The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-05-29 00:00:00

poss
Thuredly I'" be /iblirtrltidg e
_ _

It-iispitalities of then•Wrough to the offi-
-of "the Mai-edition irt Portland Hall, Miss
....von, of 'Bath; 416,dt-who takes icaeep interest in-
the moral condition of our sailors, entertained the men
f the'Alert, Discovery, and Valorous at a tea in the
L-neflcial Societyli Hail, Portsea. About 350 sailors
• 'friends sat down, and as the crews of the three
hips entered the hall, they were ibotvn into an ante-
rcrxr, where Miss Weston shook hands with them,
pinned a piece of white ribbon on their breasts, and
then piesented them with a little parcel con-
lning a New Testament in a , waterproof case, a
'lithographed letter containtng Christian counsel, and
' a prettily-bound copy of "The Sailor's Text Book."
be men were also presented 'by Mr. Cook, of the
-Sailor's Bethel, with copies of Messrs. Moody
, and Sankey's Sacred Songs. A number of temperance
and religious addresses were afterwards delivered, in
thercortyse of which Miss Weston read a letter which
hachreceived from Dr. Parkes, of Netley Hospital
In which he said :--" As a matter of individual opinion,
were I going on the Arctic Expedition, I should, on the
faith of the evidence before me, entirely abstain from
alcohol. But, at the same time, I should be extremely
interested to see all round bow the question worked.
* t there are any men going in the Expedition who take
Urge quantity, hilly one result can be anticipated—
.viz., that they will break down. But the question is,
bow will it fare with some of thosetwho take only a
small quantity.
On Monday, the arctic Allis andrimbletah at Ports-
mouth were visited by the boys of Greenwich School.
The lads, to the number of 700, arrived at the Land-
ort terminus at ten o'clock, and, headed by their own
Jand and with their colours flying, marched to the
dockyard. Having visited the ships and the museum,
which had been kept open for their entertainment, and
where the attendants, themselves old Arctic navigators,
did their utmost to explain' to them the uses of the
various objects exhibited, the little fellows were then,
through the kindnese -of the Port Admiral, taken on
board the Pigmy steamer for a cruise in the Solent.
Landing at the watering jetty on the return journey,
they were marched to the railway Station a little after
lye o'clock, and despatched to Greenwich.

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Weeto)

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I van,

Arctic

- A "Fin Officer" writes to The Times :
Sir,*— n the 29th inst. it is intended that the
Expeditilm of 1875 shall leave our shores, and the next
day; Sunday, they will in all probability be fairly
launched on their perilous voyage of discovery, to. ex-
nlore unknown regions and encounter unknown
.angers. Would it be unbecoming or unfitting the oc-
casion if the clergy in all our' churches and chapels
were on that day to -meneuinthis fact, and so give
their various congregations aii-OpPortunity of praying
that God may have our brave conntrythen in His holy
keeping, and that they "maYrettrn in safety to enjoy
the blessings of the land with the frait4 of. tlz
labours ? " t.

IdPit'ial

:[Fr.r2 AAD
ri_ NORTHWARD, ..11U!
A God-speed to the Arctic Expedition.
YET once again the Sea-kings' blood
Stirs in the adventurous island brood;
Jj Yet once once again our peaked prows
Point northward gaily.
Ist *lido' And, rising from the Solent shore,L. LI Oat I
In as right hearty British roar
As e'er.did English echoes rouse,
Sounds forth our- Vale!

ax A And thence when pluck-has won its meedo 0/.7?
• Back, like the swallows.
fa 'MOW Southward again, and safe, we hope
To see your ships' white pinions slope,
Helped by a happy homeward breeze,
That secret bearing ;
Which still the chill grey warders hold,-
' Spite of all seekers, stout and bold,
Whom yet the far and frozen seas
Have tired with daring.
Hurrah! The cry is "Northward Ho !"
Chill-washing wave, and frozen floe,
Are eheerly challenged once again
41.1111.6Til- By brain and muscle
Of British breed; and now not aught
, That Science's fore-reaching thought
'A a el Can shape, there lacks to arm the twkin
• FoATitan tussle.
We know,the North has taken tithe
Of English blood are now ; yet blithe

o.

