The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-29 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

All the Chambers of Commerce in Sicily are voting
considerable sums to encourage the experiment of the
cultivation of tea in Sicily.
In recognition of the distinguished gallantry of Cap-
tain A. K. Wilson, of her Majesty's ship Hecla, at the
battle of El Teb, the officers of her Majesty's ship
Vernon, torpedo training school, intend to present him
with a handsome and valuable sword of honour, to-
gether with an address on vellum.
A New York telegram says that the visible supply of
wheat on March 21 was 30,200,000 bushels, as against
30,500,000 bushels the previous week. Visible supply
of Indian corn 17,000,000 bushels, as against 16,200,0(Y)
bushels the previous week. The export clearances of
wheat for Europe during the last week amounted to
370,000 bushels. The export clearances of Indian corn
for Europe during the week amounted to 780,000
bushels.
There are in France 4575 miles of navigable rivers,
and 2900 miles of canals. In the year 1852 there were
only 4190 miles of river navigable, and 2440 miles of
canal, the increase in the length of river being 385
miles, and in that of canals 460 miles.
Skilling, a native of Bagshot, is said to have just
attained his 100th year. He is in full possession of his
faculties, and was in the employ of the crown at Bag-
shot-park for 62 years. A few years ago Her Majesty
granted him a pension in recognition of his services.
Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States
ports were 42,000 bales; since Ist September, 4,462,000
bales. Week's exports to Great Britain, 42,000 bal,s ;
to the Continent, 34,000 bales. Total since Ist Sep-
tember, 3,180,000 bales; stock at all ports, 795,000
bales. Stock at interior ports, 81,000 bales.
According to telegrams received from Kansas tho
supposed foot-and-mouth disease reported to exist in
that State is not that malady, but "hoof-rot," caused
by the frosts of this severe

The New York correspondent of the '4 Stiinclard "
says that the convict whose sufferings were so graphi-
caLly described in Dickens's "American Notes" was
recently released. The unhappy man, failing to find a
refuge elsewhere, begged to be allowed to return to his
old cell, and he has died there.
On Sunday the lifeless body of an old woman,
apparently about 60 years of age, was found by a game-
keeper on Damen Moss, Damen, a wild and un-
frequented place. The body was very much decomposed,
and from the appearance life must have been extinct
for at least three months. How the woman came to her
death is at-present a mystery.
The Assam Railway and Trading Company's coal-
fields at Assam were opened in February by Mr. Elliot,
the chief commissioner of that province, who visited
the company's Ledo colliery. and Thikak mine, and ex-
pressed his satisfaction at the development of the coal
industry in Assam.
13arjorji jamasji Padshah, of Elphinstone College,
University of Bombay, has won the silver medal offered
by the Cobden Club to that University for proficiency
in political economy.
A paper chimney fifty feet high has lately been put,
up at Breslau. Clompressed paper pulp is stated to be
one of the least inflammable of substances, and to.
make an excellent material for fireproof doors.

There have arrived at Inveraxy Castle, from Canada,
half a million eggs of the white fish indigenous to thb k
Great Canadian lakes, the consignment having been...f%,
forwarded with great care to the Marquis of Lorne by-
the Acting Superintendent of the Fish Culture for the
Dominion. The intention is to try the introduction of
these fish into our Blitish lakes, this being the first
experiment of the kind.
The Prince of Wales has presented to the Royal
Horticultural Society a silver cup to be competed for
at the exhibition of the society in Aberdeen, to be held
during the viSit of the British Association next year.
On Saturdajr afternoon a shoe riveter named Joseph
Easton Cliff lost his life while saving a little girl from
being run over by a Great Northern express at Leicester.
Cliff, who was 27 years of age, was taking work home,
and stopped to speak to the signalman at a level cross-
ing. Some children ran on to the line as the express
was approaching, and Cliff, in rushing forward -to save
a little girl, was caught by the engine and cut to pieces,
his body being dragged 50 yards before the train could
be stopped. Tbe deceased leaves a wife and three chil-
dren.

