biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-14

THE AMERICAN CENSUS.

So much of the Census of 1880 has now been corn
pleted as to permit the population statistics of the
principal citics in the United States to be arrived at.
The following table of figures is of great interest, as
showing the present population of these cities, as well
as the comparative rates of increase, which are very
varying:—

Increase per cent.
Population. since 1870.
New York .. 1,209,561 .. 24
Philadelphia . 842,000 .. 24
Brooklyn 554,693 .. .. 40
Chicago .. 477,500 .. 60
St. Louis 375,000 .. 21
Boston .. .. 352,000 .. 40
Baltimore .. .. 330,000 .. 23
Cincinnati .. .. 255,000 .. .. 19
San Francisco .. 227,350 .. .. 51
New Orleans .. .. 207,328 8
Washington .. 160,000 .. 45
Cleveland. • • . 11,7,000 71
Buffalo .. • . 119,000 .. 27
Newark .. .. 136,000 .. 30
Milwaukee .. 130,000 92
Detroit .. 119,000 .. .. 50
Louisville .. 112,000 .. 11
Providence .. .. 104,000 .. .. 52
The returns from Pittsburg ana Jersey City have not
yet been completed. Chicago, Cleveland, and Mil-
waukee stand at the head as far as relative increase
goes, .and betoken the success of the grain and oil.
refining trades.. At the same time, the rate of in-
crease of many smaller towns is very much larger than
these. For instance, Minneapolis, another great
milling and lumber centre, shows 244 per cent. ;
Atlanta (a railway centre in Georgia), 106 per cent;
Waterbury (the watchmaking city of Connecticut),
102; St. Paul, near Minneapolis, 100; and Denver,
in Colorado, the astounding rate of 614 per cent. On
the whole, however, it appears that the wave of in-
crease and prosperity has fallen pretty equally on the
States alike, while New York has gone so steadily
ahead that the increase of her population has, in a
single decade, outnumbered the total population of
New Orleans and San Francisco.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-14

DISTRESSING SCENE ON BOARD A
THAMES STEAMBOAT.

On Saturday afternoon a scene of a very painful
character took place on board the Albert Edward
saloon steamer, which was on her way to Sherness.
Among those on board was a lady named Mrs. Carls-
berg, with six children, accompanied by a lady friend
with two. When within about five or six miles of
Sherness, it was discovered that a little boy, Albert
Edward Carlsberg, seven years of age, had fallen
through a hole in the bulwark of the vessel and was
lost. No one saw the little boy go overboard ex-
cept a boy of about his own age. Mrs. Carlsberg,
was at the head of the boat with five of her children,
when her friend's child came to her just after they
passed Southend with her boy's hat, observing that
Albert had gone into the water." At first she gave
no credence to the child's story, but at the same time
looked about the boat for her own child. As she failed
to find him the captain was communicated with. The
boat was stopped; but nothing could be seen of the
child. The distress of the mother was heartrending,
and the passengers and crew had a difficult task to
prevent her from jumping into the water, and
all endeavours to pacify her were for a time
futile. At the first intimation of what had happened
the captain ordered a boat to be lowered, but on its
being known that fully a quarter of an hour had
elapsed before he was made aware of the occurrence,
it was deemed useless to attempt a rescue. On exa-
mination of the bulwark, it was found that the hole
through which the child had disappeared was a space
for passing a rope through. The mother stated that
she lived at 517, Liverpool-road, and was a widow,
having buried her husband seven months ago. She
had seven children, one of whom she left at home,
taking the others to Sheerness to spend a week with
a friend. Great sympathy was shown for her by her
fellow passengers.—Daily News.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-14

A FORTY DAYS' FAST IN THE OLDEN
TIME.

Dr. Tanners's fast is paralleled by that of a woman,
Cicely Ridgway, as recorded in judicial records. A
writer in Saturday Night, a forgotten magazine
belonging to the early part of the present century,
but full of curious matter, states that the circum-
stances of this fast are thus mentioned in "an old
work containing the reports of many extraordinary
trials"

"In the 31st year of the reign of that glorious
Prince Edward 111., and that of our Lord 1347, there
was one Cicely de Ridgway, or Rygewa, indicted for
the murder of her husband, but, she refusing to plead
and continuing mute notwithstanding all the argu-
ments and threats the Judges could use to her, they
adjudged her at last to fast forty days together in
close prison without any meat or drink. This she
actually did. For proof of this extraordinary absti-
nence I shall produce a translation of the record
lodged in the Tower, which runs thus
The King, to all bailiffs and others his liege sub-
jects to whom these presents shall come, &c., greet-
ing. Be it known unto you, that whereas Cecely,
who was the wife of John Rygeway, was lately in-
dicted for the murder of the said John, her husband,
and brought to her trial for the same before our
beloved and faithful Henry Grove and his brother
Judges at Nottingham, bid that, continuing mute,
and refusing to plead to the same indictment, she was
sentenced to be committed to close custody, without
any victuals or drink, for the space of 40 days, which
she miraculously, and even contrary to the course of
human nature, went through, as we are well and fully
assured from persons of undoubted credit We do,
therefore, for that reason, and from a principle of
piety to the glory of God, and of the blessed Virgin
us Mother, by whom it is thought this miracle was
wrought, out of our special grace and favour, pardon
the said Cecely from the further execution of the sen-
tence upon her, and our will and pleasure is that she
be freed from the said prison, and no further trouble
given her upon the account of the said sentence, &c.—
In witness whereof, &c."
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-14

OLD HILL MINERS AND THE EMPLOYES
LIABILITY BILL.

