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

Misallanerrus aintettigturt,
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

juriTER TONANS.—The Newspapers report
that, on the evening of Thursday, a terrific thunder-
storm broke over the north of Scotland. Punch
does not wonder at it, considering how close the
weather has been. Were he a heathen, he should
ascribe the thunder and lightning to the awful puns of
which he has lately received so many from Scotch
correspondents.—Punch.
FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—An unfortunate
accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon on the Suther-
land and Caithness Railway between Kildonan and
Helmsdale. As the midday train from Wick was ap-
proaching Helmsdale the engine ran off tke line, taking
the train with it and tearing ii the Jails.- The stoker,
named Matheson, was killed, and the engine-driver,
Mannis, very much ieiured. The engine wasemashed,
and the carriages were wiry mubli damaged.-Agoieiious
injury was sustained by any of the passengers, some o
whom had to be taken out of the carriages'by the win-
dows. A good deal of damage was &net) thel'per-
mauent way, but its repair will be • speedily .got
through. When the accident occurred the Duke of
Sutherland was on the line on hi ti special train with
party of mining engineers from Staffordshire, and im-
mediately iiroceeded to the scene ofthe accident, taking
doctors and gangs of workmen.
PLEURO-PNEIIMON lA-AMONG ANIMALS. —From
the return of the number of farms, or other places in
Great Britain, upon which pleuro-pneumonia was re.
ported to have existed duritng the. week ending Sept. 4,
1675, it will be found that in Buckingham there were
7; in Cumberland 6; bj Deiby-5, upon which wort
diseased 'cattle, 4 of 'which i were killed in •Eisi.tx!l ,
upon which werel24 cattle, 16 of =which were kill
and 3 died; in Lancaster. 6, . upon' which were 6
animals, 3 of which were killed and 1 died ; in Nor-
folk, 7, .upon which were 13 animals, '6 of ' which '*ere
killed; in lAirthampton 12,1 upon which were 14
animals, 12 of. which werfi killed; in :York, West
Riding, 12, with 15 animals, 13 Of which ward killed;
in Edinburgh, 25, with 16 animals, 14 of which were
killed; in London 11, .with 15 animals, 12 of which
were killed. A small proportion of these cases had
existed In previous weeks, but were not reported until
last week.

THE. ROME OF CiESAIeB.I DAY.—It is 1100
singular (says a recent writer) that the imperiotill
Cxsar should have been infected with the sensuous-
ness of hify.agei and proved himself an bpicure, albeit
one of elegant and dainty manners. Cnrtius says of
the Rome of Cmsar's day: "No sort of luxury
flouriehed so much as the coarsest of all—the luxury of
the table... • The whole villa arrangements and the
whole villa life had ultimate 'reference to dining. Not
only was the cook a graduate, in gastronomy, but the
master hiriniell often acted as the instructor. of 'his,
)ks.' The circumstance of the guest .tsking an
_Antic after a banquet, to avoid the consequences of
the varied fare set before him, no longer created
prise"our-
."
A tiliclent" writes to us ( The
Times),from Sauudersfopt
,:—" Considering 00 ;mono%
of ih*rest'showil at present in swimming, it may ba
worth stating that on Wednesday last a young Scotch
gentleman staying here for the Oxford long ication
swain flora the pierhead of Saundersfoot to Caldy
Island (beyond Tenby), a distance of quite seven miles,
In something over three hours. There was little or no
'lpurrent, the tide being the lowest neap, so the distince
fairlydone any aid or rweithsahliremnt
ciwhat.uic
we*r. He swam enitre-y on his side, t
stroke, which lie mainttmed without slackening
througlion,t, landing at Caldy as fresh and warm as at
starting, being able to do an hour and a half's stiff
Teuby against a head wind and choppy
sea immediately after quitting the water; nor has he
felt any subsequent fatigue whatever.' There was no
)reliminary training done, and affthis gentleman.,pply,
earn t to swim.lMti year abhile 1
formance must be regarded as a good one, though,
judging from his condition at the end of this swim, he
could and probably will very far exceed it next time. As
Captain Webb, whose opinion will necessarily carry
great weight, is reported to have said, that swimming
unless acquired at an early age, was very difficult to
learn afterwards,' it will encourage intended learners
to hear that Mr.--was 22 when he first began to
practise swimming."

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