The Cardiff Times

Many People Killed. 'tIfOUIANDS RENDERED HOMELESS. TOWNS WIPED OUT. Monday.—A telegram has been gjj. Wilfred Laorier from. Craa- Columbia, to the effect that a 'UevU8 e ^lae occurred in Kootenay Vw J? destroying Fernie, Hoeer, Crow's Nest .Sey.r?'Peaces. lives have been lost, and 500 people ^Baeiess. been asked for, and the Federal l fysw*ven*> are taking action.—Exchange. 9* ra-r/^Jtfonday.—A tremendous bush fire several days past in the Kootenay in the extreme north of Idaho and small towns have beenin- ifotind. In the flames and levelled to the ln!^e^' FePorts estimate the number of r^irirfti 100 while the damage done, in- HlUi? 'he value of the great tracks of valu- a J'Qaber. is placed at 6,000,000 dollars. thousand people have been rendered Vhv^ss relief trains are being despatched help. Vjjj* Are still rages unchecked, and the flames H^Gbably g^eep into Montana^—Central j S^MB.C.}, Monday.—The Government ?*Vej*ertake tlie relief of the persons who their homes through the fire at The homeless are being quartered in towns. Communication with 'stated district is interrupted.—Beuter v Trapped Like Rats. JW^Qver, Sunday (delayed in tranSmis- ^j^^emie, a prosperous town of 6,000 in- in the south-eastern corner of this ^w~Ce» has been destroyed by fire, and other it are thr«iteiied. The whole r i3 a mass of flames. It is feared beenlostat Fernie alone, and over fti^Persona homeless there. The entire lai ^rom Michel to Fernie is devastated. >V*d ^"fst estimate of the number of dead in Pernie is 170. This is exclusive of 64 °eUeved to have been lo3t in the lumber ^e^A^bich was surrounded by fire, all ways being cut off. It is believed not a Person in the camp survives. The esti- Pt the property lost in the Fe^me district £ l,C00T000 to £ 1,600,000 sterling. The Pacific Railway is a heavy sufferer. j*8 absolutely destroyed, and the refugees sent by hundreds to Cranbrook, nien are fighting the bush fire. A Meeting is being held here to arrange TirW °^, relief for the victims of the disaster. » ^es, pgr Press Association. v.^PalIing Havoc in the Plains. ^Oo^fia,, B.C., Monday.—The Mayor of Cran- that 170 lives have been lost in X »^ty of Fernie as the result of the bush damage done to the value of 8,000,000 from Fernie to-night says Elk I v siley is a seething hell, the number of jH^ijProbably being greater than in any 9 ^5jt £ °Pbe since the San Francisco earth- of devastation stretches from ^5}*>-5° Michel, and includes Hosmar and which are regarded as doomed. J^ilroad bridges have been burnt. ^U^P^QpLe are deserting Michel and making K^ih^Pfairies.—Renter. (Ww^Peg, Monday.—The bush fire is stall *^iierPUnd Michel. The flames spread through ehes of lightning, being aided by ^'c wind, and in an hour's time. 6,000 homeless. v't :J; is urgently needed, and if it is not oo^ttiediately many children will die. of dollars have been offered by Canadian cities, and flour is being «« J0r^ard to the stricken district. The the United States are also sending aid. country away from the railway nw? Seething with flames', and the outlook desperate.—" Times Telegram. Origin of the Calamity. Winnipeg correspondent of the cle" cables The forest fires have C for nearly two weeks past in the titi tains and have destroyed immense of valuable timber, constantly bearer the townlets further down the £ iday, without any warning, the fire range and, fanned by a fierce wind, °^itskirts of Pernie. This place tructed almost entirely of wood, and resistance whatever to the fierce fire j^w^hed down from the mountain side, everything in its path. {C was with the greatest di^Bculty W bulk of the inhabitants escaped with V^a In the attempt to save household ^ej^»d valuables some dozen people were (i«ath and 100 or more were badly Smothering clouds of smoke poured a burning green woods of the forests, locating the inhabitants. Sweeps Min" ing Field. SwePt on after destroying Fernie, out Goal Oeek and Morrissey, .0n as far south as Elko, which was destroyed. At the same time, bad swept further to the east' from i?' an<l fallen with' full force upon the ^'f}c the lower loop of the Canadian f^vl-way, which group themselves pows Nest. wJvL the richest coal and oil field in all O* .aj^d plenty of material lay at hand ^ic^ch to feed the flames which carried R*Jand devastation in all directions. people have been.driven from and have taken refuge wherever it to escape the fire. In some in- has been on bare plateaus, and "eose suffering owing to lack of food. ^Ia Coal Mines Ablaze. (D ^nding this message a telegram has y of +, from Cranbrook, stating that i ,workings at Crows Nest Pass, in R;,?11163 belonging to the Canadian Vjare ablare, and that much of for winter use by the railways also afire. A rough estimate of CiSwicf pv«s the figures at £ 2,500,000, early to make anything like jb^stirnate. The damage to indus- direci and indirect, is incalculable. It is Stated that the only building that was not burned at Fernie was a large grocery shop which was constructed of stone. The forest fires are still burning on the Elk range, though at present it does not seem that any more towns are threatened on that side, which is toward the east of the district. One of the most impressive features of the great fire has been the wild stampede of ani- mals from out of the mountain foreses. Tuese have been in every case the precursors of the fire, and in many instances warned people of the imminence of the danger before it was otherwise known. Prayers in the Streets. Michel was being consumed rapidly, when the wind suddenly shifted, and the body of fire fighters was able to save part of the town- ship as the torrent of fire swept in another direction. When safety was assured the population, led by the local minister, fell on their knees and gave thanks amid a scene of great emo- tion. In the stricken towns special armed con- stables are being sworn in to protect the re- maining property from robbery. Doctors are badly needed, and the surgery in many places is rough.

