Weekly Mail

LADY'S GREAT LOSS. JWELS WORTH SIX THOUSANDS POUNDS. -toother report states:—The Argonaut, a S^^Tt and handsoanely-equipped vessel, left ubury Dock on Monday evening on an lthteen days' cruise, under the direction l Dr. Lunn. The passengers, practically *1 of whom were people of gdod social tending, numbered 140, and there was a rw of over a hundred. In the early hours Tuesday morning, shortly after leaving: xho estuary of the Thames, the Argonaut into a thick fOIr. and was obliged to Proceed at a very slow rate. At half-past eig-ht in the morning, whe she WaB twenty I tbile off Dungeness, the Kingswell suddenly r loomed out of the fog:, and before anything could be done to avert disaster crashed into r the Argonaut's bows, tearing a great hole f in hr below the waterline. Captain Reed- fiSP* who was on the bridge of the Argo- j** the time, immediately recognised terri^i18 Vessel was doomed, but. although a ders v responsibility rested on his shoal- ness' maintained the most perfect calm- l voip- presence of mind. In an even I inp. "e gave prompt orders for the lower- 1 coll boats, and the crew, as cool and dir 36 their chief, carried out the ection without the slightest disorder, ere wa8 no panic. Most of the passengers »pre at. breakfast at the time, whilst others ere still in their cabins. All were speedily •<H on deck, having snatched as many of their belongings as they could convenientlv ca,rry. and were placed in the boats, which ere then lowered, and rowed in the direc- tion of the Kingswell. The passengers having all been safely taken Qtr, the crew followed, and within thirty j*inutes the Argonaut settled down and dis- appeared. The shipwrecked passengers au^ crew, numbering all told about 270, were Gilded at Dover at about four o'clock, after aving experienced close upon eight hours great discomfort and peril. The crew of of -^gonaut, i' is reported, lost the whole 1 their effects, and although some of the ftssengers managed to save a portion of heir belongings, the majority of them loet in excePk ^he clothes which they were wear- One lady passenger is reported to have jewels worth £ 6,000. It appears that here were seven pet cats on board the "•fgonaut, and several of the crew seemed greatly concerned at having been unable to fcave any of them. R The second officer of the yacht, Mr. W. H. atorm, was the only member of the crew who Ustained personal injury. During the opera- lon of lowering the boats after the collision a. ladder fell on his head, and he sustained »?veral bruises aud cuts to his face. When Storm reached Charing Cross at night 111 face was almost hidden with bandages.

SURVIVORS' STATEMENTS. BREAKFAST-TIME SHOCK: NO PANIC. throng of press representatives awaited arrival at Charing Cross Station of the Deci&l train which brought the survivors 0.OQl Dover. It arrived at half-past seven clock, and the utmost anxiety was at once to obtain narratives from those who so recently undergone deadly peril, Several of the survivors readily gave an j^°°unt of their startling adventure. Mr. dward Lunn, brother of Dr. Lunn. said tha.t collision occurred at twenty minutes to o'clock that morning. There was at the a calm sea, but a dense fog prevailed. A short time before the disaster o^jurred," narrator continued, "we had seen a ^scl advancing in our direction, but no one rattled to anticipate a collision until it took ^i&oe. The vessel was the Kingswell, of New- which was loaded with ore. She our yacht forward on the starboard )¡ de, a.nd the shock was, of course, violent as b ell as sudden. Our bugle had sounded for t\>kfast, and most of our passengers had s down to the saloon fpr that meal. V At first we did not, perhaps, fully realise extent of the damage, not being at the 1?ütnenot a.ware to what extent the Argonaut been injured under the water-line; but Were not left long in doubt on that point. collision had smashed in the ohief goer's cabin, and water got into our vessel increasing quantity. The passengers were 0-V^d to keep calm and get ready to go ij. board our boats, which they did without ^in!°' 0111 boat- were at onoe lowered ^^hout a hitch, and in about three-quarters lian hour all the passengers and crew had Put in them without further ocoident. kingswell had in the meantime become tl ohed from us, but stood by, and even- irl-y took our people 001 board. ^jf^on, however, tie captain pf the Kings- 1 beared for the safety of his own disa.bled &el, and advised the survivors to take to Wts again. The Kingswell then took small boats in tow, with separate • and then, in response to danger sig- answer came from another vessel, Southmoor, a l.ondon trainp, which ^niy hove in sight, to our great relief. The ^oor took us all on board, Captain ari(i h's crew doing everything they or us in the most humane and oon- tjqtJ*a'to manner i>ossible. We were then t4 n to Dover, and heard afterwards that ^iugswcll was beached off Dungeness." ^,yve^en' another of the survivors, ,ar^ this account given by Mr. Lunn, entirely corroborate every word Lunn has told you. The ladles '1.b,OUg the passengers were got off .first, and IJA VERY ORDERLY RESCUE. ^,yve^en' another of the survivors, ,ar^ this account given by Mr. Lunn, entirely corroborate every word Lunn has told you. The ladles the passengers were got off'first, and *°llowe<* *n an orderly crowd. The t^le boats was managed quietly, Jnrt- 'y. and without screaming or panic. niight almost have been a ueaal an ordinary excursion, so per- a,s the discipline upon all hands. We treated by our reeouens with the utmost kindness, which in some measure atoned for the disastrous check upon what would have been a. pleasant cruise." Mr. Lawrence, the purser, gave an account which in its main features corresponded with the particulars already given. He added that when they left the Argonaut she was already sinking, and water was also getting into the Kingswell, which had her bows smashed in. ADRIFT IN THE FOG. Dr. Alfred Callaghan, secretary of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, said: — We were sitting down to breakfast when there was a violent impact on the starboard bow. Everyone stood up in alarm, but there was no shrieking. Like the others. I hurried up on deck to see what was wrong. We were at first told that it was nothing serious, but on looking over the side I could see that our plates were indented, and the Kingswell was near with her bows badly damaged. Some of us were told that we might go down and finieh our break- fast. but any who did return to the saloon, either for that pur- pose or more probably to collect some of their property, were advised by the chief purser to return at once to the deck and prepare for emergencies. The boats were [then being lowered, and we all got on board without disorder. Before we went off I felt a downward movement of the Argonaut, the bows getting down to the water level. The discipline ou board was admirable. After getting on board the small boats we drifted about for some time in the fog, and at that time we could not see the Kingswell, but eventually we were taken on board that vessel, and remained there until it was no longer considered safe, when we returned to the boats. The foghorn of the Kingswell was meantime sounding an alarm, and ere long an answer came from the SouthmooT, whioh, happily, loomed in sight. The ladies were pulled up by rope ladders, and eventually we all got taken safely to Dover." LUGGAGE AND APPETITE LOST. Mrs. Carlyle, of Dublin, sister of Dr. Cal- laghan, saidAlthough fatigued and worn a little with the inevitable excitement, most of us are none the worse for our terrible experience. I did not leave with the other ladies in the first instance, being determined not to leave my brother. It is very fortunate for us that the &ea was so calm that the small boats could be managed without much danger. Of course, like the others, I lost all my luggage except the cloak I have over my arm. At one time I thought of trying to get down to my cabin on the Argonaut for a bag which contained some of my valuables, but found this to be impossible. The captain, officers, and crew were all most kind and considerate in every way, and oould not have done more than they did. When we landed at Dover we were taken to the Lord Warden Hotel, and offered food, but few of us had any appetite." Mr. E. A. Fisher and his brother, Mr. P. Fisher, of Luton, also speak highly of the excellent discipline maintained on boa.rd the Argonaut. THE CRUISE. Dr. H. S. Lunn, the organiser of the excur- sion, says:—"The Argonaut was insured. She was on her way to Marseilles for a oruise in the Western Mediterranean, and was after- wards going to the Adriatic, Tangier, Tunis, Gibraltar, Sicily, Palestine, and Greece were among the places to be visited. The Argonaut was a good yacht of 3,274 tone, and she carried a large crew, for when the list is full she could accommodate about 300 pas- sengers." In a further interview Dr. Lunn said: —" There were only 113 passengers on board the Argonaut, although the yacht had accommodation for 218. The crew all told numbered 118, so that there wore altogether 231 persons on board. The passengers came from London and from all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and those who do not live in London will be accommodated in hotels here for the night. As to the ques- tion of compensation to passengers, I am afraid I cannot say anything." A survivor states" The passengers were easily accommodated in the nine boats we launched. As it was, we left behind the large launch, and we could easily have taken another hundred people. Of course, several of the ladies were nervous, and when they got safely on the Kingswell they were quite prostrated by the excitement. I really don't know whether the Argonaut did sink. All we know is that we had to abandon her in a sinking condition. All the passengers, of course, lost their belongings, one lady, the Oountess de Hamil de Manin. being the greatest sufferer, losing altogether £6,000 worth of jewellery and furs."

