SCOTLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2251, 22 April 1897, Page 55

SCOTLAND.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Edinburgh, February 4. A BURST OF WINTER.

Wo had bafii slipping through the winter without having any very severe weather, but expected that before January was out we should have a different experience, and the event hss proved the accuracy, of the calrula'ien On January 22 the eastern half of Scotland was ravaged by a furious N.E. gale, witb snow, ami on the 25th there was a still worse visitation of the kind. In Aberdeenshire the wind blew with hurricane force, accompanied by a heavy sno~ - fall so that the roads and railways were everjwhere blocked with snowdrift?. In the citj oi Aberdeen on the morning of the 2G h, vehicular traffic was «catcely possible till snow-piougbs had oeeu at work ; and as all the country roartA were blocked, 'here was a milk fanrne in the city. In the Buchau district the drifting \va.still worse, and all communication wi'h Frascrburgh by )aiid was cut off for nome days. All along the lines of the Great North of Scotland and Highland railways the drifting was very bad. Iv Caithness a train was blocked by tbe snow near Scotscalder, aud all over the country the roads were rendered impassable. Some ForfarBhire fishermen who were at sea that nigbt said it was the wildest night they had txperierc;d for 60 years. Their ssils, too, wer«frozen as hard as board?, and tbe sprsy froze which fell into their boats. A<; Kirkwall a Burns anniversary dinner bad to be abandoned, as the chairman, croupier, and' half of the gue«t* were arable to reach tho place appointed for the gathering. All over Scotland the Buros devotees are likely to remember for m&ny a.day to come their Arctic txperieuces on the night of the 1897 celebration of t he ar.ni vagary. One pites much more the poor l&mbs which have already begun to make thtir appearance in tho M<>ffat district. What the cold has been in that region may be imagined from the fact that the famous waterfall kt:owu by the name of the Grey Mare's Tail was frozen into a. solid mass of ics from top to bottom. In Edinburgh the hose used at a fire froze hard, and the firemen being unable to coil it up, had to leave ifc lying in a field. Ou January 31 a heavier snowstorm than ever visited tbe northern and north-eastern counties, filling up the railway cuttings which had jiut been cleared great labour. Iv B»nfi*hire the i-nonfall was particularly heavy, the roads being everywhere rendereo impassable by drifts from Bft to 10ft deep. Much auxiet.y is now being felt f^r the sheep in the diatricts specified, ss all their natural tood is buried uudsr deep snow, and it is very difficult to get ab them in present circumstances.

POT.ITICAE.

Mr Martin White, M.P. for Forfarshire, having resigned, his iser.t has jnst been the scene of a. peculiarly keen contest, which was decided on January 30 by Captain Sinclair (Separatist) winning by a majorisy of 458 votes over the Hon. C. M. Ramsay (Unionist). This leaves the status quo unchanged. The candidates being* old friends, they conducted themselves with marked regard for each other's feelings, but their tupporters were less puLctilioufi, aud the "heckling" they gave to the candidates was a caution. Nowhere, save, perhaps, in Fife, could tuch an exhibition of keen pawkiness have been witnessed, and the daily proceedings furnished amusement for all Scotland.

Sir George Trevelyan, M.P. for the Bridgeton District of Glasgow, has intimated his intention of resigning his seat, owing to failing health, though he is only 59 years of age. Ac one time the announcement would have made a great stir, but Sir George has quite outlived his importance, and his drop into oblivion will cause no splash.

BURNS'S ANNIVERSARY.

The arctic weather which prevailed in no way chilled the enthusiasm with which this event was celebrated all over Scotland. At Greenock the toast of the evening was proposed by the Bey. Dr Macmillan, moderator-elect of the Free Church As*embly. The Edinburgh Abstainers' Barns Club, a recent organisation, met for the first time, and honoured the toast in the usual way with glasses of lemonade, gicgerbeer, and

the like. The chairmaD, Mr Walter Amos, affirmed that if Burns had lived to day, he would have been one of our greatest tpmper•ince orators aud reformers. The Coatbndge Banib Club set a laudable example fo bibulous babblers by distributing 54 cartloads of coal among the poor, the recipieuts being nominated by members of thi j club.

VIItrUOUS GLASGOW.

Some of the promiuput citizens of the western C'ty have been bestirring themselves to defend its fair fame. Bailie Chisholcn at a public mpetinef said that there had never been so little drunkenness in Glasgow at a New Year holiday time as during thar, of 1897. He had &een drunkenness more aggravated »ud more hideous in Paris than in Glasgow. In Paris one required to search for it, while in Glasgow it was ullowed to manifest itself in the streets. He had sptnt 24 hours iv "slumming" in Paris, aud he had sten sights there in connection with the drunkenuess of the lower orders compared with which Glasgow might hold up its head and boa^t that it was not to be named for one day beside Paris.