"BLOTTED OUT." Havoc in Coalfield. Ottawa, Tuesday.—The latest advices from the Crows Nest district of Eastern British Columbia indicate that the conflagration which broke out on Saturday has wrought havoc to the coal mining industry. The towns of Fernie, Horner, and Michel have been blotted out, Cranbrook and Coal Creek are partially ruined, and property to the value of seven. million dollars has been destroyed. It is a harrowing story of disaster—the worst in the history of Western Canada. For weeks forest fires had been raging in the mountains of the Elk River country, but they were not regarded seriously. On Saturday morning a heavy wind sprang up in the west, and early in the forenoon the flames appeared over the crest of the mountains to the west of Fernie. 1 The fire ran down the mountain side, and before a guard could be organised it had entered the town. Within an hour the town was doomed, and the inhabitants sought safety in flight, leaving all their possessions behind. The fire originated 100 miles north of the National Park, near Banff, a forest long dry from drought. Timber extends without a break to the vicinity of the mining towns. The people fled to Cranbrook. Train loads of frightened people arrived on Saturday and Sunday in a destitute condition suffering from thirst and hunger. Three thou- sand refugees from Fernie camped under rude shelters made of branches and blankets on Saturday night with fire raging all round and sections of burning trees continually dropping upon them from the smoke pall overhead. Magazine ilown Up. The Citzens' Committee blew up the maga- zine with dynamite when the town was doomed. One man was killed. The explosion tore a great hole in the side of the mountain and shook the country for 20 miles round. A despatch from Fernie says that one camp containing 60 men and two women was de- stroyed and all lives lost. The Cedar Valley, Elk, and Fernie lumber mills, and also the surface works of the Fernie coal mine were destroyed. The velocity of the wind which fanned the flames was so great that frightened people were thrown off their feet, and in many cases trees crashed to the ground. The scene was most appalling. The crowds rushed to the railway station in the hope of getting a train, and in this man- ner numbers reached Hosmer in safety, though the trains had to run through sheets of flame, which repeatedly set fire to the car- 'L riages. Two hundred and fifty persons sought safety in the coal company's office, while others ran for shelter to the Western Canada Wholesale Company's building. The organisa- tion at these places was good, and to the heroism of their volunteer force of fire-fighters many owe their lives. Had these buildings succumbed, the loss of life would have been appalling. Relief organisation was immediately com- pleted when the worst Was over, and pro- visions were distributed. Hundreds of women and children were sent to Cranbrook by special train. The prisoners in the gaol were liberated, and the patients in the hospitals rescued. Fighting Back the Flames. Ottawa, Wednesday.-All the mines in the Crow's Nest region have been shut down, and the men are fighting the fires in relays. The means employed are ploughing strips of 1Jmd to serve as guards to check the spread of the fires, burning back the fires (i.e., burning the vegetation), clearing away underbrush and soaking the roofs of houses with Water, of which there is fortunately a good supply. Only about a dozen houses have been burned in Hosmer as yet, but the fire is all round, and men are fighting for their lives to save their homes and property. Many people from Fernie have taken refuge in the new coke ovens which are being built by the Cajtadian Pacific Railway, in these they will be safe even if the town burns. A director of the Crow's Nest Coal Company, residing in Toronto, said to-day, my greatest fear is for the town, Coal Creek. There are about 1,500 people in the town, including a number of women and children. According to reports the fire is within three miles of Coal Creek, and is creeping towards it, cutting off the escape of the inhabitants by the West, which is really their only way of escape, except for two Indian trails. One of these known as the Flathead trail exiendscto the McEvoy Creek river, while the bther strikes south of Michel Creek. Both trails are mere patha over the mountains and would be impassable for women and children. The death roll is now less than a hundred.—Press Association Special Telergam, Ottawa, Wednesday.—Earl Grey received the following cablegram this afternoon from Lord Crewe, the Colonial Secretary "London, August 4.—I have learned with very great regret of the disastrous fire in British Columbia, and earnestly trust that the loss of life and property may not proves to be as great as is now feared. I shall be glad to receive such information as your Govern- ment has to hand.—(Signed) Crewe. "Reuter. Victoria (B.C.), Wednesday.—Mr Winston Churchill, President of the British Board of Trade, has sent a telegram to Mr McBride, the Premier, expressing his sympathy on the occasion of the forest fire disaster. The coke ovens at Fernie have escaped damage, and the xninerc have rtwnwd wnrjc' | Victoria, B.C., Wednesday.—The death roll in the great fire has been exaggerated. The latest report show that the total number of deaths is probably 70. Ten have recovered. Femie is still smouldering, and threatens to setfnre to Michel. A breeze is feared. Kootenay mining and smelting are crippled, and 10,000 people are thrown out of work.—Reuter. Michel in Flames. Ottawa (later).—The town of Michel, in the Crows' Nest Pass, which escaped the first onset of the bush fire, is now in flames, a high wind having rekindled the blaze. Women and children have been sent to the neighbouring towns for safety.