SURBOUNDED BY GLOOM. LADY'S GRAPHIC NARRATIVE: TERRIFYING SCENE. A lady survivor told a press representative that "the impact shook the ship from top to bottom. Everybody seemed to know instinc- tively that a terrible disaster was upon us, and we were all on deck in a few minutes. There was nothing to see, for the fog was so thick that it shut out everything more than a few yards away from you. I really think that was the most terrifying aspect of it aJl. We felt so utterly belpletlS-a. sinking ship a.nd nothing to see but terrified faces and fog. It all seemed so frightfully lonely, I but somehow—I suppose it was all too horri- fying-nobody fainted. I had made up my mind for it that we were doomed, and I am certain that a.ll these other poor people thought the s.a.me thing. When I think of it now it all seems so noble. They just regarded it as inevitable, and whether from utter helplessness or resolve took their fate quietly. There was no shrieking, no panic, and the best of it all is that the quiet dis- position of the passengers was not due to any action of the officers, though I suppose they would have taken steps to calm us all had there been any alarm. I managed to save a. valuable miniature, but my watch went down in the boat with the rest of my belongings. We could feel the ship going down under our feet before we left. They lowered us with ropes caught round our waists. I felt a great deal relieved the moment we left the Argonaut, but things looked just as black again when we commenced to grope about in the fog. We could gee nothing, and we could hear nothing, and for three-quarters of an hour we felt ourselves at the mercy of anything that might suddenly spring out of the fog. At last we rea.ched the Kingswell, the vessel that had run into us, a.nd in a few minutes they had pulled the lot of us, with their ropes, up on to the deck. Well, we thought we were safe there, but it turned out that the Kingswell's captain was afraid his ship might go down. I heard that he did not want to alarm the ladies, and so kept the alarming news from us as long as he could. The men were working at the pumps all the time we were there, for the ship was making a good deal of water. After three-quarters of an hour or so we were told that we must get into the boat again, and so we did. We were picked up by a colliery boat, and though, of course, everything was terribly dirty OlD board, they did all they could for us, and we were very grateful to them for their kindness." Mrs. Carlyle spoke in glowing terms of the conduct of the officers and crew of the Argo- naut. "As for the purser and the first mate," she deolared enthusiastically, "they were simply splendid."

"THERE IS NO DANGER, BUT-" DOCTOR DESCRIBES A DREAD POSSIBILITY. Dr. Murray Leslie, of Harley-street, London, said:—There seemed to be plenty of time for the vessels to steer clear of each other. The officers kept calm and cool, and inspired con- fldenco. Go down to breakfast," they said. We are strxnok above the water line, and there is no danger." So down to breakfast we went, but we never finished the meal, for the purser came into the dining-room and said: Ladies and gentlemen, there is no danger, bat it would be as well for you all to come on deck. There is no hurry." When I returned to the deck the passengers were making their way into the boats. Ladies first," the oaptain said in a re-aseurinig tone, and all took him at his word. Many of us had had no breakfast; others very little, and the men on board the Kingswell kindly lowered us biscuits and butter. But," interposed a lady passenger, salt beef sandwiches and biscuits were hardly tempting under the circumstances, and most of us had lost our appetites." Dr. Leslie added:—" Had the collision occurred in the dark, or had the sea been choppy, there must inevitably have been loss of life."

