'Frisco Mail News.

Colonist, Volume XL, Issue 8871, 21 May 1897, Page 3

'Frisco Mail News.

Auckland, May 20. Floods are doing great damage in the south-western parts of the United States. Madison pari3b, Tennessee, is fast becoming inundated by the Mississippi river, tha water extending to other parishes, and destroying thousands of sores of newly planted orops. Vioksbnrsr, Natchez, and other points along the river are crowded with refugee?, <*nd everything possible is being done to alleviate the sofferings of the lower classes. A tremendous explosion oooutred on tbe undergrou d railway. London, on April 26th. As a t ain filled with m°n from the city wib making the nsnal Btcp at Aidersgve, the glass roof of the station was blown cut, and the platform strewn with detris. A pinio ensued. A first olass ooso'i was wreoked. the pasßengers lying around maimed and bleeding. Ten were removed to the hospital. Tbe oacse of the explosion ia snpposed to be an accumulation of gas, bat many believe that a bomb was p'ao d on the traok, The authorities of Scotland Yard have untangled a conspiracy to blackmail men of high social positions in the We3t End, which has been successful for years past. Bumor states that the blackmailers have not stopped at murder, and have committed many recent assaults in the streets at nights, whioh are so frequent as to have attracted the attention of Parliament. It is alleged that a member of the gang was committed for trial on April lltb. The petition against lan MacLaren, who was charged with heresy before the annual Synod of the Presbyterian Church, quoted from MacLaren's "Mind and Master "and his suggested creed from the sermon on the mount, and declared that if such statements were unchallenged, or without explanation on the part of Mr Watson, the result would be disastrous to the Church. The Business Committee of the Synod rejected the petition. A great sensation was caused in Rome on the 22nd by the attempt to assassinate King Humbert, as he was driving to witness the Derby. Two kilometers from the city, as the Royal Victoria, in which the King rode, moved, followed by a small armed escort, a young man flourishing a petition rushed forward, and almost simultaneously with the document delivered a blow at the King, who smartly warded the blow, whioh spent its foroe on the cushion of the carriage. Before the assailant could strike another blow General Potrizjo Vagha attempted to grip him, but the latter got olear. He was preparing to escape when a mounted guard atruok him to the ground. The King treated the matter lightly, remarking " It is only one of the little incidents of my trade. There was a tremendous outburst of congratulation on the King's eg: ape.