Is every heart that dares and shares
p— The strife, the glory.
e On then ! for, hap what happen may,
' • This chance shall not be cast away,—
7. ...IT. 0 writelonunngaltyisstirythigallant prARES
w •-• rW here stainless FRANKLIN strove and fell,
" elo die were surely more than well;
And it capricious fortune crown
A kindred merit,—
Though later yet, not greater.—then
-There is no fear that history's pen
„Nyill miss or mar the fair renown
. 0 r. t We shall inherit. •
„ . Two million miles untracked, unknown,
14,4 Lie in that ice-girt Arctic Zone:
Or which, as yet the Knot's wild wing
'3-
•Alone hath travtlled.
Our Argonauts will urge their quest;
And hope is high in every breast
110;1 The White World's Secret back to bring,
At last unravelled.
ID.' .1:- k God speed! may England's parting cheers,
Bing high and hopeful in your ears,
'Midst all the unknown frets and fears,
d 'R•i> • Before you lying,
God speed! We wish you bravely back MI Mel
Safe from tilt frozen Polar pack.
Leaving our British Union Jack
O'er the pole flying !
* -Pringa. Canittus,—a- bird whose nidiflcation is con-
jectured to take place further northward than explorers
have yet penetrated.

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THE GROTTO OF HAN. -
•
The 'Grotto. of Him; 'the most important in Europe,
-and recognised by eminent geologists to be unequalled,
4tes (remarks a correspondent in describing the won-
of Ardennes) from 993 A.D., and after passing
through various hands, in its early stages as a royal
gift, but latterly by purchase, has now become the pri-
vate property of the Baron de Spandt de l'Herze, who
+as, at considerable outlay, greatly increased the
facilities for visiting it. The rock in which the
—grotto exists is upwards of 5,000 yards la:circum-
ference, 280 feet high above the level of the river
Lease, which passes through it, and more than 850
feet above the level of the ocean. The name Han is,
itis thought, derived from the Turkish language, and',
means a large covered place, comprising a series of
cavities, capable of housing caravans; and the
, numerous pieces of old coin, Roman medals, ancient
• keys, blacksmiths' tools, and human bones, which have
been found at different intervals tend to substantiate
:this explanation. The forrnation of the grotto is
doubtless due to the action of remote subterranean
phenomena, aided by the action of the water rushing
through the fissures. The last important earthquake
occurred in 1828, and had most effect on the
cavity known as the Salle du Dome, throne
which the river Lease now rushes, its : only itn
'Pediment being a gigantic obelisk in the centre,
beautifully draped with stalactytes, and f orm-
jug a kind of throne roof at the top. The Seethe Dome
'is 900 feet high and 465 feet long, and its smallest
diameter is 495 feet. It used to require 300 candles
and a dozen Bengal lights to enable visitors to gain
any accurate idea of its extent; this is now done more
completely by the aid of a powerful magnesium light.
The throne in the centre, already mentioned, is
dedicated to Pluto, and near to it is another natural
formation, bearing a singular resemblance to the head
of Socrates. i?

