Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1877 — Page 2

The Rensselaer Union. F --i ■... * ■. 1 11 ' • ~ RENftSKLAKR, - INDIANA

EPITOME OF THE WEEK.

CUUtEHT PARASMPKS. The Turks ere tortitying the passes of the Balkan Mountain.. The Russian vanels at San Francisco have been ordered to the Persian Gulf. The Atlantic Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Albany, N. Y n has failed. Only one man escaped from the Turkah monitor which exploded near Ibrall. Prince Milan and his Cabinet have formally assured Austria that Servlawill not disturb the peace. The village of Eyschofl In Valois has been destroyed by fire. Over 900 people were rendered homeless. A Mrs. Wil berg was severely burned, In Chicago, on the 10th, by the explosion of .a kerosene oil stove. It Is reported that the American officers in the «ervice of the Khedive of Egypt have refused to bear arms against Russia. At Carson, Nev., on the 15th, ex Judge Chas. H. Bryan was strangled to death by a piece of moat while eating his dinner. Dr. Taylor Lewis, of Union College, died at Schenectady, N. Y., on the night of the Uth. He was seventy .five years old. The Miridites have driven the Turks from Orosehi after a sanguinary fight, in which an entire Turkish battalion was destroyed. _ A recent flood has overflowed both banks of the Tigris, completely blockading the City of Bagdad, and sweeping away 200 housea In Kiamisle. The lowa State Temperance Convention has been called to meet in Des Moines on the sJ9th. The State Temperance Alliance meets on the preceding day. A British fleet has been stationed at Port Sai A opposite the entrance of the Suez Canal, with the avowed intention of protecting that thoroughfare. A Turkish gunboat has been captured by a Roumanian battery below Widdin. She was built at Pesth and was en mute tor Rostchuk for her armament. Ex-Gov. Tilden is said to have declined an invitation to attend the recent New York Chamber of Commerce banquet, ut which President Hayes was a guest k St. Petersburg letter of a late date says the Russian troops under Gen. Kaufmann will cross the Pamir into India in the event of England taking part in the Turkish war. * ' s The manager of the Royal Aquarium at London has learned from his correspond, ent at Oban, Scotland, that the reported capture of the sea-serpent at that place is a shameful hoax. Owing to the sudden fall of the water In the Danube, making it impossible to get out the Turkish monitors in the old bed of the river opposite Ibrail, the Porte has ordered that they be abandoned or destroyed.

Tbe collections of Internal revenue duties the fiscal year, up to the 15th, are reported at $108,000,098. Commissioner Rauni thought the aggregate returns for the entire fiscal year would be up to the estimate—--8190,000,000. Tbe unveiling of tbe monument to Fitx-Greene Halleck, in Central Park, New Turk, occurred on the afternoon of the 15th. The presentation speech was made by the President, and the speech of acceptance by Mayor By. The Delaware & Hudson Canal Company issued a circular, on the 11th, stating that, on account of the unusual competition, prices for coal would be made from day to day. This was understood by the New York coal men to mean war and low prices. The New York Senate Committee of Investigation have made a report, stating that they have been unable to find any testimony to substantiate the charges against Senator Woodin, preferred or stated in Tweed’s “confession.” The Senate unani. mously adopted the report. The fifty-second anniversary of the American Tract Society was celebrated Th New York on the evening of the 18th. The receipts for last year, according to the an. nual report, ware 8441,198, and the expendi. turns, 8441,119. About 6,000,000 copies of the Society’s publications were circulated during 1876-T7. ' , . Poindexter Edmondson, who was to have been hanged at Bloomfield, Mo., on the 15th, has been respited by the Governor until July 15. He was convicted solely on I circumstantial evidence, and a dying man is nald to have lately confessed that he committed the murder for which Edmondson was found guilty. The Ambassadors of Austria and Germany have been instructed to remonstrate at Constantinople respecting the formation of Polish legions, such as would include Polish suMeets at Germany and Austria. The Turkish manifesto was indiscriminately addressed to Poles inhabiting Prussian and Austrian districts. Five children, the eldest of whom was nine years of age, were burned to death in a house at little Hook, Cortland County, New York, a few days ago. Mr. Dunnegal and wife, parents of the children, made every effort to tyscue the little ones, whose cries for bfipeould be distinctly heard above the flames, which had made conwhen Recovered.

