The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-27 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The Emperor of Russia has made a donation of 400
roubles in aid of the sufferers of the recent fire at
Berditscheff and of the familes of those who perished
in the catastrophe.

The official total of the immigration into the United
States in 1882 was 712,542, including 229,996 from
Germany, 77,725 from England, 69,461 from Ireland,
and 58,742 from Sweden.
It has been resolved, at a meeting of the command.
ing officers of Metropolitan Volunteer Regiments, held
at the offices of the National Rifle Association, that
Brightcn be selected this year as the site for the Easter
Monday Review.

In London, on Tuesday night, a fire broke out at
14, Huotley-street, Tottenham-court-road, upon the
premises of Messrs. Brentnall and Co., tracing paper
manufacturers, in a building of two floors about 501 t,
by 15ft., and the flames spread with great rapidity to
a building of one floor 301 t. by 15ft. Both of these
were used as workshops, and although two stand-pipes
and two private hydrants were got to work with great
promptitude, the fire burnt through the roof, and
ultimately the two buildings were completely des-
troyed. In the meantime, a lad named Henry Fraser,
employed by Messrs. Brentnall, was missed, and it
was reported that he had been burnt. As soon as the
premises were sufficiently cooled, a search was insti-
tuted, and the dead body of the lad was found. It
appeared that death had been caused rather by suffoca-
tion than by burning.
A serious accident, though, happily, not attended
with loss of life' occurred on Saturday on board the
composite sloop Opal, which is being brought forward
at Sheerness Dockyard for commision. It seems that
in the afternoon the officers of the yard aosembled in
the engine room to test the boilers, &c., before she was
submitted to the usual preliminary steam trial in the
steam hash?;_JOrtring the operation one of fler
contriNne abcht 2 torrs'of -wet&' exProcled
a loud report, the top being blown out. Fortu-
nately the water was cold, and the mechanics escaped
with nothing more than a thorough drenching. Had
the water been hot tbere must have been a great loss
of life. The explosion caused a severe shook, one or
two of the workmen being knocked down by the con-
cussion.

Monday, the 22nd, was the anniversary of the
Isandula disaster in Zululand, which took placa in
1879.

An hotel has been burned at Quincy, Illinois. The
loss is reported to amount to 30,000 dole. A panic
ensued among the inmates, and there were several
casualties, but none of them fatal.

A boiler at the Philadelphia Public Ledger paper
mill, near Elkton, Maryland, U.A.S., exploded on
Monday, killing two and injuring eight persons, and
partly destroying the buildings.
Arrangements have been made for Messrs. Moody
and Sankey to visit Liverpool during the month of
April next. The local committee have hired Hengler's
circus, the most commodious building in the place, for
a month, and propose to use other buildings for dis-
trict meetings.

Heavy snow obstructs nearly all the railways west
of the Mississippi River. The extreme cold wave has
reached the Atlantic, but accompanied by clear
weather.

A distressing case of drowning occurred near Bed-
worth on Monday night. A young girl named Towns-
end, about 16 years of age, went to the canal to fetch
water, and while in the act of filling a bucket she
over-balanced herself, fell into the canal, and was
drowned.

There was a fire in the Palace of Prince Bismarck,
in the Wilhelmstrasse, Berlin, on Monday evening.
It broke out in a room on the first storey. Fortu-
nately, it was discovered before it had made much pro-
gress, and plenty of help being quickly at hand it
was put out before much damage had been done.

A huge piece of rock overhanging the Beddgelert
road, in the Snowdon district, about a mile from
Tren3adoc, has given way and lies embedded several
feet in the earth. One of the pieces is estimated to
weigh 150 tons. The report of the fall was heard
several miles. A man and child had a narrow escape,
passing the spot immediately before the fall.

An important piece of industrial intelligence is tele-
irraphed from Baku. Experiments which have been
m progress for some months past for putting into
practice the discovery made by M. Ditmar for
solidifying kerosine have been at length crowned with
success, and some thousands of tons of the new article
are being prepared for the European market.
Saturday (20th) was the anniversary of the assem-
bling of the first English representative House of
Commons, which took place on January 20, 1265. In
1308 Parliament became a legislative power whose
assent was essential to constitute a law, and the first
Speaker (Peter de la Mere) was elected in 1377.