Two men were crushed to death on Saturday at the
Newcastle Colliery, Llantrissant, by a fall of mineral.
A third person narro'wly escaped.
The Prince of Wales, attended by Colonel A. Ellis,
visited the South Kensington Museum on Saturday
morning, and inspected the collection of Russian re-
productions lately acquired by the Science and Art
Department.
Two complimentary addresses, one in Sanskrit and
the other in Hindustani, have been presented to Pro-
fessor Monier-Williams at Bulandshahr, near Delhi, in
the presence of all the leading inhabitants of the
district. The Professor, in tendering his thanks, spoke -
at some length in Sanskrit, alluding to the signs of pro-
gress everywhere observable in India.
Mr. Baum, the pertonal attendant of Lord Beacons-
field during his fatal illness, has been appointed a
messenger in the House of Lords.
The "Dublin Gazette" announces that Ireland is -
now free from foot-and-mouth-disease, the last of the
animals affected, four in Dunshaughlin Union, county.' -
Meath, having been slaughtered by order of the Lord-
Lieutenant on the 18th and 19th instant. _
A Paris journal announces that the French Govern-
ment are seriously discussing the amount of the war
indemnity that is to be claimed of China on account of
her intervention in Tonquin. It learns that the sum
which will be demanded will not be inferior to 150 mil-
lions of francs.
A member of the Garrick Club has a retriever dog
who is fond of fishing. The owner says: Whenever I
take him near the waters he walks carefully by the
edge, watching for fish. Directly he sees one he springs.
like a cat on it, and has managed to catch three small
perch, all of which were quite unhurt, so that I was
able to put them back, and they swam off apparently
unhurt.
A lady has been making a balloon ascent at Florence,
in company with M. Julhes, a French aeronaut. After
landing the lady safely at Sisto the aeronaut again
ascended. The novel attraction of a female ballonist
attracted an immense crowd.
Mrs. Lang tiy's season this year in America has been
successful beyond expectation. She retains to England
in July, to play for four months hi the provinces, after
which she will probably return to the United States,
having received enormous offers consequent on her sue-
Cess this year.
Baron Dowse, while presiding at the county Antrim
Assizes at Belfast on the 21st inst., was attacked by a
violent bleeding at the nose. He had to leave the
Bench, and the sitting was suspended for the day. .
The Prince of Wales has intimated that Monday, the-
-sth of May, will be a convenient day for his performing
the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of the new
central Tower of Peterborough Cathedral.
The re-building of the Belgian Chambers has just-
begun. In the old House there were 132 members of •
the Lower Chamber, and 144 seats provided,, for the
number of representatives is always increasing
according to the Belgian Constitution, which provides
one member for every 40,000 inhabitants. In the new
building there will be accommodation for a possible-
-115 delegates. The building is to be completed in two.
years, and the cost is estimated at three million francs.
The opening of the Officers' Stores at Berlin, in imi- -
tation of the English Co-operative Stores, has caused a
panic, owing to the action of two of the largest military
tradesmen, who have suddenly demanded payment of
their bills within -a fortnight. The sum claimed is
enormous, and it is expected that other firms will
follow the example of the two who have made the'
first move.
An alarming landslip has occurred in Moravia, where
a hill of about a hundred metres in height has been
shifting for several days past, and now threatens to
overwhelm some houses at its base. A gap, fourteen
metres wide and three metres deep, has already been
formed.

King Louis of Bavaria has undertaken to act as patron
of the International Exhibition of Works in Precious
Metals, to be held at Nuremburg next year.
Official notice is given that the State apartments of
Windsor Castle will be open to the public on the 14th.
15th, 17th, and 18th of April.
In Court circles in Berlin it is rumoured that the
betrothal of the Princess Valerie, youngest daughter of •
the Emperor of Austria, now with the Empress at
Wiesbaden, to her cousin, the Archduke Ferdinand
d'Este, will shortly be announced.
It was decided at the annual meeting of the Crewe
Agricultural Society to abandon the holding of the
usual show on account of the present bad state of the
farming interest and the difficulty farmers have in
paying their way. A large number of farmers had
intimated their intention not to subscribe to the
society' funds again.
The Treasury has consented to pay the expenses of
the judges going on circuit. These expenses have, in
the cases of the Queen's Bench Division judges attend-
ing the summer and winter assizes, hitherto been paid
out of their own pockets. A fixed sum per day while on
circuit has been offered by the Treasury.
The artest of twenty-seven Nihilists in the Russiaa
capital last week has caused the greatest excitement in
St. Petersburg society, many of those arrested belong-
ing to distinguished Russian families.
Lord Thurlow will renew his motion as to the
Sunday opening of museums next Session and will
make it an annual motion till it is carded. Nine
bishops, in addition to the Primate, voted in the
majority. The Prince of Wales paired in favour of the.
motion.

