The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-15 00:00:00

Alisrtilantotts
HONE FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

DEATH AT A RAILWAY SoTATION.—On Satur-
day an inquest was held in London at St Bartholomew's
Hospital, on the body of Mrs. Fisher, aged 45, of
\Vest Smithfield. The evidence tended to show that
the deceased was about to go out of town, and went to
the Great Eastern Railway Station. Whilst asking
for a ticket for Witham she was seen to stagger and fall,
and an attendant caught her in his arms and conveyed
her to the first-class waiting room, where she was at-
tended by a local surgeon, and subsequently conveyed
to the hospital, where she was found on admission to
fact
ctdea'caused by excitement and exertion, and a verdict of
"Death from natural canoes" was therefore recorded
aatha.t dAeat rhtaltrr'rete sum lted exfaron'in .mat
apoplexy,i revealed
probably
the
by the jury.
A SHOCKING SPECTACLE.—News from Val-
paraiso to the sth July says :—" An additional horror
has just been added to the previous position of the
Cerro de la Conception, which has been so long
the expected slide has extended and interfered with
l into
m eteor7
across
swt r eh
which
thheer ere.
rent
The
ththhrill:gris'athniveensagitetoto,efftaaid
gases have emanated from the dis-
turbed soil, and the remains of coffins and their con-
tents which have been exposed have had to be sub-
mitted to a proceas of cremation, to the horror of the
spectators of these bonfires. The shallow soil is reek-
ing with human remains in all stages of decomposition,
and it is threatened with further disturbances.
A NARROW ESCAPE. —The residents and
visitors d
n at
s l'
Bay, yennearbynathme6eapt:c
,w were
d frail canoes, each containing one occupant, being
ex on
lly
tossed about on a rough sea about a mile from shore.
While several of the Coastguardsman were preparing
to go out to their rescue, one of the canoes was ob.
nituh
owc I
served to capsize, and by the aid of glasses, the man
who had been paddling was seen clinging to the side
of his boat. It rolled over several times, and while the
Coastguard boats were making their way towards the un-
fortunate man, he, with the boat, drifted quite half a
mile, and it seemed almost impossible that he could
hold on until he could be rescued. He must have been
accustomed to the water, otherwise he could scarcely
have withstood the heavy seas which continually broke
over him, but he was ultimately reached and draggyd
into the Coastguard's boat more dead than alive. His
companion, who was likewise in great peril, sought
refuge in a fisherman's boat moored out in the Bay,
and was also brought ashore by the Coastguard.
Both were young gentlemen belonging to Sandwich.
They had rowed down the Sandwich river in-
tending to miss the Bay and row to Ramsgate, not
expecting to meet with so rough a sea.
JAPANESE LACQUER. —lt is stated in the
Scientidc American that the well-known and much-
admired Japan lacquer-work, the secrets of which
were supposed to be known only to the Easterns, has
been successfully reproduced, or rather imitated, in
Holland. The lacquer is prepared from Zanzibar
copal, coloured black with Indian ink. The articles
are painted with several coats iif this lacquer, in which
the pieces of mother-o'-pearl, or other substances used
for ornamentation are placed before it becomes hard.
The lacquer is then dried by placing the articles in a
heated oven or furnace, after which another coat of
lacquer is applied, and when dry smoothed with
pumice, which is repeated until all cracks are filled
up, and the surface has become perfectly smooth,
when the whole is polished, or rather burnished, with
tripoli.
SAINTS OF SEPTEMBER.—The pilgrimage to the
Shrine of St. Edmund will start from London for
Pontigny on the First of September. The votaries of
St. Edmund are expected to be numerous, but their
number will, we fear, be exceeded by the devotees of
St. Partridge. —Pu uch.
IMPERIAL Girr.—The Bishop of London has
distributed the £5OO intrusted to him oat of the gift
of the Emperor of Ruleda to the charities and poor of
London among the following institutions. —The C'harity
Organization Society, £5O; King's College Hospital,
£5O; St. George's Hospital, £5O; Westminster
Hospital, £5O • Charing-cross Hospital, £5O • West
London Bospiial, £5O- St. Mary's Hospital, £so' •
Middlesex Hospital, £5O; North London Hospital,
£25; Great Northern Hospital, £2s' Association in
Aid of the Deaf and Dumb, £2O ; Association for Pro-
moting the General Welfare of the Blind, L'2o ; the
Dudley Stuart Home for the Homeless, £lO.