On January 26 a meeting wai held to inaugurate in Glasgow a new association for the promotion of temperance and morals. The Rev. Dr James W-ilker, who presided, oaid that while ia 1896 there were over 40,000 apprehensions for druukenuesi in Glasgow, there were only two prosecutions of publicans for supplying liquor to persons in a state of intoxication. As to the state of the street?, it perfectly *stonished him when he came to Glasgow, which was pure in comparison with Edinburgh ; while he had seen more open vice in half an hour in the neighbourhood of the great railway stations in the north of London than he had seen in Glasgow in 10 years. The Rev. James Paton (brother of tbe Rev. Dr Pafcon, tho famous missionary to the Now Hebrides) complained that the streets of Glasgow were " disgraced by open drunkenness, men and women reeling in iucoxicatiou." Their association ought r o plant men and women within reach of pub'ic■bouses, out of which in;n came drenched with drink, and report upon them if the propsr authorities did not. He held that thifc would be a tremendous chr ck upou the reckless selliug of drink. It was resolved that the aew organisation should ba called "The Glasgow Vigilaucn Association,'' and its obj-cts were denned to be tho diminution of druufcenuess and immorality. In the former respect- Glasgow streets were deplorable enough, but in the latter tbe salutary vigour of tho police has i ertaiuly done much to secure at least visible propriety.

THE CLTDESDALE BANK.

The anuu ,*<...• i- -v «i'ug of the shareholders of this bank waa held in Glasgow yesterday. According to the directors' report che net profits for the year amounted to £135 358, and a dividend was declared at thfl customary rate of 10 per cent. At the same time £^5.0C0 was added to thd reserve fund, uriugiug it up to £475,000 ; aud a balance o' £11,649 was carried forward to the nest year Tne total amount ot tin- deposit and current cconuis i* *et down a! £9 743 929, and of the. notes h> > " ' 't £358.381.

UNCLAIMED BASK DEPOSITS.

This is .» uojv 1 1. wuich oropn uo every now and then, whea correspondents write hot letters about ie to the papers, but the banks observe an imoenetrable silence, and so the subject is allowed to drop for a time. At the annual meeting of thp Dundee Savings Bank, the chairman, Mr R. B. Don, said that publicity bavin? b-en given to the tact thau tbere were 108 ■upositors, representing, with interest, £1091. who had not presented their passbooks lor 20 )ti%rs, this had Ipd to claims being received "from every oarfc of the world." These were variously deal!, witu, but 39 accounts were s'.ill unclaimed. Three bilauf-es which had been settled were dated 1823, 1828, and 1831 respectively. For one balance dating from 1821, no fewer ttan 30 cKirns were "cat in, and the money was divided among 22 of these, who proved that they were the depositor's direct heirs One of the other depositors now hold a good posiuon in Au«tral'a Fifty years ago he was an apprentice in the bank, and ar.ording to the actuary he was tLe iasfc of the clarks who used a quill ppn !

DISASTROUS FIBE.

A firs of ex r epuoua! uimunsions broke oub on the night of ike 16 h January in some large warehouses situated ia Warrosh street, Glasgow, and cwned by the Anderjton and King- [ stou Storage Company. These buildings contained a larg-- stock of paraffin oil, turp'-nbitip, | and other ibtlarnmable substance; 1 , so fcba*; the fire very speedily assumed a most threatening n»pect, and all the fire ecgine? in the city were KiiiEinoned ro cape with :l. The burning oil I ran down the street in streams, and soon the lower part of Warroch street and A^derston quay for some distance were one sei of lire, the fl*mes up in huge toDgues r i ih above the buildings. The huat was so intense thit the firemen's heluiits and leather equipments generally were shrivelled up. They stuck to their work, however, with great gallantry, and, the proximity of the river ensured them a copious supply of water. Doars and windows on both .ides of the street caught fir.-, but the -firemen tn&naged to beat the conflagration back, and just succeeded in saving some large grain aud fruit stores belonging to Messrs M'Harg and Co. The fire was at lengbb confined to the pr.-ini«es on which it broke out, and there it bad to be allowed to burn itself out. The damage is estimated at lully £30,000, and is covered by irsnnnce.

Dunnipace House, a fine old mansion situated he'.wecn Lsrbe t end Dinny, was destroyed by fire at aa early hour on Sunday, January 17. The proprietor, Mr John A. Harvie-Brown, i 3 a. well-known naturalist, and had a museum in his ! ouse valued at £15,000, which wes entirely consumed. The valuable library was saved through being located in a semi-detached building.