—Reuter. How 60 M^n Escaped. One report states that the 60 men who were supposed to have been burnttodeath at a lum- ber camp on the mountain side above Coal Creek escaped, and have made their way to one of the relief camps. > Their escape was remarkable, as they were completely surrounded by the burning forest. They had, however, in their work made a con- siderable clearing, and in one direction this gave them a start on the fire and a respite from the pursuing flames. Wrapping their coats about their heads, they made a dash to where the forest was thinnest, and all suc- ceeded in getting through to the bottom of the ravine, where there was a brook. They dashed into this, and by means of wading up stream for a distance finally made their escape. Prince ef Wales Distressed. The Prince of Wales has sent the following telegram to Earl Grey:- Cowes, August 4.—I am so distressed to hear of the terrible destruction of life and property by the great fires in British Colum- bia.—(Signed), George." Russian Town Homeless. Information has been received at St. Peters- burg to the effect that Telshi, a town of about 12,000 inhabitants, in the province of Kovno, has been totally destroyed by fire. The whole place has been ruined. All the houses are roofless, and the population, which includes 5,000 Jews, is in a state of starvation. Urgent appeals are being sent for assistance for the unfortunate victims of the disaster.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISTRICT A Romantic Country. A correspondent of the Times writes :— Fifteen years ago, riding over the prairie of Southern Alberta on a visit to the Crow's Nest Pass, my first glimpse of the mountains showed them in the grip of a great forest fire. v Heavy clouds of black smoke rolled up the face of the mountain, streaked now and then with a fitful blaze of red as the flames burst up through the topmost boughs of some colossal pine-tree torch. Leaving the foot-hills behind, and plunging into the narrow gorge by which the Old Man River issued from the pass between two moun- tain lintels shaped like a lion and a turtle, the fire disappeared but, returning more than a week later, I found the same fife still raging, having in the meantime destroyed an incalcul- able quantity of timber. How long it blazed after that I have no idea, but it was likely to continue until the first heavy rain. The pass at that time, and for years after- wards was little known and practically unin- habited, In the gorge of which I have spoken, beside a sulphur spring where beavers had built their dam across the milky water, there was a Solitary log hut—a stopping place," which is the nearest approach to an inn to be found in many parts of the West. The trail climbed steeply over the loose broken rock of a shoulder of Sentinel Mountain, where a sure-footed horse had all he could do to keep his balance, and where occasionally a pack-pony had been known to topple over into the lake below. Beyond the,lake the pass was full of once thick forest, but the fire had been through before me, and the sky was raked by the points of dead and blackened trees. After a while the trail emerged from this dead desert into a living wood, alive not only with trees and squirrels and birds, but with innumer- able rivulets of the purest water escaping from the high snows of the mountains. At ope point a torrent leaped in an exquisite cascade from a cave in the mountain side. The summit of the pass, a little way beyond a second gem-like lake, is. not extraordinarily high, only 4,438ft. s but this is the Great Divide, the watershed be- tween the Pacific and the Atlantic. Perhaps it would be more correct to say between the Pacific and the Arctic Oceans for the Old Man River, whose sources we have just passed,, flows into the Belly River, which joins the B6w River to form the south branch of the Saskatchewan, and the Saskatchewan finds its way at last into Hudson's Bay. MINING SETTLEMENTS. On the western side of the summit, and therefore in the Province of British Columbia, a vast stretch of forest had been destroyed by fire before my visit. The pass was already known to be rich in coal, and a few years later the Canadian Pacific, easily overcoming the difficulties of a pass which, after all, was child's play compared to the Kicking Horse, con- structed a railway westward from FortMacleod up to the summitof the pass, and for about 200 miles down on th$British Columbian side to Kootenay Lake. On my next journey I found the pass totally transformed, and from a scenic point of v'ew not for the better. The sharp high peaks were there, and the Crow's Nest dome itself, but though the lonely valley of peace ran a string of busy cuttle mining towns, with their pits and coke ovens, their unshapely stores and dwellings, their dusty streets, and their railway sidings full of coal trucks. Sur- rounding all, however, stood the forest, lend- ing an element bf. unchanging peace to the changing scene, but only biding its time to wiT>ak a terrible vengeance on the human in- vaders who had disturbed its solitude. The town of Fernie is named after the man who either discoveied the coalfiekl or first effectively developed a plan for its develop- ment. It is, or rather was until its destruction last week, about 40 miles beyond the top of the pass, on the Elk River. The town of Hos- mer lies eight miles nearer to the Albertan frontier. It is named after Mr Charles R. Hosmer, of Montreal, one of the directors of the Canadian Pacific Railway. This is not the first great calamity that has e befallen the young mining community of the Crow's Nest region. Outside the entraoce to the pass, on the Albertan side, the colliers undermined the eastern face of Turtle Moun- tain. The precipice flung itself out upon the plain and the mining village that it-over- whelmed lies buried -to this day beneath a wild confusion of monstrous rocks.

