Provincial and General.

Otago Witness, Issue 1502, 28 August 1880, Page 8

Provincial and General.

THIS KILLTtD AND WOUNDED AT THE ST. GOTHARD TUNNBL.

" Tho total number of workmen killed [in making the St, Gotbard tunnel is given," the Morning Post states, " as 150, and the number of men injured as ,about 400. According to the De'bats, the conditions imposed on M. Favre, the engineer, were extremely Btringent, so much so, indeed, that'a'good many members of the engineering profession thought them impossible to carry out. It B'eemS that M. Favre was allowed 2800f per metra of tunnel, with which sum he' had to defray all the cost of turning aside springs of water, constructing th^ hydraulic apparatus, air-compressors, and b r oricg.machinea, paying and supporting tbe workmen, &c. No allowance was to be made for expenditure occasioned by unforeseen obstacles ; ' the caulinn-inoney was a sum of 8,000,000fr., and the delay for the termination of the works was fixed at eight and nine years as the minimum and maximum respectively. If the tunnel was not completed in eight years the St. Grothard Company were. empowered to retain 5000fr. a'day during, the first six months, and'] to,ooofr.,thet o,ooofr.,the second, and if the work was not completely finished by the end of the ninth year the Company were entitled to pequestrate the whole of the caution- money. The severity of the3o conditions ' was enhanced by the ada■nunfcine nature of the rocky strata to be pierced and tho uncertainty that existed as to where the springs would be found. Taken • all in all, perhaps M. Favre's task presented greater difficulties than any similar work, and the energy and skill with which he met and overcame thorn deserve full recognition.. , ' LOCAL OPTION AT HOME. Regarding local option,. the London Morning Advertiser says :- " Sir Wilfrid Lawson wan go;;d enough to hint lasfnight. a willingness jfco entertain the principle o,f compensation for disturbance of vested interests. It is never too lato to mend j but even his halting rec'ognitioa of the principle came wHen it was too late' to do him any credit;. Tho Primn Minister mildly twitted the member for Carlisle with .hi* inability to . understand why the licensed victualler should* be treated like any other, citizen and paid the full value for the rights or, let ub say, the faoalties of which the State might think fit to deprive him. If legislation must still pursue and hunt down a body of traders whom legislation.has so long and' so bitterly harassed, it is, we freely admit, 'a mitigation' of the singular 'severity of the law.'that it is' ready to apply something of a salve 1 to :the' wounds it inflicts. Mr Gladstone tells -us in sufficiently plain language' what the Govern : inent policy on this question, is. It is, in twq word?,,the policy of equitable eompen-i satioui Legislation will be applied upon the principle that the licensed victualler is entitled to equal treatment with any other member of the community • and, even if it be concluded that, as the Premier put it, his trade is in Borne respects productive of evil, he must not on that account be placed at a disadvantage when it comes to compensating him for the loss and ( disability to which Parliament may subject him. Mr Gladstone is explicit and emphatic on tbo point of what he was careful to call 'the reasonable. and just principle of compensation,' and it' may be taken as assured thas whatever alteration of the licensing system the Government, may brie g in will turn upon the right co formally and fully 'admitted of the licensed victualler to payment for what is taken from him." , ■ : WHAT FPIRITS ARB COMPOSED OF. ' An. analysis of spirits ' retailed by certain well-known publicans in Sydney, made at the instance of the Evening News, resulted in the followicg.'discoveriea : --" Brandy was found to be ' locally miuiufactured,and composed entirely of .potato spirit,, burnt' sugar, hydrated oxide of ethyl (fusel oil), spirits of nitre, and flavoured with eesential oil of cognac.'' Oil of cognac ia deBcribed aa 'of German mannfaptare, largely exported to the Colonies, and easily procurable in Sydney and ether places.' A small phial of it will ' flavour a hogshead.' Whisky was declared to be a compound 'of white spirit, oil of tar (creosote), and saccharine mattar.' Bum was said to contain ' sulphate of copptr (blue stone), cayennepepper, and amylic ether.' Gin was found to bo ' white spirit, strongly flavoured with oil of juniper and Strasburg turpentine.' Of two samples of Colonial beer, one contained 'salt, grains of paradise, and chloride of sodium,' and another ' salt and pricotoxine, or the active principle of cocculus indicas, or India berries.' " FORESTALLING AN EARTHQUAKE. Professor Palmieri believes that, by registering the slight preliminary tremblings, and noticing their increase or decrease, it would be. Sossible to forestall an earthquake about three ays in advance, just as tempests are now foratold-. If a 'connected' system of