GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12401, 24 October 1903, Page 5 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

AtTTOMAXrC SrCXAI,LTXG> ; ! The North-Eastern Railway o£ England The North-Eastern Railway of England , will have soon completed an installation of \ automatic block signals on that portion of | its main line between Alne a.nd Thirsk, a ! distance, of eleven miles. Each of the sigj nals is being equipped with a patent fogsignalling apparatus which obviates the I use of detsnatws in foggy or snowy weather, j Although Colonel Yorke's report on American railway practice rather made light of the advantages accruing from automatic sig- : nals as employed in the United Stfsies, many British railway managers are convinced of their utility on congested stretches of track where no junctions exist. The London and South-Western, which was the pioneer English line in this respect, is making rapid progress, with its automatic block signals from Basingstoke to Woking, and before long will have seventy miles of track under automatic: control. The South-Western Company employ the electro-pneumatic, (low preesnre) system, whose signals indicate normal " clear." The District Railway lias installed electro-pneumatic signals on its new and electrified line between South Harrow and Ealing.

KOTOR CTCXES IX WAR. While admitting that the motor cycle will never be able to tali© a definite place in the firing line, the Motor Cycle thinks it is as evident fiat it has its place in warfare because of its ability to throw forward large numbers of men. Among the mony other uses to which a motor cycle can bo put, no doubt the principal one will be in acting on the lines of communication as an extra, rapid messenger between the different staffs' or army corps engaged; also he will bo of' the greatest service as an army signaller, ' in consequence of the great rapidity with which he can transport himself from point to point, for " rapid signalling is not of the least use in many military operations, unless the (signaller himself be really mobile.''

A VENDETTA DOTS.. 'A savage anel typical vendetta duel lias been fought in a forest, at Fontaine St.. Andre, in the canton of Neuchatel by two Neapolitans. There was an eld-standing enmity between the two men, one of whom lived at Neuchatel and the other at St., Gall, and they agreed to meet and fight to the death. Stripped to their vests, and armed with long knives, they faced one another in a secluded glade, safe from interruption. Both were strong and wiry* and they backed at each other until they dropped sido by side on the grass. It- is thought that one of the two will recover,, in which case it if? likely he will have to.face a trial for murder. "■'-.'

SAVAGES WHO I/£VT, IV TREES.The Administrator of the Government off British New Guinea (Papua) reports tha discovery of an extraordinary tribe of rnarsh-i land dwellers in that island. Owing to the; character of the section o? the country im. which they live pedestrian locomotion in almost impracticable. The land is too! swampy to bo walked upon," and the en- i tangled tropical undergrowth in the wide stretchesi of shallow water renders canoe- ( ing almost impossible. The native dwell-; ings are built in the trees above the water level. As the result of these conditions the natives are gradually losing the use of their lower limbs. They are unable to walk on hard ground without suffering from bleeding feet. Their bodies have developed enormously in the trunk, but the thighs, legs* and feet are diminutive. In figure and carriage they are ape-like. THE SMALLEST STATE ISP EUROPE.

The smallest State in Europe has just ceased to exist. The minute country in question was: neither Monaco, nor San Marino, nor Andorra, nor yet Liechtenstein, but Moresnet—a small scrap of territory between Belgium and Prussia, not far* from Aix-la-Chapelle. The independence of Moresnet dates from 1815, and it was only a few days ago that the two neighbouring States at last arrived at an agreement for its absolution. Moresnet has new been annexed by Belgium, while Prussia receives a pecuniary indemnity. The amount of the latter should be large, for neutral Moresnet contained the most valuable deposits of zinc in the world. The decision was hastened by the establishment of a gambling hellthere, which was stopped by the Belgian Government on the 2nd of the present month. The inhabitants, who paid no taxes and were free from military service, will be the losers by their compulsary incorporation in the Belgian Kingdom, But as there are only 1200 of them they could not resist the act of annexation. Had they, like San] Marino, declined the dangerous gjfb of a casino they might have remained neutral and obscure.

MOTOR-CAR OK EIRE. ' About half-past six one evening an excii/* ' ing and unusual scene was witnessed in. the Strand, London, when a large motor-car pro- ; ceeding in the direction of Charing Cross suddenly burst into flames, which shot up in the air to a height of thirty to forty feet. ■ The car, which had nearly reached Welling-ton-street crossing when the accident occurred, was immediately stopped, and the occupants managed to escape without injury. The alarm of fire was promptly given, and four fire engines were soon on the spot and playing on the burning car. The fire was , extinguished almost as quickly as it had begun, and shortly afterwards another motorcar, which had come to the rescue, was made fast to the charred wreck and towed it westwards.

TARRING TfiE ROADS. Tarring the roads in France is becoming, the vogue, and road engineers are busy testing this system of dust-laying. Recently visits were paid by interested societies to various stretches which had been tarred a. few months previously, and in all cases the surfaces were found in good condition. One of the streets in Melun has been tarred, and has now a very clean and neat appearance,, while according to the Autocar the inhabitants are so pleased 1 with the absence of dust, which, formerly filtered into their houses, that they are urging the authorities to subject all the streets to the same treatment.

[ MAYOR AND CORPORATION " MAROONED." When the Colne oyster fisheries were declared open by the Mayor and Corporation). of Colchester, with the usual quaint ceremonial, which included a repast of gin and gingerbread, consumed at a spot that marks the seavrard limit of the fishery, a curious incident occurred. The first oysters of the . year were dredged and found to be excellent in quality, the Mayor remarking that, like Cesar's wife, they were above suspicion. It was stated that next spring Colchester 1 would be able to send four millions of oysters to market. The Mayor and Corporation,' then had an oyster feast on Peewit Island. During the repast the island was flooded to a depth of nearly two feet by an exceptionally high tide, and the civic dignitaries were marooned for an hour on the uppsr floor of an oyster-packing shed.

THE MORPHIA lIABIT IN* CHINA. While the officials on the Island of Formosa are congratulating themselves on the gradual eradication of opium-smoking, there comes from the opposite mainland a suggestion of an even worse presence amongst the Chinese. Mr. Hausser, the British Consul at Amoy. writes that the practice of morphia injection appears to be becoming increasingly common amongst ths coolie class. The importation of morphia last year amounted to nearly 20,0000z, against a little over 12,0G00z in 1901. While some of thia increase has been in anticipation of the new tariff, some is also due to the growing favour of the habit. The Amoy district, by the way, is described as "the most povertystricken in China."

BOER TACTICS CONDEMNED. Boer tactics are to be introduced into the French manceuvres on the 12th and 15th Army Corps by General de Negrier. In a letter General Langlois, the former commander of the War Academy, contests ~:; General de Negrier's assertion that the Anglo-Boer war has overt-brown existing no-, tions of tactics. He writes: —"The war ■ in the Transvaal cannot be compared with a great war, such as that of 1370 was, or with one against a European adversary- ' - The respective positions of the belligerents, , ,• the scene of operations, the number ot . troops brought into actiotA present no parallel 'the factors represented in an ■. import-ant European war." / 4- / _- 1/ i