The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-21 00:00:00

TOG PERPL3XITIES AND PERILI3.

Tits prolonged and. widespread fog, which
z endered the second week of the year one of
danger and dreariness, might.- be considered
phenomenal alike-iti its -density and duration.
It made manifest in a singularly striking
degree the extent to which the outgoings of
daily life, involving the active exercise of so
lazed: skill and energy, . can be prejudically
affected, and oven in some phases completel
peralysed, by ceetain wellenaderstood atmos-
pheric conditionee. Though London, fogs—
which have peculiarities, in composition and
colour, which distinguish them from other
fogs—are commonly associated with Novem-
ber, they by no meanorestrict themselves to
any particular month, and may even pay
unwelcome visitations, like-Highland mists,
or easterly" hovers" inSectland, in the vet 7
middle of summei. There is, however, a,
recognised fog-season, beginning with the
advent of winter, for which railway com-
panies make due preparation by accumulat-
ing abundant stores of fog-signals, whose i
detonations are familiar to ether ears besides ,
those of engine drivers. Dense fogs, such i
as wore experienced last week all" over 'the ,
country, and on sea as well as land, hate a
perplexing and bewildering effect, and prove
fruitful in accidents, many of them being of
Ia fatal character. In certain circumstances
they preduce a feeling of complete helpless-
ness, and excite nervous tremors of misgiving
whhiu the boldest or. ast. The most expert
drivers and boatmen find their skill to he of
as little avail as if they had never handled
the reies or pulled an oar.. Under dismal
weather conditions of the kind, which place
„he sharpest and the dullest eYes on a par,
going asiray is easier of accernplishment.
r.hati keeping the right path. , The oblitera-
tion of all the lam-ill irsurronedings in home
' seenes is tantamount to being allicted with
alinduese. The.recordie of recent.cesualties
eontained accounts of ill-fated •men who,
eoing to their work or returning home. met
• heir deaths by welking over a precipice.
era.) ing on to a railway line, or fal:ing head-
e ine into riVRII, and canals. It was stated
. eat the schoolboy who list his way on
donniey Marsh, and who slept overnight in
i, beanetack;onust have wandered past with-
in thirty paces of his own home. The for-
bra boy, though benutubed with cold when
:uand in the morning, was fortunate in
lowing lighted upon a place of refuge, as he
would ' a,'• run great: risk of polishing from
exposure had he kin down,. taint and weary
in the open, with no covering, but the damp
eiarrow-chilling fo e. All who have under-
gone the unpleasant experience ef getting
into a bewildered state, and losing their way,
in similar conditions of the atmosphere, ma
readily realise the feelings weien must, have
agitated and distressed the heart of the
lonely lad when all his efforts, which re-
sembled tue gropinge of the blind, were un-
availing in enabling him to recover the path
that led to the door of his own home. In
the streete of cities a I;ke bewilderment,
with added dangers, is unilergone when the
eyes, owing to the same cause, are incapable
of guiding the footsteps strange and
perilous adventures are the experience ce
c-,hensands when a thick pail' of fog, on
winter nights; broods all over the metropo-
lis, and becomes a darkness that may be fell
:xi secluded streets, where the lamp-posts are
wide apart. and where no shop windows
dispel any of the gloom with their rows and
pendants of flaring lights. When wheel
traffic is suspended in the main thorough-
tares, on account of the constant danger of
collisions, toot passengers have still to face
the risks of coming in violent contact with
each other, or with lamp posts, pillar letter-
i,oxes, fire-alarms,. and various kinds of
obstruction thathgive no sign of their axle.
tence until they are encountered. Strangers
in London, quito-unaccustomed to inflictions
of the kind, naturally grow somewhat
alarmed when they find ttienaselves unex-
pectedly enveloped in Cimmerian shades
wilich obscure every object, awl convert
street-lamps into will-o'-thewisps, that
serve to do little more than make visible the
surrounding darkness. . The police patrols,
to whom they apply- for counsel in thei.
, trouble, commonly advise them to cell fur a
ceb without delay, and get back to their
hotels or their houses where they are residing,
as the traffic in the thoroughfares, if the
density of the fog lasts any time, is sure to
be stopped. If it were not for the railway
trains, which continue to run when other
means of conveyance are not available,
peopie who live in the distant suburbs, or in
the outskirts of the metrenolie, would find
eoesiderable difficulty in reaching home
when their business hours are over, or when
they come out of theatres and , other places
of amusement. Owing to the number of
stations on different lines. within the metro-
politan area, and the rutiftitude of out-going
and in-coming trains,- the. bang-banging of
fog signals goes on incessantly in' all direc-
tions, as if insurrectionary dynamiters were
actively at work. The men, generally plate-
layers, who are in charge of the fog signals,
have a more dangerous occupation during
- the long hours they are Wometirnes engaged
' in it than the ordinary signalmen, who man-
age the lights and semaphores, and many ot
0
them, suddenly caught by trains
when stooping over the rails, perish at their
posts. The ill-wind proverb has a special
application to the manufactuiers of detonat-
ing signals when dense fogs arc frequent, or
last for about a week at a time. It would
be a good thing, helping to prevent collisions
and the loss of many lives, if fog-signalling '
in tie case of ships at sea were as effective
as fee- ligualling on land in the case of rail
way tr ins. Untir an international system
of f. 'g leirn signals is adopted indicating, by
the in;. :-er of sonude emitted, the directions
in n .i '1 veseela are sailing, or whether they
,nary or in motion, collisions will
y recur in thick weather, and
-:cs of life take place.

