ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IX, Issue 2839, 28 February 1885, Page 4

ITEMS.

In Boston, Massachusetts, an iron flywheel, weighing 1251b, and attached to a wood-sawing machine in a coal and wood yard, burst recently into many pieces, which flew in all directions, smashing waggons and other objects, but killing no one. One peice, weighing about 501b, took a singular journey. It was propelled straight into the air, and descended into the front entry, just inside the door, of a wooden dwelling-house, a distance of 400 or 500 yards. The piece crushed through the flat roof of the dwelling, which is a two and one-half storey structure, carrying away plastering and laths. It then went through a feather bed in the room, and taking an oblique course, went through the wall about six inches from the floor, dragging with it a portion of the mattress. The"flying missile struck the bed at its head, and just where a person's head would naturally lie ■if the bed was occupied. Pursuing its coarse, the iron fragment still descended with frightful velocity, carried away a portion of a flight of stairs, and went through another wall, where its farther progress was stopped. A correspondent writes to the Argus : " O'Donovan Rossa's can hardly be what the doctore would call' a good life,' as he mast be getting old and has lived fast. He was born at Rosscarby, in the county of Cork, in 1830. His father was a small farmer and weaver, and young Jeremiah Donovan managed to establish himself as a provision merchant at Skibereen in county Kerfy, a village of terrible fame for deaths during the famine in 1847. It was here that he started the Phoenix conspiracy, and it was Father John O'Sullivap, of Kenmare, who first gave information about Donovan's conspiracy to the authorities in Dublin, stipulating at the same time that ' the foolish boys' who were engaged in it should be let off with ' a proper fright,' which was done. James Stephens first made Donovan's acquaintance at Skibereen, and he became one of Stephens' mo3t active lieutenants. They, however, quarrelled after the arrests and break up of the Fenian movement in 1865.- Donovan married one Mary Jane Irwin, of Clonakilty, and has had seven or eight children. He was sentenced to penal servitude for life in 1865, and was sent to Chatham convict prison. One Sunday morning the governor, Major Pitt Butts, was making an inspection of the wards, each convict standing at his cell door. As the governor came in front of Donovan's cell the latter threw a bucket of slop 3in his face. He was not flogged, as most other prisoners no doubt would have been, but was sentenced to three months' 'penal class,' which involves solitary confinement in a light cell, no labor and nothing to eat but porridge and milk. In the penal class cells Donovan tore his clothing and bedding to pieces, and was next kept in handcuffs for 28 days. Released from penal servitude in 1872, he went to New York, and sank to a very low ebb there, an eating-house at one time, which wa3 seized by the sheriff for debt. The prestige of the Land League movement gave him a chance of getting into notoriety again as he took to himself the credit of being connected with every daring act which was reported in the newspapers. For instance,- he boasted of having caused an explosion on board a British . man-of-war off the coast of South America a year or two ago, and no doubt was believed and given presents on the strength of - it. He also pretended to have had a share in the Phoenix Park murders. All this has brought him fame and money again of late years. The fact is, that O'Donovan Rossa is an ' institution,' and all the' advanced' Nationalists, of course, pay him a sort of homage, but it is very doubtfal whether he has been really connected with any of the recent plots or explosions. No capable conspirators would trust him with secrets."

Intelligence from Lima in South America giv,es an account of a revolt at Arequipa, and its prompt suppression by General Caceres. The time fixed for the outbreak was while the General and his staff were attending a theatrical performance at Arequipa. The General had obtained information of the intention of his soldiers, and had given instructions as to the troops on guard. The precautions were not ill-timed. During the performance rifle shots were heard in the streets adjoining the theatre. General Cacere3 hastily rose from his box, and followed by his staff took the nearest route for the cavalry barracks. There a few minutes only were necessary to put that trustworthy body of lroop3 under arms. The streets leading to the theatre were guarded, and, meantime, other battalions of infantry, loyal to their chief, were rapidly marching towards the scene of the disturbance. It was soon discovered that the Cuzco battalion had been interviewed successfully by the emissaries of the Lima Government, and a' revolt determined upon, and had the hour been later, and, consequently, more propitious, the movement might have had serious consequences, but the loyal soldiers pursued the disaffected, overtook many of them, and made many prisoners. The fate ot the latter did not hang long in the scale. Twenty were shot in the principal square of Arequipa, and when the mail left the colonel of the battalion was -undergoing a court martial, with every probability, of dying in the same way.

A very interesting report is given of a meeting of the members of the London Society of Operative Millers, which was held at Deptford in the end of November, after a visit to the roller mills of Messrs Greenwood and Sons, at Blackburn. The object of the meeting was to report on what they had seen, and to discuss the roller system of milling. The system was much praised, not more than two out of upwards of a dozen who gave their opinions saying anything against it. The first report, given by Sir Ansell, Secretary of the Society, corresponds generally with the opinions of the other members. He expressed unqualified approval of all he saw at Blackburn, after careful consideration and reflection, and a minute examination of the samples of the finished products. On entering the mill at Blackburn, the first thing that struck him was the remarkable cleanliness and freedom from dust, and the quiet manner in which the TTiill was working. He first went into the grinding room, where ho found they were making seven breaks on fluted rolls. These breaks were first rate; no heating, wheel breaking, bearing heating, or oil wasting propensities, were shown. The automatic feed and the exhaust were two things as near perfection as he had seen. The'product from each break was I also comparatively cold. The scalping reels, the intermediate dusting and sizing reels for the chops and middlings were doing their work very satisfactorily, and in the purifier department the work done was splendid. The wind or gravity purifier.is a marvel of simplicity in. construction, and perfection in their work for the larger sized middlings; and the semolina rolls and (centrifugals for dressing the flour were working equally as well. The system is well arranged, and each machiae seems well adapted for its work, whilst the flour produced wa3 better than any he had seen before produced from an equal sample of wheat, both in color and strength. The first break flour or crease dirt was taken out with as little waste as possible, and nobody who saw it could say that it should go into the flour. The ofials were well cleaned—as clean, in fact, as &ny miller could wish. According to the New Tcrk Tribune, a new method of averting labor difficulties is being put in practice near Pittsburg, U.S. It is the profit-sharing system, by which the workmen receive at the end of the year, in the ratio of their wages, a share of the profits. They are employed

the Bame as other workmen, at the current rate of wages. Capital is allowed the rate it will bring in the market, with more where there is risk. The principle of self-interest is aroused. Some firms in the United States, one employing 15,715 hands, have already successfully operated for years on this participation plan, A curious incident arose in connection with the illumination of the Church of San Lorenzo in Damaso at Rome -lately. The vicar had arranged to use the electric light in the large central candelabrum of the church. The cardinal vicar, however, observed that according to precedent no j illuminants except oil or wax could be used in front of the altar. Aa, however, the point was a new one, he referred the case to the Congregation of Ritual. That body, after consideration, decided against electricity. A Scotch physician declares that of all the strange journeyings of needles in the flesh which have come nnde? his observation, the strangest occurred in a lady patint who a few years ago broke ia needle in the first joint of her left thumb and a few days ago removed it from her fore-finger. A laborer stood the other morning (says the Masterton Daily), with a bunch of plaited corn in his coat to notify that he was in want of harvesting work. This old English method of advertising had the desirsd effect in this instance, as an employer of labor engaged the bearer of the badge. I