eeismographic stations were to be organised — the different stations communicating with each other,, by telegraph— it would be quite possible, in roost ciseti, to issue warnings to tbe threatened diatrict in time. The swrnographic stations should be erected by the different Governments in quiet places, where the ground was not " liable to be shaken by heavy railway trains. DEATH OF AN OLD EXPLORER. The celebrated Danish Arctic explorer aiid interpreter, M. Cisrl Petersen, has just passed away. In 1850 51 he took narfc in the English Expedition under Captain Parry to try to discover the survivors of the Franklin Expedition. From 1853 55 he'was engaged with the American Expedition of Dr Kane, and was one of the few survivors of this expedition, which entailed a great amount of suffering on its members. From 1857-59 he took park in the well-known " Fox " Expedition under Sir Leopold M'Clintock, which brought back _ such interesting relics of the Franklin Expedition ; and finally he took part in the " Forell " Expedition to Spitzberg, in which the now celebrated Pro- i fes<or Nordenakjold took part. M. Petersen j had received the decoration of the Dannobrog from the hand of the late King Frederick VII., and he also had the English Arctic Medal and the Swedish Gold Medal " Pour le M&ite." I HOW SARA BERNHARDT DRESSES. Mdlle, Sara Bernhardt's . seven changes of attire in the part of the heroine in " FrouFrou " (says a London paper) have attracted much attention among the curious in such matters. From the report of a competent observer we learn tbat in the first act she | wears first a grey riding-habit, then an evening dreßs, consisting of a Pompadour tunic * over a skirt of cream-coloured foulard ; in the second act a peignoir, or loose gown of white mualin ; then a robe of garnet hued satin, with full puffed sleeves and a "tablier" of figured | (silk; in the third act, a white muslin tunic j ' over an undcr-robe of cream-coloured foulard, | with little puffs ; in the fourth act, a dress of grey taffetas trimmed with grey Batin, and a petticoat gathered in front and trimmed with fringe and pearls ; la&tly, in the fifth aot, a robe of black crape trimmed with black velvet, and. a large fur mantle. We can only hope, in the interest of our lady readers, that wo have correctly rendered— ho far a« we have i ventured so to do— the technicalities of the toilette employed on this occasion,

ANOTHER LINK OF THE PAST SEVERED. The death is announced of Mr Thomas Allso?), formerly of the Stock Exchange, in the 85th year of his age. Mr Allsop was probably the last survivor of that famous group of friends of whom Lamb, Coleridge, Barry Cornwall, and others were the chief. In Mr Justice Talfourd's "Memorial of Charles Lamb," mention was made of Mr Allsop's intimacy and friendship with him' Coleridge was oftener the guest of Mr Allsop than any other friend of his time. The chief volume '"' Mr Allaop published was the "Recollection* of S. T. Coleridge," which gave the public a greater insight into the ways of life and daily thoughts of the great thinker than any other book. Later in life he wrote also upon the " Goldfields of California," which he bad himself explored. BATTLING WirH LOCUST 3. Upwards . of 20,000 men are at present em ployed in various parts of the Caucasus endea vouring to check the plague of locusts. It is recorded in, theEussian newspapers that "at Arbosbinßky the Archimandrite of the Nina Cathedral, on observing the approach of^ a locust cloud, rang the church bells, and, placing himself at the head of the assembled populace, worked for 24 hours in destroying the insects, , lea-ring, at tho end of his exertions, none alive in the district." In many places the populace have been reinforced by troop*. The area infested Btretchus from Kars to Astrachan, and from Astrachan to the Black Sea. THE YANKEE .JOURNALIST AND COUNT BISMARK. *A Paris correspondent of the Times says :— "In a letter from a friend of mine at Berlin' occurs the following amusing passage : | ' Contemporary journalism recently very nearly obtained a colleague who would cer-, tainly have contributed to raise the dignity of the profession, and who would (speedily have monopolised universal attention. A short time ago an American arrived in Berlin, arid ad dressed to Prince Bismarck a letter couched in the politest tnrms, and written in undoubted seriousness. In this letter the American traveller announced to the Prince that he had c^me to Berlin in fulfilment of a mission, the importance of which the Chancellor must not underrate, and one whioh might have the 1 most important consequences for his own ! policy, as well fts for public opinion in general. He had been sont to Prince Bis marck by a very great American newspaper, which soiioited his co-operation. It placed its columns at his disposal once a week for the uncontrolled publication of an article, short or long, as the Prince might determine, which, starting from America with the greatest pos* sible'wfa*, would