A singular acciient has occurred at Pendleton
Colliery, Salford. A. man named Francis Thommond,
was employed at the pit splicing some wire-rope at-
tached to a number of waggons scotched in a siding,
when the wire-rope became entangled round his neck.
He was thrown violently to the ground, and died in.
stantaneously from fracture of the skull.

Tuesday was the anniversary of the marriage of his
Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh with the
Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, which took place on
January 23, 1874. _ _

Lloyd's agent at Revel, telegraphing on Monday,
states :—" Baltic port navigation closed." A telegram
from Odessa, dated January 22, says that the harbour
is nearly full of ice. Navigation is now open for
steamers, but sailers will have to wait a few days.
Nearly the whole of the established workmen in
Chatham Dockyard have sent petitions to the Lords
of the Admiralty asking for an increase of wages, as it
is some years since an increase was granted to the
leading trades, and as the value of labour in private
yards has increased.

On Saturday a great chess match took place in
Leeds between 80 representatives of Yorkshire and a
similar number of Lancashire players, these being the
largest number of players who have met together in
the history of chess. Lancashire scored 85 wins, and
Yorkshire 36, while 18 games were drawn. Mr.
Blacirburne was umpire.

With regard to a rumour to the effect that Mr.
Forster had received a letter threatening to blow up
his house, the right hon. gentleman, in reply to a
telegram on the subject, says, "I have received no
such letter."

A recent report calls attention to the fact that
primary education in America has not yet produced
such good results as might be expected. Of the 50
million inhabitants more than 36 millions are over ten
years of age. Of these 4,023,607, or 134 per cent.
cannot read, while 6,239,958, or 17 per cent., cannot
write. Pennsylvania, the busiest of the States, is at
the same time the most illiterate.

A singular accident occurred at Staines on Monday.
On account of the recent rains the river Thames was
so Ugh that it was impossible to see the edge of
the bank, which had no protection; and while
two boys in charge of a horse and cart were driving
near the river, the trap fell sideways into the stream.
The boys swam ashore, but the horse, notwithstanding
the efforts made to rescue it, was carried down stream
and drowned,

The annual meeting of the National Reform Union
was held at Manchester, on Tuesday. A resolution
was passed urging the Government to deal as early as
possible with the question of county government, re.
form of the land laws, popular control of the liquor
traffic, the suppression of corrupt practices at elections,
and particularly pressing upon their attention the
question of Parliamentary reform by which the
electoral power of the people shall be extended in its
basis and equalised in its distribution.

The Pope has addressed a letter to Cardinal M'Cabe
on the condition of Ireland. His Holiness, whilst
commending the Bishops for denouncing outrage and
crime, exhorts them to urge upon Roman Catholics to
keep the national cause distinct from the aims, Rut--
poses, and deeds of unhallowed associations. The
Pope enjoins the Bishops to permit only such of their
clergy as, from their experience and wisdom may be
trusted to attend meetings where the affairs Of Ireland
are likely to be warmly discussed.

Mr. Inderwick, Q. 0., M.P., addressed his consti-
tuents at Rye on Monday evening, and in the course
of his address he pointed out that the jury system in
Ireland was not the same as in this country, and that
it wanted considerable revision and assimilation, as far
as possible, to the jury system of England. He was
in favour of a reform of the House of Lords, when
circumstances should render it necessary, by the appli-
cation of the representative principle.

The demonstration on the opening day of Parlia-
ment in favour of the admission of Mr. Bradlaugh to
the House of Commons is exciting great interest in
Lancashire. Delegates are being appointed from
every town, and special trains are -being organized
from Liverpool, Manchester, and other towns. The
demonstration will include an open-air meeting in
Trafalgar•square, and meetings in St. James's Hall
and elsewhere. It is stated that several members of
Parliament will take part in the proceedings.

