SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10310, 31 March 1894, Page 5

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

(Per E.M.S. Alameda at Auckland.) GENERAL SUMMARY, [Tee Pekss Association. J AUCKLAND, Maech 30. A fire occurred on the afternoon of March 8 in the American-line steamer Paris, lying in the repairing dock at Birkenhead. The loss is estimated at £20,000. A London despatch of March 8 says that the Scotland Yard detectives have discovered the famous “Jack the Eipper” in an inmate of the Dartmoor Insane Asylum, having been sent there shortly after committing the last Whitechapel murders. The fact was kept a profound secret but it is now generally admitted. Blondin, the famous rope-walker, celebrated his seventieth birthday on Feb. 28, at the Crystal Palace. He walked a rope, carrying one of his eons, who weighed 150 pounds. Sir Francis Cook, who married Miss Jennie Claplin, sister of Victoria Woodhull, some sine years ago, was sued for breach of promise on March 6 before a London court. The woman who brought the action against been married seven years, and allege that the promise of marriage was given twenty-five years ago, when Sir Francis first wife was still living. Sir Francis is now seventy-seven years of age. While Emill Meyers, secretary to the Danish 'Consul in London, was sitting alone in his office on Thursday, February 23, an unknown man rushed in and dashed 4 quantity of vitriol in bis face, blinding him and causing loss of consciousness for a while. The miscreant plundered the premises and escaped. Meyers died next day, presumably from his injuries, but the coroner’s jury found that the evidence ob (Ainable was insufficient to account for hia death. A hoax was played on the London police on March 7, by means of a harmless tin canister supposed to be a deadly bomb. It was found on the window-sill of the BowStreet police station. Scotch Unionist newspapers on Feb. 22 gave prominence to a statement that all the Conservative and Unionist election agents had received instructions to prepare for a dissolution of Parliament within a month. It was stated that Mr Gladstone could not stand again for re-election, and that Sir James Carmichael would be the Gladstonian candidate for Midlothian. The coastguard crew at Inverness, Scotland, in endeavouring to rescue the crew of a vessel in distress on Feb. 23, had their boat swamped. Three officers and three men were drowned. Details of the bankruptcy of Captain O’Shee, formerly husband of the lady who married the late Charles Stewart Parnell, were issued on Feb. 23. Until 1892 O’Shea bad an income of .£2OOO, and in 1893 only .£7OO. O’Shea’s liabilities are £IB,OOO. He offers 7d in the £, and the receiver advises the creditors to accept the offer. At a meeting of the London Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 17, the strong advocacy by the Agents-General for New Zealand and Victoria, and by Sir C. Tapper for the Dominion of Canada, for the completion of a Pacific cable, received the hearty and unanimous approval of a crowded chamber. The Victorian Agent declares hia intention of asking the Chamber to call a special meeting on the subject. A meeting of Conservative workmen was held at Bermondsey on the night of March. 8. The Earl of Dudley was announced to speak on the Employers’ Liability Bill. A hostile element, however, invaded the hall and made two attempts to storm the platform. Earl Dudley left the hall, despairing of getting a hearing. After his departure further struggles between the contending parties ensued, and pandemonium prevailed till the police cleared the hall.

A small bottle was picked up on Feb. 16 on the beach of one of the Hebrides Islands, containing a piece of paper on which was written the following“ Sept. 1893, sinking in mid-Atlantic. Hornhead. Collision with iceberg. Mate.” The steamship Hornhead, commanded by Captain Scotty sailed from Baltimore on Aug, 19 and from Hampton Heads on Aug. 20 for Dublin, and until Feb. 15, 1894, nothing had been heard of her crew of thirty-five. An Anarchist leaflet in French, but printed in London, was being freely circulated there early in February. The authors threaten the bourgeois unless their demands are conceded, and implore their comrades to execute justice upon their bourgeois enemies of all ages and both sexes. Another leaflet, aimed against society in England, is printed in English. It urges the desirability of setting fire to London in 100 places, to monopolise the attention of the police, while the Anarchists loot the city. One hundred and thirty thousand persons met ia Buda-Pesth, on March 4, to declare their support of the Government measure providing for civil marriage, religious liberty and a recognition of the Jewish faith.

