GENERAL NEWS ITEMS. STRANGE SEAPLANE MISHAP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1917, 19 December 1918, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

STRANGE SEAPLANE MISHAP.

An unprecedented seaplane accident -occurred oil' the east coast o£ England recently. When (lying low the machine caught the mast and sail of a shrimp boat engaged in fishing. The seaplane, in attempting to rise, lifted the sailing craft out of the water, hut the mast and shroud plate broke, and the boat settled again on her keel. The owner, the only man on hoard, escaped injury, and the pilot of the seaplane, which was disabled, was rescued by another shrimper. PARIS POOD PRICES. “You people in England wail aboitl high prices/’ says a Paris correspondent of the livening Standard. "You and your 47s a ton for coal! We pay i'B lOs (and then have hut little mure than half your allowance!) Mood is £7 10s. Our allowance of paraffin is a quart per family per month —and it costs 5s a pint! Butler is 4s (id a pound. Tinned food is outrageous in price. Game is much cheaper than it was hist year, You can get a nice little pheasant for 12s (id, tor instance, and this time last year it cost at least a sovereign. Hares arc cheaper, too; 1 siw a very large one yesterday that was only 225, including the smell, of which there was lots. 1 don't know the price of fruit: 1 can’t afford it. I can’t afford anything, for the matter of that, but most things 1 can't do without cither, and as life without fruit is drearyisli hut support able, 1 am giving apples and pears the go-by and buying a liara with the savings,” FA MOPS FASTING MAX. From Rome comes news of the death of Giovanni Sncci, who for many years puzzled the physicians of two continents by iiis ability to fast tor periods of 4(1 days. Ife was. lid, and passed the last years of his life iu raising fancy chickens. Succi's first experiment in fasting was made by necessity during an African exploring expedition, when he was left without food for many days. London saw ihe fasting man on several occasions, and when he appeared at the old Westminster Aquarium three doctors from the Westminster Hospital testified to tlie genuineness of (he fast, which on one occasion lasted for 40 days. During llie period of his fasts he drank from a pint to a pint and ahalf of water each day, and in addition he look some drops of a composition which he called his "elixir. - ' not for noiirishmenl, hut to deaden [mins and cramp in his stomach.

EUCrESSFFF EKi'IT (iKOWIXD

Uotue wonderful I'niil was displayed a! I lie Koval Horticultural Society's aulumn show in London. There were Drit ish-grown apples weighing I.‘His.; golden pears lOin long and turnin''' the scales at 2ib.; and J7in. Jong hunches of purple grapes, weighing' from 01b. to 101 b. .More of a surprise was a very line pineapple (Queen's Pine), grown under glass at Waybridge. “It is but rarely," said an official, “that a home-grown pine is to be seem among iiic exhibits at the BritEhgrown fruits show." Among the successful exhibitors were the .Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Newcastle, Ford Hillingdon, and (ho Earl of Des.-borough,

AIRMAN’S ADVENTURE. Recent ly ;i IVitisli airman Hying' a ];i> w^i-i'i l l machine n( J (i.OOOfI. over Oslend had the machine's (ail shot off Ijy (ho direct hit of: a shell —a very unusual oeeuiTenee. The machine turned upside down, out of control, and (he pilot was thrown out of his seat. By some inexplicable manoeuvre he managed to clamber on the bottom of (he fuselage of the -machine, astride of 'which he si! as if he were riding a horse. Though the machine was out of control, owing to the loss of its tail planes, yet. by moving forwards and backwards he so managed In balance it that it glided fairly steadily downwards, although it was upside down. He brought it across (lie German lines safely to within a few hundred feet of the ground. Then he crashed and was injured, but is now recovering in hospital.

AMERICAN “FIRST AID" TRAIN

V.'im l i> undoubtedly Ihe most complete end np-10-dele hospital train in the world recently reached the American front. It was intended for the removal of the sick and wounded from the hall hi area, and its equipment embodies all the latest requirements of. the United States Army Medical Department. There are nine ward fairs, each accommodating 3(i cot case", the cots being in tiers of three. Each cot is furnished with a movable head board, and bears a number plate, while special stools are provided to ease the handling' of the men in the topmost tier. In addition there is a bracket carrying an electric fail to case.the agony of ‘‘gassed” men. a cup and bamn holder, a folding paper rack, and a combined ash tray and matchbox. The tram was designed and built in England.

HER AGE. It was in the days before the war, and they were linishing up their wedding lour at Monte Carlo, and, of course, paid a visit to the Casino. They stood hesitating for some time before one of (he tables, and at last the temptation to join the players proved too strong for Hie lady. ■“I must just risk* one ten-pound note, dour." slug said, to her husband. “Do give mo one. and I will put it on the number of my age;

that is bound to be lucky.”

Although “hubby” was inclined to be sceptical, lie handed over a tenpound note, which was duly deposited on No. 24. Alas! No. 3(i proved to be the winning number, and the lady gave a little gasp of despair.

. “Serve you rigid,” said her husband; “if you’d told the truth you’d have won.”

RED TAPE,

A British officer in charge of an exposed and important position ran short of ammunition during an unexpected and hotly-pressed attack. Tearing a leaf from his pocketbook, be hastily wrote on it the following urgent message; “In great danger. For heaven’s sake send ns some ammunition,” ami despatched it by an orderly at full speed. . After considerable delay the mes : senger returned and handed him an official document. On opening it, he read the following extraordinary effusion: “All communications to this department must he written on foolscap paper with a two-inch margin.” INSCRIPTIONS. Though Tommy makes great fun of ids gas-mask, and a (feels to despise it, deep down in his heart he appreciates its value. His sense of the humour of the thing is shown by the inscriptions which, contrary to all rule, he puls upon Ids properly. Here is one which apparently belongs to a youthful soldier with memories of Sunday school still fresh upon him. He has tastefully decorated all the available space .vith “Abide with me. 1 need thee jverv hour.”

Another appreciative veteran has iecoraled Ids gas-mask with the

me —• The hours 1 have spent with thee,

dear heart.”