FATE OF THE COLLIDING VESSELS. A wireless message from the German steamer Kaiser Wilhelm II. reports that she passed a sunken steamer—no doubt, the Argonaut—on Wednesday. Only the mast projected, about 30ft. out of the water, and the position of the vessel is regarded as very dangerous to navigation. The majority of the passengers of the Argo- naut, who hailed from the country, left for their homes after spending Tuesday night in various London hotels. The crew of the yacht attended at the company's offices on Wednes- day morning and were paid off. Mr. C. Perbwne, one of the directors of the Co-operative Cruising Company, informed a press reprentative that the company would certainly carry out the programme of winter cruises, with the exception, perhaps, of the next one to the Mediterranean. They would open negotiations immediately to charter another steamer. The question compensating the passengers for the loss of luggage was now in the hands of the soli- citors. The crew had lost both their effects and their job, but when the new yaoht was chartered all the men would be taken on. The Argonaut was insured in London for £23,000. Dr. Henry Lunn writes that a committee of former passengers on the Argonaut has been formed to raise a relief fund for the Argonaut's crew, many of whom escaped with only the clothes in whioh they stood np. An appeal is made to former passen- gers to subscribe the sum of £2,000. Con- tributions should be addressed to Sir Hichard Stapdey, J.P., 33, Bloomsbury- square, W.C., and crossed Argonaut Crew Relief Fund." The relief fund committee includes Lord Glanusk (chairman), the Earl of Galloway, the Earl of Lindsay, Viscount Garnock, Lord Lyveden, the Bishop of Barking, Sir Thomas Pile, and Sir Howell Davies, with Sir Richard Sta.pley, 33, Bloomsbury-square, W.C., as treasurer, and Dr. Lunn as secre- tary. SWANSEA MAN A PASSENGER. Amongst the passengers in the Argonaut was Mr. A. P. Steeds, of Swansea. Mr. Steeds, who chiefly resides at Langland and Cas- well, is a director of the Rhondda. and Swan- sea Bay Railway and a prominent Conserva- tive, and was formerly a dry docks manager.

FOOTBALL COUPONS. + ALLEGED USE OF FICTITIOUS NAMES AND ADDRESSES. Joseph Stoddart and Frederick Catling were summoned at the Mansion House, London, on Thursday for alleged conspiracy in connection witTT competitions in "racing record" aiid "Football Sport." Mr. Leicester for the prosecution said the facts were similar with regard to both com- petitions. With regard to "Football Sport" there vas a man nomed Price who, he understood, was well known in the football world, and was until recently editor and proprietor of a genuine paper called "Football Chat." In July Price wanted to sell it, and consulted Stoddart. They also discussed the plan of Price bringing out a competition called "Football Sport," quite (separate from the paper. After some interviews it was arranged that such a competition should be brought out, and an agreement was entered into by which Stod- dart was to assist in finding money for expenses, and was in return to take half the profits. In July Price went to Middleburg, Holland, where things had to be done to avoid ircfrincement of the laws of this country. On August 19 Catling, who was said to be associated with Stoddart, told Price they could not expect a profit for two or three weeks, but foy October they would be making money band over fist. He also &aid, "Can I trust you?" and Price replied that his friends always could. Cat- ling then explained that it was necessary in matters of that kind, in case some disastrous week came upon them, to have names and addresses, which could be used as the names and addresses of the winners. Price said he had not thought of that, but he had a rela- tive whom he thought would help him if it I was neoeesary to save him from heavy losses. Catiing suggested that he should find two addresses well outside London, and he (Catling) could find one or two, and Stoddart one or two. It was arranged with a man named Hudson, of Leicester, that he should for the purpose use the name of Stanhope, and send in a coupon with everything com- plete exoept the names of the winners. It was to be sent in M that form so that the names could be filled in by the surest pos- sible process by waiting until after the event. On August 30 Price and Catling went to Middelburg to receive the letters from the competitors. On September 1 a letter from Stanhope or Hudson arrived, with others. Catling told a man na.med Klinge to FILL IN A COUPON. There were some conversations about the difficulty of filling it in in ink on account of the colour. Finally it was arranged that the coupon should be torn up and a fresh one made out. On September 3 Price received a telegram from Stoddart, instructing him to return to London, and on the following day he saw him. Stoddart said the result was disappointing, and he could not go on pro- viding expenses. An arrangement was made by which Price handed over to Stoddart any interest he might have in £800, which he expected would be realised from the sale of "Football Chat." In the meantime the result of the competition had been published, and ^ta,nhope, of Leicester, was one of the winners.. The Alderman: There were five genuine winners? Mr. Reycesiter: There was one we know to be genuine and one we know to be false. As to the four others we know nothing at pre- Foent. It was only fair to say, counsel added, tha.t Price had a violent disagreement with »Stoddart as to who was to find the prize money. He mentioned that so that the alder- man might realise what Price's position was. I Of course, "both Prioe and a witness named Cowley, who would be called in connection with the "Boeing Record" Competition, were accomplices, and if the case went to a jury it would be for them to say whether there was sufficient corroboration. Herbert Frederick Cowley, a. clerk, of Thames Ditton, was called with reference to the "Racing Record" Competition. He said he had made inquiries about certain persons for Stoddart, and had. been paid by him. On June 10 Stoddart told him to go to Gravesend and And a place where he could I ha.ve letters addressed. Witness asked if he should give his own name, and Stoddart said, "Oh! give W. Butterworth." Witness arranged for letters in that name to be received a.t a, shop in New-road, Graveeend. When the result of the "Racing Record" Competition No. 28 came out he saw that "Butterworth" was one of the winners. On June 17 Catling sent him down to Gravesend for a registered letter, and he fetched it. A witness DID NOT SIGN ANY COUPON in the name of Butterworth, or in any other name, and did not receive any portion of the prize money. Cross-examined by Mr. Abinger. the witness said that since he was last in employment as a clerk he had been living by his wits and his friends. Mr. Abinger: Whioh a.re you living on now? Witness: My friends. Do you know a man named Windust?—Yes. Is he the proprietor of a similar concern at Middelburrg in opposition to that of Mr. Stoddard ?—Not as far as I know. Do you go to see Windust?—Certainly, 1 dine with him nearly every day. Has Windust been supplying you with money?—Yes. By directions of the police, I put it to you that Windust has inspired this prosecu- tion?—I deny it. Did not you suggest to Klinge, Stoddart's manager, at Middelburg, that you should send in this coupon in the name of Butter- worth ?—I deny it. But ultimately, on your persuasion, ho agreed to it?—It's a cock-and-bull story. Look a.t this note (produced)?—Would you like a, copy of my handwriting. I don't suppose you were so simple as to write it yourself. Did you send it?—Certainly not. Further questioned, the witness said it was untrue that any such arrangement was carried out, or that he received a prize of £100 and paid Klinge £20 out of it. He was not fotroibly ejeoted from the office by Stod- dart for getting money out of prize winnres, nor did he instruct another man to try to extort money from Stoddart. He went to Windust because he was a friend, and asked his advice as to the best way to get out of being let in with a swindle. Mr. A hanger: I put it that it was a bargain between you and Windust to destroy Stod- dart? WitnessIt was not. Windust took me to a Bolicitor, who pat the matter before the Publio Prosecutor. You and Windust and Price got this story up and arranged to bring a. police officer down to Windust's place?—Nothing of the kind. The hearing was adjourned.

