LONDON CHAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10589, 5 September 1896, Page 3

LONDON CHAT.

(Fkom Oub Own Cokeespondent/)

London, July 17.

During the psst fortnight every New .Zealander„l have met in London has baengaaping and groaning with the heat and complaining of suffocation and threatened sunstroke "and all sorts of sultry things. ''It has been"mos't'exceeding warm—9ldeg in the shade afc Greenwich Observatory and over 86deg at Westminster for four days in succession,—while the drought has been the most severe and continuous of the century. The mortality caused by the extreme temperature is quite appalling. Numerous inquests are being held daily on cases of death From "effects of heat," from "heat apoplexy," *sc, and all the hospitals are quits full of cases. Ifc is pitiful to see the overtaxed 'bus horses fall dead in tbe streets from the same cause. These castes are, however, far fewer than in the still, hotter season of 1893. •

Unfortunately, the heat nofc only bills people; ifc sends some stark, staring mad. Many suicides have resulted, and a few niurders, beside other complications. One man was coming to town, in a Great Eastern express. He was .alone in the well-cushioned compartment. The heat was intense. He took of his hat, and then successively his coat, waistcoat, shirt, boots, add, in short, every stitch of clothing. Tbis did ease him somewhat.., But there lay the horrid, hot - looking clothes. He could not sit still and *. see them lying there reeking with horrid suggestions, He (long them all out of the window! Then at laefc he did feel reslly cool and comfortable.1 In hia joy he danced a fandango of triumph, bufc that heated him so much that he eat quiet between the two open windows until fche train arrived at tbe London terminus. Then the railway officers were very much surprised !

Another -novel mode of dealing with the tropical weather has been introduced in tho case of horses. Some humane owners hava had lar«e straw hats made for the suffering beasts, who wear their novel headgear with mitrked pride, while the shelter is evidently appreciated. Tbis practice was becoming extensively adoptee! when the sudden changeof weather came'on yesterday snd rendered such precautions supererogatory.

Parliament is still boggling over public busiaees, and Ministers still are conducting affnirs in a nioat iccentiic fashiou, Unless they mend their manners when Parliament resumes next session they wil! run a gi&vs risk of diiaster in spite of their huge majority. Nobody cm make oufc wh:,t thsy are "up fco" or why they do such queer' things, nor can anybody understand fche conflicting explanations put forth by Ministers on all sorfca of subjects. Such being the cane, I need not waste time and in speculations

The railway "race to the north," which hs.s been'virfcually, bufc quietly and unobtrusively* resumed this moufch, ha.s received a severe discouragement through a serious accident which occurred to the West Coast "racing", train of Ult Sunday bight. Ifc was running through Preston sfc&tion aud wenfc off the line afc a croaciog, tUetrvo eugiues aud seven carriages. being wrecked, one passenger killedandssveraliDJured.' This haa brought oufc the usual drivel in.the papers about " dangerous speed," the fact being fchxfc the train had " slowed "■' throngh ths station, and would probably bave got through all right had the pace been faster, jn*it *>.*( in the St. Neots and Bytham accidents the high speed saved all tee train excepting the last two vehicles, whereas all would have been destroyed had the speed b*-en slower.

Jean and Edousrd de Reszbe have gone, and musical Loudon is desolate. Howerer, Melba and Alt-atii and Eames and Macmtyre apd. Alvarez and Plaucon aud a host of other stiri: are still ehini.i-- afc Coveufc Gsrdf-a, whera' the opera seasou is not to cloie* until the month duets. But ib bas been too hot to eujoy opcrss of four and live hours' duration..

There is to be uo public "function" in connection with the comiug Royal wedding, but tht Queen's garden party in advance of the celebration thereof duly took place ou Mood?.? "'-'. the beautiful grounds of Buckingham Palace, ■ind is pronounced a "record" in the way'of successes of that class. Fully 5000 guesls ■•.ten: present, and the rainbow was nofc " in it ■' when compared with the fcaiiniue foilefce. If the police authorities had nofc meanly stopped all 'bus traflie along Grosvenor place during th-** party, I would hate jone outside a 'bus an*), taken dirccfc personal observations for you. i But it was not to b?.! ' CI'ICEST NOTES. There is siiU mi cessation of ilia cricketing marvels which have rendered this season. <*" memorable. Dr W. G. Grace's score of 243 _■> longer remains tba top one of the year. It has I been beaten by Lionel Pslairefc with 292. to** Somerset, as was the champion's 288 last, year by Maclarea'a 424-. And tbis superb innings of 292 has brought Palairefc with a jamp fco the top of the batting averages,,over fche head of even Prince Sanjitsinhji.

