HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1822, 6 February 1907, Page 16

HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS

TERRIBLE! SCENES AT A FIRE. Two lives were lost at a fire which occurred early on the morning of December 17 in a dwelling in iientinok street, London. When the fire broke out in the back part of the dwelling four persons were asleep in the house^—Mr Francis Johns, Miss Johns, Miss Carrie Woolger, and Mr Beano Steinkein.

Miss Woolger tried to rush down the staircase, and was met by flames and great clouds of smoke. She then, fished to the front window of the second floor and screamed loudly~Fo: help. The crowd shouted, “Don’t jump, the firemen are coming!” but the terrified lady threw her pet dog into the street, where it was killed instantly, and then herself leaped out, and fell on her head on the pavement with a frightful crash. She died immediately. Shortly afterwards firemen dashed til* on the Bayley horse escape f?t»m Bast street, Manchester-square. At this time Miss Johns was hanging out of the second floor window, and seemed likely to follow the example of the other lady. The firemen got the machine into position, and amid cho eheeii of the crowd brought the w oman safely to the ground. The firemen made their way into the building and rescued Mr Beano Stein tern amid renewed cheers. On searching tne upstairs rooms they found the body of Mr Francis Johns, a man sixty yiars of age, but life was extinct. FRENCH TITLES TAXED. The “Temxis” announces the voting by the French Chamber of a series of taxes on the transmission of titles of nobility in the direct line. Where the titles are those of the First Empire, and have not been recognised or confirmed under subsequent Governments, the scale of taxation is very moderate, ranging from 2Oof (£B)‘in the case of a duke down to 20f (16s) in the case of a chevalier. 7 If the titles have been confirmed or renewed since 1814 the rates are much higher," the ducal tax being 3000 f (=£l2o), and the others in proportion, with the exception. of that of the chevalier,

which remains constant at the modest / figure already quoted. It is estimated that these new taxes will bring into the Treasury from £24,000 to £30,000 annually. ' A. MONSTER LOCOMOTIVE. At Messrs Robert Stephenson and Company’s w'orks at Darlington there has been completed for South America three huge “Decapod” locomotives which-ranx as among the heaviest railway engines built in Great Britain. The engines are intended for the hauling of heavy trainloads over mountain grades on the Argentine Great Western line, which, on the completion of the Trans-Andine railway, is destined to serve as an important connecting link in giving a through raihvay communication between Buenos Ayres and Valparaiso. The engines have 10 coupled wheels, - with' a leading two-wheeled bogey truck. They have been built for a sft 6in gauge, and have a weight exceeding 125 tons, while the tender carries 6000 gallons of water, and has a 630 cubic feet space for the storage of Despite the fact that, prior to leaving Darlington,: the engines were . .taken to pieces, and loaded upon a : number of specially designed railway vehicles, seveiai of the parts, not.ib'.y the engine frame, boiler and tender, seriously exceeded me ordinary British • railway load gauge. Consequently, very elaborate railway arrangements ' were necessary.-for •the safe transport of these "‘giants of. tlie rail.” ■ ; r It was necessary to carry them on a Sunday arid then at a speed never - exceeding 20 miles per hour, and during daylight only. Two engines were shipped recently from the Mersey, and on December 16 the third engine left Darlington lor Hull, fox shipment. Ow- ' ing to the “overhang,” ; the set oh metals on both sides of the tram had to be reserved for the entire distance from Darlington to Liverpool - last week,‘and from Darlington to Hull on 7 Sunday, v The train which left for the Mersey had a weight of 500 tons, and required two powerful North-Eastern Railway locomotives to haul it. THRICE SENTENCED TO DEATH. At Berlin on December 19 Louie Toes- • now, a carpenter, was, for the third time, sentenced to death for murder. The first trial took place in 1900, when Tessnow was found* “Guilty” and sentenced to death. The Court of Appeal revised this sentence, and ordered a second trial, which again ended in conviction. The man was actually on the scaffold, when he Had an epileptic seizure, and was removed to hospital. His lawyer secured a 'third trial;,on - the ground - that his client was 1 , an epileptic and irresponsible for ? lris <vac--7 tioris. Tlie court rejected his plea, and

