A British freighter which sailed for Home ports a short while ago, was the scene of one of the strangest accidents to have occurred in this port during the whole of its history, the "North-China Daily News" learns. The accident was one of those curious Ones which, though causing much pain—both mental and physical to ihe unfortunate person concerned generally succeed in drawing only laughter from those who hear of it subsequently.
The vessel is equipped with refrigerating chambers for keeping "perishables" from—perishing. A Chinese workman was at work in one chamber while she was in port and, feeling somewhat thirsty after a while, decided that the ice on the brine-pipes surrounding him would be just the thing to quench his thirst.
So he stuck out his tongue and started to lick the ice off one pipe. No sooner had his tongue touched the ice, however, than it was glued to the pipe as though it had been welded to it Any Canadian or Siberian backwoodsman could have told him what had happened; the moisture around the tongue had frozen and so had the tongue itself, to the pipe.
His muffled shouts soon attracted Kashing and Huchow, important cities in North Chekiang, are now quiet and peaceful, according to latest messages received in Shanghai.
Kashing. on the Shanghai-Hangchow-Ningpo Railway, and the terminus of the Soochow-Kashing branch line, was extensively damaged during the hostilities, nearly 50 per cent. of its buildings being destroyed. The city had a population of about 40,000 before the outbreak of hostilities, but all except a few hundred fled when fighting spread to that city, The Japanese Army soon restored order to the city and a police force was organized under the supervision of an autonomous commission. Former residents gradually returned when communications were resumed and shops were opened again. The city now has a population of between 5,000 and 6000. Food supplies are ample.
Damage in Huchow as a result of the hostilities was not so great as in Kashing, about 40 per cent. of the buildings being destroyed, The population is about 50,000, as against 70,000 before the hostilities. Most of the shops, have reopened and are doing a good business.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.