The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-18 00:00:00

SERIOUS COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT ROUND
OAK.

On Monday morning it was discovered that a serious
fire had been raging during the whole of Sunday night
in the No. 25 pit Wallows Colliery, Brierley Hill, Mesa'.
Witehouse and Dando, chartermasters. Lord Dudley
Is the owner of the mine, and the pit is worked by the
masters, who find labour, horses, ct.c., on charter terms.
The fire was discovered early, but such was the force it
had attained that no one could venture within some yard
of the heat and suffocating awoke and. gases. :•Alter- a
time, and favoured by the wind, a short inspection from
the surface was made, and it was found that the" guides,"
or conductors to steady the cages, or skips, had been
-burnt out of ;he shafts, and that a cage had fallen to the
bottom. It is feared that this, in its descent, has con-
siderably damaged the shaft. The worse feature of the
case, however, is the loss of six or seven horses, valued
at £250., which have been burnt to death.

DUDLEY.
THE MECHANICS' INSTITIITH.—Tho last instalment of
R 250. on the mortgage on the above institution was paid
over to Mr. Bagott on Saturday last.
TEE RAI3GEEr Senoor..—For many years past the
Ragged School, has done good work in Dudley. Now the
School Board Schools are thickly spread over the district
the Ragged School managers are turning their attention
to the means of making the School still useful, and in
furtherance of this end they take children of any age
from five to fifteen and instruct them gratuitously. The'
girls are also taugh to repair clothing, and so make the
pupils a little more presentable 'than usual, There is
still a large share of work for the school to do' for some
children are so poor or so neglected as not to be eligible
to attend even a Board School. 'Mrs. Bourne; of Stour.
ton, who hss ever taken a warm interest in the school,
organised an amatear concert for its benefit, and on Friday ,
last the entertainment took place in the Public Hall,
Mechanics Institute. The,hurden of the work fell:npon
Mrs. Bourne's family. It is believed that a balance of
£4O. will be handed over to the secretary pro tern, Miss
Jones, of Cawney Bank, for the audience was a large
and fashionable one. One feature in the school should
be mentioned: not only are the poor children taught
and their clothes repaird, but in the winter a good din-
ner of soup is frequently given to them.
THE CHAIRQE OP EXPOSING OBSCENE PHOTOGRAPHS.—
On Wednesday, at the Police Court, Mark Opper, resid-
ing at the Three Tuns- Snow Hill, was charged with ex-
posing indecent and obscene photographs on a stall in
the Market Hall. Police-constable Harvey said.. he.
found 224 of the photographs on the stall, but 178 of
which were indecent were upside "elown. Defendant
pleaded that all were copies of statutes exposed to pub-
lic.view. Mr. Barradale again told the defendant that it
was the gathering together of a large number of such
pictures which showed a desire to pander the prurient
tastes of a seotion of the public. Alderman Badge said
178 of the photographs would be destr led as indecent
at the end of the week, during which time the defendant
could appeal to thiNatitter sessione. In She: interim
the Bench would -consider whether he should be indicted '
or not. Defendant Seidl& found.' •Englishmen.- %telling
such prints, and he thought he' should be doh* no harm:.
Alderman Rungs: Never lake a- bad nitnghehmah -as
your standard. • . • ' • - '• • is' 4 •

. .
SERIOUS ACCIDENT : Tat JIDDER,
MINSTER AND BEWDLEY 1409 P LINE.

SIX MEN INJURED.

A serious accident occurred on Wednesday
morning, on the line in course of construction'be-
tween .Kidderminster and Bewdley. ' The cog.;
tractors, Messrs. Dickenson and. Crockett, have a.
large !tat.of nion Tengaged an the works,
.th'e
heaviest- part of which comprise the cutting .of a
tunnel throne): the sandstone 'ridge to the westof
the Stourport...lfoad.. The., hardness of the rock
necessitates its being, blasted, and on.Wednesdar
seven men were engaged in this work. When a'
charge they had put in failed to eiprode • rt *as-.
determined' to put in a 'fresh- and"
the men were proceeded to do this ,f.t i supposed..
that a Spark froui.the iron tools striking the. rock
caused*.the original charge to take fire... The Sea.
plosion of the gunpowder blew six of the .men
some distance from the spot, and when their
comrades ran. to them. they .weie found to hebadly
hurt. Two of the navvies, whose injuries were
most severe, were removed to the Kidderminster ,
Infirmary and the other four men were. taken; to
their lodgings. One of the men has lost his eye- ,
sight by the accident. It is stated that all the
men are strangers to Kidderminster.

