MISCELLANEOUS

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 238, 18 November 1873, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS

A Michigan paper publishes a private letter from State Senator Mutiowan to his wife, giving nn account of the great fire at Micbigamini, on the 19th of June. After deicribmg the spread of the flames in the forrest surrounding the Tillage, he says :— " Wo saw it was useless for vi to try to do anything except, if possible, save our lives. We ran to the lake and got out on a point. But the direction of the shore was east and west, and the fire was sweeping right down upon vi. I went to the edge of the water, and looked up and down. The lino of safety seemed to be in the water, and in I went. I picked up a board »ir or eight feet long, and waded out to get a better view of the situation. Just east of me I saw somo men trjing to get a hewn log into the lake. I went to them, but they had given it up and were looking for boards I urged them to put in the timber, and, at my solicitation, they tried again, and we succeeded in launching it. One of the men had a plank, and I had my board. We laid the board and the plank across the timber, winch wus probably 25 feet long, and with this raft six of us put to sea in the teeth of a furious wind that sought to drive us int-» tho fire, \ftcr struggling awhile I told the men to keep the timber from turning, and I clambered up astride of it, near the ' bow ' end, and with my board for a paddle, I struck out. It was terrible work. The wind and the waves were againit us The lake was white with foam. We had made about four rods from shore when one of the tnllest men, letting himself down, said his feet were on a rock. Our strength waa almost exhausted, so we told him to hold us. I slipped down from my wooden horae, and on examination we found the rock large enough to allow two of us to stand on it. We took a long breath, aad went into committee of tho whole on the situation If we should undertake to row our craft further from the fire, we would soon be overcome, and then be blown directly into it. The unanimous verdict was that we would take our chance there. The firo was around us, above w*, everywhere. Tiie water was full of struggling people. We held to the stick. Two of us would stand on the rock at a time and anchor the reat, who floated like seaweeds from along the sides of the timber. When the hot air swept down upon us, we put our faces close to the water and shut our mouths. For an hour and a half we were there in the water, and I became terribly chilled. By and by tho worut of the fire was over, and a couple of Swedes came towards us with a boat from a little steamboat anchored further out in the lake. As soon as I got aboard the boat I commenced wringing niy clothes as well a* I could and exercising all I was able. The hot air and smoke had made my lungi so tore 1 could not breathe deep, and every breath was painful. However, the air was still warm from the fire, and I gradually grew warmer. We sent every boat we could after the people in the water and on the point until at last our little steamer was loaded. The fire had swept by where our raft was, and the balance of our little party had let loose from the rock and floated ashore The whole village was burnt. Ont of 126 houses, only three were left standing, and one of those na* burning before we left. It was impossible to tell how ninny hvei were lost." The grape harvest in France promisos to be unusually fine this year. How large a share the vineyards take m tho produce of the country, and to what an extent they form the wealth of all classes, we may judge from the fact that there are 2,300,000 vineyard proprietors in the Eepublic. In all the sunny land of France there are only 11 Departments which do no* grow the vine, 20 cultivate the grape for home consumption, and 58 for export. Most of tho fruit is intended for the wine presses ; but the best deosert grapes also come from France. The famous Chntsclas of Fontanebleau arc grown in the two little townships of Thomery and Champagne, both in the neighbourhood of Fontatneblcau. The vineyards there produce an annual crop of about 2,000,000 lbs, of which the capital consumes about 800,000 kilogrammes, while tho rest is exportrd to England, Austria, and e\en Russia. The trado in grapes, foreign and home arown, amounts in value to several million francs a year This, of course, does not include grapes used for w me.- - Globe. Tho Post considers that the law uhould »tcp in to pre- ! vont netting on elections, and suggests that it would be as j well to add to the questions which can now be asked of ! an elector befoie he votes, Bu:h,an one as this • — Have you I made auy be a which will be determined by the result ef ' tbii election, or have \ou any pecuniary interest in the ' | return of any candidate? If unable to answer tbii qucs- ] huu b.»tisfactoiily, the \oto3huuld not be received. j