FRAUD ON A WELSHMAN IN LONDON. LIFE SAVINGS TAKEN BY A STRANGER. An impudent fraud was perpetrated on a Bangor resident whilst visiting the Franco- British Exhibition last week. Whilst strol- ling round the grounds he was accosted by a well-dressed individual, who suggested that they should view the exhibition together as they were both from the country. The Welshman agreed, and they arrived at the Machinery-hall, where the stranger pointed to a certain machine and said, I have an improvement out, but I can't bring it out owing to want of capital." This remark was overheard by a gentleman, who joined the • couple and asked for particulars of the patent, which were supplied with a wealth of detail. The gentleman expressed himself as fully satisfied with the patent, and said he would invest £100. and it was suggested that the Welshman should invest £150, and, unfortunately, he fell into the trap. He explained that the money was down at Bangor, and his original companion actually came down to Bangor with him for it and they returned to London together. They repaired to the exhibition, where the money was handed over by the unsuspecting Welsh- man, and his companion went into an office to sign a receipt. The Welshman waited outside, but the inventor" never returned. The sad part of the etory is that the £ 150 represented the Welshman's life savings.

VACANCY IN THE CABINET. ♦ RESIGNATION OF LORD TWEEDMOUTH. ATTRIBUTED TO HEALTH BREAKDOWN. Lord Tweedmouth has resigned the office of Lord President of the Council, for reasons of health, and the King has been pleased to accept hia resignation. The resignation occasions no surprise, for it has Ion j# been recognised that hia lorJ- ship's health was such as to give little hope of sufficient improvement to warrant him in taking over again the active duties even of a post which makes so few demands upon its holder as that of Lord President of the Council. The Earl of Crewe, who preceded Lord Tweedmouth in the office, has been act- ing as Lord President for some time as locum tenens for him, and there is some probability that for a time this arrangement will be con- tinued. The retiring Minister did yeoman service to his party as Mr. Marjoribanks in the position of Chief Whip, and it was quite expected when Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was forming his Cabinet that Lord Tweedmouth would bo chosen for one of the principal offices, carrying Cabinet rank. He went, it will be re-called, to the Admiralty in capacity of First Lord. Towards the close of his period there the incident of the exchange of letters with the German Kmperor caused a considerable stir in the political world, and when. on Mr. Asquith succeeding Sir Henry OAmpbell-Bannerman as Prime Minister last April the Cabinet changes then made included Lord Tweedmouth's transfer from the Admiralty to the office of Lord Presi- dent, there were not wanting those who traced a connection between the incident of the letters and the change in his lord- ship's official position. It if. however, practically certain that Lord Tweedmouth's breakdown of health, or threatened breakdown, was known to his intimates long before it became public pro- perty, and that the new Premier decided to place him in a position where the light- ness of his dirties would ensure him com- parative rest and assist him to recuperate, if improvement was possible. In a speech delivered soon after the exchange of seals Lord Tweedmout!; stated that, his transfer from the Admiralty was due to the desire of the new "Premior that the head of the Admiralty department, as well as the head of the War Offioe, should we a person having a gp-at in the House of Commons. Lord Tweedmouth's successor at th4 Admiralty was Mr. Reginald M'Kenna. and Lord Tweedmouth himself succeeded the Earl of Orewe as Lord President of the Council. Unhappily, the hopes of his friends have not been realised, and Lord Tweed Dlouth's resignation of his new office has accordingly been tendered and accepted. During the greater part of his illness Lord Tweedmouth has been living at a villa in Wimbledon, where he has been the object of every care and attention on the part of members of his family, particularly his sister, the Countess of Aberdeen. It is understood that the patient is to stay for a time with her ladyship in Ireland, in the hope that the change of air and scene may help to bring about an improvement. On several occasions recently statements have found publication to the effect that changes in the personnel of the Administra- tion are imminent, but they have never taken a form definite enough to indicate who ia likely to become Lord Tweedmouth's successor. It is possible, having regard to the lightness of the duties, and having regard also to recent precedents, that the office may be held in pliirality by some peer already holding office in the Cabinet.

