The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-06-16
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Queer Facts and Thrilling Adventures
Which Show that Truth 10 Stranger
Than Fiction.

ELECTRICITY played an odd prank
in Margate, England, few days ago
when telephone wire crossed fire
alarm circuit and brought out the en-
gines. The firemen were greatly
mystitied on reaching the box from
which the alarm was supposed to
have come TO find the glass door un-
broken, and it was some time before
the mystery was cleared up.
THE Marquis of Butte, who is we'll
known for his antiquarian tastes, is
about to defray the cost of repro
ducing a fac-simile of the beautiful
illuminated manuscript known as the
Gospel Book of ST. Margaret of Scot
land, the Queen of Malcolm Canmore.
The manuscript, whose early history
is alluded TO by Turgot and by
Simeon of Durham, dates from be-
fore 1898.
THE biggest book in the world will
be the catalogue of the British Mu-
scum. 1t has been in preparation for
thirteen years, but now the gigantic
task of compilation is nearing COM
pletion. Some idea of its size can
be guessed from the fact that l,400,
600 distinct titles and entries have
been printed in all sorts of languages,
and presenting no end of difficulties,
even to the savants and linguists
employed on the work.
LONDON QUIvER is responsible for
this unlikely story Not long since
a shark and sailor in the Mediter-
ranean Sea re-enacted the part Of Jo-
nah and the whale to perfection. The
man fell overheard, and instantly
disappeared in the mouth of mon
ster shark. The captain fired gun
at the beast from the deck, and as
the shot ploughed through its back,
it cast the man out again and he was
rescued, perfectly unhurt, but so
badly frightened that he was sick for
several days.
ONE of the greatest natural curl
osities of Central America is the vol
can de Aqua, or water volcano, which
is situated in Guatemala, about
twenty-five miles southwest of the
capital. It's apex is IA, 450 feet
above the level of the sea, and cult
waited fields and forest trees extend
almost to its summit. 1t OCCASION
ally vents forth torrents of pure, cold
water. In 1869 an eruption" of
this kind inundated the northern
valley and destroyed whole village
situated on the side of the peak.
JAMES WHITLEY, Of Marine City,
Mich, has long enjoyed the not very
enviable reputation on the great
lakes of being n hoodoo. Many Of
the vessels on which he has served
have met with disaster, and of late it
was difficult thing to get any of the
sailors that knew him to sail in II
vessel with him. His body was one
of two found tied to the rigging of
the schooner Cummings by the Mil
waukee life-saving crew, when that
vessel was driven ashore there a
wreck the other day. 1t is said that
the captain Of the schooner was
warned of Whiteley's reputation, and
when he engaged the sailor at Buffalo
not long ago, he was told that he was
tempting fate.s The lake sailors
shake their heads wisely and say that
il the captain had listened to reason
and not hired Whteley, his vessel
might easily have weathered the
storm.
THE following is related as illus
trative of the hold that the duello
has upon the military men in Europe.
At Funfkirchen, Hungary, two young
officers were good-humoredly boxing
in the barrack yard, when two officers
of higher rank, who were looking on,
asserted that one of them had
slapped the others face, and that no
soldier could honorably endure such
an insult. Billitz and Szarvas, the
lads, assured the officers that nothing
of the kind had taken place, but the
officers reported to the colonel, who
sent for Szarvas and ordered him to
challenge Billitz or otherwise he would
never be allowed to pass examination
for an officer. The young man called
out his comrade to duel with sabres.
Il III Jut lllSl lOdllh iDilllbL ittslNth a.
slight wound in the arm and then a
serious cut in the neck. Szarvas had
two ribs hewn asunder, beside being
wounded in the lung. He is now in
u precarious condition in the hos
pital and is doubtful of his life, but
his honor has been preserved from
the stain that threatened it.
A BUDAPEST manufacturer has in
formed the police that he possesses
powder with which thieves can be
caught. Having for the last few days
made the unpleasant discovery that
his cash box was plundered day after
day, and failing in all his attempts
to catch the thief, he applied in his
dilemma to Mr.. Telek, professor Of
chemistry at the Franzstadt CONNER
ciai Schools, and the latter gave him
u powder which he sprinkled over his
cash every night before leaving the
Office. This powder has the peculiar
effect of dyeing the skin blue, the