The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-03 00:00:00

isttliantzus gnielligence.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.,

Six MEN DROWNED.—A painful scene occurred late
on Friday night in last week, on the Tyne, at Telling,
near Newcastle. Two men were going to take some
German sailors from the Telling landing stage to
German gunboat in the river. One of them, who Iratl
intended staying behind, foolishly jumped in the boat,
and it immediately capsized. Oars were throm from
an adjoining factory, but six men were drowned, four
Germans and two Englishmen. One body only has been
recovered.

TIM WIMBLEDON MEETING.—TIIC preliminary priv:
list for the next meeting of the National Rifle Associa-,
tion, to be held at Wimbledon in July, has just been
issued by the Council, which, in consideration of the
financial success attending the last meeting, has
sanctioned a net increase of about £l2OO over the
amount shot for last year, when, exclusive of challenge
cups, it reached over £7OOO. Among the niiinerong
changes which are made in the list is the institution of
a series of " Evening " prizes, to be competed for after
5.30 p.m.
DRINKING IN SIVITZERLAND.—A report has just been
drawn up in Switzerland as to the best method of
checking the rapidly-increasing consumption of alcohol
in the cantons of Berne, Argovie, Soleure and Lucerne.
It embodies the result of inquiries made as Ito the
measures employed in those European countries, the
climate, revenues, and social condition of whieth most
resemble those of Switzerland. The three remedies
which have been recommended are, first, that the police
should be empowered to interfere in cases of drinking
to excess; the second, that a high duty should be levied
on the manufacture, commerce, and the retail selling
of alcoholic liquors; and third, that educational nietbe44
should be employed to combat the evil.
AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE.—John Churchill: Sikes',
of Chipstead, Kent, sends to "Notes and Queries" the
following anecdote, taken from a little book On the
money market: "An eminent judge, when a junior at
the bar, in referring to some questionable proceedingg,
observed, Now, gentlemen of the jury, the unfortunate
defendant had been amusing himself by flying ;kites,'
'Doing what ? ' interrupted the judge. 'Flying, kites,
my lord; putting his name to accommodation bills.'
Why are they called kites?' inquired the judge.
'Why, my lord, as in the case of schoolboys' kites; there
is a connection between the kite and the wind; only,
there the wind raises the kite, and here the kite raises

