The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-03-06 00:00:00

THE BURNING OF RIEIN.

The Geneva Correspondent of The Times writes under date
February 24

" The fire by which Riein, a village in the Oberland
of the Grisens, of whose fate I have already informed
you, was destroyed on the night of Tuesday last broke
out in the house of Herr Christoffel, the District
Judge, after the family had retired to rest. When the
alarm was given the staircase was in flames, and all
chance of escape, except by the upper windows, was
cut off. Herr Christoffei let himself drop to the,
ground, a distance of from 201 t. to 301 t. ; the other in-
mates of the house did the same, and though several
of them were badly bruised in the fall none were
seriously hurt. As a strong fahn, or south wind, was
blowing at the time and the village is built entirely of
wood, the flames ran from house to house with frightful
rapidity. As the fire-engine house was one of the first
to take fire and the principal fountain was close to a
burning building, the heat from which rendered it
unapproaehable, no attempt could be made to combat
the conflagration. All that the poor people could do
was to hurry, half-dressed, from their houses, release
their cattle, and then helplessly watch the destruction
of their homes. The church, the school-house, the
post-office, and the building containing the communal
archives and the winter provision for the poor, have
all fallen a prey to the flames; 70 handbags were de
stroyed, and only eight houses and 11 barns are left-,
standiog. Tee village is ruined, for very few of the
inhabitants seem to have been insured, and though
help has been freely cffered it is imeossible for the
moment to attempt to rebuild it, Riein not being
accessible to carts, and as the roads are at present
vergletschert (turned into glaciers) they are not even
practicable for mules. Meanwhile the houseless in-
habitants have received shelter in the neighbouring
vivagee, and subscriptions -on their behalf are being
opened throughout Switzerland."

Apropos of the Dean Hook anecdotes now being
told, it is related that the celebrated dean was so entirely
devoid of all mualcal perception that he once raised a cheer
after the Old Hundredth, under the impression that it was
the National Anthem.
The Natal Mercury has received a fuller account of
the accident which proved fatal to the late Mr. Herbert
Rhodes whose death we recorded on the 28th of January
(says rke Timel). This account was brought to Qal/Imane
on the 7th of Novamber by a native who was Mr. Rhode's
hunting companion. Mr. Rhodes, who had been at Quill.
mane, went to Mattis were he was making preparations for
hts voyage up to Lake Nyassa. At that place he received a
visit from a chiefs son, and, according to the custom of the
country, he had to treat his visitor to some spirits. But, as
he had may al^ohol, he had to dilute it first with water, so
that it might be suitable for drinking, and to do this he
Poured some of the alcohol into a basin from the cask, but
at the same time had the desire to smoke, and when lighting
a match this broke in the middle, and the burning portion
fell into the spirits, catching fire immediately, burning Mr.
Rhodes's clothing and seriously injuring him, so that he died
In an hour. Mr. F. Moir assisted him in his last moments.