The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-16 00:00:00

9ATURDAY AUG. 16, 1884

_
SARROW ESCAPE QF RAILWAY PASSENGERS.--Thea
mail train from Galway, doe in Dublin at 4.40 on Satur- •
day afternoon, ran off the tine between Athlone and 41
Moate at half-past one o clock. The engine and all the 1
carriages, eight in number, were thrown against an era- 4
bailment, and although some of the Carriages were
smashed, the passengers only sustained slight injuries /
and were all, with two exceptions, able to continue ,
their journey. Considering the extent of the damage
done to the rolling-stock and line it is marvellous '
that no lives were lost. A whole family bound for
Liverpool occupied a carriage next the engine, and
although the seats in the carriage were smashed the '
passengers all escaped—some passengers escaped from
the train before it struck the embankment. The ,
)
train had just passed over a steep incline, and had
crossed the Channel viaduct five minutes before. It
is believed the axle of the engine broke. -
ST. PETER'S, AT Rom—An important piece of work
has been brought to a successful conclusion in Rome,
in the complete renewal of the leaden envelope of the
dome of St. Peter's Church. It has occupied twelve
years and has cost over 200,000 lire (MOO). The
original covering was applied to the dome in an ira- .4
perfect fashion, which made continuous repairs a
necessity; and at last it was determined to strip off the If
whole envelope and substitute a new one on a better
system. New lead was imported from Spain and mixed
with the old lead, in the proportion to one part old to i
two parts new. The total weight of the new cover is
given as 354,305 kilograms, and if it were spread out '
flat it would occupy an area of 6152 square metres, or
about an acre and a half. In stripping off the old
plates, three of them were found to be of gilded
copper.
DEATH OF A WEALTHY MlSER.—Abraham Price,
better known by the" sobriquet" of Abraham Hodge, ,
was interred in Phescer Cemetery on Saturday. He kept a
bookstall on a vacant space in Eastgate-row.
,He was :4
dirty in appearance and miserable in his habits. Se j
was originally a member of the Chester police force.
Recently he had been confined to his home from illness.
He had no relations, and nothing is known of his early
life. He was frequently pressed to make his will, brit i
he kept repeating the formula, "The Crown shall make '
my will." When he died the Chester police took pos-
session on behalf c the Crown of Hodge's property and '
cash. It is found that the old miser is possessed, iu
goods and cash, of £5OOO.

- A TuurvEs' Sin-TER.—As some police agents were
patrolling the Rue de Conroelles in Paris on the night
of July 18 they heard, in passing before a house
which is in course of construction, a strange tumult,
seeming to issue from -the ground. They entered the
building, and discovered in the basement a party of
about ten men and women, supping together iti the
most joyous manner. The windows had been stopped
up with pieces of old carpet in order to prevent disr
covery, but vainly, as it turned out. At the moment
when they were surprised the merry guests were un-
corking a number of big bottles of champagne. When
questioned as to the !source from which they obtained
the meats and wines with which the table was loaded,
they attempted at first to make the police believe that
ttey had purchased them. It so happened, however,
that the bottles bore the label of a dealer in comestibles
wbo had complained to the police orly a few hours
before that his shop had been robbed. The whole of
the gay company was, therefore, marched off to the
police-station.
DEATH OF THE "OLDEST INHABITANT" or THE Zoor.o.
GICAL GARDENS.—The oldest inhabitant in the zoolo•
gical collection in the Regent's-park died the other daf.
This interesting individual was a specimen of the black
parrot from Madagascar. It was presented to the
society by the late M. Charles Telfair, a corresponding
member, so far back as July, 1830, just two years after
the gardens were opened. This bird has therefore lived
for fifty-four years in the gardens. How old the parrot
was when it arrived we cannot learn beyond the fact.
that it was represented as an "adult bird." The ancient
black Vassa parrot seemed until very recently to have
carried his half-century of years lightly enough, never-
theless, his keeper remarked that he was a little dull of
late, although he fed well. One morning, however, the
parrot was found dead in hi a cage, having previously
shown no symptoms of ill-health.
DEsruccriow OF WOLVES IN FRANCE.—According to
the returns prepared by the Frenih Ministry of Agri'
culture, the law which has been passed within the last
two years with regard to the destruction of wolves has
had the effect cf increasing the vigilande of the Official!,
aippointed for that purpose, as -well as- of 130)7W_ tars
viduals. A sum of £8 is now paid for every wolf which
has attacked a human being,- and nine were killed
year in three of the central departments Of France.
reward of £6 is given for every she-wolf with yon
and 32 of them were killed last year. A Sum of £4
given for every other wolf killed, and 774 were
this being exclusive of 493 cubs, for each of wt. s'•
reward of 325. is given. Altogether, 1308 head were
destroyed last year at a cost to the Government of,
£4150 in fees alone. The greatest. number of wolveS
were killed in the northern and eastern denartmentd
bordering upon Belgium and Germany.
A CHINESE KITE FESTIVAL.—The Chinese have what
is termed a kite festival on the 9th day of the 9til
moon. Sometimes the kites resemble serpents thirti
feet along, at other times a group of hawks hovering
around a centre, all being suspended by a single strong
cord, but each kite moved by a separate line. Sometimes
the kites are cast adrift under the belief they wril
away with them all impending disasters,
FRIGHTFUL DEATHS OF A FATHER AND SON.—A fear'
ful accident is reported from Gresy-sur-Isere. A farmer
named Stradella, together with his son, were on
mountain side cutting hay. The son, who was wonl
at a spot higher up, suddenly missed his footing
rolled down upon his father. The latter tried to 51
the fall, but was himself carried along, and both
down a precipice, a distance of over 3000 feet.
bodies, which presented a shocking appearance, .
recovered later by the witnesses of the fearful occur'
rence.