.E. WARSHIP INJURED IN COLLISION. —■+ FOG INCIDENTS IN THE SOLENT. During a. heavy fog in the golent, which caused the suspen^ion of the steamboat traffio between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, two mishape occurred to naval vessels. The gunboat Bonrces went ashore on Bern- bridare and a torpedo-boat was sent from Portsmouth to her aid, and after some hours' delay succeeded in getting her afloat. As the torPedo-boat was towinlO the Bources slowly back to Portsmouth the former oraft collided with the steamer Colombia, which was passing down the Solent from Southampton. The torpedo-boat's bows were badly buckled by the impact. She crawled, with the gun- boat in tow. to the harbour entrance, where assistance was rendered in getting them in. The torpedo-boat was taken into the basin for her damage to be repaired. The number of the torpedo-boat was 026. The Colombia is under repair. WRECK OF A TRAWLER. During a dense fog the steam trawler Manaos, of Milford. went ashore on Clohane Island, near Mizzen Head. Cork. The mate, Charles M'Kenna, is missing, and it is feared that he was drowned. The cook, Richards, J was rather badly hurt by a fall. The captain and crew of eight were able to get ashore in safety. After ten hours on the beach in the fog they were found by the foreman of j the new fog signal-station, a.nd their wants attended to. The trUwlcr had been fishing off the Blaskts until Tuesday, and was returning to Milford with her catch when she ran ashore. Captain Salter acted with great coolness in saving the crew and getting them ashore. The crew saved include Thomas Hitch- IDlgE (engineer), Dan Nicholls, James Molo- John barker, Albert Evans, John Richards, and John Davis. The Manaos was a fine new vessel, built and launched only last January by the Smith Dock Shipbuild- ing Company, Shields. She will be a total loss, it is feared, though at present on an even keel, but the sea is breaking over her. LIFEBOAT RESCUES TEN MEN. The Cloughey lifeboat was launched on Wednesday to the assistance of the -Glasgow steamer Glaesford, which had stranded whilst bound for Belfast, with coal. The lifeboat rescued the crew of ten men. DISASTER AT SMYRNA: 140 DROWNED. A steamer belonging to the Turkish Hairieh Company ran down the local ferry steamer Stambul outside the harbour at Smyrna, and 140 persons were drowned.—Router.

CURIOUS CASE OPENED AT CARDIFF. William Webb Dukes, well known at Cardiff Docks was summoned at Cardiff on Wednesday before Mr. E. Milner Jones (deputy-stipendiary), by Mabel Consuuio1 Carroll (stylishly dressed), who alleged thefts. Mr. Harold Lloyd was for the pro- secutrix; Mr. G. F. Willett defended. Mr. Harold Lloyd said this was an unu&ual case, and it was necessary and important that Dukes should be bound over. Mrs. Carroll was in terror of him. and there were one or two unpleasant inoidente he (Mr. Lloyd) was bound to point out. Com- plainant was a divorced person, the wife of an Army officer, in 1905 she picked up with defendant under oircumstanoes that would come fully before the court on Friday week in connection with an affiliation summons. The pair living together, a child was born. Mrs. Carroll came to Cardiff to obtain cus- tody of the child, and took apartments in plantagenet-strect. Defendant (having re- ceived the summons) began to pester her, and tried to drive her out of the city. On Saturday morning he met her in Duke- street, and his conduct then was such that she had to claim the protection of Police- constable John Male. In the presence of the latter, defendant, who was very excited, made a certain suggestion, the officer advising one of the parties to go one way and the other another. Complainant was extremely upset and frightened, and on the Monday morning she took out a summons for threats. Having the two summonses. defendant went to a house in Fi b-h amon- embankment and inquired for complainant. and, although the door was in his face, he remained outside for a considerable time. TTpon the understanding given by defen- dant—upon his word of honour—that he would not again molest complainant, he was bound over in the sum of £ 10 until Friday week, when both summonses will be heard.

TOWN-CLERK'S SUDDEN DEATH. Mr. Joseph Griffith, town-olerk, of Newoastle-under-Lyme, was on Saturday found dead in his ohair in his omoe. He had just commenced to open his letters, and a half-opened letter was in one of hie hands. Death was due to heart failure.

POWERS' VIEWS ON THE TROUBLE. BULGARIA'S CONDUCT UNJUSTIFIABLE. Router's Agency understands that Great Britain has informed Bulgaria that, in the view of his Majesty's Government, the con- tinued occupation of the Oriental Railways by Bulgaria is unjustifiable. Despite ominous rumours of a possible out- break of armed strife between Turkey and Bulgaria, the belief is firmly held in diplo- matic circles in London that a peaceful solu- tion of the difficulty will be found. It is understood in the best informed quarters 71 London that the Turkish Government has addressed a Note to the Powers on the sub- ject, laying before them the details of the question, and that the general view in the capitals approached is that, upon the oase submitted, Turkey is undoubtedly in the right and Bulgaria absolutely in the wrong. So long as the latter does not conform to this view the prospeots of a peaceful settle- ment are not necessarily brightened by the appeal to the signatories to the Berlin Treaty, but there can be no doubt that the Powers will offer their friendly advice and do all they can to restore harmony. The Press Association understands that the Porte, in the event of failure to secure a reasonable settlement as the result of its representations to the Powers, is prepared to submit the whole matter to the arbitration of The Hague Tribunal or some other impar- tial arbitrator. As a preliminary, Turkey has taken a course that fully commends itself to the Powers. It has notified the Bul- garian Goverpment that if its agent returns to Constantinople lie will be treated in every way as before the dispute arose. Thus it is clear that the Porte is making laudable endeavours to avoid any appeal or resort to force, tipon this attitude is largely based the optimism which prevails in diplomatic ciroles that a peaceful solution will be found. The Turkish Ambassador in London is keeping closely in touch with the Foreign Offioe in Downing-street, and on Monday paid a prolonged visit to the department. Sir Edward Grey is not in town, but his Excel- lency saw Sir Charles Hardinge, the Permanent Under-Secretary. BULGARIA DEFIANT. SOFIA, Monday. The German and Austro-Hungarian repre- sentatives here have been instructed by their Governments to protest formally against Bulgaria's occupation of the Oriental Rail- way, which is foreign property, and to demand the restoration of the status quo. The Bulgarian Government, which is obliged to take into account the national will, cannot withdraw, and will issue a Note in reply explaining its motives for the occu- pation of the line, and giving fresh assurances that it will safeguard the inte- rests of the Oriental Railway Company. A meeting attended by several thousand persons was held on Sunday, when a resolu- tion was pas6ed approving the occupation by the Bulgarian Government of the section of the Oriental Railway situated in Bul- garian territory, and begging the Govern- ment not to be deterred uy any difficulty from definitely keeping the line, the work- ing of which by the Bulgarian Administra- tion would meet the wish of the whole nation.—Reuter. PARIS, Monday. The "Matin" Berlin correspondent quotes a telegram from Agranf, the capital of Croatia, announcing that six convoys are now permanently stationed at Bolovar, ready to be sent to Philippopohs should any trouble or suspicions movements of the Turkish troops manifest themselves in the Novi Bazar district. The 16th Regiment also at Bolovar, ready to march at the first warning, while troops are further being held in readiness on the Turko-Bosnian frontier.— Central News. VIENNA, Monday. The Charge d'Affaires addressed a. protect to the Bulgarian Government yesterday on behalf of the Austro-Hungarian Government. A council of Ministers will be held on the I return of the Bulgarian Premier from Vienna, and after the council the Bulgarian Govern- ment will reply to the protest.—Reuter.