passed sentence of death, as stated. It is believed that Tessnow’s experiences stand unique in the annals of crime. FATAL FIRE AT BRISTOL. A POLICEMAN’S BRAVERY. Two lives were lost on December 15th in a fire in Little George street, St. Jude’s Bristol, a poor quarter in the East-end of the city. The occupants were John Pring his wife and nine children. In the early morning Mrs Pring detected a smell of burning, and awoke her husband. The alarm was quickly given, and Police Constable Rigby entered the burning building from the adjoining house. To do this he had to climb up the water-pipe on to the lower roof, and crawl over the tiles to the top window, from which he rescued two lads. These he conveyed to a place of safety, and then he heroically attempted to save a little girl, but was beaten hack by the flume, smoke and intense heat. Again and again lie tried to get within reach of the little one, hut eventually had to give up the attempt. The mother and eight of the nine children were brought out safely, and speedily found shelter in the houses of neighbours. The father and his daughter Violet, aged six years, were cut off by the flames, and after the fire liad been sufficiently got under the dead body of Violet was found in a front room /on tlie second floor. The child had evidently been suffocated, and was very severely burnt. The body of the father was discovered in a front room on the first floor. He had been suffocated and burnt about the legs. During the fire Police Constable Evans was injured by falling debris. But for the heroic cou-luci of Constable Rigby, the whole family might have perished.

CEREBRO SPINAL MENINGITIS. AN ALLEGED REMEDY. Professor Roller, of the Berne University, at a meeting of the Swiss Medical Association of Berne, declared that he has discovered a scrum in conjunction with a German doctor, which cures cerebro-spinal meningitis. He gave many examples of complete cures of victims in advanced stages of the disease. There were no failures, the patients’ health being restored within a month. A FORSAKEN SHIP. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF CREW. Intelligence was received at Queenstown on December 16th of the total loss of the British schooner Emma A. Harvey, in the Bay of Fundy, on the sth of that month while, on a voyage to New York with a crirgo of timber, and of tlie death of the captain and a seaman under peculiarly sad circumstances.

The vessel was caught in a hurricane, sprang a leak, and becoming waterlogged, was finally driven on a reef of rocks. Captain .Berry and six of the crew took to a boat, but one seaman, an Irish-American, refused to leave the ship.

Making lor the shore in a heavy eea, the boat , was capsized, but all on board succeeded in reaching the shore after a terrible struggle, drenched to the skin and almost frozen to death with the intense eold. It was three miles to the nearest settlement, and as the land was covered with several feet of snow, the task for the exhausted men, several of whom had frost-bitten limbs, was quite beyond their power. The captain and the mate, however, set out for help, but when part of the journey had been made the captain fell down exhausted in the enow. The mate hurried onwards, but when he returned with a rescue party they found the captain on his knees dead in the snow.

Later on they rescued two sailors who had taken refuge up a tree from the snow. They were in a sad plight, their faces, ears, hands, and feet being badly frost-bitten. The cook was also found in file snow so terribly exhausted that his recovery. was not expected. Nothing was heard of' the Irish-American seaman, but as the vessel broke up in the storm he probably perished. FUEL FAMINE IN DAKOTA. WHAT - PRIVATE RAILWAY . 7 . OWNERS DO. The fuel famine in North and South Dakota and the north-west generally, has become of the gravest description, and in the bitter winter weather, which is now prevailing, fanners and even town dwellers are reduced to the utmost straits for fuel, and have resorted to burning wheat and maize. The famine in fuel was largely caused by the action of the Gould and Harriman railways corner in coal and refusing. to sell it except at greatly enhanced prices, and. then only - to a favourite set. Part of the trouble is also caused by the lack of cars, and

in many cases coal trains have been stopped by armed hands of citizens, Who have helped themselves to wag-gon-loc ds of it in defiance of the railways. A blizzard is now raging in the north-west, and the Government may have to come to the aid. of the population in this region. Many schools are closed and factories shut down fori want of fuel.

NAVAL DISASTER.

