THE LATEST OUTRAGE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1224, 14 August 1885, Page 3

THE LATEST OUTRAGE.

A cable message appeared recently, stating that news had been received in London of a gross outrage perpetrated by the Russian authorities in Afghanistan upon a clerk employed in the office of M r Alexander Finn, the B-itish Consul-general, at the Persian town of Resht, on the Caspian. The ‘ Times of India,’ of June 23, makes the following remarks on the case : “ That the Russians at this critical moment should venture to seize and barbarously maltreat the clerk of an English consul, would be almost incredible if the inteli gence were not reiterated in a second telegram. Mr Alexander Finn, the British consul at Resht, on the Caspian, appeals to have been on a visit of inspection to the consular agents at Meshed and its neighbourhood. At all events he was marching in Persian territory on the road from Sarakhs (one Sarakhs is still Persian) to Chaoha, which is of course altogether Persian, and about halfway between Meshed Sarauhs. And happened to lose ono of his mules, and sent a clerk in British employ to look for it. His clerk carried a letter into the Russian camp, which was within sight, asking if the animal had found its way there. Ho was seized and barbarously treated, and at once despatched to A skabad, on the other side of Persia. The Russians will of course deciarejthat they mistook him for a spy. But he bora a letter from a duly accredited British consul, his master was almost within sight, and tho clerk could have been identified at once. Whatever may he the feeling at St. Petersburg, the Russian authorities on the spot seem determined to do all they can to insult England and bring matters to a crisis. The way in which the members of the commission have been treated by tho Russian authorities was deliberately planned, it was said a short time back, to provoke a challenge, and it is clear that General Bumsden himself still smarts under the indigui« ties he has been made to suffer. Thes is a limit to the policy of turning ono cheek when the other has been smitten, and that limit was reached when Sir Peter Bumsden refused any longer to represent a Government that did not support him. But there has been a change of Ministry since then, and wo trust that our Government will immediately demand a formal explanation from tho Russian Government as to the conduct of their officer in charge of the camp, and that it the clerk has really been barbarously treated, they will insist upon prompt and ample reparation being made.”

A OHAPI’ER I OF DISASTERS,

The English papers receive 1 by the Orient s,s. Pobosi are remarkable for the large number of various calamities chronicled in them from all parts of the world. Of the chief of these disasters the London correspondent of the Argus writes “ Lancashire has again been the scene of one of these terrible calamities which occur from time to time in mining districts. On Thursday, June IBth, early in the morning, a fearful explosion took place at the Cliftonhall colliery, near Manchester, The number of dead found is 23, and 147 men and boys who are missing are believed to be dead also—l7o in all. The pit bottom was strewn with dead and wounded. _ The men working in the immediate vicinity of the pit’s eye had been blown in all directions Some had been killed by the shook, and lay as they fell, in different postures ; others, stifled by the deadly gas, had fallen on their faces, and seemed as if asleep. News had been received from Sourabaya, in Java, of the volcanic eruption that has taken place in that country, resulting, it is feared, in great loss of life and destruction of property. Smeroo, which is the principal volcano in East Java, had been showing signs of unusual activity, and early in May a terrible outburst of ashes and lava took place from the crater, which destroyed everything for miles around. It is estimated that 500 natives perished, as well as the manager of the estate and his two assistants. Volcanic rumblings had been heard from Krakataw Island, off the west coast of Java, accompanied by electric phe nomena in the vicinity of the old crater, which nearly two years ago caused so much destruction. It is feared that another eruption was probably not far distant. A succession of tornadoes is reported to have raged in the North-western States of America, on Sunday and Monday, Jone 14 and 15, causing great damage. They passed over portions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, lowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, wrecking buildings, uprooting trees, and destroying crops and bridges. Three persons were killed, and many were injured. The damage occasioned is estimated at more than 1,000,000d0i. Torrents of rain fell during these visitations. Further reports received of the destruction wrought by the cyclones reveal a terrible loss of life in Plymouth and Cherokee counties, with great devastation of property. Twenty lives were lost, and more than 50 persons were injured in lowa. Two Hungarian towns - Tymau, near Presburg, with about 10,000 inhabi« tauts, and Leutschau, in North Hungary, with 7000 inhabitants have been partially destroyed, and eight lives were lost in Tyrnau and six in Leutsehar, The loss of property was enormous, being principally on the poor, the majority of the houses not being insured. A telegram from Tiflia states that a severe earthquake had occurred in the Eastern Caucasus. The town of Sikuck is said to have been completely swallowed up. The loss of property is estimated at several million roubles. An explosion of dynamite which occurred in the Simona Leveta Grande Silver Mine, near Zacatecas, in Mexico,from an unknown cause, killed 10 of the miners and wounded 12 In all, 500 cases of “ giant powder ” exploded, completely wrecking the mine with all the surface improvements.