GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 185, 23 December 1912, Page 8

GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

SOME RECENT ITEMS.

The following items have appeared in the Sydney Sun's special cable serriM:—

AMERICAN RAILWAY SMASHES. London, December fl.

The American Inter-State Commerce Commission urges that the railway companies, in order to minimise the number of accidents, should carry out a series of experiments with contrivances designed to stop a train automatically. The commission further recommends that high-speed trains should use only steel cars. FRANCE'S LACK OF DIRIGIBLES. Paris, December 7. One of the Paris dailies, the Temps, in an article on the subject of aerial navigation as it affects the army, points out that as far as the number of speed dirigibles is concerned France occupies an inferior position. The paper urges the Government to ask for special appropriations for the construction of airships. MAULED BY A LION. London, December 7. '

A thrilling incident was witnessed at a lion-taming show in East Ham last night. During the progress of the performance one of the animals turned on the lady lion-tamer and started mauling her badly.

The spectators thought it was all a part of the show until the Hon seized the woman by the hip and made off with her towards his cage. A thrill of horror ran through the crowd as it realised the victim's peril, ■but the attendants finaly beat off the beast, and rescued the woman, who, although greatly scared, was not much injured. AIRMAN SETTLES ON A ROOF. London, December 7. ' An airman, who was crossing over London in an aeroplane, was forced to descend. He alighted on the roof of a house, to the consternation of the occupiers, but beyond smashing the chimneys no damage was done. The pilot completed his journey by train.

CAUGHT rN THE QUICKSAND. London, December 6.

A distressing tragedy is reported from Belgium. While playing on the beach a boy was caught in the quicksand. For seven hours the little fellow struggled in a frantic effort to release himself from his terrible situation. His brother was near at hand and witnessed his struggles, but was unable to render any help. The lad continued to sink deeper in the sand, until he was : finally drowned by the incoming tide. FRANCE'S UNLUCKY NAVY. London, December 7. A sentry doing duty on board the French battleship Pa trie at Toulon was suddenly alarmed by hearing a crackling sound coming from' the magazine. I An examination of the chamber that was immediately made revealed that several cases of ammunition had commenced to warp in consequence of the instability of the powder they contained. The magazine was at once flooded, and the cases were subsequently landed. With the Liberte and other naval disasters fresh in their memory, the incident created great excitement among the officers and men on the Patric.

DREADNOUGHT PERFORATED. London, December 8. The French Dreadnought, Jean Bart, was examined yesterday before undergoing trials, and it was found that some of the plates had been perforated. Sabotage by anti-militarists is suspected. PAY IN THE BOYALFLYINO CORPS. .London, December 8. Some information relative to the rates of pay that would oßtain in connection with the Royal Flying Corps was supplied by the First Lord of the Admiralty m the House of Commons to-day.

Mr. Churchill announced that a squad-1 ion commander would receive 25s a day, J a commander 17s, and other officers 12s,', in addition to which each would be paid 8s a day when on flying duty. •■ . COSTLY GKK.YHOUNDS. London, December 8. At a sale of greyhounds yesterday, in brought 600 guinea's. The top price was 100 guineas. RELIGIOUS FRATERNITY. London, December 8. Canon Hensley Henson, of Westminster, who has been appointed Dean of Durham, delivering a farewell sermon, said that if Anglicans and Nonconformists had a better basis of fellowship they would less talk of the disestablishment of the Church of England. It was wrong to make Anglican isolation a religious principle. The Dean emphasised that fraternity must essential- j ly exist between Anglicans and NouctMP formists. The preacher rejoiced that so many Home churchmen were turning their attentions to the colonies. ACROSS SOUTH AMERICA. London, December 0. The Chilian Government has completed all the arrangements for the Andean railway from Buenos Ayres to Santiago, along the route of the Maipo Valley.

GERMANY'S PROMISE TO AUSTRIA. London, December 9.

A high diplomatic authority in Berlin states that the Kaiser told the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, when the latter recently visited the German capital, that Germany would give all her help to Austria if Russia attacked Austria, but not if Austria attacked Russia.

PROPOSED NICKEL COINAGE. London, December 9. In the House of Commons to-day, Mr. C. F. G. Masterman, Parliamentary Secretary of the Home Office, stated that there were not sufficient grounds to justify the issue of a nickel coinage for one, two or threepenny pieces, in order to relieve the public of the hulky copper coins. PORTUGUESE WIRELESS. London, December 9.

The Portuguese Government has placed a contract with the Marconi Wireless Company for the erection of five highpower stations.