On tho evening of the 12th of June last, at 8 49, 1 (writes Mr John P. Mitchell, of Falmouth, in the Garden) wm looking nfc tho bed of scarlet geraniunn in bloom in tho front of a small vinery facing south-west, when I xna startled by seeing distinct flashes of light flitting to and fro horizontally, and in a line with flower* of a «hort row of a deep scarlet kind of geranium, similar in general appearance to the old Tom Thumb. lat first doubted my visual organs, but on calling the attention of a gentleman who was near the flower*, lie at once corroborated my previous observation. We remained about five minutes observing it, during which time the light was intermittent but at intervals of only a few seconds. I think the appearance of the light extendng through tho row was causod by all the flowers of the row emitting small flnshei at one and the lame time. The other geraniums in flower in the bed were of a zonal variety, md of % less vivid colour, from which no light appeared. I have only on one occasion teen the same phenomenon, and then on a much smaller scale. The London correspondent of a contemporary lays :—": — " A very remarkable light wa» to be witnessed in London, on Tuesday, September 2. A modern style of pilgrinrft^e wai starting from Victoria Station in special trains of first-clas* carriages. Three or four hundred persons were collected there with badges of " the Sacred Heart " fastened on their breastsj and red manuals of Itinerary Prayers in their hands, prepared for a 'special visit to the shrine of Sister Margaret ilarie Alaceque atParay-le-Monial in France. A priett w*« to travel m every carriage to conduct the prayers ; and arrangements were made for a celebration of the mass on board the Channel steamer. Several men of high rank, including tho Duke of Norfolk, Lord Edward Howard, Lord Arundel of Wardour, and Lord Walter Kerr, wore among tbe pilgrims. The whole affair was conducted in the best possible manner for comfort, by Messrs Cook, the famous travelling agent*. Later reports say, that in France the total muster for the land journey amounted to 1,000 ; everything had gone well so far, and the undertaking promises to be " a great success " A revolution is likely soon to take place in the process of flour-inaLing. The grain i» crushed by numerous little triphammers, attached to the proper machinery to produce the result desired. The new machinery is very cheap, and does \U work in a thorough manner. Tho flour produced is said to be far superior to that obtained by grinding. A pounding mill, costing 1,000 dollars, will produce as much flour e\ery day a* an old-fashioned mill, costing 5,000 dollars. Tlie new mill 13 \erj simple. When a hammer is out of older it can be replaced at a trifling cost. For 4,000 years millers have produced flour by grinding the grain with •tones The new idea gives a new departure. What results it will produce remain to be seen. The Massachusetts Ploughman says of the late New England fair :—": — " Tbe most remarkable animali on the ground, a* showing what scientific breeding can accomplish, are the Vermont marmos, which from a smooth uuruffled skin, or neaily so (by breeding with reference to the increase of tbe wool-growing surface), have a \ery loose skin, ruffled all over the body, and to nu-h an extent has this ruffling been carried in connection with covering every part of the sheep with fine wool, except the eyes and hoofs, that the skin of one of these bucks is now nearly as large as the skin of three of such sheep with tight, smooth skins ; hence fleece of from 201bs. to 281bs. are realized where formerly one-half the weight was not clipped." Mr Ward Hunt taunted Mr Ayrton and Mr Lowe with, being " not on speaking term?," and his tiunt was left unanswered. About the year 1798, as the late Lord William Bentinck was reviewing a militia regiment at Armagh, he was surprised to observe that his orders were repeated by the colonel to the sergeant-major, who gave them to the regiment. When he inquired the reason of this departure from the usual custom, he was informed by the sergeant — " Please, my lord, the colonel and the regiment's not on speaking terms." Tho Qazzetta A' ltalia of August 10 stales that ±L Donaz, a village situated on the road leading from Ivrea to Aosta, a child ten years old went to gather plants in the mountains. The servant who had charge of him having left him abiie for a few moments, an eagle swooped down and carried off tho child. Some soldiers from the neighboring fort of Bardowent in search, and found the body of the child fearfully mutilated. Tho servant was so affected by the misfortune that she was afraid to return to her master's boune, and remained for two days concealed in a crevice of tbe rock* ; when discovered she was nearly dead from hunger.