The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-30 00:00:00

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

The weekly meeting of this Board was held
yesterday; Mr. Uranger in the chair. There
were also present : Messrs. I. ltollinsou,
Baker, Rhodes, ttaybould, Billingham, B.
Homer, and °nest. The minutes of the
last meeting were read aud confirmed. Ad-
mitted into the house during the week, 10 ;
discharged, 13 ; born ; dead ,0 , rewaining,324 ;
Corresponding week last year, 356. Out-door
relief Kingswinford district, £26 lie ld ;
Stourbridge district lab 14s Id ; Halesowen
district, £l7 7a Od ; relief of nun-resident
paupers, 7s 6d ; total £63 Os Oil, against £6O
23 lid last year.

STOITLIBRIDGE ‘VATER WORKS COMPANY.—A
meeting of the Shareholders of this Company
was held on Monday the 25th just, when a
dividend of 3 per cent, per annum for the past
half .year was declared. The revenue account
showed ..t32S 15s tid available for di‘isiou whick
would pay the m mil dividend, and leave the
small sum of .61 6s lid to the next account, but
nothing to the reserved fund. The balance of
the Revenue being so small, the Directors have
under consideration the subject of a revision of
the Water Itentais of the premises supplied,
and should the high price of coal and labour
continue it sissy be necessary to apply to the
13.,ard 01 'trade, for authority to increase the
scale of charges to meet such item of expendi-
ture.

IiKAND CONCERT.—We beg to call the atten-
tion of our readers to our auvertieing columns,
announcing a return visit. 01 the Celebrated
Cren.ona Aiusical Union Oireenhewl
who will give six evening concerts in the torn
Exchange, next week. The performance of
this Madly on their various iustrunieues allordb
a treat such its is rarely offered to the inhabit-
ants of this town, and no doubt their efforts
will be rewarded with the success they richly

HELLER'S 'WONDERS."—We have much plea-
sure in being able to announce that Mr. Heller,
whose "wonders" have been ministering to the .
delight and astonishment of thousands in Bir-
mingham, for the last three months, will shortly
pay a visit to this town. With reference to this
gentleman's skill in his peculiar art, we cannot do
better than quote the following paragraph from
the Birmingham Daily Post of the 14th inst. "Mr.
lieller's most successful three months' season
formally closed last night, and his own benefit and
that of Miss Beller, and the k'arewell on Satur-
day, conclude the longest and most brilliant series
of performances ever given to an English audience.
Miss liayslee Beller takes her beuefit to-night,
and she well deserves a bumper house. tier hand-
some face and winning manners, her extraordinary
quickness and real genius, her "second sight,"
her " spirit reading, her "living portraite, and
a dozen other parts she has played, are too well
remembered and have beeu too warmly appre-
ciated to leave any doubt about a crowded room
to-night. As a gracefulpmapliment to an accom-
plished lady, who has made "troops of friends,"
and won "golden opinions from all sorts of
people," a crowded room again will be only the
due of a lady who has done so much lor the plea-
sure of the public, and has done all so well. On
Friday Mr. iieller's own benefit, and on Saturday
the Farewell, terminate, to ,the regret of hund-
reds. Mr, tleller's unrivalled and successful sea-
sJn."
MIDLAND STEAM BOILER INSPECTION AND
ASSURANCE CO.—FrOUI the Chief Engineer's (Mr.
E. B. Marten) Report for the lust hall-year, which
we have just received, it appears that up to Decem-
ber 31st, 1872, there were 2,285 boilers under the
cure of the Company, and this number had since iu.
creased. There has been two slight sod one serious
explosion among the assured:boilers during the past
half-year, but without injury to anyone. There was
no explosion among the boilers under the Company
in:the first half of the year, 1872. The first explo-
sion was front the collapse of the tube of a Cornish
boiler. A night watchman raised the fires earlier
than usual, and the water was so far evaporated be-
fore the arrival of the regular atteuslaut, that the
tube was overheated and gave way, but aithout mov.
lug the boiler or injuring the premises. Ihe second
explosion was one of the loim plain cylinder bullet*,
used for Miming the waste gases front blast furnaces.
It rent at a seam-rip, caused by the peculiar strain
on these boilers front their great length, and the
rapid changes of temperature with each variation of
the quantity or quality of the gas. The damage slow
was considerable, but as the boilers were assures! on
the group principle, itkitiated by this company, the
whole amount was available on the explosion of cue
boiler, and went far towards the cost of reinstating.
The third explosion was very like the first. A Lan-
eashire boiler collapsed in one flue, and was injured
in the other by overheating, and through shortness
of water. The report goes on to show that all these
boilers were used at ironworks, and that nearly half
the boiler explosions of the kingdom have been at
collieries or ironworks, and as most of the boilers
tinder the company were at such works, it might be
inferred teat their work lay amongst boilers subject
to .musual Yiciszitudes, and of necessity hi more
exposed positions than boilers working in ordinary
mills and During the past year
13,626 examinations of boilers had been made, of
which 1,697 had been seen inside, and 1803 in the