Mr Merlin Davies, R.A.M., a native of Car- marthen, has been appointed professor of music at the McGill University, Montreal.

Cathays Liberals Mishap BRAKE UPSET AT ST MELLON'S Three Cardiff Men Badly Hurt. A party of Cardiffians who had driven in a smafl brake or trap to St. Mellon's, met with a serious mishap when returning late last night. At the time of receiving the information this morning full details are not obtainable, but it appears that on a steep descent the vehicle was upset and all the occupants thrown out. Three of them were brought to the Cardiff Infirmary this morning suffering from serious injuries, and are detained at the institution. Two men, named Bowles and Bennett, have sustained internal injuries and concussion, and the third man named Pullin, whose residence is in Robert-street, Cathays, has severe fracture of the leg. Death of the Driver. The accident at St. Mellon's on Monday night to the party of Cathays (Cardiff) Liberal Club members returning from a picnic to Usk has been attended with one death. George Bennett, the driver, succumbud-to- his injuries shortly after midday on Tuesday at the Car- diff Infirmary. The other two men—Thomas Pullin, 9, Robert-street, Cathays, and Charles Burrows, 25, Dogneid-street—are in a serious condition. Thewonderisthathalf of the party were not veryseriously injured and several killed," said Mr W. Mallett,* Cathays, to one of our repre- sentatives this morning. I Was in the last brake," went on Mr Mallett, and we were all very happy, having spent a most enjoyable day at Usk. Between 10J0 and 11 o'clock at night we reached St. Mellon's on our return journey, and just as our brake reached the bottom of the hill and was about to turn the corner near the church I saw that the third brake had overturned, with its occu- pants scattered in all positions about the road. I shouted to our driver to pull up quick. Had he not done so we should have been on top of the poor fellows struggling in the road. I jumped down, shouting to some of my com- rades, • For God's sake, come on.' Some of those who had been thrown out were moaning others were calling for help, and others render- ing help. It was a distressing sight—made worse by the darkness which prevailed. I ran to the St. Mellon's Police Station with a friend named Warren medical assistance was tele- phoned for, and when we returned to the scene of the accident we found the St. Mellon's police, the St. Mellon's/djstrict nurse, and some of the ambulance men in our party hard at work. The little nurse was splendid those she tended will not soon forget her, and the police, too, were excellent. Harry White, Jjim Phillips. and Jack Uoyd were the ambulance men of our party, and they cannot be too well spoken of. Of course, all who were able ren- dered assistance where it was neede Mr Wm. Rees, chairman of our club, being very active. Mr Timothy, of the Blue Bell Inn, St. Mellons, was very good in providing with all the speed possible, brandy, bandages, &c., and the inhabitants generally were very kind indeed, and I heard the name of Mr B. Willmott and' Mr Joseph Evans spoken of with deep gratitude. The police constables who did good work were P.C.s Stephens and Stroud." The injured men now at the Infirmary were carried to Cardiff in one of the brakes after being attended to by Dr. J. J. E. Biggs, Newport-road, Cardiff, who, in response to the telephone message, rode to the scene of the accident on his bicycle- The brakes were engaged from Mr Chick, Westgate-street, Cardiff, and George Ben. nett, whose home is in Pontcanna, Canton, is spoken of as one of the most experienced drivers in Cardiff. There were four brakes in all. Mr Thomas Wood, of Cogan-street, Cathays, who was in the overturned brake, said, We were all singing and enjoying ourselves at the time of the accident. The horses seemed to turn the corner all right, but they didn't, of course, for the next thing I remember was picking myself up off the crowd from amidst a dozen others who were struggling about. I was not hurt much, only shaken and slightly bruised but one of the first men I recognised was Fred Marsh, who was lying against the wall-dead, as I thought. Fortunately he was only dazed, although he had a nasty, cut on the elbow." Mr Wood was eloquent in his praise of the assistance rendered by the St. Meflonls police, the Cathays ambulance men, the St. Mellon's district nurse, Dr. Biggs, and others. "A better outing we never had," volunteered Mr Wood. It was a glorious day in everv way, but it ended sadly, although, all things considered, it is a miracle the results of the accident were not mulch more serious indeed, the miracle is that several of us were not killed outright. Jack Davies, of The Heath, is, I think, rather badly hurt." The committee and members of the Cathays liberal Club desire publicly to thank the in- habitants and constables, and especially the nurse, of St. Mellons, who rendered such valu- able aid to the sufferers in this sad accident.

Although the sun is trying to break the record for heat in August, Christmas is already being thought of, and there are some quiet streets va the City where the fashions in Christmas cards are now being decided.

P. mC A most toothsome new flake food made from corn. Toasted "to a turn." Dainty as a confection, jjjjjj^ and highly nourishing. ready to eat with ( cream or milk. Grape-Nuts Co., Ltd., 66. Shoe Lane, London, E-C §;♦' ■ Gfocers sell at 2d. and 6d. per packet. v

FATALITY AT BROOKLANDS. Terrible Scenes. Two serious accidents marred the closing stages of the 100 mile race for the O'Gorman trophy at the Brooklands motor-track on Monday afternoon, one of them unhappily involving the death of a mechanician named William Burt, who accompanied Lane on Mr H. G. Burford's 76 h.p. Mercedes. Lane was driving on the lower bank and had just passed Mr J. E. Hutton, who was racing his own Little Dorrit," when he seemed to lose speed, the car slipping down the track and missing Mr Hutton's car by a hairsbreadth only, the marvellous skill of the Little Dorrit's" driver averting a fearful collision. Lane in the Mercedes had had some trouble in the early part of the race, and his car had stopped twice. He was travelling very fast trying to make up lost time, and was going along on the top of the bank with Mr Hutton driving at the bot- tom. Without any warning the huge Mercedes ran down the bank towards Mr Hutton and nearly caught his car, rushing down sideways, and swerving round in its course. The track at this point goes over the river Wey, and there is a low embankment by the side. The Mercedes struck the embankment, and a fearful and wonderful scene followed. The car j limped up in the air, and the petrol took fire as it was ftune into the air from the tank. The automobile came down on one side of the river Wey, and the mechanician, Burt, landed quite a hundred feet away, on the other side of the water. The car broke into dozens of pieces after it struck the embankment, and when it fell caught fire. In one part was the engine, ten yards away was the twisted, buckled frame, the petrol tank waJ left on the bank, while on the track was found a piece of metal from the latter. A theory as to the cause of the accident has been laid down. Metal is thought to have come from the piece which holds the engine to the chassis and it is believed that the engine had in some way shifted its position in the chassis. The tyres were unscratched. The unfortunate mechanic is a young gentle- man of about 21 years of age, living in London who, having taken up the motor business, had gone on the-car to gain experience. He was lolled instantaneously. Lane received an abrasion under the eye, but beyond shock does not appear to have been seriously injured. No moreracingtook place fefter the accident, which cast considerable gloom over the spec- tators.