An open-air miners' meetinci was held at Old Hill
on Wednesday night, with reference to the compen-
sation clause of the Employers' Liability Bill. A
working man presided.
Mr. W. Breakwell ,(mitiers's agen) addressed
those present, and adverted to the employers having
asked the Government for a clause to be inserted in
the above Bill, making it compulsory for ,einers ti
pay into an insurance fund, which they (the em-
ployers) should have under their control. They hal
found, however, that tne Government and the work-
ing men were not favourable to their suggestion,
and they now felt disposed to enter into a voluntary
or amicable arrangement frr establishing some kind
of an insurance fund. The thin coal and also some
of the thick coal miners already paid 4d per week
into a field club, and he (the speaker) thought if
seine plan could be adopted to supersede that, or
place it upon a better foo!ing, it would be to the ad-
vantage of the miners. Ihe Bill before the House
of Commons was one which would certainly make
miners contribute something whether they liked it
or not, because they would not be able to resist it,
and he asked them as reasonable men whether it
would not be better for them to try at the present
stage to arrive at some amicable arrangemtmt. Let
theni agree to subscribe their mite, let the employers
also subseribe, and a board be constituted on which
each side should have equal representative power as
to dealing with the fund. This would be better than
having to pay and having control over the funds—
(hear, hear). He found that there were already
six insurance societies of the kind established anion,
miners throughout the country, and they had in-
cluded in them more than hail the mining popula-
tien of (ire ar, Britain. One of the branches was
formed for cevering the Midland di,trich and he
had been asked to lay the matter before the miner.;
of, t.-is locality so that they mightexpress an opinion
upon it by passing a re,olution.l' He went on to
show that by paying the t-aine contribution into one
of the insurance secieties at into the field club, the
weekly benefits, in case of accident, would be about
2s per week more, and there would likewise be a
considerably larger adowance for widows and
orphans of miners killed in the pits. Toe insurance
foods would be kept up by he suuseriptious of
Jim: 00 wirers as well as miners, nod be tbo,lWit'
IAO
Imight safely Aide that the Ear i of Dudley WaS
pared to Pay £1 to every pound sub,cribed by the.
men in this district, so as to establish the fund. It
they( ?he miners) d•cl not accept the suggestion,
tifered, he was afraid they would have to accept
something worse. If the prejudice of the workme.i.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-14

THE STOURBRIDGE 013 SERVER.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY CCID ENT

LANCASTER, Friday Morning. The sufferers by
the Wennington accident lying at the Infumary
here are going on as well as can be expected. Win.
McKenna, who suffers from a compl cation of
injuries, is in a very serious condition, but his
brother Samuel, who received concussion of the
brain, is gradually becoming more conscious. -Fred.
Mitchell passed a restless night. Mr. William Hast-
ings, who is at Hatton Rectory; passed a good night
and progresses favourably.

THE ACCIDENT TO THE FLYING
SCOTCHMAN.

The Board of Trade inquiry into the accident to
the Flying Scotchman at Marshall's Meadows on
Tuesday was opened at Berwick Railway Station
this morning, by Colonel Yolland. Mr. M'Laren,
passenger superintendent of the North British
Railway Company, objected to the presence of r,-
porters, who left the room, but were afterwards
requested to return. The first witness, George
Hodson, conductor of he train, said the train was
fitted with vacuum brakes from beginning to end.
The time allowed to run from Edinburgh to Ber-
werk was an hour and a quarter, the distance being
57imiles. The train did not stoo but slackened
speed at Portobello and Dunbar. When the place
of accident was reached he felt a sensation as if the
train had suddenly stopped, and he NV as thrown
down violently. He heard no whistle from the
(hirer before the accident The train was going
fifty miles an hour. Hodson, continuing his evi-
dence, said the train had been running at a higher
speed than fifty miles before they slackened at
Portobello. Did not know whether any intimation
had been given to the driver that the rails were
being repaired at the spot where the accident took
place. He believed it was usual to do so. On
looking at the line he found the sleepers were
knocked out of place. Did not see any broken fish
joints. _ _ _

Henry Macgechon also gave similar evidence
William Fearndale, in the service of the North
Eastern Railway Company, said he had been in-
spector of the permanent way for 34 years. He
noticed on reaching the scene of the accident that
the rail behind the last van was torn up, He
gauged the line back for 50 yards. It was tolerably
good the first 40 yards, though no part was tiii;ht ;
then for a length of rail it was wide to the extent
of an inch and three-quarters.