LOSS OF SEVEN LIVES. A naval disaster involving the loss of at least seven lives, occurred outside Portsmouth Harbour oil the morning of December 17th. A party of stokers and seamen belonging to H.M.S. Hindustan -were returning from a shore visit 1141011 the piriiiaoe in tvhi’oli they were being conveyed suddenly “turned turtle,” and left them struggling in the water. A dense fog prevailed at the time, and jvhen assistance came it was found tint of the seventy four men who had embarked, at least seven liad been lost. THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. STRANGE ADVENTURES ON A BRITISH SHIP. A story reminiscent of the adventures of Jules Verne’s “Blceade Runners” was told in the King’s Bench Division, London, on December 20tli, by a number of sailors who served on tlie British ship Carlisle during the Russo-Japanese War. After being engage.! in blockade running, the Carlisle caught fire and blew up. Seine of the crew sustained personal injuries, and four of their z umber aic claimrog damages from the owners, Simpson S.S. Co., (Swansea) for breach of contract, loss of wages, and loss of kit and effects.

The defence was that tiie plaintiffs knew when they signed on the adventurous nature of the voyage. Mr Morgan Morgan, wiio appeared for one of the plaintiffs, a man of colour, named Collins, said the crew signed articles on April 26th, 1965, at Manila, to go to Singapore at ordinary wages, but they knew nothing of the dangerous nature of the cargo or the object of the voyage. They contended that ixi this respect the captain did not comply with the Merchant Shipping Act, which provided that the nature of the contract should* be explained to the crew. Collins went into the witness box and described his adventures after joining the Carlisle. Trouble began at the very start, with a mutiny on the part of the Greek members of tne crew. After this had been quelled, the Carlisle set sail for Saigon, where she joined a number of cruisers and the Russian man-of-war, the Diana. The crew then discovered that the Carlisle’s cargo consisted of ammunition, which was transferred to the Diana. Before this, Witness had heard a good deal from other sailors of tlie Carlisle's adventures at Port Arthur, where she had been trying to run the blockade. She liad also been in trouble >Jf iii»* east coast of Japan. Here she lost all the blades of her propeller. But her career was by no means over. Sails were made out of rice-bags, and she continued her voyage, but this expedient was short-lived, and eventually she was towed into Manila in distress. She was an object of curiosity while being patched up at Manila for the voyage to Saigon, but witness heard nothing as to her real character until two or three days after she left Manila on wliat proved to be her last voyage. He believed there was a good deal in the 'lewspapeTs about the doings of the Carlisle, but they were all Philippine journals, and his education did not include a knowledge of Spanish. Shortly after ailiving at Saigon, the Carlisle caught fire and blew up. Fortunately her ammunition had been taken ovei by the Diana before the fire occurred. Several of the crew were injured, and they lost all their belongings. diaries Rose, also a man of colour, gave similar evidence, adding that he would never have signed articles had he known the Carlisle was under the orders of the Russian Government. Mr Hamilton, K. 0., for the defence, submitted that if lie proved that the crew knew the ship was connected with the Russian Government, was laden with ammunition, and that she was navigated so as to make service on board exceptional serveo, their claim must be dismissed. _ . - Mr Justice Sutton reserved judgment- •

GERMAN SOCIALIST MANIFESTO.

Dealing with the political position in Germany (which, according to recent cables, has ended unfavourably to tlie Socialists) tlie Berlin correspondent of the “Daily Chronicle” of December 16th says:— In none of the party appeals to the country is there half the manhood, half the truth, half the effectiveness of the brilliant announcement of the Socialist leaders in to-day’s "Vor-

waerts,” and their gains rather than loses in strength from the complete absence from it of anything doctrinaire or peculiarly Socialistic.

