GENERAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 12 July 1912, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

Whilst a steamer was loading coal at Greymouth wharf recently, an unusual experience befel one of the men working in the hold of the vessel. It appears that he began to feel a numb and death-like feeling in his body, his legs began to fail, and, being an experienced coal-miner, he at once knew" the cause, and made for the open-air, which he barely reached when he was overcome, and had to be assisted out of the danger of the gaseous effects from the coal. Enquiries as to the cause of the presence of the gas are said to have been traced to a leak in a steam-pipe in the hold, against which the coal had been heaped up. Foul gas was thus generated.

According to Mr Clement L. Wragge, great storms in the sun, which at'the time of the trough of solar minimum were quite abnormal, caused the recent intervening rains in Australia. The sun, he thinks, has been acted upon by some extraneous cosmic influence, "which, causing an alteration in the etheric wave-lengths, produced the rain. Thus it is claimed that the Australian rains prove the reliability of the etheric theory in the matter of forecasting seasons-

Not least of Britain's social problems is the increase of the feeble-minded. There are already more than 150,000. a majority of whom drift in and out of the workhouses and prisons, unable to support themselves or to live decently and Professor C. G. Crosley states that nearly half are now in need of special care and control. Their birth-rate averages seven per marriage, that of normal families being only four. It is urged that such persons as endanger society bfe placed under State control in suitable colonies, where agriculture and other work would make them comfortable and self-supporting. At the towfci of Elkhart, in Indiana, the proprietor of a Greek candy kitchen' has a surname which he spells this: 1 appjKfcheordorokokoumniountaour g e otopoulos. When he is in a hurrv he signs his name Speros Michels. The shortest name in Elkhart is that of John Bi who wins over Osear Elk, who held the record two years ago.

The affairs of a cinematograph company, the actors and actresses of which were paid by the yard of film, were rec«ntly before a commercial tribunal in Pans. The eompany, known as the Artistic Film Company, was founded by M. Le Bargy, the popular actor ;^M. Lavedan, the well-known playwright, and others. Well-known actors, including M. Coquelin aine, were engaged as sta^e managers. M. Coqjuelin received for his services 2jd per yard of film, Mme. Sarah Bernhardt Ad per yard, and Mile Lavailiere Id for ten vards of film

According to latest statistics, Australia's youngest widower is only 17 years «f age. while two men of 19 years are divorced. The youngest wife is' 14 years of age, while the widows include on© of 15 years, tw® 16 years of age and three of 18 years. One girl of 18 is divorced.

Ihe novel feat of embarking a passenger on board a steamship at sea from an aeroplane has been performed by Mr 4 rank T Coffyn. The passenger was Mr 'V &' lace. a photographer on the start of Mr Hearst's newspaper, The American. Rising from the waters of the Hudson, near the Batterv, in one of the Wright hydro-aeroplanes, Mr Ooflyn and Mr Wallace flew at a-great height down the bay in the direction ot the smoke of the steamer Ancona, id, J or y- Naples- The aeroplane ST t , b l ner °PP°site Tomkinsville, Staten Island, and circled it. The liner then stopped and Mr Cbffvn brought the aeroplane to the water some 30ft behind the steamer's stern. The aeroplane ied °n its mTn momentum until the waves brought it to a standstill opposite the Ancona's gangway \ boat was lowered, and to the strains ot a band the photographer was triumphantly brought aboard the liner. He delivered a message to the captain, and returned ashore in a tu°-