Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-25
PREY
OF |NCEND|AR|SM
Residence of Minister Whose
0bstinacy Lost Colonies to
Britain Burned.

LONDON, Oct 25.-Apart from the
country houses burned in recent
months by the incendiary brigade of
! the suffragettes, England has of late
suffered some other serious losses in
the destruction by fire of well-known
country mansions.
A number of county landmarks
have gone, the latest being Walder-
share Park mansion, the country seat
of Earl Guilford, situated few miles
out of Dover. In most cases defec-
tive electric wiring has been the
cause of the fires, so that the loss
can be put down to the demand for
modern comforts in country homes.
Waldershare Park was the residence
of Lord North, George Ills minister
to whose obstinacy England owed the
loss of the American colonies. He
succeeded his father as Earl Guilford,
and the present earl is direct de-
j scendant of his. For centuries past
the occupants of country mansions
like Waldershare Park have had to
be satisfied with the light Of candles
or in some few cases gas, but with
the advent of electric light and the
extension of the systems to the coun-
try there has been a steady demand
for this modern form of lighting and
with 1t a greater number of fires. In
the case of the Earl of Guilford's resi-
dence the wiring for the electric
lighting was only just being in
stalled so that it could not be held
directly responsible, although it was
the indirect cause, one of the cleo
tricians leaving a light at the top of
the building which during the night
set fire to the woodwork.
Japs Buy Old Steamships.
Japanese steamship companies have,
during the present year. purchased
between forty and fifty secondhand
steamers from British companies, pay
ing in every case fairly high prices
for them.
This led TO a report that the Japa-
nese government was in the market
for one hundred and fifty steamers to
be used as transports, the rumor con-
Meeting the reported intention of the
government variously with an eXpe-
dition against China and to hold in
reserve in case of war with America.
As a matter of fact, although the
steamers purchased by the Japanese
companies might be used in case of
necessity for transporting war mate
rial. they would be of little use for
the carrying of troops. They are
really freighters of a type that is no
longer built by British companies and
are to be used in the Korean and
Manchurian trade, and also in trade
that Japan is endeavoring to work up
with the States on the western coast
of South America
In view of the important part
played by wireless telegraphy in the
rescue at sea of over five hundred OF
the passengers and crew OF the
steamer Nolturno-in response to her
sos" signal. no less than ten steam
ers hurrying to the aid of the burning
emigrant ship-particular interest at
taches to an international conference
TO be held in London next month for
the purpose of placing on an interna-
tional basis the new regulations that
are proposed or are already In opera
ton for the greater safety of life and
property at sea.
Fourteen nations will be represent
ed at the conference, which was
called at the initiative of the Ger
man emperor as the result of the IL
tanic disaster. The German delega-
ton will propose that all passenger
steamers, carrying seventy-five per
sons, including the crew, and freight
steamers carrying crews of sixty or
more be equipped with wireless in
stallation capable of sending mes
sages hundred sea miles. So far
as the British government is con-
cerned, very elaborate and complete
regulations have been brought into
effect to provide greater safety at
sea since the Titanic disaster, and
some of these at least, it is expect
ed will be adopted by other coun-
tries