convey the Prinoe'a views to" all the corners of the globe, would give rise week after week to the most animated controversies, and would thus afford the Chancellor a means of knowing the general opinion on his views j while these by a weekly dose, would be gradually instilled into the mind of Europenay, of the whole civilised world. Moreover' as practical Americans, thinking even . a Chancellor of Germany might find the3e reasons, too Platonic,, the proprietors of the newspaper, through their ambassador, offered :the Prince for each of these articles, and for the .whole time, during which he 'might write them, even should they not exceed 20 lines; the sum of 2500dol— that is, 130,000d0l a year. They declared themselves ready to deposit beforehand, 26o,ooodol, the Prince thus being placed ' in possession of two yearß' oompeDsaI tion, 1 even Bhould the , paper, despite tho stipulations^ the contrary, not publish a line of what the Prince wrote, On receiving this curious and serioUßly-expresged offer, the Prince laughed very much, and had a serious reply gent, stating that his numerous occupations prevented him from accepting any more. When his reply had been sent off the Prince, suddenly turning to Count Herbert Bismarck, his son, exclaimed, ' How stupid of me ! We might have proposed to them to have a letter from you for half the Bum.' It is announced that, after his failure with Prince Bismarck, the negotiator started for Paris to find some celebrity in his stead." A DREADFUL THREAT. The two Empresses of China are the mos extravagant women on the face of the earth Last year they Bpent on drespes 250,000 taels. The high dignitaries of the Empire have remonstrated with these Imperial ladies, but without success. The younger of the two Empresses, who has just entered her seventeenth year, has declared to the State Treasurer that she has literally nothing to wear excopt a red velvet garment covered with seed pearls, and that, unless more money is forthcoming, sho will decamp into Tartary, and take the Emperor with her. As the Emperor is still an infant in arms, he has naturally no voice in the ' matter. The Empress is an ardent advocate of women's rights, and she will probably have another seed-pearl dress, even if, China becomes bankrupt in consequence. A DREADFUL EXPLOSION. The following account of a frightful torpedo explosion is - given by the Panama Star and Herald: — "On the- night of May Ist a tremendous explosion is; Baid to have ■taken place in Ancon, Peru. A large torpedo, of extraordinary power, which wa3 in process of completion at the manufactoryfof those instruments, exploded accidentally, with a report like the roar of a battery of heavy guns and a ooncussion of tremendous violence,' ! shaking every house in the town, breaking all the glass in the windows, and spreading alarm through the population generally. The manufactory was blown to pieces and every inmate destroyed. Six houses adjoining were levelled to the ground,, walls, roofs, woodwork, furniture, <fee. broken to pieces and utterly ruined. Half-a-dozen other houses , which joined on these shared nearly the same fate, and were almost completely levelled to the ground. Of the houses destroyed not a' stone remains upon another, nor even the . cement is to be found. The street pavements were broken up, and everything reduced to complete ruin and desolation. Of tbe persons engaged | % in the manufacture of the torpedo scarcely a vestige was to be found. Portions of bodies, impossible of identification, were found at some distance from the scene of the explosion, in addition to which five bodies have been recovered. The torpedo, at the time of the explosion, was in charge of Lieutenant Cardenas, of the Peruvian navy, a citizen of the Argentine Republic, named Martinez, and two or three other persons whose names are not reported. One of the workmen left the building on an errand of some sort a few moments before the explosion, and hurrying back when the terrible report rang out through the city, was struck with terror to see that every trace of the manufactory and his fellow workmen had disappeared." COMMENCING- LBTE AGAIN. " Vanity Fair " hints at a coming change in the life of the Earl of Beaconsfield. It says :— "It is not often that a man after 73 years of i I active life commences to turn, his thoughts to | ' matrimony as a serious profession, yet I am ] I told that the evergreen Earl has almost mado j i up bis mind." >

