West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-12-21

and narrowly escaped then. Such a general
explosion rs occurred before would have In.
volved three or four structures. The mill
was owned by General J. $. Pillsbury, and
operated by &. A. Pillsbury q Co., who oper.
ate other mills, having thirty-two run Of
stone In all. The opinion that ascribes the
IRE TO an explosion of -four dust seems to
be the best substantiated man with a
lantern attempted To correct a stoppsge in
the flour elevator, d slodged the -four, which
fell in cloud OF dust, and instantly flashed
into fame. Tic barely escaped with severe
burns. No loss OF life reported
Notos from 4 broad.
The British Parliament convened on De.
cember Is, and the Queens speech was read
before the House OF Lords. Il was unusually
short Her Majesty regrets being com.
PEELED TO summon Parliament earlier
than usual, but the action Of the Ameer
OF Afghanis'an compelled tho sendine
OF an expedition into his territory, aud the
earliest opportunity has been taken 10 call
Parliament together and making 10 IL the
communication required by law. Papers
ON the subject will be laid before Parlia-
ment In the Commons, there was warm
debate ON the Afghanistan question
Reports from Lahore says that Gen.
Roberts has gained complete victory
over the Amcer's forces, capturing Peiwar
hoial, and all the Afghan cannon. The
Afghan loss is heavy. British loss eighty
killed and wounded. Capt. Kelso, of the
artillery, and Capt. Anderson. OF the
pioneers, are among the killed. ........ The
London morning journals announce the
death OF Capt. Whyte Melville, novelist.
lie Tell from his horse while hunting, and
broke his neck
The growth of Socialism in Berlin has
been something remarkable, Judging from
a. al H., q
Democratic candidates for municipal Offices
was IN 1867, 90; in 1871, ,96l in Ih74.
1921; IN 1877, 81 ,522, and in 1878, 50, $50.
In British military circles there is a con.
hicJ of opinion rs to whether il will be pos.
sIble to complete the campaign Of Afghan
istan this year, or whether the English
armies will find themselves compelled 10
winter at the posts already occupied. and
wait until spring for an advance on Cabul.
IL is strongly urged on one side that n bold
dash now would place the army safe in
Cabul with the Ameer the prisoner OF The
English commander, and the roads for SIM.
plies could be easily kent open. Uigb am.
thoTiues, on the other hand, declare the
Ameer has thus far been only making
ieigned resistance, and he wishes to
draw the English troops into fatal tran he
has set for them. This latter opinion docs
not receive much popular accordance. Al
G ub il was freely said that Earl Beacons.
field and Lord Lytton had prepared another
agreeable surprise for the country: that at
the close OF the Afghan campaign the ruler
81 that country would find himself de-
thrOned; that the country would be cut in
half, the northern portion OF il given 10
Russia and the southern half annexed TO
BRIT sh Indla........CaptainS chweusen, OF
the Inflated Pommcrania, while in
Hamburg, published a statement of
the events relating to the catastrophe.
lie eNtols the bravery OF his officers and
crew, and has this to say Of his own escape
When the steamer sunk | was suck ed
down into the vortex. did'not have on a
llie-belt, and only gained the surface after a
desperate struggle where, most fortunately.
J encountered spar, aided by which /
Heated for an hour and half I seemed to
be utterly alone on the surface Of the water.
until at last the lights OF a steamer, that
proved to be the City OF Amsterdam, came i'm
sight. ] shouted aud was heard 4 boat
was sent and ! was taken on board the
; Gamer in semi-unconscious state"
Another large Scottish bank has gone under
the taiedonian Bank at Inverness. 1t
seems TO have been doing a tolcrably safe
business, but, unfortunately, il held four
shares OF the stock Of the CITY of elias.
< w Bank, and although the par value
OF these was only $40, the law makes the
holder responsible for ali debts of the lie.
luhCl INSTITUTIONS so Tar as the holder can
possibly pay. The failures that have oc.
CURED since the collapse OF the CITY of
Glasgow Bank have been very numerous
and heavy, and now fresh crop Of
them is expected. The quarterly state.
ments Of the condition OF the Joint stock
banks in England aud Scotland, which will
be shortly due, are looked forward to with
much anxiety, and they will be closely
scanned. 1t is feared many of these banks,
while showing a good nominal surplus, are
really insolveut
From Berlin, December 10, we gather the
following: The Imperial Government Of
Germany has been for some months most
vigorously enforcing the An,i.Socialist
Laws. Newspapers have been suppressed
by the score-even concerts have been pro.
hibited-Sc cialists have been hunted and
expelled, even women driven out of
the country. All this does not seem suf.
hcient. There is movement TO declare
Berlin IN state OF siege. and
try the terrors OF martial law. The declar.
atoms OF Count Gutenberg in the Prussian
Diet are startling The Government has
information so serious that ID does not give
the people the particulars. The main fact
is the assurance that there exists p great
revolutionary conspiracy 10 overthrow the
Kingdom and he Empire by assassination.
A yertable reign OF terror seems at hand
in Germany