The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-06-03
GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.


In q San Francisco theatre. He was very su
cessful in his portrayal of his own funny pecr
f liarities, and his pigeon English especial
made O hit.
3 An attempt Is being made by the Britis
Lighthouse board TO train carrier pigeons q
a. to adapt them to the service of pilot boats
, The training is being done in q nun ber OF tn
| prominent lighthouses. whence the biTds VII
be disuibuted among the pilots; Who 10 case o
an emergency, can send details to the light
keeper of q disaster, the kind and amount o
relief wanted, etc.
A fire. which involved ioss of $500. 600
took place in the CathedI al of Metz, on the = tt
inst. upon the visit of the Emperor of Ger
many. Singular to state there was also u Dir,
in the cathedral oo May Z, 146s, npon the visit
of the only other Emperor of Germany whc
ever visited it,. The lato tre vas caused by fire
works ia the building. The former caused
by bonfires. The building of the cathedral
was commenced in the year 1000.
! There is still great suffering from famine In
some of the northern provinces of China, q nd
people are said to be dying by thousands. The
distress IN Sbantupg has reached such pit ch
| that the unfortunate people are throwing
| themselves down wells and poisoning Il en-
| selves with arsenic, unable any longer TO bear
their sufferings. at Tsi-nan Fn tEev- are
bringing their children to the Catholic Bishop,
saying that if he will not take them into his
orphansge they will kill them.
New York 7imes correspondence: The Goals
of Alabama are the nearest to Cuban and other
as cheaPly as other coals, and their quality and
variety ia all that can be asked. It is plain,
therefore, that Alabama possesses an immense
wealth in coal, that waits for capital and en-
terprise to make it available. The general
feeling of the people in the State seems we.
founded they all look to the mineral belt for
the restoration of Alabama to her former pros
perity.
Pensacola, Fla, is the head centre of the
sbip-timber trade of The country, and to it the
old world looks for great portion of bep sup
plies of that nature. The logs from this place
are tetter hewn and straighter rule, than
those shipped from any other timbe port, and
it IS noticeable fact that vessels generally
take larger loads to their tonnage when laden
here. Concentrations on " sticksD and " deals
greet one on every turn, to the exclusion of
everything else.
A very general reduction of wages is in pro-
gress among the miners and blast furuacemen
of Scotland. In q number of instances the men
are already working on the reduction, and in
week or two the notices will take effect at
other works. AS n rule, the reduction amounts
to Sd. per day, which brings down the wages
to very low level. In one district it is said
that the wages. even for six days work, will
not exceed - 80, gold, per week, when the off.
takes are deducted from the gross earnings.
Lieut.. Col. Martin, late of the British cavalry.
ls sbout to Get on foot an anti torpedo associa-
lion. He says: When explosive bullets and |
ohain shot were invented and actually used in |
war, nations unanimously agreed to disoon- |
tinue their use and prohibited their manufac- |
ture; yet explosive bullets and chain shot, it |
must be admitted. are harmless as compared |
with torpedoes. Poisoning is prohi bited in |
war; Why not prohibit torpedoes, which are |
actually more subtle and deadly than poison, |
there being no antidote to or escape from
hem ~ He might have added that muskets,
lilies, bombs and artillery are also apt to
seriously damage suffering humanity.
The Emperor of Brazil visited the SaIpetriere
Hospitals in Paris, the other day, to witness
experiments of DR.. Bnrg's system of restoring |
ion of metals. For nearly two hours he
watched with attention in the hospital wards
he Professor running bodkins through the
lesh of arms and legs in which there was no
'lication of copper or gold, according to the
diosyn OF the patient, the slightest prick
raw blood aud produce screams. He WAS
articula arIy struck by the case of girl. certi
ed to have had her arm useless some days
revions, who was now able to lift heavy
7eights.
Russian soldiers upon mar ches sing to while
way tedium. and the solos, always in n minor
ursts in the chorus. The solo singer often
ID Dprovises, and is usually accompanied by q
ian with fiddle. triangle, clarionette. or
y one who whistles. The ordinary uniform
the infantry consists of q kept, tupic, and
of dark green cloth, the latter gar
lent being Inserted in the boot The gray
vercoat is carried iu a roll at the back, from
he right shoulder to the left hip. Two car
a front. A canvass haverssck bangs at the
lght behind the bayopet, aud the kuApsAck
overs the back.
The costly palace of the Philadelphia Young
lens Christian Association is still cltn oered
With debt of $l07 600, which, according to
esolut tions made some time ago, is to be paid
,efore the building is to be- opened for use. |
resent indications are to the effect that the |
building will be permanently closed, unless the |
csoutions are rescindcd. The Christian young |
men of Philadelphia, having been pretty thor |
'nGhly bled for this purpose already, have not
he sum of 5000 conveniently within their |
each lnst now, nor are they likely to have |
'oon. The palatial structure cost S495 900. 1t |
contains u number of stores, fiji oes and other |
,ooms for rental, tho income OF which ID sup |
posed to be going to help the association pay !
Lts way.
Modern science. in q number of cases, has
exploded the old theory that the planets were |
very much like the globe We inhabit, having
The same conditions Of being Notably is this
80 with reference to Jupiter and Saturn. Dur
ng the last eight or nine years the belief has |
been gaining ground that these giant planets |
NE in state of immense heat and en- wrapped |
n atmospheres of enormous depth and density, |
ind that We do not sec them at all. Recent |
hnn watt inra hny, P-l.. 81 =. A.