WAR DISCUSSED BY THE TURKISH CABINET. The Paris edition of the "New York Herald" has received the following from Con- stantinople:— At a recent Council of Ministers the possi- bility of war with Bulgaria was discussed. The Grand Vizier advocated war, but the decision was reached to find a peaceful solution to the situation. The Grand Vizier thereupon tendered his resignation to the Sultan, who refused to accept it. On inquiry on Tuesday at the Bulgarian Diplomatio Agency a. press representative was informed that no further information had been received from the Government at Sofia relative to the occupation of the Oriental Railway. It was stated, however, that the action of the British, German, and Austro-Hungarian Governments was regarded as a recommenda- tion to settle the d'spute as quickly as pos- sible in an amicable manner. The safety of the country," an official said, "comes above all things, and our action in regard to the railway was absolutely I necessary, but you may rest assured that foreign material interests will be amply safe- guarded." It is reported that the Bulgarian Premier, M. Malinow, had an audience with Prince Ferdinand in Hungary, and on his return ro Sofia convened a meeting of Ministers. He declared his full support of the attitude adopted by the Government, :nd Faid he would not even think of surrendering the line. He hoped, however, that an equitable basis might be found for negotiations with the owners of the railway. On the question of Bulgarian independence, the Premier said this question does not con- cern the Government as such. disclaiming responsibility for the statement of Dr. Ment- ch, the Bulgarian Agent in London, that the time had come for the Principality to proclaim its independence. Dr. Mentchavitch has been telegraphically summoned to return to Sofia.

G.W.R. BRANCH CHANGES. SECOND-CLASS DOOMED: LESS SUNDAY TRAFFIC. The Great Western Railway Company are next month abolishing second-class carriages on certain branch lines. From October 1, first and third-olase coaches only will be run on the branches serving Ross, Monmouth, and Pontypool Road, Wye Valley, Coleford, Porthcawl, Morriston, Pontypool Road and Swansea, Hir- wain, Whitland and Pembroke Dock. Aberyst- wyth, Newcastle Emlyn, Leominster and New Radnor, Eardisley, Presteign, Bromyard, and Leominster. Forty-three stations are to be closed on Sun- day, including Cwmavon (Mon.), Llanharan, Llanvihangel, Pandy, Penpergwm, Ponthir, Pontrhydyrun, and Tram Inn. The first train from up the line to Porth- cawl will not arrive till 11.34, and the council of that seaside resort have protested against the change.

CARDIFF SHIP-REPAIRER AN D HIS OOODS. Richard Daniells, ship-repairer, charged Sarah Williams at Cardiff on Tuesday with fraudulently converting to her own use cer- tain goods, of the value of £4. Mr. Herbert Samuel (for prisoner) cloeely examined prosecutor, eliciting that prisoner received no wages. Upon Mr. Samuel's sug- gestion that he and the woman lived as man and wife, prosecutor demurred, though He could assign no satisfactory reason why pri- soner should have resided in the same house without salary for eighteen months. Witness admitted having pawned a lot of the things himself. Examination by the magistrates'-clerk (Mr. Dan Rees) revealed apparent hesitation on prosecutor's part to answer questions, and this called forth a rebuke from the bench. Mr. Samuel submitted that the prisoner, whom he stated was related to a well-known and respected Denbigh family, had no case to answer. The Bench ca.me to the conclusion that there was no case against the prisoner, whom they discharged.

AMERICAN BREACH CASE. A case which is likely to cause an immense sensation in society circles throughout the States has just been begun at New York. Miss Ada Louise Lonsdale, a well-known actress, has brought an action for breach of promise of marriage against Mr. Blaine Elkins, a son of Senator Elkins and brother of the Miss Katherine Elkins, who is engaged to the Duke of the Abruzzi. Mr. Blaine Elkins, from whom damages of LZO,OOO are claimed, was married in Feb- ruary last to Miss Emily Bird Kenna. Senator Elkins declares that the statements made are absolutely baseless.—Central News.