"THE PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS
BILL."
At a conference held at the Society of Arts in Lou' on Tuesday, to consider and take action as to the
course to be pursued to amend the above Bill (Sir
trAntoilio Brady in the chair). Mr. Mundella, M.P.,
-supported the following resolution :
"That the Patents for Inventions Bill is Objectionable—(l)
in regard to the examiners and their duties, and especially
as it empowers them to decide as to the utility or frivolity of
inventions ; (2) hi abolishing provisional protection upon the
provisional specification without providing fifty substitute
effecting the same object; (3) as it tends to reduce the term.
of letters patent to seven years L (4) as it. forfeits pater
because licences have not been granted or the invent—
worked within a very limited period; (5) that it empowers
the Commissioners to compel the deposit of models; and j 6)
because the Bill deers not appreciably reduce the colts of
• patents, which cost as regards the nub or provisional stage ,
ought to be very trifling." •-I 511 .
~,He said that if the Bill phased as It stood at present
,it would not only be ruinous to the inventor, but.
would also strike a blow'at'' the best interests of tradéa.
and commerce generally, Hp did not speak in any
spirit of party politieWl6r'•he believed thht thare
would be accorded as mtiCh inpport from the rapks of.
the • Government as from those of the Opposition ttliA
put an end to the mischief which the Bill Would cause
Although not an inventor, he was a partner in '
great number of inventioria. •"Sifice. the tithe 'he'w
apprenticed, nearly- forty 'N-fears .ago, when almost.
every part of his business. was carried out with
the greatest labour of the bands and feet= and at a
miserable remuneration, ha,d lived to sPe•.a great •
revolution, and the result of that revolution was that
the sons of the men who Were eaining a Most miserabli•
pittance were now in receipt of seven or eigbt Um(
the wages their fathers earned. That revolution' ha
been caused by the inventions which had been brorish
out during that timb.' 'lt had not only. resulted in'tsi.
great increase of•einployrnent'and•ComforfttiSheffiblarl:l:
but it had increased tlitremplo inentllidtbkire6dittlel4;
and had produced a vast expansion of the-nfitc3/4
tures of the couotty. Such being therc.ase, it waft
his conviction that it was not for lihn' linSfe"tikgflntt
of inventors that the State ought to care. What the
fitate ought to do in the .beet filtered of the public
. i;

patents
-7tion

a
,e 'was

mcriGs ot theinvem *hich
would be brought before them in such numbers. A
seven years' patent would be worthless. It was evi-
dent that those who drew up the Bill werenot inventors,
nor did they know anything about inventions. The
Bill would, no doubt, pass the second reading, because
the Government had a strong majority; but the friends
of the inventors would do all they could to stop the
passing of it in its present shape. In fact, it would be
better to have the old Bill than th<3 present. He,
however, hoped that in Committee members on both
sides a the House would be convinced• that the in-
terests of the country were against the Bill; and he
was satisfied that he could not do a better service to
his country,,te the interests of 'Britigh :industry, and
to the interests of the consuming, public than by en-
deavourinetki get rid of 'the 'Obnoxious clauses of the
Bill in order to cheapen patents and to encourage in-
vention, so a to continue to have the blessings that
had resulted during the last half century from the in-
ventions that had been made iti this country.
The meeting, which adopted a petition to be pre-
sented to both Houses of Parliament, was largely
attended, and there were a number of representatives'
of TradesWonnoila and Trades' Societies.. of workmen.
presentita ni thin ed ,JadJ boo), 1,1 is
L./IA(111I. bzzs 1-AtEdwiT Ii!
THEtaCARDIA :OF3OILOND

The Registrar-General has added to his Quarterly
Return a new table, 'Whithlihiiive the death-rate in
that part of London whickfies.heyond.the.registration
district, but is 'within the "'outer ring," or Metro-
politan police district! callZT.FmatleFiilondon." The
return for the first qnarter,of-thoi,Present year shows
that while the (annual) death rats in that period for
the "registration district" Of LOndon, with pearly 3i
millions of population in it; was as high as 272 per
1,000 persons, the places beyond that boundary
but within the outer r.ip grim esent a much • more
satisfactory return. In the Bexley district, the
deaths in the first quarter of 1875 were at the
(annual) . rate of only 188 per 1,000; Brom-
ley (part of),- 191; Citydon and part of God-
stone, 199; Epsoin.(part of), 18.4 ;.Kingston (part of),
22 3 ; Richmond, 16*8 Staines, 23.9 ;-"Brentford,
213; Uxbridge, 208; Hendon and Bushey, 19.5.;
Barnet and part of Hatfield, 166 dmonton, 222;
Romford (part of), 228; -West Ham. and‘part of Chug-
well, 217 per 1,000 persons:- This ',-Oilter ring, com-
prising a population of above' 700,000, had, as a whole,
a death rate last quarter equal to 20.fi per 1,000 per
annum; but the first is known as the most fatal
quarter of the year. The death-rates for the whole of
the year 1874 was but 1669 pard,ooo.a,Evidently it is
a healthy belt of country that is round the metropolis.

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