CONDENSED TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

On tSdHth, a Rbssian battery, masked by» vineyard, opened Are on the Turkish monitor* at I brail. An hour after the action commenced, a shell struck a large three'

masted Ironclad and sunk her, with her crew of *X) teen. Hanau Bey, her commander, also perished. On the forenoon of the 11th, the inner wall of the Court-House in the process of construction at Rockford, 111., fell and burled several workmen In the ruins. Ten or twelve men were killed and several others were injured, some of them fatally. The names of the killed, so far as known up to midnight of the 11th, were: Fred Haugh, A. Haugh, J. tope. A H. Hollenbeck, J. Warren, Goo. Glom, Tim Flannagan, L. J. Lawson and J. Peck. C. Harris was fatally wounded. An official telegram, received in Bt. Petersburg, on the IS th, reports that the fight on the 11th at Kliatxubanl was a Russian victory instead of a defeat, as was at first reported. A Constantinople telegram of the 13th says the Porte was very uneasy about the supplies of arms and ammunition .till to come from New York, and was very angry with the United States for allowing the Russian squadron to remain in American waters. Mingal’s ship-yard, on the Clyde, was burned on the 18th, involving a loss of $400,000. An official Constantinople dispatch of the 12th reports an attack by the Russians upon the Turkish forces at Batoum, in which the tormer were defeated with a loss of 4,000 men.

A Are, which destroyed property valued at 1400,000, occurred in Brooklyn, N. Y., on the 13th. A London telegram of the 14th says the Russian troops passing through Roumania had exchanged their ordinary colors for flags bearing the double Greek Cross, carried only when the war is a religious one. In the British House of Commons, on the 14th, after a spirited debate, a vote was taken ou the resolutions offered by Mr. Gladstone condemnatory of the course of the Government In respect to the management of the Eastern question, resulting in their rejection by 354 tp 228. The President and a portion of his Cabinet visited New York City on the Uth, and in the evening attended the annual banquet of the Chamber of Commerce. In response to a toast, he said: “We are at peace with all the Nations of the world. With an honest purpose on the part of our people and Government to strive for the restoration of ancient concord within our own limits, I believe that we may confidently look for early, decided and encouraging evidences of reviving business prosperity throughout our country.” The papers in the suit of Cornelius J. w. Wm. H. Vanderbilt were served on the 14th. The plaintiff asserts that defendant had promised to pay him $1,000,000 if he and hie sisters would withdraw their objections to the-probate of their father’s will, and that he had since refused to make such payment. Similar causes of action were filed in two other cases.

The defeat of the Russians at Sukum Keleh is announced in a Constantinople telegram of the 15th. According to Constantinople dispatches of the 15th, sixteen Bulgarian villages had been recently pillaged and burned. As the French squadron at Ville France was weighing anchor, on the 15th, one of the frigate La Ravanche’s boilers burst, killing two men and wounding sixty, twenty mortally. A fire occurred in St. Stephens, N. 8., on the Uth, which destroyed property valued at from $500,000 to $1,000,000. One hundred tenements, eleven wharves and two schooners were burnedThe arming and drilling of the Mormons continues in Utah, according to a New York Herald dispatch of the • 15th, and the Gentiles in the northern and southern icttlementa were greatly alarmed at the paucity of United States troops. Gov. Ewing bad asked, of the Secretary of War, for additional troops. The New York World's Washington special of the same says the War Department had received no advices of a contemplated uprising. * r A Jackson (Miss.) telegram of the 15th says Miss Chisolm, who was wounded while defending her father in the Kemper County affair, had died that day.