It is not South-West Africa alone says this appeal, on which the country will have to make up its mind, but on the conduct of entire home and foreign policy. Despite extravagant courting of foreign potentates and Powers, Germany is wholly isolated, and armaments are increasing. The Budget for 1907 asks for £39,950,000 for tlie Army, or an increase of £2,550,000; for £14.550.000 for the Navy, an increase of £1,200,000, and for £5,150,000 for pensions. The interest on the Imperial debt has increased since 1888 from £36,050,000 to £200,000,000, the new and vexae t-ioas taxation of the past two years being unable to keep it down. Turning to the colonies, the Socialist manifesto is terribly effective. German colonies are nothing but a drain on the Empire. After twenty years of Colonial Empire, the entire export trade of the colonies was last year only £3,200.000. Their imports, ilia inly consisting of goods for the white population, were only £2,300,000. Every year the colonies swallowed £1,500,000 as subsidies, not including the terrible drain for South West Africa, which lias now reached the total of 400 millions. The entire trade of the German colonies is about one-half per cent, of the aggregate trade of the Empire. The manifesto then attacks the Protectionist tariffs which have iuoreaeedi the price cf food and give one thousand millions annually to agrarians, and ends with a stirring appeal to the electors to support candidates who will work for the personal freedom and political rights of the citizens, and fight against all class legislation. FATAL COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL. On the same day on which the above disaster occurred, and under similar atmospheric conditions:, the Belgian steamer Cape Juby, came into collision of Dungencss with the Hid! steamer. Arlington, and bmosi immediately sank with the loss of twelve lives. The remainder of the crew, five in number, including the captain, were subsequently landed at Dover by the Arlington. SWALLOWED A CHAMELEON. AN AMERICAN STORY.

The following, which appears in the British papers of December 12, emanating as it does from a ia.ncl vhere press news is not always to be saleiy lelied on, must be taken for what it is worth: —A telegram from Omaha, Nebraska, states that an actress has died tricre rotiii swallowing a live chameleon. Tho actress was Miss Louise Douglas, who wished to advertise her forthcoming app' aranoe at one of the locai theatres, and took this means of accomplishing her purpose. She s.vaLowed the animal alive, and almost at once experienced terrible pains, from which she died within a few hours. An autopsy was performed upon her body, and tne doctors making it found tint the animal was iiving. NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. AWARDED TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. On December 10 the Stcithmg conferred the Nobel peace prize on President Roosevelt. The prize was received by Mr Peirce, the American Minister, in the presence of the members of tlie Nobel Prize Committee, who were seated in front of the Ministers. The president of tlie .Storthing, M. Gunnar Rriudsen, in a short speech, recalled the fact that the Norwegian Storthing was the first national assembly to adopt the cause of peace, widen was now no longer a Utopia, as it was twelve or fifteen yeans ago. Tlie leading statesmen of the world, and even the chief’s of State, had taken up the cause.. Tlie United States had entered the front rank among the advocates of peace, and what had especially av aliened the attention of the world was thi work of President Roosevelt to end the bloody war between Russia and Japan. . In handing the prize to the American Minister, the President asked linn to take Mr Roosevelt a greeting from the Norwegian people, and expressed the wish that Mr Roosevelt might be able to do further work for tlie cause of peace in tlie future. Mr Peirce, in thanking the Storthing for the award, said that any words cf liis were inadequate to express ins deep emotion in receiving this distinguished testimonial on behalf of President Roosevelt, wlio : recently telegraphed that lie regarded the prize as one of the greatest honours which any man in any position throughout the world, could receive. This award would make a deep appeal to the hearts of the American people. Mr Peirce then read a, message from President Roosevelt expressing . deep thanks for the prize, and declaring that there' was no gift n he ecu Id ap*

preciate more. Tlie President adds that he has decided to us a the prize to establish at Washington a permaii-* ent industrial peace committee, a righteous peace in the industrial world being as important as in the world of nations. MAGNATES’ INTIMIDATION. AUDITOR DEPRIVED OF H3B APPOINTMENT. Telegraphing on December* 13, the . Johannedburg . correspondent of an English paper says: — There is a sensation in the-town- The heads of the firms of Eckstein, Schumacher,, and Fitzpatrick have informed Mr Howard Pirn, the auditor of a number of their companies, that he must, withdraw his candidature for Parliament as a Nationalist against the Progressive, or, on his failing to do so, his appointments would be cancelled. Mr Pim refused, and the -threat lias been fulfilled. At a meeting of Jumpers Deep to-day, when the motion for his reappointment was made, it found no seconder. Mr Pirn, however, forced the chairman, Mr Schumacher, to state that the action of the board was dictated by political reasons. Indignation is general, for Mr Pirn is Held in high esteem as chairman of the Finance Committee of the town oounoil. The incident indicates the kind of terrorism that is being used towards the highest and the lowest. Investors are. much concerned at the fact thf t mining houses are making their auditors subservient. ABYSSINIA’S INTEGRITY. AGREEMENT SIGNED BY GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND ITALY. Great Britain, France, and Ttajy signed on December 13 an arrangement providing for the maintenance of the integrity of Abyssinia, and prescribing common action by the three Powers in all future contingencies concerning that country. The following are the principle Articles of the agreement:— . Article IV. provides that in the event of events arising to disturb the status quo, the three Powers under- \ take to do their utmost to maintain tho integrity of Ethiopia, and they will confer with, one another with a view to safeguarding (1) the interests of Great Britain and Egypt in the Basin of the Nile, particularly in so far as the control of the waters of that river is concerned; (2) Italy’s interests in Ethiopia with respect to Erythrea, Somaliland, and Ben add r, and especially as regards the hinterland of her possessions and the territorial union between them to the west of Addis Aibeba; (3) French interests in Ethiopia with respect to the French

