General News

Thames Star, Volume xv, Issue 4744, 21 March 1884, Page 3

General News

Erupp the great German cannon manufacturer, has just taken out a patent for a flatheaded projectile. This novel form has been given to it with a view of preventing its gbneing off on striking the armour-plate of a vessel at a great angle of inclination. The form has further been adopted with the object of penetrating a ship's armour below the waterline, an operation hitherto attended with but little success, owing to the pointed head of the shot. In order not to cause a loss of velocity, a point of wood or thin iron plate is attached which on striking is immediately shattered, but at the same time being filled with oil, which is to " grease " tbe projectile, is said \o increase its power of penetration. The World (Jan. 2) says—"lt will

appear scarcely credible to some persons, but it is nevertheless a fact that a Scotch nobleman, —who is, moreover,. by no means over-whelmingly opulent and has a large family—sent quite recently a cheque for five thousand pounds to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to be devoted to the reduction of the National debt ! • .The following amusing incident occurred -ata Melbourne theatre a short time since: —A physician who had not attended a thfl|fcical performance for some time went to'we the play of Fedora, and when the part ceme where the heroine, having swallowed, poison, is djing, and her lover and friends.are wringing their hands and cry-ing-helplessly, " What can be done P" the doctor was seen to be laboring under conliderable exoitement. At last the terrible ■ijfeene was too much for himj and, forgetSfiing where he was, he jumped to his feet %!m& shouted, " Give her coffee, you • ; fitols; give her coffee." Then a friendly haad pulled him back to his seat, and the surprised actor went on with the play. The following statistics of the respective numbers of visitors at some of the great "World Shows" of this century will be found interesting :— 1851 London... ... ~. 6,170,000 1853 New York ... ... 600,000 1855»Paris ... ... ... 4,533,464 1862 London... ... ... 6,211,106 1867 Paris ... ... ... 9,300,000 . 1873 Vienna... ... ... 7,254,867 1876 Philadelphia .*.' .» 10,164,489 1878 Paris ... ... ... 16,032,725 1880 Sydney, N.S.W. ... 818,654 1883 Amsterdam ..; ... 1.3C0.C0D 1883 London Fisheries ... 2,700,000