The “ Freeland ” colony started from Brussels for the district in the east and south of Mount Xenia, in Africa, on Feb. 28. The colony will be founded on the communistic principle. The New York Herald’s Cairo special oE March 9 says that the treasury of King Onsourtesen, of the twelfth dynasty, has been discovered at Daahour, by Mr Morgan, director of the excavation now going on in the Pyramids. It was hidden in a tomb near that of a relative of the Royal Family. Jewels and gold-mounted precious stones were in great variety, including a crown. This is probably the oldest specimen of Egyptian art. THE POPE. The closing ceremony in connection with Pope. Leo XIIL's jubilee year took place on Feb. 18, and consisted of Mass celebrated in St Peter’s, followed by the Te Deum. Sixty thousand tickets were given out for the final celebration, and it is estimated that 50,000 people were present. Mass was celebrated at the Papal altar. Tho Pope was borne into the basilica at 9.40 o’clock, preceded by a cortege of cardinals and bishops. His entrance was announced from the dome by a blast on silver trumpets. At the conclusion the Pontiff intoned the Te Deum, which, was chanted by the whole congregation. The Pope then reseated himself in the sediliam, and, with the tiara on his head, blessed the audience. Then he retired into the chapel of Della Picta amid prolonged cheering. The Pope appeared considerably improved in health, and intoned in a strong voice. His physicians gay that he is much better, but Lava advieed him not to over-exert himself. The Pope celebrated his eighty-fourth birthday anniversary on March 2. In reply to congratulations he said he would continue to the end of his life the work o£ carrying on the beneficent action of the Church, adding, “The need of this Is great, for all old conceptions of honesty, justice, authority, liberty, social rights and social duties have been overthrown. The Church must seek to recall the nations to the principles of moral faith, to point out true causes of existing evils, to denounce the designs of Freemasonry, to imbue the different classes of society with feelings of equity and charity, and inspire rulers with rectitude and to govern with submission, and to instil in all ardour for peace.” A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. A terrible accident occurred on board the German ironclad Brandenburg near the entrance to Kiel Bay, while under forced draught on Feb. 16. To make the test, forty artificers were sent on board from the Imperial dockyard. While eleven of them were in the engineroom a tremendous explosion took plate. Tho main pipe of the starboard engine had burst, and far above the noise of escaping steam wore heard the heartrending cries of the injured and the dying. A panic temporarily spread among the crew, but after a moment’s hesitation every effort was put forth to rescue the unfortunate men in the engine-room. It was found that of the eleven *artificera all but one had been killed. A later investigation showed that thirty-nine had boss killed and nine injured} thirty-seven were killed instantly. Most of the dead and injured Hyed in Xiel 05 4a the neighbourhood^

The wharves were crowded from the time the steamers left until they returned with the victims, and as the dead “> d wounded were borne from the vessels to the shoie, the air resounded with the cries of t e bereaved, while those who had not lost friends and relations reverently uncovered. A strict inquiry into the cause of the disaster will bo made.