A special London telegram of the 16th says that extraordinary preparations in the armament of the land and naval forces were reported in all parts of the Kingdom, and England’s participation in the Russo-Turkey war was considered, in diplomatic circles, a foregone conclusion. It was believed that England’s Interests and the first Russian success of any magnitude would be made the pretext and period for British intervention In consequence of a difference with President MacMahon, Jules Simon, President of the French Cabinet and Minister of the Interior, has tendered his resignation. On the 16th, the proclamation of Roumanian independence was definitely fixed for May 22. The Chamber of Deputies voted a credit of $2,000,000 for the maintenance of the army. On the 16th, forest fires were reported to be making terrible havoc in New Hamp shire, Vermont, Northern New York and portions of Canada, destroying villages, bridges, etc. In many portions of Clinton County, N. Y., the people were fleeing for their lives, hundreds being rendered homeless. At Center Valley, twenty-seven dwellings, six sawmills, two stores and one church were destroyed. At Clinton Mills, property valued at $750,000 was burned. Nearly the whole side of the White Mountains, in New Hampshire, from Lancaster to the Crawford and Fabyan Houses, was ou fire.

A Startling Scene in a Church.

A painful scene appears, by the account given of it in the Stirling Journal, to have occurred, on Sunday last week, in a church near Gartmore, in that county. The minister, who is in the habit of warning his congregation on special occasions against tbe machinations of the Evil One, was delivering a discourse on his favorite theme, when suddenly a large window-blind and roller behind the pulpit lost its hold, falling right over the preacher, and completely concealing him tor a time from his flock. In its descent the roller smashed a number of windowpanes, and the clatter of the falling glass added panic to the already terrified condition of the enshrouded preacher. Ignorant of the cause of the sudden darkness and horrible noise, he thought he might have exceeded the bounds of discretion in his denunciations of the Devil, who had thereupon arrived hastily in person, bait on retaliation. A frightful shriek of “I am gone!” echoed through

the church, and the maddened preacher with one bound cleared the pulpit, nor even stopped until /he reached the extreme corner of the edifice. It taay be well imagined that the suddenness of this alarming incident and its dramatic nature exercised a most powerful effect on the nerves of all who witnessed it. Fortunately there was no general panic, or the consequences might have been serious; but the story should be a lesson to ‘hose ministers who touch upon the delicate Question of the persdnahty of the Devil to retain tlieir relf-possession under any circumstances, and not to leave the pulpit unless absolutely ejected from it by force.— Pall Mall Gaeette.

$24,000,000 Waiting for Heirs.

A raw specimen of the native Irishman appealed before Commissioner Hoyne yesterday and besought his kindly offices. The man was a laborer of the commonest grade, about forty years of age, although his strongly-marked face and bent figure indicated that he was much older. He was dressed in the poorest stuff. The lower portion of his anatomy was covered with a pair of well-worn pantaloons, which were suspended from his waist by a leather strap. The upper portion of his body was covered by an antiquated coat and a dirty woolen shirt, which lay open at the throat, disclosing veins and sinews brought into prominence by nigged toil. His whole appearance indicated poverty and toil and care, and, as he approached Mr. Hoyne, he did so with a bashful air, as if he was conscious of his own position and he was there to ask a favor. The man told a strange story and told it in an Irish brogue so strongly marked as to be almost as unintelligible to an American as the speech of a Yorkshire plowman. He said his name was Daniel O’Keefe, had been in this country for five years, and was now residing at Calhoun avenue, Irondale, South Chicago. Some thirty-two years ago a brother and a cousin of hi’s named Charles O’Keefe left London for India, for the purpose of “ making their fortunes.” From that time forth the family had only received two letters, one of which informed the Relatives in Ireland that they were doing well, and the other was an invitation to the visitor of Mr. Hoyne to come to India, and his passage would be paid out. The offer was not accepted, ana the letter was unanswered. This was years ago.