PROVIDING FOR THE MULTITUDE. The commissariat powers of Messrs Spiers and Pond are marvellous. At the ppening of tbe Eoyal Albert Dock (says an English paper),; they served the dejeuner in a building 750 feet j long by 120 feet wide. Two hundred tablas were, laid for nearly 4000 guests, and one and a-half , mile of tablecloth was required. There were; 25,000 forks, a ton of knives, 24,000 glasses, 15,000 plates, 5 jswfc. grapes, 2000 baskets of! strawberries, 1 besides apricots, plums, oranges, ! &c.,' making altogether 1000 varied pyramids' of fruit. Beside the flowers used in decorating ' the interior of the building there were placed upon the tables over 1000 flowering plants. An army of 150 cooks and carvers prepared this enormous feaflt, and 500 waiters served it. The whole of the staff, plant, linen, decorations, and utensils, as well as the varied and ample viands, were 'conveyed from Messrs Spiers and Pond's central depot to the docks in 24 hours. . A STRING OF DAILIES, • James Gordon Bennett, they say, is about to start a fchain of two-cent morning papers, extending across the Continent from New York to San Francisco, which are to have the benefit of the Herald telegrams and correspond denco, and to be under the general management of John Kuesdll Young. Thero is nothing improbable in this. The New York Herald,' [ which bag probably a larger and better business, than all the other New York papers combined,: has its own special correspondents everywhere, i spends enormous sums 'in special dispatches^ and only realises in full the return for theseexpenditures within the comparatively limited; area where ,'it can be distributed on the: morning of publication. Outside of that, tHej Herald's news becomes the capital of looa; papers. A chain of Heralds in all the principal cities across the Continent could all: avail themselves of the enormous expenditure' of the parent paper, and could in each city, with the advantage thus given, distance all' competitors and concentrate the business just! as the Herald has done in New York, while, < in return, the income which they would yield would permit even more lavish expenditure forj news.. There would bo little nek in, this. . ;

CENSUS REVELATIONS. ' , ' The American census recently ta"k6n has re ( vealed some curious things. In the State of New York the number of females outnumber-, ing the males is larger than ever before, and this probably accounts for the unusually large, number of women in the State below the age of 25, although according to the census enumerators thousands of these women will' never see 35 It is probable that Massachusetts, on account of its pre-existing admirable system . of collecting statistics, will be the first State in the Union to report complete to headquarters at Washington. The enumerators report generally tbat they found the most apparent contentment among the middle classes, and the' least among the wealthy classes. v Among the richest families of Boston few' children are reported j it being deemed unfashionable by- this class to have children, A good deal of difficulty has been experienced by the enumerators in obtaining the ages of the females connected with wealthy families. - '• • COLOUR BLINDNESS IN RAILWAY OFFICIALS. " The Engineer " of May 21et says the work of examining the 5000 employes of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as to their power of distinguishing colour and forms was begun in Jersey City on April Ist. AcuteneßS of vision was tested by means of printed cards placed at a distance of 20 feet, also by means of small openings in a screen illuminated 'on the farther side. Many who successfully passed these ' ordeals failed signally ia the colour tests. Three skeins of woollen yarn were used, one being light green, the second rose, and the third red. Each of theae was placed on a table in front of the person examined, at a distance of three feet, "and, with- the vision of either eye obstructed by a spectacle-frame, the man was requested to name the col.-urs ; also to pick out a similar Bhade to one or other of' the three specified from different skeins of woollen yarn numbered from 1 to 36. One young man cor- ' rectly designated the test skein as red, but on being told to select a similar Bhade from the skeins before him, he picked three shades of blue, two of yellow, and one of red. He could distinguish no difference, and the same thing happened to half-a-dozen tethers who followed him. The skeins in a row were then divided into three sets, with 12 numbers in each. Some men proved able to distinguish all the shades of green, but failed lamentably in picking out the different shades of red. The officers of the road were greatly impressed, it is said, by the results obtained. ANCIENT ANIMALS. Witbin tbe last few years "homes for lost dogs" have been established in several European capitals with excellent results, and are become familiar institutions ; but a "home for aged animals " is, so far as we know, an absolute novelty out of India, and, as ouch, deserves especial notice. It appears that a wealthy French gentleman, owning an estate at Gonease, near Paris, has for so mo time past devoted his time, money, and attention to, soothing the declining years of superannuated beasts and birds by accommodating them with comfortable residences in his spacious patk. He has, already collected a strange assemblage of venerable creatures, duly provided with , authenticated recordu of their respective ages and careers. The patriarch of this quaint community is a