Once more the Eton-Harrow match had to be-left-unfininhed. Eton mado a record (for these matches) of 388 in the first innings, including two centuries — Bosanquet 120 and Pilkiugton 101 — this duality being another record in these matches. Bur., Harrow made a stubborn defence, and after a first innings of 218 bad made 255 for eight wickets in the second when tiioe was called. The skilful and effective underhand lob bowling of Mitchell, the Eton captain, formed a feature of th9 match, this style being seldom seen in the present dass of "fast and furious" deliveries.

Tho Pl.iyeis again suffered defeat at the hands of the Geofclemen in the return match at the Oval, the amateurs winning by six wickets, maiDly through the fine batting of the Indian, Prince Ranjitsinliji (247 aud 51). and the excellent bowling of the Australian, Woods (five for 50)". Hay-ward (not oufc, 118) aud Abel (94) were tbe chief scorers for the professionals.

Still more crushing was the defeat which tbe picked Piay-*rs of England underwent afc the bands of the Australian Eleven. The colonial men ran up a first innings of 45'i- against some of the best English bowling of tbe day, Hearne, Mead, Briggs, Rougher, and Davidson all having a turn. Iredale's 171 was a superb innings, and for fche first time displayed his true form aa a bat. The Engush Players could only made 197 and 120, and so were beaten by an innings and 137 ruDS.

Australia, after making the huge first innings of 584 againb Leicester (Darling 194, Gregory 102), failed to win the match through lack of time, Leicester having 317 to make to avert a single innings bsating wifch only one wickofc to fall. Leicester was 497 behind in :the first innings.

Controversy still rages aboufc the course adopted by Cambridge at Lords in preventing a "follow on." Tbe votes seem about equal, bufc there is little doubt that tbe M.C.C. will legislate on tho question before next season, either by leaving ifc to fche side having a majority in tho first innings whether the opponents should be required to follow on, or else by adopting the suggestion of one writer that a minority of 120 runs " made off the bat" should be needed to render a follow compulsory. To mosfc cricketers it appears tbafc the action of the Cambridge captain was exactly on all-fours with "declaring" an innings or with spinning out the time to get a draw or with hitting wicket to secure a follow. While these devices are'permitted—and ifc is not easy to see bow tauy can be prevented—ifc is idle to denounce them, while it is easy by either oE the suggested alterations ta render them innocuous.

The Australians do not always msefc with fair play on the part of the English press. Some papers have termed the Playurs Eleven that sustained so severe a thrashing at the bands of tbe coloured men "a weak team." A weak team which comprised Ward, Sugg, Chatfcerton, Carpenter,. Davidson, Pougher, Storer, Bakar, Briggs, , Jack , Hearne, aad Mead ! How could it well have been stronger? And now a cry is being raised thafc the' English team which is playing the second fcesfc, match at Manchester ia. uofc so strong as ifc might be. Tbis'cry did not arise until the Australians had collared the English bowling and ran up 366 for eight wickets, including Iredale 108, Giffen 80, Trot*. 53, &c. Ifc is attempted to be pleaded that tbe Kngliah team is weak' in bowling because Lolitnanu, Mold, and Pougher are all ou the " slightly injured" list. Bufc beforehand it waa declared that these players were left out because Dr Grace thoug'ofc he' had plenty of bowliDg, and wanted mora batting to set against fche expected bard-bifctiog of the Australians. Indeed, wifch Kicbardsou, Jack Hearne, and Briggs iu the ,eleveu, to say nothing of Grace himself, Sfcoddatfc, Jackson, and Lilley— the lasfcof whom bas unexpectedly developed bowling powers almost as remarkable ss his wicket-keeping capacity,—it is absurd to pretend that there is any shortcoming in bowling talent.