THE INQUEST. An inquest was held on Wednesday at Wey. bridge into the death of Herbert Mark Burke, the mechanic who was thrown out of Mr Burford's Mercedes car and killed on Bank Holiday during the 100 miles race for the O'Gorman trophy on the Brooklands track. Mr Romien was the coroner. Deceased's body m the Mortuary presented very few indica- tions of his terrible fall. Mr Horace Barnett appeared for Mr Burford, the owner of the car. Mr Joseph Burke, Primrose Hill, London, the father, identified the body. He knew nothing of the accident. His son was 22. Mr Ernest John Hulton, motor manufac- turer, 81, Shaftesbury-avenue, London, said he was driving motor-car No. 6 at5-30 on Monday. He was driving in the 100 miles race, and the car in which \he deceased was was overtaking him. It was driven by a man named Lane. He suddenly saw something was wrong by the posi- tion of the front wheels of the car, which nar- rowly escaped collision with witness's car. Witness turned his car and got behind de- ceased, whose car struck the parapet of the bridge, and he saw one of the occupants thrown over the bridge. Witness was travelling nearly 90 miles an hour, and could not see who had been thrown out. He could not say what caused the car to swerve. The Coroner As an expert, can you form any opinion as to what happened ?-There is no doubt the driver lost control from some in- ternal reason. I do not think his steering was broken. The front wheels were at a peculiar angle up the bank, showing he had control of the steerihg gear. Deceased's first idea was to get away from witness, who felt certain that the steering gear was perfectly correct. The accident might have been caused by a tyre burst, but witness heard none. He examined the car afterwards, and three of the tyres were in perfect condition and were still attached to the wheels. The other tyre was away from its rim, but he examined the marks on the track and could distinctly see the four marks of the four wheels. Deceased's car was travelling at a high speed. It was chain driven. Something Broke. The Coroner Supposing anything had gone wrong with a differential gear, would that, have made any difference to it ?—I do not think it would if one chain came off, it would cease to be driven. When he examined the track he found a number of ball bearings, showing something had broken. The Coroner: There waa evidently some- thing radically wrong with it ?—Yes. From what I saw, I feel inclined to think something did break in the gear. That is very easy to happen. The Coroner Unfortunately we find it so. Witness If that occurred it is quite possible deceased lost control, but that would not account for the gear going off sideways. The Coroner That seems to be the peculiar element in the case.—Witness Yes, it re- auires great power to keep that gear out of ic straight line. The Coroner There was no suggestion of a side slip ?—Absolutely none. There was no defect in the track to account for the accident. The Coroner: You had been round the track several times ?—Yes, I had covered about 65 miles in the race. Evidence was given by Mr Mackie, corn merchant, of Weybridge, who saw the two cars coming round, one above the other. He saw one suddenly skid and strike the bridge. He went to the assistance of the men, and found one dead. He produced part of a gear case which he found 40 yards away. If that broke away it would be a predisposing cause of the acci- dent. He would hardly like to say whether the piece of metal was sound. Cross-examined He could not personally say that it really formed part of this car. Mr Burford, the owner of the car, said these cars were not used on the road at alL The Coroner They ought not to be. Mr Barrett: Do you know that at thje spot where the accident took place the course is bumpy 1-Yes, very irregular. Is it not a fact that an accident occurred just previously to a Napier car ?—Yes, pre- cisely on the same spot. Mr Burford said he asked to be allowed to see the damaged car, but the authorities re- fused. This the manager of the track denied. Dr. Biss, who saw the accident, said deceased was killed outright. He had not made a post- mortem, but death might have been caused by injtiry to the brain or a broken neck. Summing Up and Verdict. The Coroner, in summing up, said the jury would not be justified in saying that there was anything defective in the manufacture of the gear. For himself, he could not see what good could come from this racing round a track. It might be satisfactory to a man to be able to say that he had done so many thou- sands of miles in so many hours. He hoped, however, they would keep to the track and not come on the public roads. In that case the men could only hurt themselves. He himself was fond of motoring, but this racing track had a tendency to induce people to go faster than they ought. There was a very strong feel- ing at the present time against motor-cars, and he could not help thinking that these acci dents were doing more harm to the industry than good. However good motoring might be, it was a terrible thing to have fast cars on the highway. These racing cars could not go slowly, and he could not see what good they were likely to do. He was glad to see that Mr John Bump the other day said in effect that if cars went on in their present mad career drastic means would be taken to put a stop to their doings. The present state of affairs, the Coroner added, was pandering to a degenerate taste. The whole thing was very serious, and it was a matter for consideration whether it was worth while going on. The jury returned a verdict that deceased s death was purely accidental, and that no blame attached to anyone. The track, however, might be inspected. The manager of the track denied that an accident had occurred just previously, or that the track was not in good order. This gave rise to some other remarks. Th e Coroner (interposing): If you all begin to fight among youselves the motor track will soon come to an end and a very good thing in my opinion. The proceedings then ended.