THE NEW RATING ACT.—On the day of the
prorogation an Act received the Royal Assent to
amend the law respecting the liability and valuation
of certain property for the purposes of rates. The
statute, which is not to apply to Scotland or Ireland,
abolishes exemptions in the Poor Law Act of the 43rd
of Queen Elizabeth, and provides that after the com-
mencement of this Act the Poor Rate Acts shall
extend to land used for a plantathm or a wood, or for
the growth of saleable underwood and not subject to
any right of common, to rights of fowling, of shoot-
ing, of taking or killing game or rabbits, and of fish-
ing, when severed from the occupation of the land,
and of mines of every kind not mentioned in the
recited Act, with provisions as to the valuation of such
property, and also as to the reduction of the rates by
lessees and others. The property now specified is to
be liable to all other local rates as wel as to poor-
rates. For the purpose of enabling any hereditament
to be included or omitted in a valuation list which will
come into force after the 6th of April, 1875, and
save as stated or otherwise provided ' it is to take
effect on the 6th of April, 1875, and the expres-
sion "commencement of this Act" shall in this
Act be construed accordingly. The 43rd of Elizabeth
is repealed as to saleable underwood. There is a
definition in the new Act as to gross value, local rates,
and assessment committees.
STEAM TRAMWAYS ON HICIIWAYS.—A corre-
spondent of The 2511168 states that for more than 12
months locomotive engines drawing trains of carriages
and waggons have been running on a tramway laid on
the public roads in Portugal. The running speed has
been from eight to ten miles an hour, but in special
cases a speed equal to 20 to 25 miles an hour has been
attained. The gradients or hills over which the trains
are taken have a rise of 1 in 20, and the curves or
corners around which they run have a radius of 20
yards. Trains consisting of seven closely packed
carriages have been successfully worked under the
above exceptional conditions between Lisbon and
Cintra, and also between Lisbon and Torres Vedras,
and in local districts near Lisbon still longer trains
have been run. They are under perfect control on the
steepest hills, and are worked among the ordinary
public road traffic with a wonderful freedom from
accident.
Doics BLANCA.—Dona Blanca, the wife of
Prince Alfonso, who is so often spoken of in the in-
telligence concerning the present Carlist war, is on her
mother's side a German. She was born and grew up
in Germany, and even her marriage with Don Alfonso
was celebrated on German soil. Her father was the
ex-King Dom Miguel, who, after his expulsion from
Portugal, married the l'rincess Adelheid von Lowen-
stein, in Kleinheubach (in the Bavarian circle of
Unterfranken), and died in 1866. The brother of the
Princess is the former Ultramontane member of the
Reichstag, Furst von Lowenstein. Dom Miguel and
his wife lived for the most part in the Lowenstein
castle at Brambach, near Wertheim, on the Main, and
at Rheinheubach, in somewhat unassuming style.
They were, however, very much beloved, and everybody
in the neghbourhood was able to tell of the benevolent
disposition of this family. Their marriage was blessed
with seven children, six daughters, of whom Dona
Blanca is the eldest, and a son, Miguel, who is now
20 years old, and of whom his mother still cherishes
Heraldites from
the hope that he will one day become King of Portugal.
In 1871 the marriage of Alfonso with the Princess
correspondent
to Duke K
of
he
the cnßlanca was celebrated at Kleinheubach. The second
!dater married last year the Grand Duke Karl, brother
Ttdotr;ank,z Bavaria.d
of the Emperor of Austria. A third was married last
April
THE EMPRESS EUGENIE IN SWITZERLAND.
A
Ermatingen

-al C_ __ _
ouncil of Ceylon, and more especially has con.
The arrival of the Empress Eugenie at Arenen'oerg has clls- tributed much towards the success of the experiment
pelted the monotony of our country. —ll Chats.. .
tending the rights of self-government to the native.
beautiful villas, tic., in the neighbourhood, have been
peopled as if by enchantment. All who by any title what- races. He has also done much towards making the,
now at work in some of our colonies for gradually ex-
neighbouring ones have, it would seem, Hocked to the dia. vlublished several works relating to Indian aria
everll g ecrilsabi emr gt,,,
belongGo t li e bet
on
t, h te I,a,
Indn enn:baic,
,h,,, ea° lidloPura se
trict in order to live in the neighbourhood of the noble literature of India known to the western world, having
-
neighbouring
philosophy; and he has given to the public
visitor to present to her their condolences. on Tuesday of last
an English translation of an interesting Hindu drama,
'week the Fa-Empress received a large number of illustrious ' f the day gay equipages and noisy carat_ named A richandro, which he dedicated to the queen.
guests. At all hours o e I
cedes throng our streets, ordinarily so quiet His sahl that the PRESENTS FOR JAPAN.—General -W. Myers
sojourn of the Empress and the Prince Imperial w ill he pro- ,
wd from S F • the 14th of July, in the
longed beyond the period at first mentioned, and that their ' sad— m an rancisco on
visit to Baden is indi Lithely adjourned.
steamship C,olima, and the Alta says he goes out as
from the President of the United
BoNs. FIDE TRAVELLERS. —Sit Sallillel Baler special commissioner
H. 1
.a.
States, bearing valuable presents to is Ripen
and Captain Burtom—Puseh.
Majesty the Tenno of Japan. Colonel Stephen C.
A CIRCUIT Cusrom.—Mr. Justice Archibald, Lyford, United States Army, now Chief Assistant of
,it aPpears, was unacquainted with the rule of the the Ordnance Department at Washington is specially.
