HOME & FOREIGN CABLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10667, 17 January 1911, Page 4

HOME & FOREIGN CABLES.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.]

(Per Press Association.) TRAINS SNOWED UP. Received January 16, at 1.40 p.m. Madrid, January 15. The Governor of Leon reports that an avalanche at Puehla Degardon swept into the river a locomotive and eight wagons of a traiu which had been held up. There is snow to a_ depth, of 20 feet in mam places. The tunnels arc blocked and several trains are buried. It is not known whether relief will be sent, as it cannot reach the places affected. The wires are down.

Great havoc has been done at Cadiz, Gijou, and Vigo, eighty vessels having been 'destroyed or damaged.

MARCONI AND TELEFUNKEN. Berlin, January 15. The German wireless companies' interest has been merged into a new German company, whose directors include Mr Marconi. This' arrangement terminates the competitioirbctween the Marconi and Telefunken systems as far>,os the German-mercantile marine' is concerned.

TURKEY SUSPICIOUS OF GERMANY.

Received January 16, at,9 p.m. Constantinople, January 15. Germany has assured the Porte that the negotiations, which are still .progressing with Russia, deal exclusively with railway construction to Persia and the junction of the Bagdad railway therewith.

Turkey favors a settlement on the basis of an. adjustment of the British, German, Russian, and French interests. LABOR UNREST IN PORTUGAL. EXPLOSIONS IN SEWERS. Lisbon, January 16. The gas workers damaged the mains serving the suburbs. The public throughout have beeu antagonistic to the strikers. The Provisional Government received an imposing demonstration of goodwill from the battalions of volunteers enrolled, after the proclamation of the republic. The men marched to the various Ministerial offices, accompanied by bands and thousands of people, to assure Ministers of their support. Immediately afterwards the city was startled by explosions due to the results of sabotage; .'causing, a leakage of gas through the sewers,-• which was ignited by rat-catchers' lanterns. Three were seriously burned and several houses damaged.

TRAIN COLLISION. Received January 16, at 10 p.m. Paris, January 16. A passenger train collided with, a ballast train at Vire. The two drivers and a stoker were killed, and several passengers were injured, two dangerously.

• THE UNSTABLE EARTH. St. Petersburg, January 16. Loud -rumblings and shocks realarmed Vyernyi, and many previously damaged walls were destroyed.

THE AUSTRIAN EMPEROR. Vienna,,January 16

The Emperor Francis Joseph was. acclaimed whilst driving from Schoenbrunn to the Hofburg, for the first time since his illness.

THE HUNGARIAN LOAN. Vienna, January 16. Details of the colossal over-subscrip-tion of the Hungarian loau show that of applications totalling five hundred and eighty-three million sterling five hundred millions were subscribed by Germany, sixty-six by Austria, sixteen byHungary, and the remainder by Belgium, Switzerland, and Holland.

THE LAST WORD IN BATTLE SHIPS.

Received January 17 at 8.5 a.m. London, January 16.

The keel plates are being laid to-day of the King "George A r . and the Centurion. These vessels have a displacement of approximately 25,000 tons and a horse power of 27,000, giving a speed of 21 knots. The thickest armour is 12 inches Simson steel, and the armament includes 10 13,Vin guns, ' and 24 4in guns. The latter will be used against destroyers. There are also three tubes for firing 21in torpedoes over a range of 7000 yards. The officers' quarters are aft.

SAVISS PUNISHMENT. Geneva, January 16. Cesare Cattanep, a waiter, who on August 23rd robbed Mrs Bacon, an English tourist, of her. jewels, has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment and banishment for life. His wife, who was a party to the theft, was given eighteen mouths' imprisonment .and banishment for ten years.

PROBLEM OF THE RUSSIAN EMI GRANT.

Amsterdam, January 16.

The authorities at Qldenzaal finding the Prussian police stopped 630 returning Russian emigrants on- the grounds of inadequate means of subsistence, confined them for several days in barracks, telephoned the. Prussian authorities, and finally accepted the offer of the shipping company which brought them to Amsterdam to furnish a guarantee of transit through Prussia.

EXTRAORDINARY SNOWSTORM IN SPAIN. Madrid, January 16.: / A violent snowstorm has' been raging : in the Peninsula, but has nowiabated. The chief characteristics were its suddenness and the violent barometrical oscillations accompanying it. • '

:AT MONTE' CARLO. London, y January 16, ••- . The Standard states that nine English army captains are reported on credible authority to have won £200,000 at the Monte Carlo gaming tables in a forthightr .r.'. ; * ■

DROUGHT IN THE ARGENTINE. Buenos Aires, January 16. Owing to the expected failure of the maize ; crop through <. the prolonged drought, 3800 /laborers have embarked for Europe since Christmas.

