NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 622, 18 June 1891, Page 2

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

[By Electric Telegraph.] [Special to the Standard.] BRITISH AND FOREIGN. The Nile is rapidly rising. A terrible tempest of hail was experienced at Mantua, in Lombardy. The strike at Lyons is not general, but is confined to tramway men. Wool is unchanged, but heavy condi. tinned greasy wool is decidedly in favor with buyers. General Booth sails from Plymouth on the 25th of July on a tour round the world. An agreement with the United States, prohibiting sealing in the Behring Sea for one year, has been signed. Prince Bismarck is seriously ill with rheumatism of the spine. Madame Melba sings before the Queen in July, and prices for the occasion have risen to twenty guineas for each box. It is asserted unofficially by London gunnery experts that the changes made by the colonial officers, in requiring a tube to be inserted before closing the breech block, caused the one to explode at Queenscliffe. Uneasiness has been caused in London by tbe conflict in New South Wales, between Mr Dibbs, leader of the Opposition, and Mr McMillan, the Treasurer, over the Budget. The Senate of the Argentine Confederation has reduced to three months the suspension of payment of interest on loans. Later particulars of the railway accident near Basle show that 120 persons have lost their lives. The train, which was conveying excursionists to a festival at Basle, became derailed as it approached Manchester bridge, and three passenger carriages were immersed in the river. The Syrian Arabs have broken out in revolt, and attacked the Turkish troops, killing several officers and a hundred men. The Turkish Government has despatched a force of 10,000 to put down ' the rising.

[ The Congress sitting at Santiago has i conferred extraordinary powers on Presii dent Balmaceda for the purpose of • quelling the insurgents. f The new Presidents! election will take i place in July. Claudius Vienna will pro- _■ bably be General Balmaceda’s successor. : DREADFUL EXPERIENCE. ‘ A BIG STEAMER ON FIRE. > A fire broke out in the hold of the In- ! man liner, the City of Richmond, when 1 within 4 days’ steam from the Irish Coast. It was first discovered at night, ’ and caused great excitement among the f passengers, three hundred of whom 5 rushed on deck in their nightdresses. ’ The ship’s boats were prepared for any ' emergency, and every effort was made, to ’ extinguish the fire, which was burning 5 amongst the cargo of cotton. In the J morning a steamer arrived near the City 1 of Richmond, and stood by her in readi- ' ness to tranship the passengers and crew ' if necessary. The flames were battened • down, and the steamer kept on her course. r In the evening the Cunard steamer Servia hove in sight, and she escorted the 1 burning steamer to Queenstown, where ; her passengers were landed safely. Her s cargo is still burning. ■ THE GAMBLING SCANDAL. r THE HEIR-APPARENT. r I A GRACELESS APOLOGY TO THE , PEOPLE. ‘ Many sermons were delivered through- ; out England on Sunday concerning the baccarat scandal. The Bishop of Durham. ' Canon Tarse, of Westminster, and Dr <■ Parker (Nonconformist) strongly con- , demned gambling, and many of the ' preachers appealed to the Prince of Wales ; to abandon the practice. In the House ' of Commons the Hon. E. Stanhope said that the Prince of Wales, now that his ; attention had been called to all the regulations, and looking back at all the circumstances of the case, had admitted that he had committed an error of judgment in not advising Sir W. Gordon-Cumming to submit his case to his Commanding Officer. The society journal called the Dwarf declares that it possesses sure details showing that Cumming was absolutely . innocent. It has promised to disclose them later on. The statement has caused some sensation. The Daily Chronicle, referring to the official statement in the • House of Commons, says that the Hon. E. Stanhope has gone out of his way to place a cushion to soften the fall of the Prince of Wales. Other monarchs are soldiers, but the Prince has never served in a campaign ; therefore he might at least i be expected to honor the uniform he wore. ; NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS AUCKLAND. Last night. J, L. Kelly, l editor of the Observer, has been committed for trial on a charge of criminal libel. ■SI he famous case of Rae v. Greenway ended in a verdict for plaintiff for about half of the amount claimed. The Judge’s summing up was very severe. The steamer Talune started to tow the Pukaki down from Russell yesterday, but had to put back. The two vessels are now on their way down the coast. SOUTHERN NBWS. Last night. The Municipal Conference is still pro - ceeding at Wellington. A large number of amendments to the present law are being brought forward and discussed, but they mainly concern the large centres. The Conference of Racing Clubs has been fixed for July toth, during the Steeplechase meeting. Professor Hatton reports that the second lot of fish taken from the Aparima are salmon without doubt. In the Divorce Court a decree nisi has been granted in re Loftman v. Loftman, husband's petition on the ground of his wife's adultery,