petilen.
Re W Sykes, of Brierley Hill.—At the Stour-
hrrige Coutt-house, ufi Tuesday—before Mr
a-glottal. ColaisW,lliam Sykes, formerly a farme.
and i other occupations, .nd now in lodgin, s at
4 ierley Hill, came up for his public examination.
ilia liAtilities- were .2328. 54. Sit, and the assets
re nil.—ln reply to tUt ofin d Lieceiv-r. he eai
tie hat; Vett emetically bro_ight up t a farmtn,r, nu:
ii nad been in oteer occupations as well. lie
1..8: tie proluce of forty .cr. f land,by a tire, ant;
had other loses as wail; an i he had had a large
family to bring up—eigh,een, of whom thiriee •
-.ere living. tie had to tile a peitton before. in 186 J
in, his assets were t en £l,BOO . and his liabili i .8
21,900. He else had t. meet is creditors in 1864.
ale had no estate then, but ate wards a,. far as h.
co ild, paid the greater portion of hie liahilitie. Us
was afterwards a check clerk at fiord Dulley's. but
he work he used to do cane to a eluse owing to a
different nb eof working the uoilieries.—The ex .w
1 tati n was closed.
livou.st Inquest was held at the Duke
Willism Inn, Coventry Street, on Thursday nig,o,
befi le Mi. A. Hebtiert (Deputy Coroner) tounhitti:
toe death of Maria Pearson, of years of age, who
id sad teuly 114 in the pa lur of the Uhl PlB
Inn, Coventry Street on Tuesday last. Tile de-
dealird was well known a')ont he town as a green
,fro ,er. and for many ',as went about pestling
ato ree-wheel truok. After the. wit nesses had *eon
X•visieed Dr. Hirt wae. ea led, and said he saw the
iody of deueased lying on the .per of the parlour
3f the 01.1 Pig Inn '..bout 11 o'clock on Tuesday
g.,t. Ste nscl a stall wound on the terehead stud
.er nee appoired to ha e b3sd a &tit% but the u.
.juries were no; sutfiaent to cause death. Ho
now tit the i jurss wee espied by her having an
a ..op, ti tit, and her ha @stogie the p. ojectioa of
so orgad trial wit-- in the (.ooul. [he jury returnei
vendet the dies-and diedfrena "Natural Causes."
with i it a 'pa In ti•
ARMY NOM Time —ll. tace anal form familiar to
he iuhao•tanta ~f tti t ,wu wilt 80012 be retn
from -is. S rgeant Thomas Davis, who has be
a ie 01 here for the past five years, hesbeen pro-
to C ou-sinrg.:ant in he 3rd Worcester-
, Re.;itne..t, woion he till join on tLe 30-h inst,
ivc until that. time having.-tken• kindly gianwi
in. D .ring the tines Sergeant Day..
en in the town he ' as soudne ed
•is a
ytu itiorthy ea.t,luer, witch ties g sin d
:1 g nerti resp wt. and ws wiqh him every enenes.
in Ws now position.
800 • r P. Pargeter pre-
tne tonal weekly meeting of tais Boat
cesterdiy Ade:vire,' into ih.) litasse daring t:,t•
•i tek 6. discharged 11, dead 4. rinaining; 498
4ain-t 558 itt th., oorresp aiug west last year
• )ut,door relief. Kileswitiferd alii•trict £5O 4s.
curb idve £39 l 4 Sd. tillesowsti .282 15s. OA
ton ie ide.4 p.upt.te .k:1 134 61. '.otal £124 83. 6.1
3 im.t £111; 08. 94d. lte-t year.
PaTaOLlll7/1 Llnintass —A( the Police Court
cc i rEly be ore Coloiel Fletcher, A. F. Gallon.
...C, M.P Esq. A. Freer, ilaq. T. D. Thomas, Esc;
C Coolirane Esq., a .analber of petrolauni liesnse
ewe ippli d tor anti granted. Serge int Chare war
I,l,olnted I elect x under the f!:xplosives Act to!
the Lye, Cranley and Virellemeete.
Intozutariskei.—Edwarci Haddedine wale charged
with being drunt and i :capable on the 14th inst.
it Hay Green *KC J. Moore proved the ease,
rimed 28 tid, and costs.-11ary Giles was oharAod
,vith bemg drunk at te Waterloo Lan, -Wollastou
.42 the 16th inst. P.O. Cartwright proved tne
Chao. Finei 23 6d. anti eosts—Charles Smith wo.
charged with laJing drunk at Hay theca, on the
,6th P.C. Sto .e proved the case and Sergeant
Chare proved previous conviction.. Fined Si. arm
costs.