grizzled old mule, >jusfc entering his 73rd year, between whom and an obese googe of 3J an affectionate intimacy aubeiats. Mother Goose is beset by infirmities. Her legs are so distorted that she cannotj waddle straight, and he webbed feet are studded with huge warts, which Bometimes diflturb her temper, but ,on the whole she is cheerful and even sprightly, for one of her years. Among the companions of this oddly-assorted pair are a cow of 36 summers and a hog who will never see his 27th birthday again. In an aviary overlooking the park feebly pipe and twitter a bullfinch of eight-and-twenty, and a sparrow hatched ia the year 1849. Their octet de naistance and other unimpeachable documentary evidence of their antiquity, such as the French Civil Code prescribes, are in the possession of their benevolent host, who treats them with the assiduous condue to their great age and eminent respectability. A RARE CHANCE FOR A MILLIONAIRE, The following advertisement appeared in a recent issue of the London Times :— -" To philosophers and philanthropists of substantial means with no immediate kin. — A young gentleman, just 19, who feels he has very good natural abilities for a scholar, philosopher, and statesman, wishes to become acquainted with some one of tho above who would adopt him, to give him every advantage to cultivate himselt in a superior manner, and who would subsequently place him (sifter due knowledge and experience of his character and ability) in sub> stantial independent circumstances, that he may employ himself in promoting tbe wellbeing of his fellow countrymen. Applicant! is thoughtful, conscientious, energetic, rjersevor- | ing, methodical, modest, and very temperate.—- | Address, to arrange for interview, H792, Adi dress and Inquiry Office, The Times, E.C,"

THE BLEOTRIO LIGHT AT HOME. The illumination of the British Museum reading-room by the electric light is a success without reference to economy. No attempt haa been made to compare the relative expense of gas and electricity, for the simple reason that the room was never lit by gas, and never will be, the danger from fire being the deterrent reason. The eleotrio light has been preferred, not because it is either the best' or cheapest (although it may possibly be botb), but because it is supposed to be the safest. Of course the engines by which the electricity to produced are a long way from the building, bo that although there should be a conflagration the library will be safe. It is now proposed to light the Sheldonian Theatre and the Radchffe Library, Oxford, in the same way, and the practice is likely to become general. The danger from gas is not so much from the possibility of the contact of inflammable matter with the lights, as from the escape of gas from accidents to the pipes and meters. The danger might be mitigated by precautionary arrangements, but what is wanted is absolute security.' 'It is JOB possible, however, that some weak point in ; t* electric light, such as the. .heating of the conducting wires, may yet shake -the absolute confidence which is now reposed in it. HIRING/ AN ACTRESS. According to the Home News, it ifl now definitely settled that Sara Bernbardt goes to the United States. She has signed an engagement with an enterprising American, who, no doubt, sees his way to making money, although he has given the great actress the most astoundiag terms. The salary commences with a clear sum of LIOO a night for the six regular performances of the week, and the same for any special matinee ; after that Sara is to receive a third of the nightly receipts. All the expenses out and home are to be paid by the mprmariof-' who further guarantees a weekly sum of L6O to pay hotel bills for Sara and suite. ' She is to have a benefit in all the large towns in which she plays, and will share the profits of the libretto, which wijl give ' all her plays in French and English, and whioh J is to bo decorated with a design from the versatile artist'a own pencil. These are truly a prima donna's prices, and compare somewhat enrionsly with the paltry L 5 or LlO a week which many talented actors and actresses were content with not half a century ago. The American engagement is for a hundred representations, at the end of which- Sara returns to London to reappear at the Gaiety. There is at present little prospect; therefore, of her paying a visit to the Antipodes, nor probably would the same pecuniary inducements be forthcoming from Australia. It is, after all, paying rather dear for one's whistle. Sara is no doubt the greatest living, actress, and it is a real intellectual treat to >see, her. But imperfect acquaintance with the language ia whioh she plays must rob the performance of a great deal of its charm, and this will be felt by |a large proportion ofjher audiences in the United States. It would be the same in, Australia, and practical people out there will therefore hear with resignation that they will not see this strange erratic genius just yet, if at all .

