NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1659, 28 January 1913, Page 8

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

NEW YORK ARSON TRUST. WHOLESALE INCENDIARISM. New York, January 17. A sensational confession is roported to havo been made by one of the prisoners in the Sing Sing Ponitentiary. This mail, whose name is Izzy, and who is described as head ' f the Now York Under-world's Arson Trust, informed the authorities that he had certain information to give, and he was therefore brought from the prison to tho District Attorney's office for this special purpose.' ■ The information supplied Ly Izzy related to tho incendiary .fires that have occurred in-.New York. It is said that ho confessed ,that a member of tho gang had started over 1000 fires in the city within recent years, and that he gave a full list cf the men. who had acted' us confederates. Among tliem are well-known Tenderloin characters and insurance adjusters and agents. STEAMER'S DREADFUL ORDEAL. London, January 19. After having battled with fierce hurricanes in^the/Atlantic for 43 days the steamer Christian X has been compelled to return to Queenstown. The vessel had an exceptionally rough handling. Gigantic waves that came crashing on board cleated the decks of all movables, carried away the ship's boats; and demolished the bridge. ; More* than once the steamer's situation 1 was one of .extreme peril, the mountainous waves by which she was surrounded threatening to engulf tho ship. The experience generally was a dreadfully trying one for officers and men, all 'of whom were utterly exhausted through the want of sleep. ■ LANDSLIDE IN CEMETERY.: . ' ' London, January 18. / Au'extraordinary incident by which the ..progress : of a funeral was rudely disturbed occurred in Manchester. The'funeral was that of 'a, widow's son, and as the hearse approached'the grave a landslide occurred as a result of which the four horses attached to the vehicle fell into a tremendous'hole, and were buried alive. The hearse trembled on the brink of the pit, ibut just slid back.to safety.-.Having recovered from the confusion into which they were thrown by this sudden and unexpected contretemps, the mourners removed thecoffin from the hearse and carried it over tho remaining distance to tho grave. .' ANOTHER',SAILOR; PRINCE. London, January 18. • Pririco 5 Albert, the second.son of the King,,for whom "a. naval career has been I mapped out, is now on board H.M.S. Cumberland, where he will live in a nautical atmosphere and learn hnbits of obedience and command. The \Prince will ..undergo a .systematic course of instruction , in'seamanship, engineering, gunnery, and in all tho other branches of work on board a warship. He will have to take sights like other.cadets, and do' duty in the engineroom. It jis ;net"intended to accelerate the promotion of the Prince, but to make liim rise under the ordinary system. THE TRIPLE ENTENTE. • ' : \ London, January 18. ■Writing to Berlin papers,\Gcrman correspondents in St. Petersburg mention a significant incident. They relate that at the New' Year reception M. Sazanoff, tho Russian Foreign Minister, conversed nearly the whole time with the British and French Ambassadors, a ' circumstance which they interpret-as a demonstration of the closer bonus that unite the Triple Entente. -/ FOURFOLD SMASH. London,' January 19. A heavy fog in London on Saturday upset the traffic throughout the Metropolis, and was responsible for a peculiar acci-, dont in Whitehall. A van and three' motor-cars all crashed together, at the' tame time. Two.of 95159( were badly battered, and one driver* injured.--!'-. OLD-AGE PENSIONS. • Ottawa, January 17. . A preliminary report -, issued by the special committeo appointed by Parlia>ment to' investigate the question of oldage pensions for Canada states that the number that would be eligible to receive pensions under tho Australian system was 1.68 per cent, of the total population.■; GLASGOW LICENSING VOTE. ' . London; January 19. •A municipal licensing voto taken' in Glasgow" resulted in 59,436 being cast for reduction, 36,6-15 for no change, and 15,234 for an increase of the number of publichouses. There were majorities for reduction in 30.0f the city's wards. .' . SPLASHED WITH MUD. London, January 18. A claim for damages was made yesterday against a motor-bus' company, at Paris. The plaintiff complained that her dress had been spoiled through. having mud splashed on it by a motor-bus. The claim was successful. PAINT MAKES IN A CAVE. / ' London, January 12. •Scientists some time ago declared that certain'paint marks found in a cave in the neighbourhood . of. Swansea,'■ Wales, were of prehistoric origin. Much to the discommon of these scientific gentlemen, the discovery has just been made that the marks. were the work of a painter who was saved from a wreck a few years ago.

EXPLORER'S EXPERIENCE. ' London, January ii. The explorer Mikkelsen, in a lecture last night before the Royal Geographical Society, described his 28 months sojourn in Arctic regions. During that time, he had not a single companion,- and suffered agonies from hunger, thirst, storms, and loneliness. ,' .: , BIG SWIMMING PEATS. ■ , ' London, January 12. Jabez W. Wolffe, the Scottish amateur swimmer, is determined to make another attempt in, June to swim the Channel. Later in the year ho will take on the more hazardous.task of trying'to swim the Niagara Rapids. MONGOLIA AND MANCHURIA. London, January 14. The Japanese newspapers are advocating, .the independence; of Eastern Mongolia and Manchuria under Japanese surveillance. MARINE WHO DIDN'T KNEEL. London, January 12. • The committee o£ the 'Protestant .Alliance, has petitioned the King of Spain to sanction the release of a marine who was imprisoned for the offence'of having failed to kneel before his Majesty.' MYSTERIOUS AIRSHIP. 'London, January 12. It is believed that the airship which flew 'over Dover and; Sheerness a few nights ago was the Hansa r a Zeppelin dirigible which is not now in the possession of the German Government. PRIVY COUNCIL, i London, January J3. Mr. ■ Llovd-George, replying to a question in the House of Commons to-day, said:-that the Government proposed to increase the strength of tho Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to enable it to cope with the press of work. ' ,' THE STARTING GATE. London, January 12. In an article. in "The People," Nit Gould, tho well-known sporting novelist, credits Tom Power, with the invention of the starting-gate, and declares that this is the best method of starting horse races. The above items aro ,from the Sydney "Sun's" apecial cable Bervice.