'BUS RUNS AWAY IOWN HILL. An extraordinary motor omnibus accident occurred lastnight in Warwickshire. An omnibus conveying passengers returning from Kenilworth to Leamington got out of control through failure of the brakes while descending a steep hill approaching the river Avon at Chesford Bridge. In endeavouring to avoid a collision with a dray it ran off the road into a farm cottage. The force of the impact knocked in the front wall, door, and window, scattering the debris upon the occupants of the cottage. The 10 outside passengers were thrown into a heap at the end of the car. In- spector Parkins and three Kenilworth doctors attended the injured passengers, who were con veyed to Leamington Hospital. One of them, Mrs Rose, of Leamington, is in a precarious condition. None of the others were seriously injured. Crash that Cost Five Lives. San Francisco, Tuesday.—A terrible motor accident occurred yesterday afternoon, result- ing in the loss of five lives. Mrs Thomas A. McCormick, her daughter Clara, age 18, Mrs Ira O'Brien, her son Ira., and her infant son were killed as the result of the emergency brakes snapping, causing the car to fall over a steep embankment. Two other occupants of the car were unin- jured. Miss Ethel McCormick was driving, and while descending the hill endeavoured to check the speed by applying the foot brakes. These not sufficing she applied the emergency brakes, which snapped. Miss McCormick tried to steer into the high embankment, but the front wheel struck a boulder and the car dashed over the embank- ment, striking a tree 25 feet below. Mrs McCormick, Miss Clara McCormick, and the O'Brien baby were killed instantly. Mrs O'Brien and her elder son survived for a short time. Miss Ethel McCormick escaped with a strained shoulder. Both families are prominent in the social world. They were returning from a visit to Prince Poviatowsky.—Reuter. A Norfolk Accident, Near Wroxham, Norfolk, on Monday night a big Panhard motor-car, driven by the owner, Mr Humphrey Scrimegeour, of Helmsley Hall, who was going to Yarmouth, came into colli- sion at four cross roads with a coach convey- ing members of the Norfolk Imperial Yeo- manry from Barton to Norwich. One horse was flung over the engine of the motor and the other horse was knocked down. The car was wrecked and the-coach damaged. The occu- pants of each vehicle, however, escaped serious injure. The motorists secured another car and proceeded, while the Yeomanry walked to the nearest station. Kilted by a Cyclist John Aspinall, aged 76, assistant cemetery superintendent, at Liverpool, was on Monday run down by acydist, who had lost control of his machine at West Kirby, Cheshire. Aspinall was thrown on to his head in the roadway, „ and died ten minutes afterwards. Another Motorist" Wanted." James Gilroy, an engineer, and Alexander Smith, a miner, belonging to Hamilton, were, it is alleged, run down by a motor-car at Cove, near Aberdeen, on Tuesday. Both men were terribly injured. Smith managed to crawl to a neighbouring farm, and he and Gilroy, who was lying in a pool of blood unconscious, were removed to Aberdeen Infirmary. Both are in a critical condition. The identity of the car is unknown. The police are investigating the matter, and the depositions of the injured man have been taken. Cyclists Collide With Motor-Car. Three cyclists returnirg from Southampton to Willesden collided with a motor-car at Egham-hill on Tuesday afternoon. One of the cyclists (John Kennedy, of Willesden) sus- tained a fractured skull and leg, and is not ex- pected to recover. He was conveyed to the local cottage hospital in an unconscious condi- tion. The other two cyclists practically escaped without injury. Killed Before his Mother's Eyes. At Mold on Monday afternoon a five-year-old boy ran across the street from his father's house and collided with a passing Birmingham motor-car, being killed almost instantaneously in the presence of his mother. Damages Against Motor Company. A Liverpool jury on Tuesday awarded E200 damages to Margaret Diaz against the Era Motor Company for severe injuries sustained through being knocked down by one of the company's motors when crossing the street.