WAR MORE HUMANE. ~-"_' ■'■".'■■ Earls,; January 16, Replying to "Various interrogations, M. Pichon, Minister for Foreign Affairs, said if the Flushing fortifications scheme-became a menace it would be-a ground for communication with the interested Powers. The conventions arid proceedings of the . different Powers made him hopeful tli.it the : conditions of war would be "made more humane arid just. "■ • ••■' V.".-v

AN AMERICAN ROBBED. Paris, January 16. Miller, an American, has been found tied to a tree at Joinville lo Porit. He had been robbed "of his clothes and 1000 dollars. - - -•

IN THIS AIR. Berlin, January 16. A balloon has been found in the lake near Wildenbrucb,. Pomeraiiia. The bodies of two men were within the car. THE AA'ARATAH INQUIRY. __ Lbndon, January 16. The Waratah Inquiry Court was occupied in ' reading Australian -depositions, including those of navigating inspectors, who staled that they did not hear anything to denote that the vessel was unstable.

Many witnesses expressed a dislike of the Waratah, but others regarded her •is a fine ship.

DEFENCE OF-ENGBAND. [Received January. 17, at 9.15 a.m. London, January 16. In the second edition of General lan Hamilton's work on compulsory service Admiral Wilson adds an appendix emphasising that Britain's defence is twofold, comprising, firstly, the seagoing fleets, and, secondly, her mobile mos-

quite- craft, including 170 destroyers and torpedoers and 50 submarines, stretching between Dundee, Dover, and Devonport. Admiral Wilson points out that the really serious danger is in the interruption of trade and the destruction of merchant shipping. All tile ships operating in Home waters are in wireless communication and are so disposed' as to make invasion in even the moderate scale of 70,000 men practically impossible.

TWO FARES OR ONE? ; . .-_ London, January J. 6. The Bohemian twin sisters, Yosofa and Rosa Blazok, who aro inseparably joined together, have arrived from Edinburgh to undergo an examination by tiio General Medical Council. Tho authorities at King's Gross claimed two fares instead of one, 'but the Anal decision has been reserved.

THE CHANCELLOR'S ILL-HEALTH. Received January 17, at '1.45 p.m. London, 'January 16; Mr Lloyd-George lias cancelled his engagements owing to an attack of laryngitis.

NOT AV ANTED AT COURT. 'London,'January 16. Mrs Horace West has brought, an action accusing 'Sir Algernon West, her father-in-law, of slander, which caused her exclusion from courL functions. STEEPLEJACK FALLS 85 FEET. London, January. 16. Randolph Horsley, a steeplejack, was killed through falling 85 feet at Leeds. THE SHARE MARKET. Received January 17, at 11 a.m. London, January 16. Waihi, 92s 6d and 955; Waihi Junction, 30s and 31s 3d. Consols, 80. TRADES 'DISPUTES. Received January 17, at 11 a.m. London, January 16. The Council of the Printing Federation has declined the masters' offer of 52 hours-weekly. .• The men are seeking a 48-hours' arrangement, and are willing to confer with the masters on Wednesday. The long-continued dispute between tho rival trades unions at-Shottin Ironworks, Flintshire, has ended. It cost masters and men £I2O,OOC£ A STERN CRITIC. London, January 16. Teresa Bellington, who seceded from the AVomeri's Freedom League, has published a severe criticism on the suffragettes' societies. She says her experiences have proved that the movement is merely an exploitation of the Vnatural forces of the sex and a revolt ;foriihe- purposes of advertisement. The organisers of the Social and Political Union started a gigantic game of bluff and gradually edged the working-class element out of the ranks and now caters for snobbery and intolerance.

AUSTRALIA'S JACK TARS. London, January 16

Sir G. Reid lias arranged for the Australian seamen serving aboard ships in the. Commonwealth and Now Zealand to continue until the cruiser Australia is ready in September, 1912. They will then form part of her crew. The ; Admiralty suggest that the men should be re-engaged for five years, as their present agreement expires in March.

THE CAT IN THE NAVY. London, January 16

Advices from Rio Janicro state that tho recent naval mutiny was the outcome of the use of the lash for offences aboard ship, and was started wliilo an offender was receiving 150 lashes.