KIDDERMINSTER TOWN COUNCIL
The monthly meeting of the above body
held on Wednesday ; the Mayor (Alderman Good- •
Win) presiding.
A letter was read from the manager of the Gas-
works relative to a complaint Councillor Cowen
tiad made at. a former meeting regariding the
quality of the gas, which alai managernmintained
was of the standard required, . ;
Mr. Wood Mtd;thb report -Of Drainage and
Waterworks Committee, whq,. ,had paid Acpounts
during the month, anipmitiag. to 41,07,18 s 74 of
which nearly £1,409 ;*as fir interest on loans and
repayment •of /instalments a principal. The
amount expended in laboU'r had been-. 01 19s.
The SeWage. Farpi Committee reported:that/ha
last month's expenditure had been £76 lie, of
.whieh...2l2 .was for, labour. The sum of £Bl 3s 6d.1
had been paid into the bank on account.of stock
, and, produceteeld:-riTh4 kitini of .0 Jut/I/been re- I
ceived froth Mr. U.Sibell 'for thb 'shooting over
the.farm.till the../9th :inst.- -The- cottunitkee';re-
ported that they had not completed the arrange-
. manta fer letting the farm; and they recommended
that it be managed temporarily by the Borough
Surveyor. .t..; - -•• •: • - •• • 1 •- " ".4: 4
Alderman Dixon asked if .considerable damage'
had not been done to the farm by the persona who
had been shooting over. it. He had heard that
'damage had been done , to the amount of .i3O.
Mr. Anscombe said that a good deal of damage
had been done. An acre of .rhubarb had been
completely spoilt, and also a bed of parsnips.
'There was, also, a considerable quantity of grass
so damaged that it could not be sent to taarkrt,
and the fences had been broken. After a conver-
sation as to the liability or thes persons bausing
the damage, the report was adopted, and the com-
mittee were instructed to .visit the farm and re-
port on the subject of the damage.
The IthproVement Committee reported. that Li
834 18s 3d,
,had bOen collectedon accountOf the'
general district rate since the last meeting, £lO4,
#l7s 10d for water ratea, and £22 15a 9tl' for sew-
age rents. Including voids and irrecoverables,
there was £322 3s 44 general districtreke'
looted, and:the committee recommended certain
excusals on the ground of poverty. Mr. Kiteley
had sent iu his:award in the.. matter of Mears.
Morgan and Lawleys land, and had awarded than
..£6O 146 for 192 yards required for widening the
Comberton 'expenditure In 'labour'
duringthe month had been £59 108 10d and since
BRIERLEY arLt, the last meeting the committee had, paid Amounts
, , The report wa p then
CAUTION TO CARTERs.—it the 'Police Cou amounting to £B5O
'rt, on Mon- ado ted. .• '• • •
day, before H. 0.
,Firmatone. and H. Smith, Ksqrs., -
William Godaall was charged with being, drunk whilst in T eSamtary Committee reported the. resigns.-
charge of a- honks and cart, on the 10th instant. Police. of Mr. Harbor as cattle inspector.
sergeant Ellis and Police-constable Doobar proved tin The medical officer's showed that the death-rate,
case. Fined 2s 64 and coats. - ' . • - ' last mOnth was 181 in the 1,000, or 30 deaths, '
NON-PAY3INNT Or PoOs RATEL—A namber of persons against 38 in the'corresponding period last year.
were summoned by Charles Dallow, collector, for non-
payment of poor rates for the parishes of Kingswinford Scarlet fever still lingeied in the borqugh.
IL.t.t Eleven ofthe deaths 'eatie:tride4 the' hsoltds
and imbleeote,: _Orders were-made ler -them to pay .1,„,„ • • •
14 days, except in the case of Anne Sutton and •ai ft
which 'number the 'Me ca o cer
Hatton, who were excused.—A number of persons from marked, might have been greatly lessened if the
Kingswinford No. 2 district, were summoned
.by James persons would, take notice of the first symptoms,
Gittings, and ordered -lc pay in 14 days, except in two and immediately apply for advice. Queen Street,
eases. was reported in a .wretthed'.condition as regarded
DRUNKArID DIsORDERLY..—George "Palmer was charged closet accommodation.
with being drunk aud disorderly, on the 7th inst. Police- The Sanitary Inspect Or's report was also read,
constable Freeman proved that the defendant was very •
and stated that he had caused a number of dirty
drunk, and creating b disturbance. There were two
houses to be whit4mashed and cleansed.
hundred persons round him. Defendant *as also abusive
to witness. Fined 2s 6d and costs.
DRUNK AND DIrORDRRLY. —Josiah Bennett was charged ,
with being drunk and disorderly, on the 4th inst. Police-
constable Doohas_praved;_the...case.-- Fiired-21764 and .11013LD.—On the 15th lust, at his teuidenie at The Lye,
costs. ' • Henry Mould, aged 58 years; clepplyrignqted.
• ' •
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