GENERAL MAIL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8386, 14 October 1890, Page 6

GENERAL MAIL NEWS.

TERRIBLE SCENES AT A FIRE. Dreadful ecenea were witnessed at a fire in East Fifty-sixth-streef., New York. The lower parts of two buildings there are used by Mr. Hagan as a roofing material factory. There is a cellar in each building, and in one of them a loud explosion took place just as Mr. Hagan was about to whistle his men to work. Six apprentices were known to be in the cellar at the time. Five rushed to the elevator, hoping that way to escape from their perilous position, the cellar being now all ablaze. The flames, however, burned away the ropes, and the lifts ascended empty. Piteous cries for help came from the lads, and ropes were thrown to them by the men above. One succeeded in catching hold of therope and was dragged to a place of safety, while three others climbed up the stairs and escaped that way with their clothes still ablaze and their hair burned. Shouts of " Hurry !" to the other lad evoked the feeble response, " I can't find it," meaning the rope. A moment later a boy's pale, terrified face showed in the fierce light, and with difficulty the lad climbed up the rope. Just as he reached the top, and a man stretched out his arms to catch him, the poor little fellow lost his hold and fell back in the fire. The flames shooting fiercely up from the cellar, the men above were obliged for their own safety to retreat, and only after the fire had been extinguished was the dead apprentice's body recovered.

A MI7CH-TRAVELLKD BOTTLE. On April S some passengers on the Aquila, a steamer going to South America, threw a bottle containing a letter into the sea a hundred miles off the Island of Fernando di Noronha. Now tho Italian consul at Trinidad has informed the Minister of Marine that the bottle was found on July 16, on the coast north-east of the Island of Tobago, so that the bottle accomplished a voyage of about 3600 miles in little more than three months.

STRUGGLE WITH A MADMAN OX A HOUSETOP. An extraordinary scene was witnessed at Liverpool, when a labourer named Evans was, to the astonishment of somo of the neighbours, observed climbing out of the bedroom window of his house on to the roof. This he reached safely, and ho then proceeded to the chimney, on the top of which he seated himself without, apparently, being conscious of his dangerous position. It was seen that the man was mad, and the police were sent for. Two policemen got a ladder, and were thus enabled to reach the roof. They managed to get hold of Evans, who struggled furiously. They succeeded in placing a pair of handcuffs on the man ; but the question then arose, how were they to take him down the ladder. This difficulty was salved by a gentleman who ascended the ladder with a rope. \\ ith the assistance of the police he skilfully fastened this around Evans' body, and in this way the man was lowered to the ground. Evans was attended to by Dr. Davey, who found that he was suffering from an attack of delirium tremens.

MURDER AND SUICIDE THROUGH POVERTY. A murder, committed through poverty, occurred in the Keichenbercer Strasse, Berlin. Among the residents i:: that quarter was a post office assistant named Such, 23 years of age, and whose wages were only 17s a week. Such had got into debt to the extent of 33 marks, and being engaged to be married shortly his poverty proved heavily on his mind. On Saturday, September 6. he shot his fiancee dead with a revolver, and then blew out his own brains. He feft behind him several touching letters bewailing his indigent circumstances.

ERUPTION' OF VESUVIUS. Mount \ esuvius has shown great activity , this week. A large stream of lava is to be , seen pouring down one side of the mountain continually. Another crater has formed, and the other day, when the atmosphere was very clear, a second mouth, out of which issued smoke, could be plainly seen. This state of eruption has been going on for some days, and shows marked signs of increasing. A DAUGHTER'S REVENGE. A New York paper publishes a despatch from Guatemala, stating that Signorita Christina Barrundia, the daughter of Gen. Barrundia, who was shot in a struggle with the port officers, who were trying to arrest him on board the United States steamer Acapulco, attempted to shoot Air. Mizner, the United States Minister. She approached him while he was sitting at his writing desk, and said, "Are you the American Minister?" to which he replied, " I am. Can Ibe of any service to you '!" Then, with flashing eyes, she accused him of being the direct cause of her father's death, and declared that she intended to kill him. Mr. Mizner attempted to reason with the girl, who, apparently frantic with grief, bitterly reproached him, and then, raising a pistol, fired. Fortunately, the bullet entered a heavy law book which the Minister held before him. Assistance then came, and Signorita Barrundia was seized and arrested before she could escape. Mr. Mizner refuses to prosecute hi' assailant.

A FRENCH MIRACLE. A remarkable case of credulity occurred a few days since at Macon. The Republique Francaise relates that two men engaged in digging a grave in the town cemetery perceived a skull which they had thrown out, moving, on which they ran in a great hurry to acquaint the parish priest, who, without delay, repaired to the scene, and being quite surprised with the prodigy, he cried out aloud, "A miracle." In order to show the utmost respect to so precious a relic, the priest ordered the cross, holy water, his surplice, and square cap to be brought. He then caused the bells to ring, called together the parishioners, gave directions for a dish to be brought, in which he put the skull, covered it with a napkin, and carried it in procession to the church, during which time there were warm debates amongst the people, each claiming kindred to the skull. As soon as they had come to the church, and had placed it upon the high altar, the priest began to sing the Te Deum ; in the midst of it a mole was observed to run out of the skull, which had been the cause of its motion, whereupon the priest desisted, the people retired, and the skull was buried again.

I MR. SI'UROEON AND THE THEATRE. | Mr. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle this week, said the Christian Church of the present day had played the harlot beyond any Church in any age." Alluding to the recent performance of " Judah"toan audience of clergymen, he remarked: — " There are no amusements too vile for her. Her pastors had tilled a theatre of late, and have set their mark by their clamours on the labours of play-actors. To this we had come at last to which we never came before —no, not in Rome's darkest hour. And if you do not love Christ enough to be indignant about it, the Lord have mercy upon you."

MURDERED ON HIS WEDDING DAY. A sad and tragic termination of weddin.f* festivities occurred at Rotterdam. AccorcC ing to a report in the Court ier du Soir, sent by a correspondent, two brothers, on a very slight occasion, quarrelled, and from beinw inmates separated houses, neighbourhood", and at length broke connection. Their alienation was neither softened nor embittered by correspondence. After about 11 years passed in this manner, one of the brothers married a beautiful young lady. The single brother, who had been watching this opportunity of vengeance, made his appearance very unexpectedly on the wedding day, and, desiring an interview with the married man in a separate apartment, was no sooner perceived than welcomed ; the latter, taking it for granted he came to be reconciled, and had chosen this happy day to render it more acceptable. The brother, addressing the bridegroom, said, " Brother, we have not met since our disagreement divided us this day eleven years. I come now to remind you of the circumstance and immediately plunged a knife into the body of the bridegroom.

A STRIKE INCIDENT. The Manchester Examiner states that a singular incident occurred a short time ago in connection with th» demand for a shorter working day. A number of the men employed on one of the great railways Struck for a reduction of hours. Their demands were granted, and the hours of work reduced. A few weeks later the same men struck again, this time because the manager refused to give them enough of overtime employment. In other words, they struck for longer hours. As a matter of fact, says the correspondent, the real movement in most of the trades which are now agitating for a reduction of the hours of labour is for pore wages, nob for less work.