TOPICS of the DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 217, 10 September 1904, Page 9

TOPICS of the DAY.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 29. "THE DOG DAYS." Only the excitement of the Russian embroglio keeps London from sinking into apathy and dulness under the sweltering heat of '"the dog-days." The season i&over, and with the close of the Goodwood race-meeting this week society will wing its flight to north and soifth—anyhere but London. Already in many a West End mansion the brown holland window-blinds are down, and the dull, deserted squares look more rigidly formal than ever. The opera season is at an end, and most of the West End theatres are closing their doors xintil September. The share markets are abnormally dull, and business generally is unmistakably slack. The. holiday season is upon us; schools, colleges, and -lawcourts are entering on their long vacation. Those who by any chance can escape from the metropolis are making haste to do so; and the thoughts of those who can't wander enviously after the lucky ones. It requires a strong effort to grapple seriously with work in the dog-days. The heat, for one thing, is very relaxing. The high buildings not only shut off every breeze, but seem to concentrate the heat-rays which beat down upon the narrow, crowded streets, and the result is perspiration, exhaustion, and general inertia. By way of variaat the other night we had a thunderstorm, in which several people were killed by lignining and the underground raflway was flooded, and a train-load of passengers nearly drowned. The farmers had been crying out for lain, and they got it this week, with a vengeance! No fewer than four waterspouts occurred in the country —a record in meteorological annals. The lightning was responsible for a vast amount of destruction in various parts of the country, and reports of deaths from its effects came from all quarters on "the morrow, many human beings perishing, as well as horses, sheep, and cattle. Among the victims of the storm was that one time splendid Lancashire footballer James Valentine, who was struck by lightning whilst holi-day-making with his wife at Barinouth anil .killed instantly. Mrs. Valentine and a friend walking by her side were also struck and rendered unconscious, but have since recovered.

In his day—he was at his prime about the time of the so-called "Maori" team's visit to England—''Jimmy" Valentine ■was probably the best three-quarter in England. He was "as tricky as they make them," very fleet of foot, and one of the most difficult men to stop once be had got into his stride.

London got off lightly in the matter of damage froni lightning, only one death directly attributable to it being recorded, namely, that of a youth of 17, who was struck near Blaekfriars Bridge, and clamage to property was confined to small items, such as the demolition of a shaky old wharf wall at Deptford, and the shattering of the flag pole of that historical riverside hotel, "The Ship," at Greenwich. But the storm took its toll in another way. The deluge of water was too much for the sewers in many places, and they burst, flooding tho lower rooms of thousands of houses in the low-lying parts of the metropolis, and doing a vast amount of damage in various directions.

The old underground railway generally suffers when London is visited by exceptionally heavy rain, and on Monday the flooding of a portion of the line between Paddington and Bayswater might have caused a serious catastrophe. Soon after six o'clock the trains on this portion of the line were "swishing" through six inches of water. Rapidly the flood rose until it had reached a height at which it was no longer safe for trains to run. Instead of stopping the service, however, the officials waited for the service to do so. They had not long to wait. Soon after 7.30 a well-filled train, trying to make the passage between Praed-street and Queens-road, where the line makes a sudden dip. was "held lip" ih five feet of water, her lire having been put out. Two engines were despatched to try to get the train back to Praed-street, but the water mastered them in a like manner, and it was not until the water had subsided a foot that a third engine managed to make fast to the train, and the passengers, who had been compelled to stand on the seats for port of the 00 minutes they spent in the tunnel, were landed at" Praedstreet.

The feelings of these unfortunates as the water rose steadily in the carriages can only be imagined. Happily, before panic seized them, the waters began to subside, or there would have been a stenible scene.