New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-11
GENERAL NOTES.

During the year 1881. according to the Reg
report 139 persons for every 100000 Of
the popnlation of Scotland died of Old and only III
for every 100 900 of the population of England.
1t is singular that while recent fires in this
neghborhoOd have been generally thought to prove the
frequent value of blanket canvas sheet TO cat ch per
sons jumping from a burning building precisely oppo-
site conclusion has been reached in England The Lon
don Fire Brigade is provided with Jumping sheets" and
the men are regularly drilled in their use, but they are
scarcely ever employed Indeed the superintendent OF
provincial fire brigade lately made an investigation
for the purpose OF ascertaning the value of this app
anee lie could find only instance in which 1t had
been seryceabe, and that in Vienna. The fact is
that any other OF escape would naturally be pre-
ferre hat when only choice left il between roasting
death and jumping INTO an omstretched sheet' the lat
From the gaps left by the two masses of
rock which last year fell from the RiskOpf upon the
Swiss village OF Elm it is estimated that they formed
only hundredh part Of the whole mass OF the impend
ing earth slip. Geneva correspondent writes that the
final catastrophe cannot long be delayed but that
neither the precise time the direction OF the nevia
be fail can he foretod Much depends upon the weather
during the next few months. Meanwhile although the
people ofEm watch the mountain with extreme socitude
and are always ready for Temporary flight they show
no dspositon TO leave their homes permanently new
course has been made for the Sern into which so much
rubbish fell last year. and roads have been opened over
q
lie beyond IT, SnOw-plOugbs have been brought into
reouistou TO push the rubbish asdewhere II Is not too
deep-and lay bare the cultivated ground underneath
aud new and shppens are being built TO replace
those that wore destroyed
Some idea of the rapid growth of the coffee
trade of the world may be obtained from the fact that
the total production, which 6750O0O00 pounds in
1889 has now risen to 1,30O,O000O0 pounds. nearly
doubled In Europe alone the consumption of coffee
said TO have increased 24O 100000 pounds in the single
year 1879 As the producing countries IT seems that
Brazil now holds the first place with total OF
500 COO 900 pounds against 800 100000 in 1870 The
emancipation OF the slaves is however, expected to lead
to falling off in the crop unless the Cinnamon and
coolies imported from Asia should prove Unexpectedly
well suited for the work Of cultivation Next the list
q, me the Dutch Indian possessions which export about
$50 900 900 pounds, the British East indies, now
porting over 14OOOOOOO and Venezuela, producing
about 1CO, 100000. on the other hand. the Antilles
Islands have long declining in the scale, Jamaica
does not supply half much coffee in 1905. Marti
niaue has fallen still more entirely out OF the and
the Reunion coffee, which was once highly esteemed,
and Is still declared to be of excellent qualify finds no
longer any market in Europe owing to the questionable
bitterness OF It's taste.
The latest manifestation of Mr.. BjOrnstern
Biornsons restless patriotism takes the form of printed
circular addressed several influential newspapers
American seaports The Norw egian novelist points out
that the union between Norway and Sweden Is purely
personal one consisting solely in the joint
a single King and that the unon-iaek in the OF
the national flags of both countries, which otherwise
entirely distinct, contributes to a general misunder
standing of their peculiar relations. For this reason
steadily increasing party in Norway has " made 1t an
object to obtain the removal OF the union from the flag
believing It more important that the flag should indis
putably announce our independence a people than
that A. announces our unon with Sweden" Mr.. BjOrn
SON. therefore, representing this belief desires answers
to these TWO questions; ~ " II the swedish and Nor
wegian hags both were without the emblem Of union,
and thus what call pure flags, would they not also
convey purer' conception OF the absolute indie
pendence of the conntresp C2 Would IL hurt the
rommerce or freightcarrying business of sweden and
embleIn OF unOnl"