Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1901. “TWO DEATHS."

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 31 January 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1901. “TWO DEATHS."

The death of the Queen seems to have entirely overshadowed all other matters, yet surely we can devote a passing reference to the “ passing hence ” of two men of world wide fame—the one a noted warrior, the other a groat musical composer—whose deaths have just been recorded. The first, Joseph Vassilyevich Gourko, a Russian Count, and one of the most distinguished of Russia’s Generals, has been numbered with the groat majority. He was born in 1828 ; and was, therefore, 72 years of age. He entered the army of the Czar in 1810, and speedily rose by dint of military genius to a prominent position. His heroic deeds are almost to numerous to mention. His “ crowning victories ” were in connection with the war with Russia. On June 25, 1877, with a detachment of cavalry and a single battery, he attacked and took by assault the strong and powerfully occupied town of Tyrnnvo (Tirnowo). On July she occupied Kazanlyk and the village of Shipka, and after occupying and defending the passes of Shipka, Hanko, and others, he, together with General Radetsky, traversed the Balkans in the middle of the winter snowstorms and frosts, with but few losses, and led the victorious Russian troops into the fertile valleys beyond, thus occupying Sofia, Philippopolis, and Adrianople. The hazardous and almost impossible feat of traversing the Balkans in the middle of winter will for over remain one of the greatest deeds performed by the soldiers of Russia. The second name is that of Giuseppe Verdi, Italy’s groat composer. Born in 1811, he gave his first evidence of musical ability in 18ijy when he gave to the world his musical drama “Obetro di San Bonifnsio.” The principal productions and those he will be best known by are “Lombardi,” “ Nabucodonoser,” “ Ernani,” “ Atfciba,” “ Trovatore,” “ La Traviala,” Don Carlos,” and “ Masnadieri,” Verdi is considered to be the “ king of opera composers,” while as a musical genius he has been placed side by side with Handel, and in him Italy loses one she has just cause to be proud of,