PLAYING WITT' A ROCKET.—On the 30th ult. a you'
in Clineinnati took home an unexploded rocket wigs
had fallen from an exhibition of fireworks He tried

open it, but failed, whereupon his mother struck it
vigorous blow with a hatchet. A terrific explosion fo..
lowed, wrecking everything around, and fatally injuring,
the woman and her daughter, aged 12 years. The rockev
was a six-pounder.
HORRIBLE Amex ON A WOMAN BY A 00W.—In
gence from Banagher states that a farmer's wife, r_
Nevin, is now lying in an almost hopeless state from
horrible attack made upon her by a cow. At an
hour in the morning she left the house only half d
to turn one of her cows out of her neighbour's
golds. The cow at once attacked her, and struck
with its horns in the stomach. The unfortunate woraan
being enciente became insensible, remaining totall9
at the mercy of the animal, which mutilated her terriblY•
Her husband after a search found her in a terrible con'
dition.
st
ARMS OF THE SOUDANEBE.—The only •tribe whi
uses the javelin is. that of the Mahomedan Jr

who are -very small in number. The best lances
those used by the Bedja and Khaza races, which fot
under Osman Digna in the late engagements neaf.
Soua.kim. These lances are rarely thrown, being muem
too heavy for this purpose, for the Bedjas are not I
vided with a number of extra lances. The lances of
Baggara tribe, who are the principal supporters of
Mandi in Kordofan, are upwards of five metres b
Next to the lance, the weapon most used by
Soudanese is the straight double-edged sword, motif
made in Solingen and sold all over Northern Africa.
A good sword is highly prized in the Soudan, and She
people are careful to keep the swords sharp and clean.
The shields used by the Soudanese are made of the
skins of elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and buff
THE WHALE AND THE CABLE.—The steamer

triever, says a late number of the Panama "tar
Herald," was engaged in repairing a break in the W.
Coast of America Telegraph Company's submarinei
cable, when a whale, measuring from 70 to 75 feet
length, fouled itself in the wire. In its struggle to
free the cable cut into its right side, the entrails
large quantities of blood issuing from the wound
floating round the ship. In the last 4ying struggle
the captive it parted the cable, and floated away
windward of the steamer. Some days afterward L.
Retriever returned to pick up the piece of cable"
which the whale had been entangled. It was then foi
that the fish had drifted away, alid that the cable
twisted up In a most curious fashion. In no fewer tilt-
six different places it had been bitten through sufa`
..ipntiv to stop all communleation.

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