THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 80, 1888
News Snack Bar
"CLAN'S LUCK" IS SAVED IN FIRE
To every village, mansion and hotel in Skye the other day went urgent 'phone calls to rush every possible fire-fighting appliance to tackle a blaze in famous Dunvegan Castle.
Dunvegan Castle has been the home of Mac- Leod Clan chieftains for 700 years, and is the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland.
£5 A WEEK-ALL RUN A CAR
The average American car own- er is a married man with two children earning between £4 and £6 a week.
This figure is arrived at by the American Petroleum Institute in a statistical survey of the average motorist.
Other facts, quoted by Reuter, are that:~.
His second-hand car has a mar- ket value of £47 108—with the odds two-to-one that he owned a new one.
never
He uses 600 gallons of petrol and 35 quarts of oil every year. Taxes on his car amount to £10 68. a year.
HOSPITAL TO HAVE CHEF
Its walls rise sheer from an islet of rock which is now joined to the mainland by a bridge and road, but was formerly approachable only by a narrow entrance on the sea side.
In answer to the call for help ́100 cars sped along the island roads
that converge at the castle.
:
They brought police and plum- bers, joiners, carpenters and road- men who had downed tools at once in their anxiety to save from the castle fire priceless'relics cherished by all clansmen "in Skye.
The Portree fire brigade dashed twenty-eight miles to the outbreak. A special pump was sent from Broadford, over forty miles away.
Every hotel in Portree sent fire extinguisher.
* * *
"FAIRY FLAG” SAVED
London University College Hos- pital is reorganising its kitchens, in-
The alarm had been raised by creasing the number of cooks and Christmas Bathgate, head house- appointing a highly-qualified chef maid, caretaker of the castle. She to supervise.
saw smoke in the south wing.
Soon huge flames were roaring in this part of the castle.
Says Mr. R. Sloley, secretary of the hospital:
"Good food cooked with skill, served appetisingly, helps in patient's recovery."
#
*
LEFT £32,000 TO UNIVERSITY
Except for two small bequests, Mr. Herbert Jenkinson, of Hemper- lane, Bradway, near Sheffield, left all his estate £32,121 to Sheffield Univeralty.
One of the central figures in a nativity play which was performed at Audenshaw, near Manchester, on Dec. 18, was Heród, the fuler who caused the slaughter of the inno cents after the birth of Christ--- und dressed to represent Hitler. The play was written by Rev. W.. Rowland Jones, Vicar of St. Hil- da's, as protest - against persecu- tion of Jews. Photo,shows the 24 years old carpenter, Mr. Arthur Vickers, who played the part of Herods at a rehearsals Cair, Mail):
Two hundred men and scores of women fought the fire.
The water supply was so poor that not even a hose could be play-· ed on the fire.
Hundreds of pails and buckets were taken from the mearby crofts, and two chains of twenty men pass- ed buckets of water from a river night up to the castle.
Crofters climbed up to the bat- tlements to lower ropes and haul up buckets.
Before the fire could reach some of the rooms priceless oil paintings, tapestries, silver and ancient family documents were carried out to safety.
One of the most famous relics- the centuries-old "fairy flag" of the Clan MacLeod--was taken to the.. National Bank of Dunvegan.
*
WOMAN CHIEF'S DASH
Tradition says the flag was pre- sented, to the MacLeods by the fairies, and when carried in battle by the clan it exerted a favourable influence.
After hours of work, the fighters beat the blaze.
fire-
Only the south wing was destroy-
Owner of the castle, Mistress Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, Wag away in the south. When she heard of the fire she left at once for Skye.
Marooned by 'storm-tossed seas since he was taken ill on Dec. 8. William Jordaln, head keeper of Eddystone Lighthouse, was still with- out medical aid when this picture was taken on Dec. 12. Two fur- ther attempts were made to rescue him that day but again victory went to the sea and the rescue boat Satellite, returned to Plymouth without him after battling with mighty seas. A striking aerial pho- tograph of Eddystone Lighthouse to-day, showing the Satellite standing-by- unable to approach further.
↓..
LONELY AT CHRISTMAS?
GIANT FOREIGN RATS ARE
The Rev. W. R. Devenish, vicar MENACING FARMS AGAIN of South Norwood, S.E. offered the use of the church hall for a party Three monster rat-like rodents' to be arranged among themselves shot on the banks of the River by lonely people in South London Cuckmere at Horsebridge, Sussex, with no friends or relations with were identified as nutria a pest to whom to spend Christmas.
agriculture hitherto unknown in the district.
** *
RAYON PIONEER'S £550,000
Mr. Henry Johnson, of St. Nicho las-street, Coventry, a director (and until two years ago managing direc- tör) of Courtaulds, Ltd., a pioneer of the rayon industry, left £554,380 (Estate duty £242,876).
The theme of the famous Chel- sea Arts Ball, which is held every year at the Albert Hall, London, on New Year's Evo, will this year be "Physical Fitness, through the Ages". One of the most striking tableaux will--be› students of "the Central School of Arts and Crafts, dressed in "Caveman" perion dress, with a huge model of a préhistoric monster. (By Air Mail).
DIED WHILE MARCHING
Like the musk rat, the nutria is a South American animal imported for its fur.
About 100 nutria escaped from a Surrey farm last year, and the East Sussex rodents are Lelieved to be their descendants.
The nutria is usually from one to two feet long.
* * *. "SO WHAT?” SAYS
LORD STAMP
Speaking at Manchester Stamp declared:
Lord'
"Sometimes, when I hear the re- sults of a great piece of work, an achievement in an examination or a philosophical thesis, I cannot help using the American vulgarism. “Sơ what?'
is.
"If there is one thing that` appalling to-day it is the time. spent In mastering seas of words and lan- ding nowhere."
LABOURERS WANT
WAGE RISE.
#
The Building Trade Group of the Transport and General Workers' -Union have decided, in London to support a claim by labourers for a penny per hour increase in the London area....
SPORT HELPS TO CURE
3,300 MENTAL PATIENTS
Sport-Soccer, Rugger, tennis and hockey-is helping to cure the 3,300 inmates of the County Mental Hos- pital, Whittingham, near Preston.. Lancs.
There is a nursing staff of 500, and they have organised their own teams, which the patients support enthusiastically:
Alexander Bowen, unemployed la- The patients attend the hatches bourer of Christchurch-road New played by the nursing staff and Daughter of the late Sir Reginald port (Mon.); collapsed and died in form a loyal band of supporters, MacLeod of MacLeod, she is the the arms of a policeman while mar- critical and appreciative. twenty-fourth chief
the
Mác ching in Newport Mayor's protes- This interest has led to the Leods of Dunvegan."
sion
forming of their own teams.