Prince Bismarck's neuralgia, so he recently told an
intimate frlend, has evidently aroused much sympathy
amongst English people, as every day he receives
from England a quantity of prescriptions and various
medicaments, some of which, indeed, have done him
temporary good. The pain is worst in the morning,
and is sometimes so violent that the Prince is obliged
to stop short in the middle of a sentence. After a full
meal the neuralgia subsides.

A New York telegram says that the visible supply
of wheat on Jan. 19 was 21,400,000 bushels, as against
21,300,000 bushels the previous week. Visible supply
of Indian clrn, 9,400,000 bushels, as against 9,200,000
bushels the previous week. The export clearances
of wheat for Europe during last week amounted to
1,290,000 bushels ; the export clearances of Indian
corn for Europe during last week amounted to
1,040,000 bushels.

Her Majesty has sanctioned the issue of the bronze
Star which the Khedive proposes to grant to the
officers and men who forma part of the British Ex-
pedition under Sir Garnet Wolseley's command. The
issue of the decoration will, however, be restricted to
the officers, petty officers, and seaman of the Royal
Navy, and officers, non-commissioned officers, and
men of the Army who served in Egypt between July
11 and September 13. Those who landed in Egypt
subsequent to the action at Tel-el-Kebir are not to be
considered to have any claim to the Star.

The wages movement on the North-Eastern Rail-
way is still continued, and meetings were held on Sun-
day at leading centres Darlington, York, and
Middlesborough. The company through their managers
seem to have arranged with several of the leading
classes of workmen, engine-drivers, and mineral
guards, although more or less discontent still prevails
as to hours. The case of firemen is still being con-
sidered, and the goods guards are pressing claims for
consideration. At a meeting at Darlington a resolu-
tion hat been passed that the agitation should be
maintained until the ten hours have been obtained
throughout the North-Eastern Railway system. The
collapse of the Caledonian strike will, it is thought, in
some measure check the action of the North-Eastern
Railway men.

At Southport, on Saturday, the death took place of
Mr. Wm. Atkinson, J.P., D.L. who had attained the
age of eighty-five years. The deceased, who amassed
a fortune in Manchester, was a great benefactor to
SDuthport. He mainly contributed to the erection of
the Infirmary, to the building of two churches, and his
latest act of munificence was the presenta.tion to the
borough of a Free Library and Fine Art Gallery,
which cost £B,OOO. To various institutions he gave
largely, and when Bishop Ryle was appointed to the
See of Liverpool Mr. Atkinson presented him with
£l,OOO towards his expenses. His acts of benevolence
were not confined to Southport. During a residence
of twenty-seven years in Cheshire he built churches
and schools at Ashton-Hayes, where he owned a large
estate, and made the village a model for its sanitary
arrangements. He served as High Sheriff of Cheshire
in 1857, and in the following year was made Deputy-
Lieutenant. He was a Churchman and a Conserva-
tive.

The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens,
Regent's Park, London, during last week included a
bonnet monkey from India, presented by Mr. U.
James; a common otter (British), presented by Mr.
E. P. Squarey ; a black-necked hare from Ceylon,
presented by Mr. W. Bowden Smith; an Indian
antelope from India, presented by Captain R. Brooke
Hunt; a Bohor antelope from India, presented by
Mr. W. J. Evelyn ; a black-backed jackal from South
Africa, presented by Mr. J. S. Crow; a Larger Hill
mynah from India, presented by Mrs. M. R. Manuel;
three passenger pigeons from North America, pre-
sented by Mr. F. J. Thompson ; a - horned beard
from California, presented by Mr. Mrartin R. de Selim
court; a common adder (British), presented by Mr.
J. Harris; an Indian black cuckoo from Incite, pur-
chased; an axis deer, born in the Gardens.
There were 2,804 births..,and 1,663 deaths registered
in London last week. Allowing for increase of popu.
lation, the births exceeded by 28, whereas the deaths
were 185 below, the average numbers in the oorre-
sponding weeks of the last ten years. The annual
rate of mortality from all causes, which had been.
equal to 20 5 and 201 per 1,000 in the two preceding
weeks, further rose to 21'9. The deaths included
three from small-pox, 56 from measles, 42 from scarlet
fever, 11t from diphtheria, 26 from whooping-cough,
18 from, Iteric fever, two from ill-defined forms of
continut A fever, 18 from dysentery, and not one either
from typhus or from simple cbolere;,
- _

According to intelligence published in gew York
from Alexico, an engagement has taken place near
Tehuantepec between some troops and Thdians, in
which 50 soldiers and 80 Indians were killed.