ORAJENE LANGUAGE —Geor..e Scott Was charged
,ith using °nacelle 'align go on the 14th last at
euttobello. P.O. Gore .proved the case. Fined Sr.
•11•1 Costs.
Osumi,. TO PAIBININI.‘ViIIiaM Hughes, emir
as summoned for not contributing towards the
-hpport of his son, who IS an inmate of the
Defendant was ordered
oodbury Reformatory.
) pay 2e. pa we. k and costs.
IGNORANT CIIILDLIZR rhomas Brett, LeTi
krald'ou and Peter Warman were summoned to,
,Ir. Wyatt, School Board ()Seer for Beihroughten
tor ne6tecting to rend their children t., sehohi.
D'ines c.it 2.. in each case was inflicted.—ln the lost
two eases Waldron'a chill was 10 year. olci ant
Samoa's chil 11 and neither bad pulsed ant,
it nniard, not even the infante. - Mr. Godson t,..1r1
.),•.roion if he went before the Board he would be
-trused if he couid not pay. If ho did pot e+suA
his 1 d to attend school:he would ;ruin the lad, who
•vould probably be brou,,ht 13,7 f ore them at IMO
future time
A LIVNLT CitAitaCrra.—Jerenstalt Skidmore, of
the Du Hoy R ,ad, Ly,.‘, was . charged with being
drank and disorderly at tie Lye, on the 14th and
15 h lusts, 3.ud further ens gel with assuultin4
James Wo,d, ~n the Ist inst., at the Lye. Mr.
W. Waldron .t!cfoni.ied. Sergeant C ,are said on
_ Saturday no. tat illr) ho was on duty lii-eoutpany
wait P. C .le, in High Stroet, Lye He saw to.-
(le. end.,,- , was drunk and staggering end using
bud langtil. Cross-examined :Defewiant did not
silo COMFORTING
comp at nto witness about Stone. He had every
"By
appvarani a of drunks, ness.—Y.C. Stone corrobol-
of the natural laws which gover.2.
1.e.);•,7 ~t.',l%!...tien and outrition.end by care. at d. vii.l aid be was called into L., nder'. tis
nppk:sti• m f the fine ureperties of well-sel,ete slip t., ejocr. dal .ndant.—Jarnes Wo d said ho sal
r. mit.vkii our hrenkfafit tables with d.t.udtn, at Lye Cro-e about bat-p ot elsv a, and
a .'o :y 11.iv.pre I bevera.4e which mttY save ,tru k. Croes-exatuined: A, :that time he
i•, it is by the judicious 00 .1 et defendant and a man liana d a-Aycock
ea,t a c..,istitution ra.iy to grA I i oon,e. They had a can of no wilt
e. ~agh t,. resist every ittivi t :tu, They stoi,p3d at flaycook'a house about 34
t,I ••!hbtle railndks 'are. Skidmore sary witness a black is-Tc._ He
t!.itt et-oval there is
at It i•tvereigh L o(.1 Eet hi
• ill's: wol.fort.tt:ed with poi° bloo.l amd a r.tiln,is,—but. no gave ic 111.11 b .ek. 70 al
. .ed tarue." put a s vete gn and a silver coin in 'he cL.II &Li tat
nou ii.! t
;.: ~ I tit tcjtlim wate or tniik Sol I o 111 ij thrum to spend the money next day lie g.,t up ta
!,.., nod . •.; Err ':, f:obt the door was locked and eefendatu had the
. . of key Wi 1.1 is never struck.defendant at all. He
pi. i• r Id tilj I ite p'0,112e0.1 WS to back someone to play defendant
,Ilor if'

