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Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2459, 14 April 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

SciikntU'TC men have been perplexed for many years over the phenomenon of a certain well at Yakustk, Siberia. A Russian merchant in 1828 began to dig the well, but uave up the task three years later, when he had dug down thirty feet and was still in solidy frozen soil. Then the Russian Academy of Sciences dug away at the well for months, but stopped when it had reached a depth of 3G2 feet, when the ground was still frozen as hard as a rock. In IS-14 the academy had the temperature of the excavation carefully taken at various depths, and from these data it was estimated that the ground was frozen to a depth of 612 feet. Although the po'e of the greatest cold is in the province of Yakutsk, not even the terrible severity of the Siberian winters could freeze the ground to a depth of GOO feet.

Pjszon, the wild boast tamer, was, pays a Paris correspondent, near boiusr killed recently by a black bear. His menagerie was at Chalous-sur-Marne, and ho had just entered tho bear's cage to put it throusrh its usual exorcises, when the animal pulled him down on the floor. The spectators were seized with panic. Soma fled out of the menasrciie, and others screamed ; but Pezon's son at onee entered the cage to rescue his father, thousrh the young man was without any weapon. He attacked the bear with furious kicks, which had but little or no effect, and he would, pvob*bly, have failed to save his father, and perhaps have himself fallen a victim to tho b»ar, if a soldier, who was one of the spectators, had not drawn his sabre and handed it to young Penzon throusrh tho bars of the cage. With this he stabbed tho heir. At the first thrust the infuriated animal left the fider Pezon, and, standing on its hind legs, tried to hue: the son. The la't'r, however, plunged his weapon seve-a times into the bear's stomach. The animal was not then, however, killed, and continued pursuing- his adversary. In the meanwhile the young m:n's father had got up and loft tho case. The contest was at length put an end to by one of the men employed at the menasrerio fetching a gun loaded with big shot. Firinsr in'he •" ar' a-, 'nth hi" i-vps were blinded, and young Pezon was able to make his escape out of the cape. His father was not dangerously injured, thoufrh two of his ribs were broken. Mb Blaink has expressed a wish that his name should not be presented at tho forthcoming National Republican Convention for the nomination of a candidate for tho Pri sidency of the United States,