of 1 dat..,- _

A JAPANESE LAWYER nz Corrnr.—An American
paper says that Judges Allison and Biddle, of Phil-
adelphia, had the pleasure the other day of having
introduced to them Barrister R. Massugema, a Japanese
Of high rank, who had been sent to Europe by his
government to study and was admitted to the bar in
England. He was about five feet two inches in height,
but had an uncommon large head and a high, broad
forehead. He wore gold eye-glasses and had his thick,
straight hair cut in a style approaching the bang. Ile
was ceremonious in all his actions. He spoke English
almost without accent. He said he had gone to Europe •
by way of the Suez Canal, and is now on his way home
by way of the United States and the Pacific. He said
that he intends to practice law at home, and added
that he had certain improvements in legal forms to
suggest to his government.
THE EARTHQUAKE AT DJAKOTAII.—It IS stated that
the damage caused by the late earthquake at Djakovar
amounts to 40,000 florins. The first earthquake hap-
pened on the 24th March, at nine p.m., driving the
whole of the population out of doors; a second fol-
lowed in two minutes, and the whole of the night sub-
terranean thunder was heard at intervals of a quarter
or half an hour. After that the earthquakes were re-
peated every day to the number of thirty, with greater
or lesser violence. The bishop's residence' the semleary,
a cloister, the barracks, and otber public buii.lings were
greatly damaged. The tops of three small towers on
the cathedral and the whole of the fourth tower fell,
damaging the roof, while in the interior great rents
were caused in the walls.
THE HAYTIAN MASSACRES.—The Havannah press gives
horrible details of the massacres that have been con-
tinued without intermission since- the stipprovien Of
the rebellion in Hayti. All who had taken part in the
insurrection are being shot in the most ernel manner.
Tied to trees they form targets for the soldiery, who
begin by firing at the lower parts of 'the legs, gradn:.l;y •
raising the aim to the body and breast, and, if the
victim still exist, until the head has been reached :eid
pierced.
THE SALVATION ARMY IN SWITZERLAND.—The Geneva
correspondent of the "Daily News" says that sixty
persons, including Salvationists, have been brought
before the magistrate at Neuveville charged with dis-
turbing the peace. Fifteen Salvationists were sentenced
to three days' imprisonment and fined ten francs each.
The others received sentences of fifteen days' imprison-
ment, and were fined sums varying from ten to twenty'
francs. The punishment awarded to the Salvationists,
who were the victims of the mob, has caused great .
surprise and indignation.
THE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY AT BERLIN.—For the
last ten years Berlin has been in the possession of a
circular railway similar in character to that which runs
round Paris, and serving to connect the principal
stations on the main lines which run into 13erlin at
well as to facilitate suburban traffic. This netwerk Of
railway has recently been completed by the opening of
a transversal line from west to east, which runs;throtteli
the heart of the city and places it in direct communica-
tion with all the main lines. The Stadtbahn (city rail-
way), as it is called, which is about GI miles loiv„ is
carried nearly all the way upon arches, and there are
four lines of rail, two being reserved for the local traffic
and two for trains from the main lines. The construc-
tion of this railway has necesfitated the demolition •
of many insalubrious dwellings and for some
distance the line is parallel with the ancient
fortifications of the city. At another point a viaduct
has been built in the bed of the Spree, thus avoiding
the ex-propriation of many warehouses, which have
been left with means of access to the river. As Berlin
is pretty much on the level, the gradients are not very
steep, and only 43 per cent, of the line is on the curve.
There are nine stations in all, four of which are for the
main line as well as the local trains, while the five
others are for local traffic only, the main line trains 'not
stopping at them. The stations are large and well
arranged, and the number of passengers on week days
has averaged so far about 22,000, while on Sundays
there are as many as 90,000. Upon the local line there
Are trains every ten minutes between five a.m. and mid-
night, and fifty-four extra trains on Sunday, their
uniform speed being twenty-seven miles an hour. These
trains have only second and third-class Carriages, the
latter being so comfortable, that they are always full-
No goods trains are running at present upon the Stadt.
bahn' but a large covered market is about to be built
near the Alexander Platz Station, and then this rail-
way will be of immense value for the provisioning of
Berlin. The total cost of the line was £2,600,000, or
£400,000 per mile.
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The followi it g
are the average prices of British corn for last week, as
received from the inspectors and officers of Excise:
Wheat, 375. 2d.; barley, 31s. 2d.; oats, 20s. Od. per
imperial quarter. Corresponding week last year:
Wheat, 425. Od. ; barley, 325. 9d.; oats, 21s. 10d.
MORTALITY itt Russm—The paucity of medical men
in Russia, writes a correspondent, and the habits of the
rural population combine to make the Russian death-
rate the highest in Europe. Excepting the two capitals,
where there are many German physicians, there is no
district in the empire sufficiently supplied witii doctors.
According to the latest returns the average duration of -
life in. Russia is only 26 years. The mortality among
infants is frightful. More than 60 per cent. die before
they reach their fifth year. Nearly 2,000,000 children
perish every year. Of 8,000,000 boys only 3,770,000
attain the age of military service—that is to say, their
twenty-fifth year; and of these at least 1,000,000 are
found, by reason of shortness of stature and weakness
of body, unfit for military duties. . .
THE CANAL AT CORIN'TH.—Tho Isthmus of Corinth
has been disturbed from its sleep of centuries and lanow the scene of very active engineering 'operations, a "
new town, called Isthmia, of at least 200 houses and, •
stores, having risen on the shores of the Gulf of ./EginA. •
The dredging of the approaches of the canal has blYis
commenced on each side at the rate of some 5000 cubic
mares of sand and soil every 24 hours, while great
numbers of workmen are employed on the central
portion, the conveyance of the material being prov'ded' •
for by a railway of 15 kilometres in length, four loco-
motives, and 180 tip-waggons. Two large d-ed3ing '
machines have also just arrived from Lyons, which wal
work to the amount of 13,1:190 cubic mitres per day.