The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-08 00:00:00

TIIE PRINCESS ALICE DISASTER,

In London, on Monday evening, a numerously attended
meeting of the survivors and sufferers by this disaster was
held in the Memorial Hall, Farringdorpstreet, under the pre-
sidpnoy of Mr. 'Joshua Barrett, for the purpose of thanking
the contributors to the relief fund, and those who had nobly
helped to rescue the drowning passengers.
The Chairman said that out of the fund raised,
amounting to 48,246, 212 orphans, 43 widows, Y 9
widowers, 310 relatives, and N survivors, altogether 703
persons had been provided for. For this substantial token
of public sympathy the sufferers were deeply grateful.
Hearty thlanks were A,ccprdpd to the queen, the Prince
and Princess of Wales, and the public generally for their
contributions; to those who had rescued the sur•
viyors ,• to the inhabitants of Barking Creek, Beckton,
Erith, Plumstpad, awl Woolwiph for their hospitality
towards those who proyideptially escaped; to the
clergy and others who assisted at the burial of the
dead; to the co7.tmer'B jury for so patiently fulfilling
I their arduous duties ; o the ..cioutli-Ea.stern Railway
an is,,teamboat iCompanies for gratuftously eopveying
the bodies j ,;Ifio to the civil,' Military, and Rolice
authorities, and to tii9 prpes for faithfully and qmpa-
thisingly recording the evepts pt the dipast,er.
Thanks wpre also given to the present and pastTiord
Mayor, to Aldermau. Benjamin Phillips, and" the
Relief and Orphans Committees for distributing the
funds. A special vote of thanks was pasied by aoola-
wation to the Rev. A. Styleman herring, the alnaoner
of the relief fund §±, Woolwich, for the great
sympathy and tinwearfed ezeptious 13. e displayed
tcwards the sufferers; and it was decided to present a
resoluticn t 4 the Queen, calling her attention to the
services rendered bv thp yicar of St. Paul's, Clerken-
well, and requesting her considpritiou 0u143

The kilon are from the Obituary of The Times,
March 4 On the i2nd ian. t the battle of Isandula
Teigumoitth Melvill, Aclatent 24th Itegt., youngest con ot
Pmlip Melvin, .E.q , late Military Secretary to the Eas
Indi4 Company, aged 36.—0 n the 22nd Jan, killed in the
battle.of lisang.4la, South Africa, Captain 'William Degacher,
1.24 th Regt., second soa of Walter If Degacher, Esq., of St.
Omer France.—On the 22n1 Jan, killed at the battle of
lsandula, while sfsving as a Lieutenant in the Natal Oar-
hioeers, Fred-rick John Durraiit, eldest son of D. B. Scott,
of Natal, aged 27 yeani.
"Every one has been interested in the accounts of
the departnse of our troops for Zululand, and it must have
struck many with a strange tense of incongruity to find that
of all tunes in the world Auld Lang Syne' shonld almost
invariably have been the one selected to speed the lisave
fellows on th,-;ir way. Nothing could be more inappropriate,
unless it were sweet Home,' which I observe was
substituted in one instance. Auld Lang Syne,' so far from
being a parting song, essentially one suited to a meeting
o'f 'old friends `aftgra long separaflon. In the Crimean dq•Ye
hind me,
our troova went forth to the strains of The girl I left be-
or 'Cheer, Boys, cheer l' Surely those were airs
Tore suit&te than the one which has now been adopted
through some strange 'rant of appreciation of its senti-
Mat.' —The World.