POPLAR POOR-LAW SCANDAL. — ♦ GUARDIANS CHARGED WITH FRAUD. BUILDING CONTRACTS IMPUGNED. ALLEGED UNNECESSARY REPAIRS. i Seven Poor-law guardians or ex-guardians of Poplar, including one woman who is still a guardian, who were arrested under drama- tic circumstances at the instance of the Trea- sury, were brought up at Thames Police-court on Saturday. They were:- Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Cordery. guardian, "UT Deras-street, Bromley, E., widow. Charles Samuel Poole, ex-manager of Poplar and Bromley Joint Sick Asylum, of the Nelson Hotel, Prittlewell, pub- lican. John Kilpack Peacock, ex-manager, of Sidney-grove, East Ham, tailor and out- fitter. Albert Smith, ex-manager, of Aberfeldy- Etreet, Bromley, E., decorator. John Robert Smith, ex-manager, of Bury- street, Lower Edmonton, general fore- man. Job Bellsham, present manager, Abbott- road, Poplar, E., coal dealer. Alfred Edwin Findon, ex-manager, Gros venor-buildings. Poplar, E., club sec- retary. The accused were charged with "conspiring, combining, confederating, and agreeing together fraudulently to cheat Poplar atii Bromley Joint Sick Asylum of valuahle securities against the peace and law of King Edward." tenders from a bribing contractor. The Poplar Board of Guardians had delegated eight and the Stepney Board of Guar- dians four of their number to manage two asylums for the accommodation of the siok poor. These delegates drew the necessary funds by precepts forwarded to the boards of guardians. One of the asylums was at Bromley, and the other, a branch asylum, at Black wall. This latter asylum was taken over by this board of managers in 1901, and some thousands of pounds were spent in putting it in order. The expenditure of these managers rose between 1897 and 1906 from t35,000 to E62,000 a year. In 1906, the year in which a public inquiry was held into the affairs of the Poplar Guardians, there was a decrease of expenditure of something like £ 10,000. It was quite possible that, apart from building works contracts, which would form the main subject to be dealt with that day, theiv might be other subjects to be gone into at a later stage, but so far as the building contracts were concerned anybody who looked into the minutes and correspondence of this board of managers must recognise that the losses inflicted on the public could net be explained on the basis of the incompetence and unfitness of the defendants for their duties. The proceedings of the board raised the inevitable inference that there was going on amongst its members. Mr. Bodkin, for the Director of Public Pro eecutions, explained that the conspiracy took the form of accepting extravagant SAFEGUARDING THE RATEPAYERS. This being the third of a series of prose- cutions in which the represcnta-tives and trustees of the public had been accused here, it would seem a question whether the expenditure of anything except the smallest possible sums should not be superintended by some central contracting authority, r>o as to prevent the gross waste of public money which those cases showed had taken place. Tne evidence in the present case would at present be limiteid to the aspect of it placed before the court by two witnesses named Galoutt and Watts. Calcutt was a builder and contractor, of Mile End, and it would be shown that £ 3,000 had been paid to him between the dates mentioned for work done at the branoh asylum, although that building had been put in thorough repair after it was acquired in 1901. Thia building indeed seemed to be under the necessity of being oonstantly dealt with by a builder. not- withstanding the enormous sums previously laid out upon it. Of that expenditure of £ 3,000, only £ 500 was in respect of contracts obtained in competition with other firms I that tendered. The remaining £Z,5ao was for work done at Calcutt's own figure without any attempt at competition or supervision, either of quantities, quality, or charges, without consulting any architect, and in spite of numerous protests by a party of economists on the board. This could ba explained on no other theory than that it had been made the interest of the defen- dants to iet Calcutt have this work to do at his own price, and that in lact Calcutt had these sevon defendants and nn eighth person not yet arrested in his pay. The oaae rested to a large extent upon Calcutt's evidence, but corroboration would be produced which would leave no doubt of the substantial cor- rectness of his story. In order to accomplish their ends a very ingenious method was adopted of evading the Local Government Board's regulations. The Local Governme,it Board had laid down that every contract which there was reason to believe would exceed £50 should be put up to publio tender. NO PUBLIC TENDERING. If there was any ground for not doing this a special power of exception had to be got from the Looal Government Board. This board of managers, in order to evade tfiis regulation, allowed the estimate, amounting to hundreds of pounds, to be split up into sums of just under f,50, by separating the work acoording to the different floors, corri- dors, walls, and so forth. Counsel went in great detail into the separate transactions regarding which he would present evidence. Not only in regard to Calcutt, but in regard to other contractors, it was to be noted that, year in and year out, they were always the same persons who were supplying com- modities to this board of managers. This investigation might extend to these persons. The position which was taken up by these defendants when they were arrested was that they knew absolutely nothing of the matter at all. and that they were entirely innocent of any conspiracy or arrange- ment whioh might be considered dis- ci-editable. When the case was laid before the ma,gistrate the latter would no doubt think this also was a case where the opinion of a jury at the Central Criminal Court should be taken regarding persons who had systematically abused their trust. The court adjourned for luncheon. After an interval for hearing its ordinary summonses, the court took police evidence of arrest of the accused guardians, who all denied that they had been guilty of any conspiracy or had received money from con- tractors. The detectives also spoke of searches for correspondence, relating in some oases to applications for loans and in other cases to articles received as presents b.v the defen- dants from Calcutt and other contractors. The prisoners were remanded till Thursday. The Magistrate allowed ba.il in two sureties of.EI50 each, and, in the ease of Mrs. Cordery in consideration of her having blen ill and suffering from the effects of influenza, allowed her to go o-n her own recognisances for the sum of £ 100.

ANOTHER CANDIDATE FOR A THRONE. The Paris Matin" in a, telegram from Tangier says the candidature of Muley Mohamed, another brother of Abd-el-Ajrix to the Throne of Morocco is now bezinning seriously.