LLANELLY TIED HOUSE, Old Tenant's Grievance. At the Lianelly Police Court, on Wednesday John Thissen, Swansea, applied for the tem- porary licence in respect of the Tymelyn Hotel. Mr D. R. Edmunds represented the applicant, and Mr T. R. Ludford, on behalf of the outgoing tenant, opposed the application. Mr Edmunds said a writ had been issued against the previous tenant, a sum of J6112 being due for rent. The only objection which the previous tenant would have to the grant- ing of the application was their refusal to accept bis-offor of £50 in full settlement. It had arranged that possssion should be given up and the question of rent fought out later. Mr Ludford said his client had no objection to Mr Thissen, but he (Mr Davies) contended that he had been treated very badly, and that the application was made for the purpose of practically blotting him out. His client's licence would not terminate until October next, and if the other parties had been reason- able and just he would have acquiesced in the transfer. Mr Davies became Messrs Buckley's tenant 61 years ago at a rental of jE30 per annum, and had worked up the business. After the lease expired he was induced to remain on. and was led to believe he would be treated properly and made tenant as before, but as a matter of fact he was simply kept there as a stop gap. In plain English he was made a fool of. After being there nearly a year he was told to give up possession and expected to leave at a moment's notice. He believed Davies was badly treated. The fixtures owned by him were still on the premises and it was not usual for a bench of magistrates to grant two licences in respect of one hotel under such cir- cumstances. His client was labouring under a great injustice and he asked the bench not to accede to the application. The Presiding Magistrate (Mr E. Trubshaw) Is there any evidence to show that the last tenant has given up possession T Mr Edmunds went into the box and said that he had been endeavouring to get posses- sion of the house, and had seen Mr Richards, of the firm of Messrs Roderick and Richards, who was acting for Davies, as the result of which it was understood that Davies was to give up possession immediately. Mr Ludford Some of Davies' fixtures are still at Tymetyn ? Mr Edmunds They are in dispute. What did he pay Messrs Buckleys ?—I can- not say. Did he pay JE30 per annum 1-1 have been told so. The tenancy expired last June ?—Yes the house was tied to Messrs Buckleys, and he had to pay more for his beer in consequence. Did you tell him at various interviews that he would not bq turned out ?—No. How much rent do you ask now!—We claim on the principle of the rent and premium. You now claim Z26 a year rent ?—About JE124. The Presiding Magistrate, in announcing that the Bench acceded to the application, said that one of tho parties called at his office and had endeavoured to get an interview with him. He wished it to be made known that he would not see anyone in connection with the business of the court, and he believed he was express- ing the opinion of his colleagues as well. Mr Edmunds said he was sure his client had not tried to approach any of the Bench.

HEALTH OF MERTHYrt TYDFIL. Lady Visitor's Valuable Work. A meeting of the Health Committee of the Merthyr County Borough Councill was held on Wednesday. Mr T. E. Morgan presided. On the, recommendation of the medical officer of health (Dr. Alex. Duncan) the committee decided to represent 24 houses as being unfit for human habitation. The medical officer of health reported that during the five weeks ended July 25th 285 births were registered, giving a rate of 38 per 1,000, the same as in the corresponding period last year. The num- ber of deaths registered was 109, giving a rate of 13*6, compared with 15'3 in the correspond- ing period last year. The infantile mortality rate was 113 for 1,000 births. There were 24 notifications of infectious disease, as compared with 68 in the corresponding period last year. The lady health visitor (Nurse Thompson) stated that she had visited six infants' schools and the homes of 194 children who had been examined by the medical inspector. The homes of 60 children who had been found by Dr. As kins to be suffering from skin diseases 'were also visited, and as a result of the recommen- dations given, and attended to by the parents, there was a very marked improvement. Nurse Thompson had also visited 296 houses where births had taken place, and instructions had been given in hygiene and the feeding of infants.

i PENYDARREN PARK DISPLAY. The Merthyr Exhibition. The fourth annual show of the Merthyr and District Horticultural Society was held on Monday at Penydarren Park in glorious weather. The president of the society is CoL D. Rees Lewis, V.D., J.P., the chairman was Mr W. Meredith, the vice-chairman Mr F. Sydney Simons (ex-Mayor), the hon. trea- surer the Mayor (Alderman D. W. Jones), and the secretary Mr W. T. Jones. The judges "were Messrs J. Rees, Llanover H. Battram, Abercynon T. Cromber, Hendre, Monmouth and J. Bone, Tredegar Park Gardens. The quality and number of the exhibits com- pared very favourably with last year's show, and the attendance was gratifying. A feature of the show was the artistic display of Mr Wm. Treseder, Cardiff, which secured the gold medal of the Royal Hort cultural Society. The Merthyr Vale Silver Band (conducted by Mr H. G. Thomas) played selections during the day, and interest was added to the occasion by a male,voice competition and an air rifle contest. In the evening there was a firework display. The Glamorgan Beekeepers' Asso- ciation gave exhibitions with live bees.

FINE DISPLAY AT WHITCHURCH A Record Exhibition. The third annual show promoted by the Whitchurch and District Horticultural Society was held in the Vicarage Field, Whitchurch, on Wednesday afternoon. A dull and chilly morn- ing gave place to a bright and warm afternoon, and there was a capital attendance. The entries for the various events numbered 640, being 160 more than last year, and the quality of the flowers and fruit was excellent, com- paring very favourably with that of the other shows in the district; indeed, the exhibition was far and away the best ever held under the society's auspices. The officials were :—Presi- dent, Mr J. Herbert Cory, J.P., Coryton.; chairman of committee, Mr H. Donald Cory secretaries, Mr S. H. Jones and Mr T. J. Lewis; judges, Mr E. H. Battram (Abercynon), Mr McIntyre (Rootwood, Llandaff), and Mr H. R. Farmer (Cardiff Castle). The opening ceremony was performed by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff (Alderman Illtyft Thomas), and at the luncheon which followed the president of the society, Mr J. Herbert Cory, J.P., presided, and was supported by the Lord Mayor, Colonel Henry Lewis, J.P. (Greenmeadbw), Alderman Lewis Morgan. Councillor J. W. Courtis, J.P., Mr H. Donald Cory, Mr A. H. Bullock, and others. Proposing the toast of Success to the Show, Colonel Henry Lewis observed that Whitchurch was going ahead rapidly. It was a very much larger community than a few years ago, and although the local show was only three years old it was already making a big bid for popular favour for many miles around.