A very destructive tire broka out at an early hour on Jauuary l3 iu the Glen ship building yard, Port Glasgow, belonging to Messrs William Hamilton and Co. The fittings for three vessels were destroyed, as wall as the buildings, machinery, timber, and workmen's tools. The total loss is estimated to amount to £20,000, aud is covered by insurance. The fice seems to have originated in "he joiners' s'aop.

AT.AHjriNfi SUBSIDENCES AT ALI.OA

A good deal cf alarm was caused at Alloa on a recent Sunday morning by the ground falling in in various places at the east end of the town near Hilton brickwork*. The subsidences measured from 10ft to 20ft in length aud from sft to 25Ft in depth. Vehicular traffic had to be slopped on the Old Toll road, aud the building of a new hou^e close by had to be suspended. Thr. c days liter another subsidence took place at Gabettston, the central part of a washing green falling in, and leaving a circular hole sft deep. A woman had just left the green whea the ground fell in. The subsidences are attributed to old workings for coal, by which the locality is honeycombed, and it is frared there will be more of them when the fro3t gives way.

DIVE TROM THE TAY BHIDGE

A man named Burns, who bus beau tryiug to gain notoriety by dmug from..Ligh bridges, dived from the Tay bridge on January 29. mouths ago an intended attempt of

the kind was prevented by the vigilance of the railway officials, which ou this occasion Burns succeeded in eluding. Accompanied by several friend", he left the Tay bridge station, Dundee, by the 10 45 a.m. train, stripped in the carriage, aud then climbed on the root of it by means of a rope. A fe.v moments later he dived over the parapet into the water, which was calm and tbe tide high. A boat which was to have waited on him went, through some misunderstanding, to a spot too distant to render him aid. Burns had accordingly to swim for his life, and he struck out tor the northern shore. Some painters at work on the bridge threw over some sleepers, one of which Burns seized and clung to. The railway officials sent out a steam launch, which rescued him in an exhausted condition. The police then took him off ta the central police sta'.ion, but after being detained there for two hours he was set at liberty. It was a very cold day, still, but with a keen frost.

OBITUARY EECORD.

Dr Alexander Profeit, her Majesty's Commissioner at Balmoral, died on January 27 ab his residence there. He had beeu suffering for two years trom an internal complaint;, on account of which he retired from his post three months ago, after holding it with much acceptance for 20 years. Dr Profeit was a native of the parish of Towie, Aberdeenshire, and was educated at Aberdeen and Edinburgh. He practised as a medical man at Towie, Tarland, and Crathie successively berore he wa* appointed to succeed (he late Dr Robertson as KM. Commissioner at Bilmoral. As a breeder of cattle he achieved distinction, and caused tbe Queen's black stock to win many prizes at leading shows iv Scotland aud England. Dr Profeit is survived by seven son 1 ) and a daughter. His successor in thecommissionership U Mr James Forbes, of Ellabus, Islay.

Mr E. W. Thiem, a well-known restaurateur in Glasgow, was accidentally killed at tbe Giimour street statiou, Paisley, while alighting from a train in motion. He fell between the carriages and the plabform, and was killed instantaneously. Mr Thiem was a German, and had long experience iv hotel management iv America, London, and Edinburgh. He then managed the St Enoch Hcation Hotel tor the Glasgow and South-wefctern Railway Company, in Glasgow, and since 1892 had managed the famous Glaßgow lleitauraut oi Ferguson and Forrester, in Buchanan street. His death is lamented by a wide circle of friends.

Mr Otto Leyde, Ii.S.A. 1 , a well-known portrait painter, died in Edinburgh oc Jauuary 11, Bg.'.d 61. He was a native of East Prussia, but wueu 16 years of age came to this city as a lithographic artiet, and made it bis life residence. His portraits of children were f-pccially admired. He was elected »v Ass jciate of the Royal S'ofctish Academy in 1870, aud a full member in 1880 Since 1886 ha had b( en the academy's librarian. Ha leaves a widow and grown-up family. Mr Johu Welsh, cx-suparintendent of police at Perth, has died at the age of 80. He was one of the founders of the Sanitary Association ol Scotl.in<J, and wa» also the means of introduciug ambulance work in Perth.

Mr Alexander R. Tu'ubull, head of the oldestablished ii'in of John Turnbull and Seng, dyers. Ha wick, died last monch, aged 62. He was at ons time president or the Sonfch 'it Scotland Chamber of Commerce, and held other public offiats, bub lat'erly had retired into private life ou account ot iU-he&lth.

Mr Peter Reid, r-x-Provost of F^rfar, aud one of its best-kouwn men, has pas-ed awiy at the great age of 95. A man of great public spirit, he conferred many benefits upon his native town. Among other things he gave it a fine park, which was opened last June by Mr John Mcrley, M.P, and a public hall, on whica he spent £10,000.

