The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-08 00:00:00

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spirits in Valetta and the adjoining towns is only £4
a year; in other parts of the island and in G-ozo it is
only 4s. a year. If the applicant for a licence has
never been positively convicted of crime he is qualified
to receive a licence. The expressions used by soldiers
and sailors in hospital or in prison in speaking to the
chaplains of the drink sold in some of the grogshops
are llt maddens,' 'lt poisons.' A. particular drink of
a very intoxicating nature is called 'fixed bayonets.'
The number of these grog-shops might surely be
reduced, the cost of a license might be raised, there
might be a stricter inquiry into the character of the
applicants for licenses, into the character of thehouses
they keep, and into the nature of the liquor sold ; a
permanent Board of Inquiry might be established, and
cohnels of regiments might be consulted in reference
to the respectability of the grogshops in the neighbour-
hood of their barracks."

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT HONG-BONG.
The London and China Telegraph contains an account
from a correspondent at Hong-Kong of a destructive tire
which occurred on the night of December 25 last at that
place.
The fire broke out at 10.45 p.m. in the Queen's-road
at a house occupied by a European named Fisher, who'
was out at the time, and was caused, it is believed, by
the upsetting of some kerosene oil. Unfortunately, at
the time a fairly strong breeze was blowing, and the
flames rapidly spread westwards and eastwards through
several streets. Both soldiers and sailors were employed
in various ways, and, considering the day, behaved
very well. His Excellency arrived on the scene at three
a.m. At this time Peel, Cochrane, and Graham streets
were all on fire, and the flames were creeping up to
Gage-street, Wellington-street, and Hollywood-road.
Shortly afterwards several houses were blown up with
a view to stopping the progress of the flames, and at
eight in the morning the Government Civil Hospital
was also blown up and the patients rem.ved to the
old Lock Hospital. By 9 a.m. this building was on
fire, and the police barracks and gaol were in immi-
nent danger, but fortunately escaped. A force oL
100 men of the 74th Regiment was marched into the
gaol in case the prisoners had to be removed thence.
Some of them.were out in a chain gang manning one of
the manual fire engines. The tire here was stayed in its
southward direction, having extended to the Old Bailey,
and burnt Lyndhurst-terrace, a large quantity of which
was composed of new houses; all Graham-street was
burnt, and the fire stopped at the north-east corner of
Staveley-street. At about nine a, in. the fire broke out
again on the southern side of the Queen's-road, and
thirigs looked very serious. It continued to spread
until it was opposite the Oriental Bank. All night
this bank wad the Chartered Bank of India were
guarded by men of the 74th. The damage done was
roughly put down at 1,000,000 Mars. About 350 to
400 houses were destroyed. The fire was got under at
three p.m. on the 26th, but the engines played on the
smouldering embers for two days afterwards.