MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 32, 24 April 1878, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Dr Millard, vicnr of Bjsingstoko, and his ourato, tho Roy C. 11. Laoon, *r<\ activo mombors of tho local firo brigade, which consists chiofly of tradesmen of Uio town. A few days sinco thoy had a torchlight procossian, followod by n dinnor, at which tho vicar was present in full uniform, and in tho courso of his Tosponso to tho olerioal toast, ho said— '^ I don't know that thcro has over boon nn in« Btnnco in history of a bishop being n member of a firo brigade. Bishops hnvo done niauy things n past ages. Wo can soarco understand, in these our own days, tho difference thoro must have boon \r\ times when bishops wore certainly aoniotimos groat warriors, and often groat lawyers. Still, I know of no instance oven of tho clergy joining firo brigades snvo in tho instanco of mysolf and r y ourato. But I am suro tho h'< ;'iops would rogard our pnrpo;.> n:< !»dng thoroughly sonsiblo and useful and practical and bonovolent, nrl i am quite certain that, should that most improbable event occur of my being olforcd a bishop mc, I should mako it a condition with t' Primo Minister that I shouldn't i. obligod to lcavo your ranks, Tho Tien-Tain correspondent of l!i ■> r North Ohiua Herald givos fullor particulars of tho torriblo catastropho at tint town,--'*' About ton o'clock on I,lm morning of January 7 n firo broko out in ono of tho roliof yards just ontsido tho •S.TC, oornor of tho city wall. A strong N.TC. wind was blowing at tho timo, and scarcoly an hour passed before tho sheds wcro nil burnod, nnd betwecu 28(X) and 8000 womon nnd children woro aulTocatod or burned to death. As correct nn oslimato as I can get gives tho number of inmatos as 3000, of whom only a little ovor 100 osoapod, Tho location of this noup kitohon was unfortunate. On tho east sido was the city ditch, on a part of tho south and west sides w*s nn ice pit, whilo houses lined tho remaining »ido?. In addition it was surroundod by a strong fence ofkaulianq; stalks plasfcorod with mud, ia which tlioro was only ono gate, nnd it is said that on tho bursting forth of tho Samoa tho gatekoopor looked tha gato and ran away. Many of tho Chineso Bhowod much oourngo in trying to render assistance, as testified by an oyo witness who, passing just at tho timo, hastened to do what ho could in toaring down tlio fonco and roudoring other sorvicos. U.o speaks of tho soono nt that timo as torriblo beyond description. Tho scenp presented after tho fire had dono its work was ghastly nnd horriblo, and tho picture of it risos in ray mind as ono that can never bo effnecd. Tho contortions of tho fcai turcs, tho position of tho body, hands 4 limbs, mouths an.l oyes, tho sumo as , whon tho flame nnd smoke ovortook them romindod ono of tho description of Pompoi Had tho gato boon left open, probably ninny moro might hnvo osoaped, buL so rapidly did the fiamos spread thnrigh tho matshods, and in tho straw and mats spread on tho ground us a protection against dampness, that before an opening could bo mado in tho feneo, few woro left to lingor on in suffering. How tho firo originated no ono sooms to know— a spark possibly from tho rango, whom at tho timo tho millet was cooking. Tho Hobart Town Mercury has dis-i oovorod a centenarian in tho porson of Mr James Oolman, who rosidos iv tho township of Franklin. Ho is a mih'o of Wiltshire, and is said to bo in his Wist year. Ho has livod in Tasmania ft! yearn. He has a lnrjjo family of children, stop* children, and granchildron, for he li f<>;ir times ventured on tho raatrimoi i ■ ' si«a. It is further stated that tho f :* r i. ■ i* of Colman was a contury mnn, and one of his own sons who lives with him is nearly 80 years of age, Tho old man is lenc!orly oared* for by his grandson and wifo. Tho portion of Bessarabia, which wra takon from Russia at tho oloso of tho Crimoan war, and udded to Rouwanin, consists of a narrow strip of country of an average width of 20 miles, beginning noar Kichinov, on tho oast bunk of tho Prnth, and following that rivor south* wards about 100> miles to its junction with tho Danube, tho north bank of which it skirts to tho soa, a distance of" about 80 miles. Boforo tho demand mado by Russia for tho session of this portion of Boss* nrabin, Mr Glndstono contributed to tho Nineteenth Contury nn article on " Tho Coming Poaco, v in which tho following remarks occur.— •" Assuming that ns a reward for hor valour bravo Roumania will obtain hor independence, I cannot but hopo, *br one. that this process will not be mnrrod by forcing upon hor tho salo, or alionntion, in any form, of the slice of Bessarabia which Russia gave up at theclose of the Crimean war. Roumnnia wn* to Russia eminently that friend in need who is tho friend' mdaod. But with tho wrong to her thoro would bo an olfbneo to Europe; nor can anything be loss con» sonant with tho condition of a sound political ordor than that, by nn artificial arrangement, n country, which has not a natural oonnocl-ion with a groat river outlet, should tako formal rank among the otats rivornins of tho Danube, by holding ft morsel o ftorritory on ono fiido of tho mouth. Tho cession made in, 1855, was not a moro submission of force mnjouro : it was an improvement in tho distribution of territory and :i gnaranteo for pence ; nnd the tio which it broko was ono that had not boon <wnsc»oratcd or oonfirmod by timo. True it is tho affair of the rivor-Statos of t?ii> r >, ■•■"l'm. and not ours, to doal with this But it may bo allowable, ' considering tho largo sharo we Tronty of Paris, «von for an .' r quietly to point ou}; Ite rig' 11 ' ..; of, tho oaso."