Those two young Irishmen sailed from London about 1845. They had little or nothing in the shape of wordly possessions, and landed in India with an almost empty treasury, a wide country before them, good constitutions, and a fountain of perseverance in their hearts. As the dramatist says, we will suppose twenty years to have elapsed, and we find these two Indian emigrants transformed into Indian princes, so far as wealth is concerned. They have settled at Allahabad, own large estates, have troops of servants to minister to their wants, and look forward to the time when they will come back to their native land and in the eyes of the world be men among men. Another ten years elapse, but before they have completed their project they die, are buried by people foreign to them and leave in the hands of lawyers goods and chattels valued atnoless than ♦24,000,000. Where the heirs are to be found is a mystery to them, and they advertise. Daniel, as stated above, came to this city about five years ago, and some months ago the fact was brought to his notice that he was being advertised for as an heir tft this bonanza in American papers. He communicated with his people in Ireland—who are all as ignorant as he —and received undubitable proof that he w T as one of flve who are entitled to the property of the deceased men at Allahabad. Daniel’s relatives are as poor as he is, and he came to Mr. Hoyne in order to devise some way of crossing the ocean, where he can establish his identity. He produced papers showing his relationship to the deceased millionaires, and he spoke in confident tones as to his ability to establish his personality could he only reach Great Britain. After consultation, he resolved to try and raise by subscription tlie necessary amount among his fellow laborers at the rolling mill where he is employed; but he seemed rather doubtful of success in this direction, the mills having been closed for some time. Here js a chance for a speculator! A prospective millionaire begging as much as will pay a steerage passage to the other side of the Atlantic! Think of ill—lnter-Ocean.

A Valuable Mill Site.

A few months ago Harrison Gray purchased the wooden shell of the old Union mill in Gold Hill for SI,OOO. The mill having been dismantled, and the machinery all taken away, the owners drought they were getting a good price for the rotten lumber, and probably laughed in their sleeves at Mr. Gray’s greenness. The purchaser immediately put some men to work at the south end of the mill, taking up the flumes and sluices, and came upon the hole in the ground where the waste had been allowed to run when the mill was in operation. This hole had been made at this place because a tunnel was known to pass within a few feet, and the refuse, being in a liquid state, would flow off through the tunnel. The flumes had no sooner been removed than the presence of quicksilver was made apparent. Closer examination revealed the fact that a space of ground about four by five feet was permeated with small globules of pure quicksilver, canning a heavy percentage of gold and silver. This Sound was all dug up and sluiced until a aft twenty-five feet deep and six wide had been dug, when a connection was made with the tunnel and a large deposit of quicksilver was found in such purity that it can be raised to the surface by shovelfuls. The only preliminary work necessary is to carefully skim the surface ground and put it out of the way, when there lies revealed a genuine quicksilver and gold mine. How much of a deposit there is has not been ascertained, as the parties at work there are very reticent, but it is known that between SB,OOO and SIO,OOO has already been taken out and sold. A great part of the amalgam carries a higher percentage of gold than of silver, because the mill was running in the early days of mining on the Comstock, when the ores were worked for the gold alone and the silver was allowed to flow off. There is no doubt but that the deposit will be found to continue to the bedrock, which is probably fifty leet deeper than has yet been attained in the tunnel. For about three months there were five) men employed there, and the yield was about sixty pounds of amalgam per day, but since connection has, been made with the tunnel only two men have been employed, who take out about forty pounds of quicksilver per day on an average. Parties who are anxious to get old mill sites oft their hands will probably be more careful in future and examine them well before disposing of than.—PirgtHtß UVa.) CArowcta.

SENSE AND NONSENSE.

Light bine tissue veils are in style. “The German Crown Prince Bap iy pE. ’ ’— Courier-Journal. A poet talks of the “sheen of May.” Isn’t this May-sheen poetry? Grapevines arc said to keep ague away, but quinine takes up less room. Duncolored horses would be about the most appropriate style for a man in debt. What sort of essence does a young man like when he pops the question?— Acquiescence. California has eight hundred tons of honey to sell st close figures. There’s cramps for all creation. The tombstone of a Coroner who hnnged himself has this inscription upon it: “He lived and died by suicide.” A clergyman of Allegheny county, N. Y., advertises himself as “pastor of’ church and notary public.” Sono of a sufferer from the toothache: “ How happy could I be with ether!”— Boeton Commercial Bulletin. A little girl suffering from the mumps declares that she “ feels as though a headache had slipped down into her neck.” Walking in your sleep is now termed a trance-action.— World. Yes; at that moment the soul is trance-my-gracious.— New York Graphic. The Norristown Herald has discovered that no man can get so rich as to be beyond the necessity of living on a crust — “the earth’s crust!” The Oil City Derrick has the laziest man in America for a neighbor. “Itis a common occurrence for his watch to run down while he is winding it up.” The United States Circuit Court of Oregon adjourned “out of respect” to its clerk, who had committed suicide at the close of a month of constant intoxication. An Indiana doctor has just made the discovery that asparagus secretes a virulent poison. Thus he cruelty disparagus the most delightful of our early vegetables. — Burlington Hawk-Eye. The balmy breath of spring is so entwined with the fragrance of new onions that a man has to grip his nose with a spring clothes-pin every time he stoops to pluck a violet.— Danbury News.