Northern Circuit, that on the last day of the assizes in detailed to accompany him as his aid, and instructed to.
any place counsel appear and plead without their wigs give full information to the Japanese regarding the
and gowns, and in ordinary morning dress, At Man- labs, qualities, and calibres of the various arms used
cheater, on Saturday, his lordship expressed his our- and manufactured in the United States. The presents
prise to Mr. Temple, Q.C.,. who was engaged in one of are understood to boa complete set of American small
the cases left for the last day. Mr. Temple exitained arms, fixed ammunition, army equipstents, and,
that he was conforming to custom; that he had already military and scientific books at preserd In use by the.
sent his robes to Liverpool, the next place on circuit , Army of the United States. They inchads the Spring-
' and that he believed gentlemen were liable to a fine , field and Remington rifles, Spencer awl Retrungt.so
for wearing wig and gown on the last day of assize. carbines, Colt and Remington *bolts, and a Gatlin
He added that when the matter was mentioned to the gun, with complete rounds of axed ems:situation to
late Mr. Justice Willee he expressed high approval of match,
the custom. Mr. Justice Archibald then said that
counsel must, of conrse, conform to the custom of the -
kNOTHER PRISON CONCRILSS.—The Interna-
circuit, but before the explanation was made, though . tional Prison Congress which assembled in London in
he had heard Mr. Temple's voice addressing the court, July, 1872, under the presiilency of the Earl of Car.
he of course, could not tell where it came from. narvon, is considered to l•save been no useful to the
t '-
cantoni ; - and'-' -
"I hod;
, Progress of the questions then discussed that anothyr.
THE FALLACY OF PERMISSIVISM.—The vice or similar Congress is to be held in 1876. This decisiona
drunkenness is one which cannot be too strongly de- Was arrived at by the International Penitentiary (-Yoram
, flounced ; and we would gladlyco-operate in anyrational mission, -which has turd met at Brussels, and o( 'j,
and practical scheme to effect its mitigation. Such a the Pee. Dr. E. C. Wines, of New York, was chair.
scheme, however, the Permissive Bill mostemphatically m,'„,,,, a gentleman to whose great ability and rierse.
is not. It is a measure which only serves the purpoae of ' verance the first Congress was no largely indebted for
pandering to the feverish agitators, who mistake a
.sr- its success, and who was accredited by President
poseless infraction of our personal liberties for ito -*gent Grant to represent the United Stat.s' Government
of moral and social regeneration. The real res. „d eor
/ on that occasion. The place at -which the next
the evil of which all classes have snore or 1, ''''' Y
~s reason to ' Congress is to be held is not at present de-
complain, lies in the progress cif edusatie d and the de-
,' termined, but will probably be at Brussels, Paris,
velopment of ckilisation. It is not to '
',le found in harsh lor Geneva. It is intended that the subjects
and revolutionary legislation; it es.
n never be attained to be then discussed shall be more carefully
by fanatical tub-thumpingtorpli,.
enried agitation. If the I limited and selected than at the London gathering;
Penuiuivites -would only mr"...t their efforts against the also that the votes of official representatives shall be
abort, and not a,gainst the -ate of drink, they would not taken and recorded on the subjects brought forward,
be long in obtaining th.•..t public support, the absence Further regulations as to the proceedings will be ar-
of which at present e
enders their movement the miser ranged at the next annual meet. of the C "
able failure that ." ..
With regardwhich -11 be held at liruclusal, in li °lnnu2Bl°ll'
, ..c is. 1 reg to the moderate will
aden in August,
use
.of int
" —:ii)l .cating liquors," Sir Wilfrid and his 1875, under the chairmanship of M. Stevens, the ex-
Enorrtsl HOP
sans wib.s do well to digest th.! remarks made
,litty periencedi Inspeeor•Genetreal of Belgian -Prisons.
Fe... --
i it°°. before
last
f year'sd
!ti Science'his. ennwil
ePa monthly
"
n matmnal Bullet* r!se the
national love r strong drinks," , said Study e eru la naryßeform "will be mimed in the
sortie, • s. • ..ap, is a characteristic of the nobler and more Fren.th languswe by Signor Beltran' Scalia, Inspector
energetic impulations of the world; it accompanies of kali= Prisons. Information and papers on the
Public and private enterprise, consistency of purpose, ii ions to be discussed will also he circulated in.
liberality of thought and aptitude for war; it exhibits English by the American Prison Association, New
itself prominently in strong and nervous constitutions, York, and by the London Howard Association. Th.
and assumes in very many instances the character of a Penitentiary Commission is inviting a complete series
nervous instinct." Permusivism may pooh-pooh these of criminal statistics from the various Governments,
ar,sertions ; but it cannot disprove them—to the Rath, and has already received comprehensive returns of this
faction of any other than theme infected with the pro- nature from the Governments of Italy, Holland,
hibition fever.—Licensed Victuallers' Guardtan. Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, and Saxony.