NEWS BY THE MAIL.
FRANCE. A Paris correspondent, writing concerning the recent frost in Paris, says;—“ There has hardly ever been such a night seen in Paris as that of the Ist of January. After a severe frost, the streets were already slippery when, at nine in the evening, the rain began to fall and to freeze instantaneously ; it was frozen before it could run off an umbrella. From this inclement state of the weather I took refuge in a caM, for the roads were quickly sheeted with ice, and there were no cabs to be had for love or money. Before long the caM resembled an ambulance, men and women with blackened eyes, cut faces, aud bruised limbs flocked in and were bandaged. Along the Boulevards, when the theatres were over, the sight was at once painful and ridiculous, for ladies and gentlemen who had counted on their carriages were forced to face the road on foot,, and the only way to walk with any safety was to pull off your boots aud trust to your stockings. A gentleman said he never saw so many horses down except at Champigny, when the German batteries played sad havoc with the French artillery teams. In many instances the poor animals. remained where they fell, either too much frightened or too much hurt to rise, and I hear that the omnibus company lost no fewer than two hundred horses from broken legs or severe strains. One gentleman cut up a railway wrapper ; and, making stockings for his horse, drove home ; and an enterprising smith established himself on the Boulevards, and roughed a number of steeds. A man with a quantity of list slippers made a little fortune ; but his stock was soon exhausted. In some of the worst places —at the Pont Neuf, for example—there were dozens of vehicles unable to move ; and, in fact, all over Paris were to be found deserted carriages and omnibuses, in which persons who despaired of getting homo, took refuge. Many people passed the night at the various policestations, and one hears of gentlemen, after having left their wives to the care of the executive, regaining home alone. Several people lost their lives ; a young man fell ahd fractured his skull in the Rue do la Paix ; a woman slipped, came down, broke her arm, and the child she was carrying was killed on the spot; numerous fractures of legs and arms occurred, aud dangerous wounds; coming down the Champs Elysuea yesterday morning, one could hardly walk twenty yards without seeing traces of blood. M. Francisque Sarcey has written an amusing account of how he and three friends, linked arm-in-arm, managed to cross Paris, and of course there were comical incidents. There is a well-known beggar who, having lost both legs, by means of sharppointed sticks, propels himself on a go-cart. This man dashed up the Boulevards at full speed ; and, as a reporter remarks, ‘ avenged the humiliation of years.’ ” An officer of tho First Empire, aged seventyeight, who has for forty-one years been living on the modest pension of 800 francs a-year, having been compelled tho other day to enter tho Hospital Necker, was discovered to bo a lady. Her name is De Saukeison, and the secret being out, she readily related her history. Her grandfather, the Baron von Sankeisen, commanded a corps d'armie in the Bavarian army, Bavaria being then in alliance with France. She was fourteen years old when her father, Colonel von Sankeisen, died, and her grandfather, from some inexplicable caprice, compelled her to enter one of tho regiments »f his division ; she served in Germany and in Spain, and at Waterloo received two somewhat severe wounds. She became afterwards an officer of the second class in tho administration of the Hospitals, but in 1830 re-entered upon active service, and went to Algeria. In 1833 she became a naturalised Frenchman, and obtained a retiring pension. She has congratulatory letters from Marshals Berthier, Auger-
eau, and Suchet, and from General Dupont, testifying to her bravery and good services. Her voice and countenance are quite of the manly type. She received the medal of St. Helena during the Second Empire. AMERICA. An exchange gives the following statistics : —Boston has an average of 1 arrest for drunkenness to every 16 of her inhabitants, Providence has 1 in 22, Hew York has 1 in 27, San Eraucisco has 1 in 29, Louisville has 1 in 29, Rochester has 1 in 31, Washington has 1 in 32, Detroit has 1 in 31, St. Louis has 1 in 64, and Cincinnati has 1 in 86. A raid has recently taken place on a Hew York theatre to suppress the dancing of the “ cancan.” The police of Hew York perform the functions of the Lord Chamberlain in London, and appear to do so in a more summary fashion. The Metropolitan Theatre, Hew York, had been giving various entertainments, and among the attractions was the “ cancan.” On Deo. 23 the performance went on as usual until about ten o’clock, Captain Mercer sent a force of men to the Mercer-street entrance, and then he took a force to the Broadway entrances of the theatre. In the middle of the “ cancan” Captain McDonnell sprang upon the stage, and to the consternation of everybody the police began to press in at all passages. The most intense excitement prevailed ; the spectators arose from their seats and made a rush for the door, supposing that everybody was to be arrested. The women in their ballet costumes ran hither and thither and huddled together in the wings. The theatre was soon emptied, and at length the curtain dropped upon the scene. Captain McDonnell’s officers had secured all those upon the stage, and producing the warrants, those were selected who were named therein. The women arrested were formed into a line, and guarded by officers, were marched to the Prince-street Police-station. When they found that they were to be looked up some laughed and cried by turns, others fainted, others shrieked for mercy and begged the police not to look them up, but they were soon placed in the cells. Samuel Shapter, the proprietor of the Metropolitan Theatre, was arrested early the next morning. A battle has been fought in Peru which seems to be decisive. The scene was the position of the rebels in the fastness of Tarata, and their number was estimated at 15,000. They were attacked at the height called Los Angelos, where they had constructed_ a formidable barricade of rocks and stones. ' President Pardo diverted the attention of the enemy by a vigorous assault in front upon this barricade. The artillery was then brought to bear on the enemy, and the fight became genera], lasting eight hours, after which the Government troops returned to the camp only to resume the bombardment next day ; but when the troops advanced they discovered that the enemy had left his stronghold and gone to the rear to oppose an 'assault on that side by Colonel Montero’s division, which had begun the assault at daybreak. The revolutionary party, after three hours’ hard struggle, were completely routed and dispersed in all directions. This battle took place at Buena Vista, on the heights of Tarata itself. Pienla, the chief, with his principal officers, escaped and went into Bolivia. This may be styled a battle in the clouds, as Tarata is over 5000 feet above the level of the sea. The Government lost no officer of distinction. The losses are not as yet known, but there must have been some 8000 men engaged on both sides. A 1 party of men at Callao cautiously made their way through the Customhouse, and made an attempt to seize one of the two fortified castles that command the town and harbor. The authorities, being ( warned, were prepared ; and the conspirators were allowed to enter, and then the doors were closed. The prisoners all had arms and money with which to bribe the troops. The plan of the scoundrels was to liberate and arm the prisoners at the fort until monterero, or robbers, could arrive and sack the city, ITALY. Garibaldi declines, with thanks, the national grant voted by the Chamber. He assigns as his reason the present condition of the country’s finances., The Municipality of Palermo has voted the general a life-pension of 3000 lire ; Haples has done the same ; so also has and so have some six or eight other towns—all of which have been accepted. In addition, presents amounting to several thousands have been sent.
The Pope has received an Irish deputation. The rector of the Irish College read an address expressing Ireland's devoted affection; and his holiness, in reply, praised the sentiments and fidelity of the Irish laity, and requested them to tell those from whom they came that if they entertained a warm affection for the common father of the faithful, he loved them no less dearly in return. A present of 16,000 francs was brought by the deputation.
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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4366, 18 March 1875, Page 3
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1,499NEWS BY THE MAIL. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4366, 18 March 1875, Page 3
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