Mr. Thomas Laing, of Linhou.e, West Calder; has
left the residue of his estate, which amounts to iNver
£30,000, to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Proposals are now before Parliament for the laying
of no less than a hundred miles of new tramways
within the area of the Metropolitan district.

In Philadelphia the relief fund for the sufferers by
the inundations in Germany now reaches 9,000 dole.
in Baltimore, 3,000 dole,

By a law which has' just come into operation in
Italy, the sale of patent medicines throughout the
kingdom is probibited unless the precise composition
of the medicine is stated.

Another victory has been gained by Mr. Bligh's
ericketing team at Sydney in its return match with
the Australian Eleven, who were beaten by an innings
and twenty-seven rune.
At a meeting of the Common Council of the City of
London a donation of 200 guineas was voted to the
fund to be opened at the Mansion House for the relief
of the sufferers by the recent fire in Jamaica.
Sir Edward Malet was presented at Cairo on Mon-
day with a sword of honour for Lord Wolseley and
another for Lord Alcester, presented by the Arab
notabilities, as well as a case of pistols foe Major.
General Drury-Lowe.

Last weeks receipts of cotton at all United States
ports were 149,000 bales ,• siace Ist September, 1882,
3,979,000 bales. Week's exports to Great Britain,
95,000 bales; week's exports to the Continent, 35,000
bales. Total since Ist September, 1882, 2,555,000
bales. Stock at all ports, 928,000 bales.

It is stated that during the past year there were 7813
murders in the United States, 130 of which were con.
mitted in the State of New York, 90 of them being
perpetrated in New York City and Brooklyn. Of the
383 suicides committed in the year in the United
States 149 occurred in New York and Brooklyn.
From a statement issued by the Board of Supervision
in Edinburgh, it appears that during the year ending
Ist January, 1883, the number of paupers relieved in
Scotland showed a decrease of 910 adults and 602
dependents against the preceding year.

A. disturbance took place at Folkestone on Tuesday
night between detachments of the Salvation and
Skeleton Armies. On encountering their rivals the
Salvationists retreated, but were overtaken near their
hall, and a scene of great excitement and confusion
was the consequence, some of the members of the
Salvation Army being roughly handled.

On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning a fierce
storm of wind and rain visited Dumbarton. The wind
blew a gale from the south-west by south. The rain
came down in torrents, and a good deal of low-lying
ground around Dumbarton was under water. Con.
siderable damage was done.
A sad gun accident occurred on Tuesday near
Wester Elchies House, Elgin, by which Mr. Lyon
Fraser, a retired coffee planter, Clanallan, lost his life.
Mr. Fraser has been staying for some time with Mr.
Grant, of Elchies, and went in the afternoon to shoot
rabbits. He did not return, and on search being made
he was found dead, lying beside a wire fence with a
gun near him. It is supposed that the gun went off
accidentally as he was crossing this fence.
On Saturday Sir W. Vernon Harcourt, the Home
Secretary, issued authority to the Commissioners of
Police for the granting of a pension of £l5 per annum
to the widow of the late Police-constable George Cole,
83 N, of Dalston-lane Division, who, on the evening
of Dec. 1 last, when attempting to take a supposed
burglar into custody was shot dead.

During the recent gales large quantities of wreckage
have been washed ashore along the south coast of
Shetland. A number of deals have come ashore near
Lerwick and a portion of a name-board at Cunnings-
burg ; also a lifebuoy marked " Sif " has been found
at Dunrossness, where a deck-house, apparently be-
longing to a Norwegian vessel, has oome to land. It is
generally supposed that two vessels have been lost
near the islands.
The latest novelty in bonnets is made of wash-
leather. The Warehouseman and Draper's Jostruesl
expresses a hope that the twine-trimming which was.
fashionable some time ago will be revived to adorn
them with. There would not then be any really bad
stock. The shapes could be used to clean windows
with, and the unravelled trimming come in for tying
up parcels.