Another nonagenarian Scotsman has also died lately, in England, iv the person of Mr R. K. Pringle, an eminent Indian civilian. Mr Pringle, who had completed his niuety-fourbh >ear, was tbe oldest surviving member of the Hon East Indii Company's service, which he entered in 1820 He held a number of important posts in ftie Bombay Presidency, tho lanfc beiug that of Governor of Scinde, in which ke succeeded Sir Charles Napier. Ha was a Selkirkshire man, and was educated at the Edinburgh High Siihool. Mr James Carswe'll, chief engineer of tbe North British railway, died on Jauuary 20, from the effects of si chill. He acted as eugit'ecsr on different sections of the railway till 1879, when he wag appointed to the post named. He wai an able man, much respected by all who came in contact with him.

The E ii'l of Kinnoull, the elevSnth holder of the titls, died at Torquay, ou January 31, in his seventieth year. He was in early life a captain in the Life Guard?, aud succeeded to the title ia 1866 His wife, who was a daughter of the Dake ot Beaufort, died just two yram ago. I'he liarl was of a very retiring disposition, and tcok no part iv public affiirs. The title goes to his son, Lo-d Hay, ot Kmfauns, who was born in 3855, and was til! recently a lieutenant in the Black Watch, and saw service in Egypt.

GENBRAr, NEWS.

There were 18 more sudden deaths ia Edinburgh during the firs'; three weski of January than duriug the corresponding period of last year.

The. curlers have been having a good time of it of late, and the " roarin' game" seems to be as full as ever of attraction for Scotsmen. Among those who took part in a recent game in E iinburgh was a veteran who will b? 93 next July, and who has beeu an enthusiastic curler for 77 years. He was able to put the " channel sfcane" up to the " tee."

Iv the annual report oF the Glasgow Fire Brigade ';he aggregate losses by fire in that city during 1896 are estimated at £109,500.

During a run of tbe Liddesds.le foxhounds the fox made for the old ruin at Moaspaul, near Langholca, where he " made a wondertul ascent of a smooth and yerpsndicular chimney, fully 20ft higo, aud crouched oq the top." He was discovered, however, and killed, though he dessrved a better f ats.

An Anstruther bank clerk, on reaching his home at Pittenweem the other day, missed his dog. He inquired by telephone if the animal was in the bauk, aud on being told that it was he whistled and called to it. The dog at once responded by starting off in r slate of excitement and delight for his home at Fittenweem. I have not heard of a case of the kind before. Query : How did the dog know where his master was ?

A high school has been built at Selkirk by the Scott and Oliver Trust, and waa formally opened on January 12. It will accommodate 140 pupils, and provision is made for free education for 20 of them, not more thau six of whom may belong to the burgh.

The Rev. Df Black, tmninter of the Free High Church, Inverness, has jusb celebrated the eemi-jubilee of his pistorate there, amid many tokeus of reappefc from person? of position and of other denominations in the town. Dr Black, who is well-known throughout Scotland as a preacher, held more than one charge in the North of Ireland before he was called to Inverness.

One of the passenger ferry steamers on the Clyde was run into by a horse ferry steamer the

other night, and a hole 15ft long was made in her amidships. Her skipper at once made for Govan pier, and all the passengers were rescued a few seconds . before the vessel sank. Ju3t before she did so the captain opened the steam valves, and thu« averted an explosion. There were about 30 passengers on board. According to the annual return of fchej Scottish Fishery Board, the total value of the" fish landed in Scotland during 1896 was I £1,64-7,031. As compared with the preceding year this is a decrease of no less than £182,607. A company is being formed, with the Earl of Moray as chairman, to purchase Dunecht House, Aberdeenshire, aud tran«form it into a i school of the highest class on the model of the great English public schools. The house originally cose £140,000, but it ii to bs acquired by the company, along with 80 acres of groundß, for £34,500. In a lecture before the Glasgow Insurance and Actuarial Society, Dr John Maclntyre showed how the "X " rays tnight aid in regard to life iosurauce by enabling diseases to be ! diagnosed at a much earlier stage than at i present. He also explained the value of fcura j ! raya in examining claims under accident policies. At Dumbarton station a man fell off the platform on to the rails. At that momeut an express rushed pas'; and cut off both bis legs. ( A quart whisky bottle was found last week ! in the stomach of a. cad which haii been landed jat Buckie. The occurrence is unique, though I it is on record that seagulls, turnip*, book-. i a candle, a bunoh of keys, and a watch hay« a-; '< [ different times been found in the stomachs ot I j these voracious fish. i