TRENCH LADY'B.A'S. . ' Classic attainments do not. generally enter into 'our ideal notion of the modern Frenchwoman, but it is gratifying to learn that even in remote regions of Algeria female' education is making an effort to keep-up with the spitit of the age. A young ' lady* Algerian by> birth, and the first lady student in the African Colony who took the French degree corresponding to our 8.A., has just distinguished herself as a translator of Horace, ■ Mdlle. Cornebois, the accomplished translator, in conjunction with a young collaborated, M. Maury, is a native of Coustantiue, This contribution to Algerian literature may be taken as a sign of the times. The movement' in favour of the higher education |of women is at length taking root on French Boil, and even rich merchants of Nantes and Bordeaux now begin to regard a " brevet," in other words a certificate (answering to that accorded by our local and higher examinations), as no mean contribution to the treasures of a "corbeille de noces." Among the 50 and odd Frenchwomen studying mcdi. cine in Paris may be mentioned Mdlle. de Benoit, of Poitiers, who, four years ago, stood foremost of all the candidates of both sexes for the " Bachelier es, Letfcres et Sciences "of the department. Frenchwomen only want their fair chance, as such instances testify. PAPER WHEELS. Paper railway-wheels (says the Engineer) appear to be getting on. The superintendent of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western railroad writes to the National Car Builder that he considers them the best wheels in use so far as he can judge from an experience of 15 months with them. The sleeping-ear "Sy»acuse,:' on his road, has been running with them 11 months, and has made a mileage of 101,725 miles with scarcely any wear. They will run another season without turning. The road has four parlours and three sleeping-cars equipped with them, also the trucks of 12 locomotives, and is putting them under engines when renewals are made. The Michigan Central road has but one pair of these wheels in service as. yet, but will have several more of them running in a few ' days. The pair already ia use have been in continuous service for about a year, and have run during that time 60,226 miles under a passenger oar, the tread wearing away about l-16fch of an inch. The president of the Indianapolis,. Decatur, and Springfield road says that the wheels are in every way a success, and that he would use no other under new engines or any equipment. RELIGIOUS AND RELIGION. Victor Hugo's new poem, " Religiorjfret Religion," has just appeared at Paris. Bginnirg, like the " Chatiments," in a tone of comedy ' and irony, it reviews creeds and systems, passes from Catholicism to Nihilism, and concludes by an affirmation' of a Theism without " catechisms, korans, and grammars." CHAECOAL POR GUNPOWDER,. It may not be generally known (says a contemporary) that the highest price given for any kind of wood is paid for certain sorts which are used for the purpose of ranking charcoal for use in the manufacture of the finest sorts of gunpowder. As much as Ll4 per ton has been recently given for a particular species of wood for this purpose. It is also, perhaps, not generally known in Christchurch that speoi. mens of the treets which furnish this valuable wood are to be found in our Public Gardens. The tree alluded to is known as the brittle buckthorn (lihamnus fiangula), a native of Britain and other parts of Europe. It is a tree of about the size and something of the appearance of an ordinary cherry tree, and appears to thrive very well in our climate. It is considered the best wood for the purpose "of making gunpowder charcoal. Thero is also in ,the Gardens a specimen of anether tree, accounted very valuable for the same purpose, the red cornel (Gornus semguinea), a Bmall tree of a different species. Among our native trees are several belonging to tho same species as the two above mentioned, and it might perhaps be worth while to try whether the charcoal obtained from them would not answer a similar purpose. If so, it might be well to try the experiment of exporting some of it, as the high prices realised would no doubt give a sufficient return to render the ventur* profitable,