Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/441

 i.] CHEONICLE. 17

much damage done ; and at the iScole Centrale de Pyrotechnic Militaire at Bourges a case containing twelve Robin shells exploded whilst being filled, and two workmen were killed, and four others seriously mutilated.

20. An international football match (Association Rules) played at Bristol between England and Wales, and won by the former by four goals to none.

— The Indian Legislative Conncil passed a bill for imposing a countervailing duty on bounty-fed sugar, Sir James Westland urging the claims of Mauritius, with its large Indian population, to protection.

— A collision took place on the London and North Western Rail- way near Lichfield, a goods train running into some detached waggons, The fireman was killed, and the engine driver severely injured.

21. A convention signed between Lord Salisbury and M. Cambon f the French Ambassador, delimiting the possessions and spheres of the- two Powers in Central Africa, France retaining generally the territory east and north of Lake Tchad, and Great Britain Bahr-el-Ghazal and Darfur.

— A largely attended national meeting held at St. Martin's Town- hall, presided over by the Earl of Aberdeen, at which resolutions in favour of the Peace Crusade were passed, and a telegram expressing sympathy despatched to the Czar.

— Very wintry weather, combined with severe snowstorms, pre- vailed over the greater part of England and Scotland.

— The Lincolnshire Handicap won by Captain Bewicke's General Peace, 5 yrs., 7 st. 5 lb. (O. Madden). Twenty-seven started.

22. Sir W. E. Garstin, Egyptian Under Secretary for Public Works, returned to Cairo after eight weeks' journey in the newly-reconquered Soudan countries, and reported that the possession of the country beyond Khartoum could be of no practical value to any civilised Power.

— Mme. Syngros, the widow of a distinguished public benefactor, presented 250,000/. to the Greek Government to improve the water supply of Athens.

— The Earl of Leven and Melville appointed Lord High Com- missioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

— Lord Herschell's body having been brought to England by H.M.S. Talbot, a funeral service was held in Westminster Abbey.

23. Malietoa Tanu crowned King of Samoa in presence of the British and American officials, the Germans absenting themselves.

— Terrible distress prevailed throughout the province of Samara in Southern Russia, where in addition to famine arising from a total failure of the last year's crops, scurvy, typhus, and other diseases had assumed an epidemic form. Upwards of 75,000 persons were in the receipt of constant relief in the province of Samara alone, and the distress extended into the neighbouring provinces.

— Lord George Hamilton, M.P., appointed Captain of Deal Castle in succession to Lord Herschell, deceased.

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