The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-27 00:00:00

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

Has an optician an eye to business?
The owl is a very small bird for its eyes.
Measures of precaution—Verifying a survey.
Novel objections—Those urged against fiction 4
Cube-a naturally demands square treatment.
A sower trial--Testing an agricultural implement.
The last letter in the alphabet must be the least
used, since "a word to the Y's is sufficient."
When you use a technical and high-sounding
name for butter you can call it a " butyraceous pro-
duct:"

The banana skin, though crushed to earth, has the
power to take somebody with it.
A rolling stone gathers no moss. Neither does a
paving stone for the matter of that.

_
Russia on several occasions sent expeditions to the
Poles and got around them very-successfully.
A Detroit dentist palls teeth to slow music. At
least it seems slow to the victim who furnishes it.

Courtship in Mexico is called "doing the bear."
How appropriate, for isn't it bruin trouble?
"Brethering an' sisters," -said Sister Grimes, "1
have known this 'ere sister who has just departed
from our midst, as a dear friend, for a long time.
We have toiled and laboured together in the vine-
yard; we have suffered and rejiced together for more
than two centuries."

A man and his wife who were quarrelling were
accosted by an officer with the injunction to keep
quiet, and he turned to the man and added : "Seems
to me that you ought to do your fighting at home."—
"Well, it don't to me!" was the prompt reply. "If
there's any fighting to be done I want to come out
here, where I've got some chance to dodge her !"
"Doctor, I want to thank your for your great
patent medicine." "It helped you, did it ?"asked the
doctor very much pleased.—"lt helped me wonder-
fully." "how many bottles did you find it neces-
sary to take?" "Oh, I didn't take any of it! My
uncle took one bottle and I am his sole heir."

A Montpelier 5-year-old of our acquaintance was
once invited, with the rest of the family, to take tea
at the house of a friend. The head of the family had
taken pains to prepare a tempting supper for his
guests, and when all were seated at the table and it
came 5-year-old's turn to be helped, the host said:
Well, Johnny, what will you have ?" Johnny
looked over the table a minute and then made the
crushing reply: "When I am at home, and don't see
anything good to eat on the table, I have crackers and
milk, and I guess I'll have crackers and milk now?'
ILLITERACY IN THE UNITED STATES.—There is a
great amount of illiteracy in the United States, and
an effort is being made at the present time to show
that it chiefly rests with the Republicans. A well-
known democratic journal, the Indianopolis &Mud,
observes that according to the last census there were
in the United States 1,871,217 male citizens above
the age of 21 who could not write. Of these 862,910
were whites, and 1,008,302 coloured. It is estimated
that of the coloured voters the democratic party
secures about one-tenth, or, in round numbers, say,
101,000, while the republicans manage to secure the
!remainder, something more than 000,000. Of the
illiterate whites, 476,196 are credited to the demo-
cratic party, and 386,779 to the republican party.
Assuming these figures, therefore, as correct, the
case stands thus—total number of illiterate repub-
licans, 1,294,182 ; total number of illiterate demo-
crats, 577,02 d; excess of illiterate republicans,
717,150. But the republicans may say that one side
rood nail the other is heard.

WIt2CIC OF A BRITISH GUNBOAT.

FIFTY-TWO LIVES LOST.

A te'eTram was received on Tuesday afternoon at
the Admiralty reporting the total loss of her Majesty's
;unlx.)at Wasp at Tory Island, North-West coast of
Ireland, on the 22nd.

Only six men saved out of a total complement of
58.

The lieutenant commanding and other officers are
not among the survivors.
Almost simultaneously with the receipt of this
message the following telegram was received from
Lloyd's agent at Innisboffin, dated Dunfanaghy,
September 23, 12 p.m. "Her Majesty's gunboat
Wasp wrecked (Tory Island) ; only six men saved on
Monday morning, three o'clock; not practicable to
proceed from mainland in open boat.
The Wasp is a composite gunboat, carrying four
guns, and of 465 tons burthen. Her engines are of
470 horse power. She was commissioned at Devon-
port on December 1, 1881, and was engaged on
particular service, which at the time of the
disaster necessitated her coasting round the north-
west coast of Ireland. Her lieutenant and com-
mander, John D. Nicholls, was commissioned on
the iet of January, 1883, the other officers appointed
being Navigating Lieutenant F. A. Warden, Sub-
Lieutenant Thomas S. Guppy, Engineer W. Hudson,
and Gunner John W. Kerrigan.
The north coast of Donegal is of a wild and rugged
character, studded with numerous little islands, of
which Tory Island is the most important. Bold
headlands and precipitous cliffs render the coast very
dangerous for navigators in stormy weather. Tory
Island is about 2.4 miles long and on mile broad, and
'has a lighthouse on the north-west end. The north
-side presents a range of cliffs from 100 ft. to 300 ft. high.
Towards the south the land slopes down and the shore
.is flat. The lighthouse stands 122 ft. above the sea level.
There are about 70 families on the island, depending
chiefly upon fishing. Innisboffin is an island about
one mile from the mainland, and has a coastguard
-station. The islet is about a mile in circumference.
About three months ago the Wasp was set apart for
special service on the north-west coast of Ireland,
to proceed with sevtral Commissioners of the Har-
bour and Fishery Board round the different har-
bours and rivers, where statistics and other infor-
mation was being collected relative to the fisheries
and navigation. In addition to the officers aboye
mentioned, Surgeon Otway P. Brown was appointed
this year to the Wasp. There is a possibility that all
the officers may not have been on board at the time
of the disaster, as some may have been sent on shore
for special duties.
When the news of the wreck reached the Admiralty
Admiral Sir Cooper Key, who is fulfilling Lord
Northbrook's duties ad Interim, was in the office, and
instantly telegraphed to the nearest available respon-
sible officer to proceed to the spot and report upon
the disaster. Meanwhile a further telegram was
received from one of the crew confirming the earlier
news, but giving no additional facts. Though no
details as to the immediate cause of the wreck have
yet been received, it is evident from the number of
lives lost that the vessel must have sunk very rapidly,
as she was well supplied with boats and life-buoys,
which were always kept ready for immediate use in
the event of any sudden emergency arising.
A communication from the Admiralty on Tuesday
night states that her Majesty's ship Valiant, from
Rathmullen, has been sent to Tory Island to render
assistance and to obtain particulars. Ruthmullen is
on the Donegal coast near Lough Swilly, the distance
by sea from the scene of the disaster being
abent forty miles. The Valiant is on coastguard
service, her regular station being at Bantry.

A Londonderry correspondent telegraphs: "The
latest intelligence from the scene of the disaster states
that the Wasp struck on a rock on the north side of
Tory Island, causing her total wreck. Fifty-two of
her crew were drowned, only six being saved. None
of the officers are among the survivors. Those saved
a-e greatly exhausted, and they remain in Tory
Lighthouse. The rock upon which the Wasp struck
is within 40 yards of the lighthouse, and the topmasts
of the vessel are visible. There is great difficulty in
getting details, as the place is remote, and not easy of
access."

News of the loss of the Wasp was received by the
Admiralty at Queenstown at 4.40 on Tuesday even-
ing, and shortly afterwards Mrs. Hutton, wife of the
cook, a resident in Queenstown, received a telegram
from her husband stating that all on board had
perished except six seamen. The Wasp was stationed
at Westport, and left there on Sunday morning for
bloville. She had a crew of fifty-eight all told, but
of these it is reported that the surgeon, Mr. Brown,
and the engineer, Mr. Hudson, were on leave, and
that one of the seamen was left at Castlebar.