DANGERS OF PHOSPHORUS. THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2134, 14 May 1889, Page 2

DANGERS OF PHOSPHORUS.

THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

News from Adelaide (SA.) under date May 6 states : —At Terowio eight yoang lada named HiU, Belcher, Elliott, Laaey (2), and S'aUery (3), narrowly escaped losing thelc lives, besides nearly destroying a quautl'y of property, on Saturday afternoon. The tyro Laaeya got some phoßpboroa la sticks from the baok premises of a chem'st'a shop, and distributed them among the other lada. David Laoey was Been m th<s street with hia slothes on fire. Reed,, a shop assistant, tore his olothes off, but the boy was fearfully barnt, and this morning was m a preonrloua state. Belcher took phosphorus home and put it m a private part of the Post Offioe. The dwelling was at once set on fire, and the whole plaje was threatened with destruction, the carpets, mats, and skirting-boards being damaged. The other lads took some of the phosphorus to Siattery's Hotel, and put it m the dining room, whioh was soon on fire. Fourglrlt, the boys' Bisters, jumped through the windows, while the lads ran through the fire. One of them was severely burnt, and is now m bed, having hia hands and kuees badly ooorohed. The other lad* were not hart, but were greatly frightened. The phosDhorus was seen burning m the stre3ts for hours. The snbataobe was kept m a case, enclosed m a three-gallon jar of water with a bang The boys took the lid off the case, and the oover has not yet been fonnd.

♦— rThe Maritime ci Nioaraguan Oanal Company, m which several prominent New Yorkeri are interested as shareholders, was Inootporated recently. The repre* aent-itives of the company stated ? to a oo mno 1 tea that all the necessary oonoessioDi had bean granted by theOosta Rloa and Nlcaraguan Governments, and that- as soon as the obarter was granted the work of building the oanal would be begun. Two expedition! sent otft by the Uoitad States Government have surveyed the route, and the cost of construction is estimated at 65,000,000do!s. Three hundred thousand dollars have already been spent In the preliminary work. The distance from ocean to ooean by the Nloaraguan route is 170 miles, of wh'oh forty will: be through the oanal, and 130 free navigation through Lake Nicaragua the San Joan and San Francisco rivers. The sailing voyage between Atlantic and Oalifornlan ports will thus be shortened by 13,000 miles, and it is believed a traffic of 4,0Q0,000 tona annually awaits the opening "of the oanol. The oapltal stock of the company Is to consist of 1,000,000 shares of 100 dols eaoh. it Is expected that the United States Government will give }he aqheme Boma asslstaaoe, as it. Is to be distltcively ah Aooprlosn enterprise, with • provision m lis charier that a majority of the Board of Directors must always be oitiaosof the United States, Senator George F. Edmuads is said to be Interested In < seourlDg the 00-operatlon of this Government, which would have rights In the dsnal for the passage of ;ifU vessels, etc, riot possetised m the proposed Panama Oaual, The President of the company is Hiram HUohoook, one of the proprietors of the Fifth Avenue Hotelt New York, Judge Oharlet P. Daly, of New York, is ona of the inoorporators, and H. L. Hotohkiee, a prominent Wall street broker, is traasurer, and the aotive man m the enterprise. It is said that President Harrison is strongly lv favor ofthaaoheme. ' r