Somali coast Protectorate, the liinter-

land of that protectorate and the zones necessary for the construction and working c*f the Djibutil-Addis A'beba railway. . Article VI. states that the three Contracting powers are agreed that it shall be a French Company approved by the French Government, that, shall construct the line from Dive Daoua to Addis A'beba, and eventually a branch to Harrar. Article VII. provides that the Board of Administration of the French Railway company or companies shall include an Englishman a Italian, and, a representative of the Bmiperor of Abyssinia. . Article IX. lays down that railways in Abyssinia, west of Addis Abeba, shall be constructed by Great Britain, and that connecting Bemadir with Grythrea by Italy. The article also recognises Great Britain’s right to construct a railway from British Somaliland across Ethiopia to the Sudanese frontier. .Reuter’s Agency learns that a second agreement ‘ between Great Britain, France, and Italy was also signed at the Foreign Office yesterday- by Sir E. Grey, M. Gambon, and the Marquis San Giugliano, for - regulating the entrance of arms and ammunition into the East Africa possessions of the three Rowers. STARVING HINDOOS. Despatches received in England from Vancouver, British Columbia, state that the condition of hundreds of Hindoos who Have landed there from India is deplorable in the extreme, and that large numbers of the unf oil unate people who hare neither food, shelter, nor clothing, have grown desperate, and assaults and robberies by them are of common occurrence. The feeling is growing that Hindoo immigration should be. stopped. A Royal Commission has been called for to fix the responsibility for luring by false representations to British Columbia the Hindoos in. search of work for which they are .wholly’ unsuited. LOVE AND SUICIDE. MAN MASQUERADING AS A WOMAN:

A. remarkable story comes from the German city of Breslau. A teacher of that city a short time ago went to

Paris to perfect himself in the French language. While there he made the acquaintance aof a lady named Dina Alma do Paradea. The lady said she was from Brazil, and tho daughter of a French consul there. She wore magnjifioent jewels, and w r as altogether charming. The Breslau teacher fell in love wiuxj. her, they were engaged, and the happy teacher returned to Breslau to make preparations for their marriage. Dina Alma arrived at Breslau shortly afterwards, and took up her abode in a fashionable pensionnat there. She went about with her fiancee making purchases for their future home. In some unexplained way, however, the people of the pensionnat began to have misgivings about Dina Alma. Like Charley’s aunt, who also was from Brazil, she was not what she seemed, and the suspicion that she wars a man in woman’s clothes was strengthened. She was accused of false pretences. Dina Alma thereupon took poison, and in a few minutes was dead. Her hair, bust, and ps were all false. The police took charge of the case, and discovered that Dina Alina was the son of a physician who used to practice in Berlin, and was 35 years old. He had been knocking about Europe for years, and was believed tc be touched with insanity. The magnificent- diamonda were all false. ‘ DEAD MAN’S” RETURN WRONGLY IDENTIFIED BY -NINE WITNESSES. A remarkable case of mistaken identity by nine witnesses is reported from Birmingham. On December G last an inquest held at Ham-stead, near Birmingham, on tlio body of a man who was supposed to have committed suicide by drowning. A woman named Wilkes claimed the body as that or an unemployed miner who had lodged in her house. He had bitterly complained that his grey hair had prevented him from obtaining work, and, in despair, had threatened to take his life.

