The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-12
GENERAL NEWS.

A fire started in the woods in Rheoboth, r
l., Friday, and is still burning. About four
hundred acres has been burned over and the
losses aggregate S12, 900. A large force of men
has been fighting the flames. In some places
the fire has burned to depth OF four feet.
President Arthur has issued proclamation
declaring that the worlds industrial and cotton
centennial exposition will be opened the first
Monday in December, 1884, at New Orleans,
and will continue until the 18th day OF May,
1885.
The forest fires have destroyed a large
quantity Of valuable timber lands under growth
and cord wood in the vicinity of Petersburg,
va. They extend over large area.
A Halifax, N. s., despatch says that the
schooner Restless, previously reported as dis
mantled and water logged, carried a crew OF
nine men, all of whom were lost.
Both branches of the New Hampshire legis-
lature have passed resolutiod inviting Lord
Coleridge to visit those bodies while in session.
Acting Secretary Of the Navy Reed has had
a despatch from Pensacola to the effect that
all the yellow fever patients at the yard are
convalescent and there are no new cases.
At meeting Of the Suburban Telephone
Company ut Lowell, Mass, yesterday, it was
voted to abandon the scheme for the consolida-
tion of the New England companies and also
voted to increase its capital to S175 900 for con-
struction purposes. The Bay State Telephone
Company took similar action in regard to the
consolidation and voted to increase its capital
100000 Both companies report large in
crease Of business in their territory.
j. M. Haven was arrested at Rockland, VT,
Monday on a charge of embezzling $40, 600
while he was treasurer of the Rutland railroad
company. His examination was postponed
one week Bail was fixed at $1,000, which he
furnished.
Steamer Tower Hin. at London from New
Vo. loot ~ IL tl,a
Kate Calton, colored, of Cairo, ILL.,, incensed
at the refusal of ALI Miller to mary her, put
poison in the coffee at the house OF Miller's
father-in-law last night, and the whole family
were poisoned. Que member has already died
and the rest are very low.
The annual camp meeting on the grounds
near Wimot Flat, N. H., began yesterday. to
continue five days. Heretofore this meeting
has been the special property OF the Methodists
but this year all denominations are TO parti-
cipate in the exercises. This is one of the few
camp meetings that maintain the primitive
style of management.
tie was placed across the rails of the New
York and New England Railroad at Norfolk
Saturday night by unknown parties. An en-
gine struck it, breaking it into three pieces, so
no damage was done to the train.
A Boston and Albany freight brakeman,
Frank Daniels, fell from train near West
felo, Mass, yesterday, and was instantly
killed. He had been braking only two weeks.
The trottiDg horse Edwin Thorne, which has
been dangerously sick with broncho-pneumonia
at Hampden Park stables since the races, was
sent to Philadelphia Monday. Should he i'm.
prove as rapidly the next week or two as dur
ing the past week, he will be able to trot again
this fall.
Roberts Brothers, lawyers, of Boston, and
counsel for the New Hampshire cities in the
patent valve law suits, have already received
over 1900 for their services, with more to
come out of the money voted by the city of
Dover a few nights since.
The water in the Merrimack river at Lowell,
Mass, has not been SO low for many years as
at present. Across the river, in Dracut, Par
ker & Bassett's manila paper mill has had to
shut down temporarily.
The Boston water board has been compelled
to declare that unless there is substantial
rainfall before Thursday of the present week
the use of hand hose must be discontinued and
water takers must use every possible means to
economize in the use of water The Superin-
tendent of Streets has also been consulted with,
and the ofstreet sprinklers is to be restrict
ed to one-half Of the present number.
A boiler, 6S feet long, in the Cleveland, o.
rolling mill company's blast furnace, in the
18th ward, exploded yesterday, demolishing
the building A dozen men were working
near, but only four were injured, one, however
seriously. The damage will probably be $15,-
600. The cause of the explosion is unknown.
The daughter Of Elmer Homer, the proprie-
tor of the Grand Central Hotel, Bar Harbor,
has eloped with Louis Cormst from Bucksport,
where she had just gone to attend the sem
mary. She is Is years Of age and Cormst %.
The latter has wife and child living.
A collision occurred last evening on the
Long Island railroad near Hunters Point de-
pot, n. Y, by which two men were killed and
eight injured, Trains on all branches set Of t the
hours.
The Akron, Ohio, coal operators have con-
ceded the ten cents advance asked by the min
ers and work was resumed yesterday.
Another large fire occurred in Fernandina,
Fla. yesterday. The largest residence in the
city, owned by Robert M. Smith, and the
Baptist church were totally destroyed.
A. B. Harris, ready made clothier in Con-
cord, n. H, has failed with liabilities between
nine and ten thousand dollars, and assets prob
ably from five to six thousand dollars.
Gruter, Hooper & Co., of Philadelphia, hat
iobbers, have failed for $4,000