ME GLADSTONE’S RESIGNATION. M" G’adstone set all doubts at rest m reeaiiUo the Premiership by resigning that great office on March 3, on account of the uncertain state of his health and partioubig increasing blindness. He wrote a „ n { ii i t : to tho Earl of Rosooery, U , cs c on March 4, congratulating bio "pon hi' l accession to tho place and u iin whenever his assistance was tn 1 Rosebery has been the re--iyi.vn* 0 ? m fi ny congratulations, despatches unci 'o' -f Among those who telegraphed we”o t’’o Pr-nco and Princess of Wale?. £ i_c- do 1 ;tlers and telegrams express1U r ecanse of hia retirement from office ware also received by Mr Cl l ton ae Nationalists propose to present him with an address in recognition of the great cervices he has reacbrccl fclio IriG)i civusij* Iti is ssiu thzt while a section of tho Eadicalrj continue ctrongly to resent the selection of Lord Rosebery as Mr Gladstone's successor, thera is a large preDondarance of Liberals who favour accepting him. Mr Laboucbere continues to lead the irreconcilable?. He hints that they will soon find an opportunity to protect io a practical form in the House of Commons against tno selection, but the Radical revolt against Lord Eossbery is rapidly dwindling in importance. The members of that party declare that_ there are not more than two/ who will join Mr Labouchero in opposing the Government in divisions. .At tho annual meeting of the Council* of the Radical Union on March 5. Mr James Stuart, M.P., proposed a resolution of regret at the resignation of Mr Gladstone, and expressing confidences in Lord Rosebery and Sir William Harcourt. Mr George Howell, M.P,, an advanced Liberal in favour of Home Rule, seconded the resolution, but said he did so with regret, because he thought that Mr Gladstone was hounded out of political life. (Oh’s.) Mr Howell said that it was useless to disguise matters, but the supposition was that the Old Lady of Windsor—(hisses and oh’s)—desired hie retirement, and some of his old colleagues had not been as strong as they might have been in keeping tho Grand Old Man at hie pose. Another speaker declared that the Queen had influenced Mr Gladstone to retire, because she wanted Lord Rosebery to be Premier before he married a Princess, this being in reference to a rumour that Lord Rosebery would marry a daughter of the Prince of W ales. (Oh’s.) The resolution of Mr Stuart was adopted. AMERICAN SUMMARY. • It is probable that the Nicaragua Canal Company, instead of abandoning tho scheme, will coon resume operations under new management. There are now in hand funds more than enough to pay the floating debt and to leave a working cash balance. The contract for raising the United States steamer Kearaage, wrecked on Eoncadon Reef, was on March 5 awarded to a Boston company. By agreement the to receive 4a,OOOdols if successful in delivering the ship at the Norfolk navy yard, and if unsuccessful is to be paid lO.OOOdols for having made the attempt. Tho i battle shio Indiana, the latest addition to the United States Navy, is asserted to bo the queen of tne world’s battleships and the beat vessel that ever left Crumpship yards. Her speed is fifteen knots. On account of unfavourable weather the midwinter exposition of California has not been as fully attended as was expected, although Sau Francisco is gradually filling up with visitors from all parts of the country.* The groat lack of foreign exhibits is generally commented on, and the fact that neither from New Zealand nor Australia qre there any contri nations. Tho fear that young lady teachers who instruct Chinamen in the Chicago Sunday schools will be injured by association with the Celestials has caused serious trouble suiiotg tho aristocratic members of _the First "Presbyterian Church. In opposition to tho school which the church had established, some gentlemen of the congxesation have formed an Anti-Chinese Sunnav -Ichool Society. They assert that the ffiov teachers pro in great danger from couiaec wi’h the Mongolians. Cases of ':h: mars'v.;o of pupils and teachers ara («< .d, and i determined effort to rescue th-> young ladies irain possible peril will b<; ‘j"cle.* > An entertainment given by one hundred Chinamen to ladies of the church, on b'.db. IP, br. -n -ht matters to a focus. Tno au-w Kmge-Jorgenaeu magazine rifle, with ammunition o£ smokeless powder, ffi now- being issued to the infantry of the United Staten regular army. ” a com’■'"lection ht-s arisen between the United ’Stt.t-es and Great Britain on aec u.-'to; Uio landing of British troops ..' t vq.. .fch e, Nicaragua* The question hi ■••tlicr tho soldiers were landed to r : ,”tuo lives and property of British T._; | or -to interfere between the ; ~-ua and Mosquito Governments. ■ \‘i Gr-ct Britain has often spoken Mr right to a protectorate, and even ined, it oev«rm this ceatury_oame ... that British troops were landed in ' r-'! ? Ameno-. since the assertion of the „ Airr:. douoriua.