No one can say that the day won’t yet come when ever}' family will have a number of clams trained to pinch children, and thus save parents Wjng the whip and the boot-jack.— Detroit Free Brest. Hundreds of our young doctors, it is rumored, are applying for positions as surgeons in the Turkish army. This is, indeed, help for Russia from an unexpected source. — N. Y. Commercial Advertieer. A Des Moines woman visiting Beaton writes home that all the teachers but one remain in one of )he public schools who were there when she left, in 1868. She thinks that an indication of the stability of New 7 England institutions. Her husband thinks that it is an indication of the slim chances maids in Massachusetts have to get married. A Gentleman observed an urchin who had a large slice of bread in his hand, and who was crying bitterly. “My son,” he exclaimed, “what are you crying about ?” “My mother won’t (boo-hoo-oo) put any butteron my bread (boo-hoo-oo)!” “Oh, is that all?” said the gentleman. “It ain’t so much the butter,” retorted the little urchin;“ it’s the disposition of the old woman.” Filial affection glitters like diamonddust, and is as valuable. Filial.affection, mixed with selfishness, is like ’diamonddust mixed with broken bits of glass, and is worth less. We have heard of a man whose aged mother was bitten by a neighbor’s dog, and w’ho deliverea himself thus: “I will certainly kill that dog, because he has disabled my aged mother. A man can have but one mother, and mine has only a few years left and that bite has laid her up so she can’t brin" in the wood or fetch water from the well, or make herself useful in any w 7 ay. At the very best I could have expected Her to do these tilings only a few years more, and now I have lost even that. The dog shall die;” Such unparalleled affection is worthy of all commendation. — N. Y. Herald.

Many years ago, a certain parson was silently adding to a personal unpopularity by urging the purchase of a new' organ upon the individual members of his congregation, without making much headway. At last he accosted a substantial gentleman as follows: “ Deacon B ,it has surprised us all that yoa do not enter into this organ business with your usual zeal in other church matters. What’s the trouble ?” “ Well, Parson, I will tell you: I am well satisfied with your ministrations, but there are those who begin to whisper that you are getting too old, etc., and I have been afraid that if the young people got a new organ at one end of the church, they would soon be clamoring for a new organ at yours.” The reply was satisfactoiy, and the old organ remained for many years thereafter. —Wew Haven Register. According to the New York Timet, an Oswego man invented a plan for ridding his corn-fields of the destructive crow. This man, whenever he plants his corn, leaves in a conspicuous position in the field a boxful ofcom which has been thoroughly soaked in alcohol, and remarks in a loud though apparently careless voice, that for his part he likes crows, and is determined that they shall have their fair share of corn.- Thus encouraged, the crows flock to the feast as soon as the farmer’s back is turned, and in the course of one or two hours are rendered as drunk as an equal quantity of boiled owls. At this point the farmer returns with a club and a double-barreled gun. "With tlie former he beats out the brains of the drunken crows with the skill of a model policeman, and with the latter he shoots those who are sober enough to stagger sway in search of safety. The few who can still manage to fly escape, and their description of the infamous character of that particular farmer, anil the degrading and fatal consequences of indulgence in his adulterated corn, readily influences all the crows to shun the field in which intoxicating com is dispensed. The ingenious farmer who invented this stratagem will hay,c the gratitude of all other farmers. —The will of Com. Vanderbilt is registered for probate in Bennington, Vt., in consequence of the mortgage cm the Harlem Extension Railroad, which was owned by the Commodore. ■ The Banner, of Bennington, says that the fees on the will will more than pay the whole expenses of the court for this year. According to an article in Blackwood for April on the reconstruction of the French army, France is now able to defend herself against Germany, but is pot yet strong enough to attack her. Hie French army, says the writer, is now 1,800,000 strong,-and can be increased to nearly 2,000,000.