The weather during the last week having been
boisterous, especially off the northern coasts of the
British Isles, the wrecks were more numerous than for
the previous week. The number was 29, including 13
British vessels, making a total of 478 for the present
year. Against last year there is a decrease of seven for
the week and 126 in the total. Fifty lives were reported
lost last week, compared with 74 at this time last
year.
The arrivals of live stock and fresh meat at Liverpool
during last week from American and Canadian ports
amounted to 1419 cattle, 807 sheep, 5027 qrs. of beef,
and 752 carcases of mutton. The total imports, when
compared with the arrivals of the preceding week, show
an increase in live stock, but a somewhat large falling
off in dead meat.
The Turin Exhibition will be opened on the 26th of
April, and remain open till November. Great festivities
are being arranged in the city for each month of that
period. The area of the exhibition and its gardens
covers about 100 acres.

The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens,
Regent's Park, London, during last week, included a
squirrel monkey from Guiana, presented by Mrs. Dundas;
j
a leopard from Africa, presented by Mr. S. Cresswell
a West Indian rail from South America, presented b
Mrs. Edward Hairby ; a kestrel, British, presented ,
Mr. F. E. Baum; a common viper, British, presented
by Mr. W. 11. B. Pain; two mute swans, European,
four redshanks, British, purchased.

The total receipts in cities where Mr. Irving has
played more than one week were as follows :—New
York, four weeks, 75,687.50 dols.; Boston, three weeks,
59,817.50 dols. ; Ohicaga, three weeks, 54,475 dols ; Phila-
delphia, two weeks, 32,909 dols. The total receipts of
the tour thus far have been 292,571 dole.
Mr. Langham held an inquest in London on Satur-
day at St. Bartholomew's Hospital relative to the
death of Jane Amelia Owen, aged 21, a milliner, lately
residing at De Beauvoir-road, Kingsland. She was
descending the stairs leading to the platform of the
Metropolitan Railway, intending to take the train to
Aldgate, when she missed her footing, and fell heavily
down the whole flight of thirty steps. She was
severely injured, and died on Friday. The jury re-
turned a verdict of "Accidental death."
An alarming traction-engine accident happened at
Sheffield on Saturday evening. The engine was going
down Crookesmoor when the bolt of the break slipped
out, and the machine went on at an ever-increasing
speed. One a the men jumped off, and the other was
left to decide whether he would go on down a steep
and populous street or immediately cross the road and
run over an embankment. He chose the latter course,
jumping off just as the engine went over the side. It
went tumbling down, and was rendered a complete
wreck.
In Mercer's Hospital on Saturday, Dr. White,
Dublin city coroner, opened an inquest on the body of
John Kite, a member of the Dublin Fire Brigade. He
was en duty on the previous Wednesday night attend-
ing a fire in a jeweller's establishment in Trinity-street.
The lionse, which was a three-storeyed one, fell and
buried ten men. Kite was killed, death being caused
by suffocation. Some evidence was given as to the
construction of the house and the insurance effected on
it, and the inquest was adjourned.
The Viceroy of India arrived in Simla on Saturday.
He spent a week at Puttiala, where he formally
(opened the Mohender College, the foundation stone of
which was laid by Lord Northbrook, in 1875, during the
reign of the late Maharajah.
On Saturday, Joseph Clayton, who fought through
the Peninsular War, and was present at the Battle of
Waterloo, died at Dudley in his 95th year. He had
drawn a pension only during the last twelve years;
while he had been unable to work.