The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-12-18 00:00:00

THE ATTACK ON STANLEY FALLS.

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Details have arrived at Brussels relative to the
evacuation of the station ot Stanley Falls by the
forces of the Congo State. In the middle of August
a female slave took refuge in the station. The Arab
chief, her owner, demanded her surrender, which
Mr. Deane, the chief of the station, refused. After
some violent discussion peace was re-established, the
steamer Stanley having in the meantime arrived at
the station. A few days afterwards, however, the
Arabs attacked the station. The Congo State soldiers,
Houssas and Bangalas, fought well for three days;
but, their ammunition being exhausted, they refused
to continue the struggle, and embarked in pirogues in
order to descend the river. Mr. Deane, Lieutenant
Dubois, four Houssas, and four boys then set the
station on fire, and retreated along the northern
bank of the Congo. Lieutenant Dubois lost his
'talance on the steep bank and was drowned. Mr. Deane
was hospitably received by some friendly natives, with
whom he remained for a month. Captain Coquilhat,
who commanas the station of the Bangalas, on the
arrival thero on the 7th of September of the dis-
banded Houssas and Bangalas, went immediately on
board the steamer L'Association Internationale Airi-
caine to the Falls, and, not having sufficient forces to
retake the station, he succeeded, after three days'
search, in finding Mr, Deane. He reports that the
negroes were much astonished at the power of re-
sistance showed by the; whites against the Arabs,
whose loss in killed amounted to 60 men, while that
of the whites was only two. The natives detest the
Arabs, and are glad to be protected by the whites.
Captain Coquilhat reports also that during his voyage
to the Falls, Matabuike, the old King of the Bangalas,
died, and that after his return be invested the son of
Matabuike with the Royal dignity. The funeral of
the old King took plaes without any human sacrifices
being offered

THE TERRIFIC GALES AND SHIPPING
DISASTERS.

Terrible scenes are reported to have been wit-
ne.sed on Saturday in Cardigan Bay. Seven vessels
were found to have been wrecked near .Pwllholi, four
close together near Talcogmerau, and three cn
Abererch Beach. No record could be obtained of the
number of lives lost, but they were estimated at from
15 to O. The Wild Rose (Norwegian brig) went
ashore at Afouwen. The crew were rescued by ropes.
Six Hoylake (Cheshire) fishing boats went ashore at
Cerigg Trai ; and at Abererch the Physician (Captain
Jones) and the Quarryman were driven on Gunlet
Rocks. The smack Endeavour, of Portmadoe (Cap-
tain Evans), loaded with slates, was high and dry on
Pwllheli Beach. Close to this vessel, lying on her
beam ends, with her cargo washed out to sea, was a
Plymouth schooner loaded with tar. The fishing
smack Try Again capsized and sunk white at anchor
off Pwllheli. A smack, with three hands on board,
went down close to land. The John and Ann sank,
and Captain Isaac Jones, of Aberystwith, wets
drowned.
The PsAcific steamship Aconcagua, which arrived at
Plymouth on Saturday, disembarked the captain and
crew of the ship Otterburn, of Greenock, which was
destroyed by fire at sea. The Aconcagua also brought
the officers and men of the ship Donnoter Castle, of
Glasgow, which was wrecked in the North Pacific,
as well as the crew of Sidney Dacres, of Liver-
pool, which parted from the hawser when
being towed out of Port Stanley, where she had been
undergoing repair, and drove ashore, and became a
total wreck.
The smack Primrose arrived at Hull on Sunday,
having on board 14 of the crew of the Danish steamer
Copenhagen, on a voyage from Copenhagen to Ant-
werp with grain. When in the North Sea, her pro-
peller shaft broke and punched a hole in her stern,
and she was rapidly filling with water when she was
sighted by the smack, which was lying to near Horn
Reef. Three of the smack's crew, named Win.
Jones, Christiar Milsom, ani Fredk. Adams volun-
teered to go in a boat and rescue the steamer's crew.
A heavy sea was running, but they succeeded in mak-
ing two trips and in bringiog off 14 men. Jones and
Milsom went a third time to bring off Capt. Fulding,
Chief Mate Christopher Blunne, and Engineers Ed-
ward Saltoft an Johansen. The boat was returning
with the six men when an accident occurred to the
smack's rigging. While this was being put right the
boat was lost sight of, and though a diligent search
was made it was not again sighted.
A brig was on Saturday reported to have foundered
off Ballybunion, near Lisburne; 15 of the crew were
drowned. Thirteen bodies were washed ashore.
Another vessel, evidently a very large one, was seen
off Kerry Head on Sunday morning, from Bally-
bunion, bottom up. There was no trace of her crew,
Some of the trawling vessels on their arrival at Dover
on Sunday reported that they had discovered a large
sailing ship on the Ridge Bank in mid-Channel.
The water is very shallow here;and it is supposed she
struck during the gale. Nothing had been heard of
the crew.
Two collisions occurred on the South Coast on
Saturday. In the early morning the steamer Karo
ran down the steamer Balnacraig, off the North Fm e-
land. The latter sank, but all her crew were saved.
At Portsmouth, a serious collision occurred between
the steam-packet Alexandra, plying between Ryde
and Portsmouth, and a cutter belonging to H.M.S.
Minotaur. When. the Alexandra had got clear of the
harbour, and was shoat to make the straight run
across for Ryde the look-out reported the cutter on
their bows. The engines were at once stopped and
the helm ported. The officer in charge of the cutter
I tried to get out of the way, but the boat was cut down,
and soon sank. Boats were immediately lowered by
the Alexandra, and the men on the cutter jumped off
at the moment of collision, and swam round in a few
minutes. Thirty-five sailors were picked up in half an
hour, and the steamer stood by some time longer, but
in the darkness no other men could be seen.

The Trinity steamer Slella, whieh arrived at Holy-
head on Tuesday evening from the River Dee, reports
having observed the masts of a large vessel which had
apparently sunk close te Coal Rock, about 10 miles
W. by N. from Point Lynas. A heavy gale from the
south-east was blowing at the time, and the weather
was hazy, so that it was then impossible for the Stella
.to approach the sunken vessel, nothing but the mast
head of which, painted black, could be made out.
From the appearance of the mast the vessel is sup-
posed to be a steamer of about 1000 tons.
A tremendous storm prevailed along the Wexford
coast on Tuesday morning. The iron barque Samanco,
815 tons, of and from Liverpool, with coals, went
ashore on the Carrig Rocks, near Greenore Point, and
is likely to become a total wreck. The crew were
'saved by the Rosslsre and Carnsore lifeboat,