The Falling of the Rockford CourtHoue.

The Winnebago County Court-House, which this morning, when oar cltigfina commenced their day’s labor, waa ihe pride of their hearts, is now a desolate ruin, a monument of criminal incompetency on the part of some one. Families that hade adieu to their loved ones at the dawn of day with the Joyous expectation of seeing them return at noon are weepffig over corpses disfigured and mutilated, some of which were drawn from the ruins piecemeal. Our citizens look at one another aghast, and inquire, Who is responsible for this fearful loss of life and property? In the early part of 1815 Winnebago County advertised for plans to build a Court-House, and, after the usual number of plans and specifications had been examined, those of Mr. Henry L. Gay, of Chicago, were accepted. The contract for the building of the edifice was let to Mr. W. D. Richardson, of Springfield, who, early in the spring of 1876, commenced work on the structure. yTbe corner-stone was laid Juno 22f amid grand festivities and Masonic honors, nearly all the leading Lodges of the State taking part in the ceremonies. The work progressed, and our citizens had just cause to feel proud as they watched the magnificent structure rise with imposing grandeur above all the buildings tn the city. The contract called for the building to be roofed before winter set in, in 1876, but, owing to the inclement weather, the contractor found it impossible to fulfill the contract, and the massive stone cornice which preceded the roof was put in place this spring. To-day, just as the key-stone of the roof was being placed in the dome of the main pavilion, the brickwork between the iron and the stone gave way, and the entire dome and the interior walls of the structure came crumbling down with a terrible crash, that was heard by persons living nearly a mile distant from the scene of the accident.

That the reader may more fully understand the causes which led to the fall, it will be necessary to describe the structure. The style of the building was French Venetian, of the Renaissance type. It had two pavilions and a center dome over the front entrance. The two pavilions on each side rose about thirty feet above the level of the cornice. The dome was 119 feet from the ground. The dome was supported by the front walls on the north side and two iron columns from ten to twelve inches in diameter on the inner side. These columns rested upon a brick wall going up from the ground floor to the floor of the court-room. The walls were about thirty feet high, and, it appears, were entirely Inadequate to hold the immense weight of the iron pillars and the massive masonry of the dome, which rested upon the pillars. Upon the top of the iron columns was a wrought-iron girder upon which was laid the veneer and brick of the dome. It appears that the lower brick walls were crushed by the weight ot the upper masonry, and crumbled like so much rotten mortar, bringing with them the entire interior of the building, taking all the rafters, the corrugated iron-cell-ing of every room, with its concrete filling, and the iron joists. The scaffolding came down in one terrific mass, bringing with it nearly all the workmen who were operating upon the top of the building. At the time of the accident thete were from twenty to twenty-five men at work. The accident happened at 11:80 a. m. The whole massiVff' stone top of the dome fell with a terrific crash toward State street. A man named Timothy Flanagan, who was just putting in the key-stone of the final cornice, jumped for the guy-rope of the big derrick in front, but, missing his aim, fell the distance of 120 feet to the earth, and was dashed tn pieces. At this time but few persons beside your correspondent were upon the scene. The mass pf human beings, with the exception of four or five who jumned from the windows, fell inside the tottering walls and were buried in the debris. At this time the whole structure looked as though it would fall, and those assembled were appalled, and knew not what to do. To go near enough the structure to rescue those mangled and bleeding in the ruins was hazardous in the extreme, but brave men, regardless of danger, went fearlessly to work before the dust cleared away, and commenced to assist to extricate the dead and dying. Men lay terribly mutilated beneath these rocks, shrieking for assistance that was only rendered at the risk of the rescuers’ lives. One unfortunate man named William Gloss was extricated, but one of his legs was left beneath a ponderous stone. He was lifted out upon the green sward, in front of the old Court-House, and expired in great agony. A negro jumped from a window, sixty feet from the ground, and, though seriously injured, will probably recover. Within ten minutes after the catastrophe, no less than four bodies were recovered by the almost superhuman efforts of the immense crowd which had by thia time assembled. The sights in and about the ruins were terrible. The anguish of the living was also heartrending. It was near the noon hour, and the workmen’s wives and mothers were soon upon the spot. One poor German woman rent the air with her sobs for her husband, a man named A. Haugh, who was brought out of the ruins two hours after the accident in a terrible condition. His face was mashed beyond recognition.— Rockford, 111, (May IDfopecial to Chicago Tribune. (By thft accident over twenty persons were either killed or seriously injured.)

