BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1927, Page 3

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.)

NEW “5.0.5.” SIGNAL. LONDON, July 30.

An important change in tho world-

wide “ 5.0.5.” signal for shipping has v-bcen sanctioned by the Board of Trade whereby the signal will in future he preceded by three long dashes of four seconds’ duration. This change is the outcome of an invention which automatically receives the dashes, rijngs an alarm hell, and summons the operator to take the actual distress message.

HIGHEST AERIAL RAILWAY PARIS, July 29. Tho world’s highest railway, reaching almost to the summit of Mount Blanc, which has taken seventeen years to build, will be opened on August 7th. (Received this day at 8 a.in.) LONDON, July 31. Tho Hungarian team won the gold challenge clip at the tournament of chess masters, representing sixteen nations at Westminster. Hansen (Denmark) and Sir George Thomas (Britain) won the special prizes for the best average scores, each of eighty per cent of the possible.

HOUSTON DEATH DITTIES. LONDON, July 31. 'JTlio Chancellor of the Exchequer in accepting Lady Houston’s offer of (leatill duties assumed that the coexecutor Mr Appleton, would similarly pay his share, otherwise the right is reserved to continue the proceedings. Lady Houston replied that she was jiot responsible for Appleton. Her own offer was spontaneous. She had not consulted even her solicitor.

A SAD FATALITY. lliia day at 9.0 a.nO SAN FRANCISCO, July 31. Florence Salustro, seventeen, had been chosen as “Miss California” in the beauty contest. Thrilled by the gaieties awaiting her, she began dancing in tho hotel elevator, slipped and ilier dress caught the door handle and she was decapitated. Firemen worked for an hour to release her body.

PACIFIC INSTITUTE. HONOLULU, Aug. 1. Professor J. B. Condlifle of New Zea_ land, has been chosen as research secretary ion the advisory committee of the Pacific Relations Institute. The next meeting will probably be held in some Oriental country in 1929.

LADY LAUDER DEAD. (Received this day at 1.3 p.m.) LONDON, July 31. Obituary—Lady Hinder, wife ot Sir Harry Lauder, the comedian. She underwent an operation on Monday and was progressing satisfactorily till this morning, when she sank and swldenly died.

DANIELS CASK REVIVED. BOULOGNE, July 31. There has been an unexpected revial of the Daniels case, cabled on April 28th. Miximessin, the succesor to Ro/.et, the examining Magistrate, after a careful consideration of the whole case asked for Nurse McCarthy’s compulsory attendance. IN ERUPTION. (Received this day at 1.5 p.m.) ROME, July 31. Mount Vesuvius continues in most picturesque mood. Thousands of tourists are proceeding to Naples and several incoming,-liners are standing out in the Bay affording passengers a splendid opportunity to witness the eruptions. At night the summit is magnificent with long tongues of flame shooting into the air. Sight-seers are still allowed within two hundred yards of the roaring crater, from which red lava is being ejected in a molten

stream fifteen yards wide, moving at tlie rate of three yards per second, and rapidly filling up the hollow around the cone winch at present pre-

cludes the lava issuing down the sides of the mountain and pouring into the villages. Tho heat is excessive rendering sleep in the nearest houses impossible. Scores of people spent the night on tho mountain fascinated by live ionally the deep boom of an explosion and roars of the crater were succeeded by showers of red hot cinders.