PETERSTONE. A cloudless sky, large attendance, and an excellent collection of exhibits combined to make the Peterstone annual flower show, held on Monday, a great success. For 13 years the exhibition has been held under varying climatic conditions, but seldom has it been favoured with such beautiful weather asonMon- day. A newfeature was the open class for a col- lection of vegetables, fruit, flowers, and sweet peas, and ib this class Mrs Horley, Peters to lie, and Mrs Tamplin Lewis, Bridgend, were the chief prize-winners. The sweet pea blooms were unusually fine and competition was keen here, whilst the winning collection of vege- tables was of very good quality. In previous years the aim of the committee has been to make the show almost wholly one for cot- tagers, and having succeeded in this an effort is now being made to spread the interest over a larger area, the first step in this direction being the new open class. Mr McIntyre, Llandaff, was the judge in the general class, and Mrs David, of Pendoylan, with Mrs Horley, of Peterstone, fulfilled simi- lar duties in the honey and poultry section. To Mr E. Horley, chairman of the committee and treasurer, Mr P. M. T. Hill, chairman of the Sports Committee, and the Rev. W. S. Williams, secretary, the success of the exhi- bition is largely due. Mr R. A. Bailey, of Peterstone, a very suc- cessful competitor in previous years, did not exhibit on this occasion, when amongst the chief winners in the cottager classes were L. John (nine firsts), W. Weeks (six firsts), T. Perriam (four firsts), and S. Leyshon, B. Hopkins, F. Vaughan, C. Salter, W. R. Ock. well, L. Crockford, T. Samuel, W. Coles, G. H. Langdon. In the honey and poultry sections there was some excellent quality shown, chief honours being shared between Mrs A. Williams, and Mrs S. Radcliff- Mrs Bailey won the prize for the best home made jam for the fourth year in succession. For wild flowers gathered by children Leslie Bailey, A. D. Waldron, A. John and R. Baker were successful. For the best cottage gardens the prizes were awarded as follow In Petersfcone-super-Ely —W. Weeks. St. George's paxish-1, H. Crock- ford 2, T.Wherrett. St. Nicholas and Duffryn -1, P.C. Davies 2, W.Coles.Pendoylan parish —J. Williams. The president of the show is The Mackintosh of Mackintosh, and, taken as a whole, this year's exhibition has shown a marked advance in general excellence. The' usual sports, which attracted many entries, were held during the afternoon.

SOUTHERN DOWN. The ljkh annual flower and vegetable show for the parishes of St. Bride's Major, Wick, and St. Andrew's Minor was held on Monday at Dunraven Park, Southerndown. As usual the beautiful grounds of Dunraven Castle were thrown open to visitors through the kindness of the Earl and Countess of Dunraven. The exhibite at the show were less than in previous years, but they were of a. very high-standard of quality. The principal winners were— Robert Jury, J. Osbome,.J. Dixon, T.Hopkin, W. Hopkin, D. Llewellyn, G. Sharratt, J.Jury. W. Haydon, J. Gibbs, A. Benjamin, W. E. Powell. Rustic sports were held, the judges in which were Messrs W. M. Richards, W. Powell, L. Yorath. C. M. Kirby, and Rev. H. C. K. Jones. Music was provided by the Pencoed Brass Band. Prizes were distributed by Mrs J. M. Randall.

MACHEN. Machen fourth annual flower show was held in the School Field, Machen Lower, on Bank Holiday. There were record entries, and keen interest was t&ken in the various classes. The show was opened by Mrs E. Davies, and short addresses were given by Col. the Hon. F. C. Morgan, Major E. Davies, and Mr L. F. Walker, J.P. Gabb's Military Band rendered fine selections of music.

LLANTILLIO PERTHOLEY. The Llantillio Pertholey Horticultural Society were favoured with fine weather on Monday for their 15th annual exhibition, which took place in the Monson Meadow, Llantillio Pertholey. The entries were more numerous than on previous occasions, and keen interest was taken in the amateur and cottagers' classes.

FARMERS AND COMPENSATION. Carmarthenshire Opinions. The members of the Carmarthenshire Chamber of Agriculture held a quarterly meet- ing on Wednesday at the Half Moon Hotel, Carmarthen, when a large com- pany partook of luncheon under the pre- sidency of Mr John Francis, Myrtle Hil^. Afterwards a discussion took place on com- pensation," thesubject being introduced by Mr Jack Francis. The Rev. A. Fuller Mills, Carmarthen, said that the Workmen's Compensation Act was unfair, and screwed certain classes down to a great extent, and he believed it would have to be amended in order to meet the requirements of the great community. It was most unfair that a person should be liable continually for casual labour. They did not know the extent of their liabilities. He believed compensation was a moral question as well as a social and industrial one. If they could only get the land- lords and tenants to be unsuspicious of each other, and understand one another, he did not believe any Act of Parliament would be re- quired at all to settle the differences. (Hear, hear). The President said that although he was speaking against his own profession, he ad- vised them not to go to law about compensa- tion. If they took the job to valuers and lawyers they could dependup on it, they would come out last. (Laughter.) They should bear and forbearand settle their differences between themselves. ——————————————— k

I suppose you want me for that little piece of gambling a few, years back," said a man named Lee, to a Hampshire constable when he was served with a summons for playing banker seven years .ago. In September, 1901, Lee absconded frim the district, and has only just returned. He was fined at the Odiham Petty Sessions yesterday, and the police were com- plimented by the Bench on their smartness.