On Tuesday morning a large portion of the Coolan-
dreen Slate Quarry, near Leap, co. Cork, fell in, the
employes, numbering about 100, narrowly escaping
with their lives. Some of them noticed a cleft in the
wall to the rear of the engine. They directed the
superintendent's attention to the fact, and there was
only time to draw up all the men underneath before
the whole mass fell in.

A century since the Hawaiians were savages and
cannibals. Now there are over 300 telephone wires
in use in the city of Honolulu, and the application
of the telephone is made throughout the islands on
the plantations. Some of the planters are now
cutting their cane at night with the aid of electric
light.

Thirty-seven British and foreign actual shipwrecks
were reported during last week, making a total sf 137
for the present year, or an increase of 15 as compared
with the corresponding period of last year, British
owned vessels numbered 20, five were steamers, with
an aggregate tonnage of 3,228 tons, three being British
steamers, with a tonnage of 2,352 tons. Total tonnage
lost for the week, 12,213 tons. Total number of lives
lost and missing, 45.

A large open-air meeting of Lancashire miners was
held on Saturday on Amberawood-common, near
Wigan, to consider the question of restricting the out-
put of coal. A resolution was unanimously passed
that the whole of the miners of Great Britain ought to
work only five days per week and eight hours per
day, in order to bring about a better state of things
and a rise in wages.
From the annual return of the British army just
Issued it appears that the average effective strength of
the regular forces during 1882 was 188,896. This
number comprises 17,099 cavalry, 33,397 artillery,
5,510 Royal Engineers, and 132,792 infantry of all
branches. The average number of officers was 7,612.
Of the recruits who joined during the year, 1,695 en-
listed for long service and 24,563 for short service.
The anniversary, of the executicn of Louis XVI.
was observed in Paris on Monday at the Expiatory
Chapel in the Rue Danjou, which from an early hour
until noon was filled with the e/ite of the Legitimist
party. The attendance, owing probably to the events
of the past few weeks, was larger than usual, and all
through the morning the little building and its pre-
cincts were thronged with worshippers, Mass being
said every hour.

Very serious loss has been caused in North Derby-
shire by the flooding of the lead mines during the last
three months. After the great storm the melting of
the snow filled the disused workings, the hills about
Eyam and district being perfectly honeycombed with
them; and thence the water flowed into the mines at
Eyam and other parts. Heavy rains followed, and the
work of lead getting has had to be generally abandoned
for the more pressing duty of pumping out the water,
which in several of the mines prevented the lead being
reached. The oldest people in Derbyshire cannot
remember so heavy a rainfall.

A fare, attended by fatal consequences, broke out
about half-past one on Sunday morning in the paraffin
shop of Mr. Williams, Beach-street, Swansea. Shop
and house were almost immediately ablaze, and before
help could be obtained three children were terribly
injured, one, aged 14, was burned to death, and
another, a younger one, died after having been rescued
by Constable Dee. The officer was so burned that he
had to be taken to the hospital. The whole of the
premises were destroyed.
The number of live stook and the quantity ut •
fresh meat brought to Liverpool during last week
from the United States and Canada amounted to 455
cAttle, 2,016 sheep, 8,495 quarters of beef, and 2,327
carcases of mutton. The figures show a falling off in
cattle and sheep and a slight increase in fresh beef and
mutton in comparison with the arrivals for the pre.
vious week.

A Salvation "Army "demonstration, in which the
Lancashire and Cheshire corps participated, caused
considerable excitement at Birkenhead on Sunday,
much interest attaching to the visit of " General "
Booth. Fears being entertained of the recurrence of
the late serious riots a large body of police escorted
the " general " and his " army " through the town.
A crowd numbering several thousands accompanied
the Salvationists in the processions, but only in a few
instances did the antagonism of the mob break out
into open hostility. " General " Booth addressed
several crowded peetings in the Skating Rink, the
audience numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 on each
occasion