==- STOP PRESS. k

OVERHEAD RAIL DISASTER. TERRIBLE SCENES IN BERLIN. COACH HURLED INTO THE STREET. Berlin was on Saturday the scene of a shocking railway accident. Two trains coiuded on t.he electric elevated railway, one of the cars being hurled into the street bt-low and another hanging over the parapet Seventeen persons were kiUed outright anc as many more were injured. Eye-witnesses describe the frightful crash that occurred. The imprisoned passengers who survived the disaster were seized with panic, and it was some time before they could be released. When the fire brigade reached the scene they saw blood-stained fragments of human bodies hanging from the viaduct. The accident was caused by one of the trains over-running the danger signal, and many of the deaths were due to the victims coming into contact with the electrio current. HOW THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. The accident happened under the follow- um.'7 ing eirc 'tan ces: A train travelling from the Leipziger-plat* to the Moec-kern Brueekc ran past the danger signal at the junction near the Potsdamer Bahnhof and rammed a train coming from t.he Buelow-strasse broadside on It was a car of the latter train which fell off the viaduct. The elevated electric railway running from the suburb of Westend to the Wars- cliauer Bruecke, in the heart of the com- mercial eastern district, makes a loop to the Leipziger-platz; every third train or so. however, runs direct along the rails of the third side of the triangle, not touching the Leipziger-platz at all. The arrangement requires a very delicate setting of the points, especially as the trains race along the railway high above the street at a good pace. It was into one of such trains that the westward-bound train ran, knocking over a third-class carriage, all tne trains being composed of one second and two third class coaches. The third class coach was simply tipped over from a height of about 20ft. on to the asphalt courtyard of a cold storage ware- house situated in the centre of the vast maze of yards and warehouses surrounding the Anhalter and Potsdamer Railway termini. The coach wgs smashed to atoms and the occupants were buried beneath them. The fire brigade, which had great difficulty in reaching the scene Qf the accident owing to the intervening network of yards, were confronted with a terrible spectacle. Blood- stained fragments of human bodies were hanging from the ironwork of the parapet, while from a second-class car hanging over the viaduct resounded the frantic screams of the imprisoned occupant? in a panic of foar. The firemen finally lifted the coach with crowbars on to the rails and released, the passengers. MARVELLOUS ESCAPES.. Several passengers in the fallen coach had marvellous escapes. One yotv.g man who had I cq' the pre-ence of mind to grip the overhead brass rail was swung out through the open door as the coach crashed downwards and landed with his feet on the ground. The injiii-ed included a school-boy whose father and sister were killed on the spot. According to the official statement of the Elevated and Underground Railways Com- pany. the blame for the accident lie, with the driver of the train from the Leipziger- platz, a man who had been in the company's crvice for many years, on account of his passing the danger signal. Neither this driver nor any of the passengers in this train were injured.

WELSH E OUCATION DEFECTS. 4 MR. R UNCI MAN SPEAKS AT TOWYN. Mr. Walter Runciman, President of the Board of Education, was the principal speaker at the cereimony of opening the new buildings of the Towyn County School on Tuesday. The buildings have been erected at a cost of n,850, and accommodation is provided for 170 pupils. The opening ccremony was performed by Mrs. Corbett, of Droitwioh. The proceedings were presided over by Mr. Haydn Jones, chairman of the Merionethshire Education Committee, and amongst those present were Principal Roberts, Aherystwyth, Mr. Osmond Williams, M.P., Colonel Pryce Jones, Mr. O. M. Edwards, and Mr. Owen Owen. Mr. Runciman, who was actompanied by Mrs. Runciman. was warmly received. Sp-Daking of Welsh secondary education, he said he had been reminded by Mr. O. M. Edwards that in Wales enthusiasm for education sprang very largely out of their Sunday school system. He was proud of the fact that the founder of the sect to which ho belonged, John Wesley—(applause)—had something to da with stirring the dry bones of Wales. The present condition of elemen- tary schools was a matter of profound satis- faction, but they required constant atten- tion. The standard had to be maintained. their methods must be simplified, and they must do what they could to retain the chil- dren in the schools as long as possible. He hoped before he ceased to be President of the Board of Education to see the organisa- tion of the training college system in Wales completed. They wished to provide for the IVelsh children the best teachers, training colleges, and universities that it was possible to seoure. Mr. Runciman deplored the fact that there were too few technical schools in Wales, and hoped that the next outburst of educational enthusiasm in the Principality would take the form of founding, organising, and running technical schools. The right hon. gentleman went on to say that he was glad to find the Welsh secondary schools becoming more democratio and national, and that the Welsh language was now a vital and prominent part of the curriculum of most of the schools. He would not have them go away, however, with the feeling that they had now rcJled the very pinnacle of perfection. There were some faults in the secondary school system of Wales which nuMt be undone or got over sooner or later. From what he had seen there was a too rigid uniformity, there was not suffi- cient adaptability to the needs, the tastes, and the requirements of the neighbourhoods in which some of the schools were placed. The same things were taught in the same way in pnRcticaily every intermediate school. Secondary echools should help those who attended them to take their place in the affadr3 of after life better equipped than if they had not been at those schools, and they could not attain that object unless they considered the needs and peculiarities of the neighbourhood from which the school drew its pupils, and to which they would ultimately return. He also feared that the examination spirit could become too dominant, and he uttered a word of warning on that subject. Also he thought it was quite possible that inspection might become too much of a detective matter. In conclusion, Mr. Runciman said that as Ion: as he was President of the Board of Educa- tion Wales would have every advantage which was showered on richer England, and if he could see the corner-stone put on part of their educational system he would count the term he had served as Minister of Educa. tion among the most happy and prosperous years of his life.

WATCHING THE COAST OF THE CHANNEL. ADMIRALTY PROMISE AN INQUIRY. Two more bodies have been recovered in North Devon, supposed to be from the wrpc't of the Phyllis Gray a fortnight a?o. One was that of the lad Spald, of Ipewk-h. At the inquest held on the bodies on Friday nig-ht the jury returned a verdict of "Found drowned," and joined in the drastic rider returned by the Braunton jury on the un- satisfactory watching of the coast, which had permittod three recent wrecks in the bay without any being seen. The Coroner eaid both the Board of Trade and Admiralty had promised the fullest inquiry, the latter body with regard to the coastguard arrangements. The Foreman (Oaptain Hobbs) said it war badly wanted all along the coast

PATKNTS ACT: AMERICAN FIRM'S NEW VENTURE. (Some three acres of land have been acquired at Wrenbury, near Nantwich, Cheshire, by an American firm—the Treefood Company1-who propose building an extensive factory for the manufacture of milk and egg food. It is understood that the building of workt for the company in this country is due to the operation of the now Patents Act.