Confirmation of the story was given by a young woman named Fair!ow, who said that the body was that cf her father, a Cannock Chase miner. He had written to her a few clays previously, saying that a.s ho could not get work, lie would either have to go into the workhouse or die of starvation, but he thought that death by drowning would be preferable.

Other members of tho Fail-low family also identified the remains, and come miners who aknew Fair low well were quito satisfied that the body was that of their late fellow workman. In all, nine persons identified the remains as those of Edward Fair low.

Preparations were made for a burial early next week, but. to the surprise of the family, Fair low turned up at his son’s houee on December 3. He said lie had read in the newspapers an account or his supposed suicide, and he was anxious to let his family see that he was cut dead. He had obtained a situation, and was going to work on December 10. He was much amused when shown his own funeral card. ECCLESIASTICAL RIOT. POPULACE CHARGED BY CAVALRY. There was a conflict between the people and the military on December 19 at Nantes, arising out of the eviction of Mgr. Rouard, the Bishop, from bis residence, and of the ecclesiastical students from their seminaries. Several hundred soldiers were employed to keep the streets clear and to permit of the eviction being carried out without interruption from Catholic sympathisers. When the authorities arrived at the Bishop’s residence they were greeted with hostile cries. It was found, however, that the Bishop had already abandoned his domicile. The officials next proceeded to the two seminaries, of which they obtained possession, and jiroceeded to eject the occupants. The expelled students, joined by a largo crowd, subsequently made a demonstration Defere the offices of an unpopular local journal end the headquarters of the local masonic lodgo. A number of police we re guarding both, of these build, ings. They were attacked with sticks and stones, and sevcial of them weio knocked--down ond injured. A de tackment of mounted gendarmes charged the crowd with drawn swords, and rode down a number. Among those injured were several women, who were trampled under loot by tile horses A score of people were injured, and ten arrests were made. - . SLEEPING SICKNESS. DiR. KOOIFS REPORT OF THE SUCCESS OF HIS CURE. In his official report to the Minister of the Interior with regard to the progress made by the German expedition senf to East Africa to investigate the sleeping sickness, Professor Koch announces that he has discovered a specific against sleeping sickness similar to that which the doctors already possess against malaria in quinine. The remedy, Which is a preparation

of arsenic, is called atoxyl, and destroys the trypanosomes, the germs of the disease.

Professor Koch’s close investigations show that not only the giossina palpalis insect, but also the giossina fusea, disseminates the disease.

In order to study the giossina and the sleeping sickness together, Professor Koch availed himself of the offer of an empty mission house, placed at his disposal by the British authorities at Bugala, in the Sosse Islands, to the north-west of the Victoria Nyatiza. When, four years ago, the disease made its appearance in the islands the population numbered 30,000; it has now sunk to 12,000 through the ravages of the sickness. The principal victims were men in the prime of life. Such terrible inroads were made that there are villages inhabited only by vvomen and children. As the percentage of the sleeping sickness among the natives in tho Sesso Islands, in his opinion, amounted from sixty to seventy, preventive measures would benefit few. The professor therefore came to tho conelus ion that the only remedy which would be efficacious would be one that destro -ed the trypanosomes in the infected persons, as quinine annihilates malaria parasites.

After various experiments, Professor Koch decided to employ atoxyl injections of half a gramme, in solution, which pro wed most efficacious and caused no harm. Six hours after the sub-cutaneous injections had been made, the trypanosomes were unchanged, but eight hours after there was no sign of trypanosomes, while the general condition of the patient had improved. In throe weeks patients vi ho were senous'y ill u lien tl.e treatment began, and v.ho, Without atoxyl, would certainly have died, had unproved to such an extent as to leave no doubt in the frofess ir s mind of the efficacy of the lemedy. Nine hundred natiems are now be ing treated, and in two or three months Professor Koch thinks that the cure will be ended, but he adds that the patients must be observed for a similar period, lest relapses ocmir. The professor concludes: "Only tv lien, we have obtained a certainty 7 that the cure is permanent after the atoxyl treatment has been stopped cun we regard our task as achieved ”