0:u -!

.i.;11;

;•io

• i flt 0,1

at dominoes. There was a !ILL in of ale in the eau
t'ourell said he wits on. duty in trse Dudley
Road, Lye, ~botit a quarter to ten at night De
iendaat came into the Windmill Inn, an lA.)
ines what right he. had to be tare Tee land-
-11 ordered defendant out of the house H 3 came
outsioe and used bad language towards the lan t.
lard, the landlady, and the. barmaid. D. foidal.
wa druuk,—(leurge liayeock said he went to tae
fish-shop atiet d*lr ti&feit.imat titer.; \vitt) a gailou ea •
ot ale between hie rhry caf„e Out of th
nib stoi end uvt Wool, wk_ Skidniola asked .c
have tome (Wok, and they ive,•t 1,-10 Aitn
hous..t to clrihk.When they got. mutt) 'he how- the
began talking about dominoes, and they produse
money,• One nord begat anther an i: vain- to
dufAidaint-etriking Woad istr.. or trre t‘tritsa.
Wed did not strike back, D•Alaidant ;(p.i,ed the
doe, •ad tok the key. Witness b gged a.d pray d
01 teutiaut to give hiui the key led go ea
Wul Iron having addr,esed the ticite.,l r 4111
lieu; ;.:e, eailed deferviant, who aadd that Nvb nhe
gat ao police oz. Saturdkes right tj anida sober _Th.
Ben. fined &lecithin! 2sG.m atv.i eott 1-br dr iuktia-
• nes, .3 the 14th, and 51 and curt' VA'
on t..... 146, and 20tit codta CxtUt...

ru.ttver.c•r:ons. AND fl
ing t•.fll trnt t...0n of therut t at 3 ilJlt•E
a.,41•••,,41.)y nttri.rie,e4l At 01-1 itu•nri,Gl if
hal,ti.t..l by tit,• 11%; L;r 11flI4I
hew-, 1.1 yorvi, are nyvi 391:1 Er. t r. 67! .
ablu citeailt, in i totry at-1.41V1 pe.• Pr, tc
itoubied All It , ktirg c:•ugli," a ' itt c
brcnc:ltz. i:t..ert,..1...,,.,.5nEt0t try Ilan; cor•tirJl,
Z:4211 4,r,grO 1 IA
derrylA ra.piontic:;• 4tij h .1;-C tit)
the w.:1,18 fir tit ?ht.
I by.
J. nu •f..iio,,ean
13, Farrinkiott 1..):,d,;u •