The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-31 00:00:00

AN EARTHQUAKE IN CEYLON.

A smart shock of earthquake was experienced in Central
Ceylon early on the morning of the 19th of September The
following account is given of it by a correspondent—
. • - -

"This morning I woke, and looking at the clock
found that it was just three. Returning to bed, I fell
into the soon i sleep that generally precedes sunrise, but
was waked suddenly by an unusually trembling sensa-
tion. This I at once perceived was created by the
vibration of the earth. The vibration increased, accom-
panied by a dull rumbling sound, until the bed began to
sway violently, with a regular increasing motion, until
the curtans waved, and it was apparent that every-
thing rtrovnd was similarly agitated; the windows
rattled, and the rods in the French window bolt
clanked I ,udly ; this lasted for a few seconds, when the
rocking subsided as gradually as it had come. The
sensation was toast peculiar. The motion was from
east to west apparently (but of course it might have
been from west to east; the rumbling, hrtwever, was
decidedly in the east), and I was rolled backwards and
forwards in bed, leeling powerless to steady myself.
As soon as the wave had subsided, I rose and noted
the hour as 55. to. precisely.' Several other corres-
puldents give an account ‘,l the occurrence. The
shock appears to have been felt in the centre of the
island only. Earthquakes in Ceylon are such rare
events that this one has had a good deal of attention
bestowed upon it."

THE TALE OF A TOOTH.

The following story is good, and it has the merit of
being true (says the Pictorial World) : Madame
Pauline Viardot, the ever-to-be-remembered Fides, in
Meyerbeer's Prophlie, had one of her innsive teeth in
her upper jaw longer than the rest of her pearly
jewels, which somewhat damaged the beautiful ex-
pression of her physiognomy. A few evenings before
the production of the Prophetc, during one ox the
general rehearsals of that opera, Meyerbeer went into 1
her room in the theatre, and advised her that he could
not consent to let her sing Fides. "How so ? " ex-
claimed the great artist, stupefied at such a dreadful
revelation. "Am I wrong in the interpretation
of any part of the rile! If so, you should
tell me, sir, and I will correct myself." "Madame,
you are a perfect Fides, and I could not dream
of any tragedian songstress to sing and play
better than you," answered the maestro; but—
but—you cannot perform Fides !—unless.—" "Unless
what ?" quickly replied Pauline Viardot, bursting into
tears. "Unless you submit to 3 painful surgical
operation; and I guess you won't, madame." "What
do you mean, sir ?" 'Simply this madame : you must
have that overgrown tooth sawn to the level of the
others." "Oh ! sir it must be horrible. Surely I'll
be dead before the excision is over." "Not at all,
madame. I have just ordered the dentist of the
Queen of Prussia to come to Paris for the express pur-
pose of attending your operatic majesty, and you may
rely upon his unsurpassed skill." As it was the sine
quit non condition Imposed by the hard-to-please
maestro, Pauline Viardot made up her mind to confide
her beautiful head to Herr Mullkeistrom, M.D., who
first chloroformed her, and with a magic dexterity re-
moved at once the obnoxious bit of ivory. A few
nights after that "terrible" trial, Pauline Viardet
won her crowp of immortality in that rdle of Fides k
which she will never be equalled. When the tre-
mendous echoes of the enthusiastic applause and rappels
had abated, and the artists were allowed to leave the
stage, Giacomo Myerbeer, trembling like a child with
emotion, respectfully took Fides's right wrist, to which
he adjusted a diamond bracelet worth 30,000 francs, in
the middle of which, and surrounded by rubies, stood
the small piece of tooth that for no many years had
been prominent in the great artiste's features.