 345. Id.;
barley, 31s. 3d.; oats, 20s. 11d, per imperial qr. Corre-
sponding week last year: Wheat, 37's. 3d.; barley.
30s. 10d. • oats, 19s. sd.
THE ZOOLOGICAL Socirm--The additions to. he
Zoological Gardens during the past week include a pig-
tailed monkey from Java, presented by Mrs. Urquhart;
a Chinese mynah from China, presented by Mr. George
Rowler ; a galeated curassow from Venezuela, presented
by Mr. G. A. Crawley; a Chilian sea eagle from. Chili,
Presented by Mr. Richard J. Jones; a carrion crow,
British, presented by Mr. A. Browning Priestly: a
smooth snake from Hampshire, presented by Mr. W.
H. B. Pain; a Tibetan wild ass, or kiang from Tibet,
four Sonnerat's jungle fowls from Southern India,.de-
posited ; a Mandarin duck from China, a dark green
snake, South European, purchased; twO kendall's
guinea fowls from East Africa received in exchange 7 a
gigantic salamander from Japan, two bull frogs from
North America, received, on approval; a white-fronted
lemur, born in the gardens. r