Longest Tunnel In the Union.

Few people know how great an engineering enterprise is going on in Baltimore County. For one thing alone, a tunnel six and four-fifths miles 10ng—36,510 feet—is being built under ground, for over four.fifths the distance through hardgneiss and granite. It will be the longest tunnel in the country, and there will be only two larger in the world—the Mont Cenis, which is eight miles in length, and the St. Gothard, now in progress of com struction, and which is to.be nine and a quarter miles. The fact that the water supply tunnel lies near enough to'the surface to allow of numerous shafts, greatly facilitates its construction. The tunnel is a circle twelve feet in diameter; and extends from the Gunpowder River, about eight miles from the city, to Lake Montebello—the distributing reservoir—near the Hartford turnpike, ebout a mile and a half from this city, the direction being twenty-six degrees west of south. This tunnel will conduct the water from the Gunpowder River to Lake Montebello. Thence a conduit, 4,120 feet long,' known as the Clifton tunnel (from the fact that it passes undci a portion of the Clifton Park), conducts the water to a point Just south of the Hartford road, where it enters six mains, each four feet in diameter, which convey the w ater to the city, • distance of LOOOj. The country along the line of die wqrks ia hilly, and the tunnel varies in depth below the surface from 67 to 358 feet There

are fifteen shafts in the main tunnel, the BendiagW4 feet below the surwtder rains down from the, thqrockt, and pours along the thejß-ift. Gangs of men, each inet’s lamp attached to his hat, wane picking and delving in the flinty bowels of the earth; and the monotonous clung of the hammer upon the drffl ls‘constimflftiewd7iexcqs.when everything is in readiness for firing a mine, when all retire to £ . and thunderous reports' roil tnrongtf tne rockj 1 he xork of lUe tunnel ing is all done by band, it being cheaper than tlie machine-work in a drift of such narrow diameter.—

FACTS AND FIGURES.

Science styS- that the hutniin voiqe has nine perfect tones, but these can be combined’ ftito 17,592,044,444 different sounds. One hundred and ninety six pounds make a barrel of-flour; 200 pounds make a barrel of pork, and 56 pounds make a firkin of butter. The rapid progress of education in Great Britain is shown by the following figures: In 1885 the Government paid foreducation ♦133,720, in 1853 4 82, 890,000, in 1875-0 ♦19,860,040. The number of horses m the various countries of the European Continent and in the United States of America, has been estimated as follows: In Russia, 16,160,000; the United States, 9,504,200; Germany, 8,352,231; Great Britain, 2,790,851; France, 2,742.788: Austria-Hungary, 8,569,434 (of which 2,179,311 belong to Hungary); Italy, 657,541; Norway and Sweden, 655,456; Spain, 382,000; Denmark, 216,570; Belgium, 282,163: Holland. 260,056; Switzerland, 100.934; Greece, 98,938, and Portugal, 79,716. The proportion of horses to each 1,000 of the population U.227J15 in Russia, 244.16 in Hungary. 114.88 in Sweden, 86.10 in Great Britain, 81.64 in Germany, and 18.25 only in Portugal. Of mules there are found 1 ( 626 in Germany, .303,775 in France, 14,935 in Austria-Hungary (of which 3,266 are in Hungary proper), 293,868 in Italv, and the large, numberiof 6,665,478 in Spain; ; Y I x i A Chronological Table.—For •Some time a contest has been carried on in letters to the Norwich (Conn,) Bulletin relative tx the correct manner of converting old style dates into new. It has finally restilted in a manner satisfactory to all the disputants, they agreeing that the following is Correct: ,Seven days must be added to any date from Feb. 24,1100, to Feb. 23, 1300. Eight days must be added to any date from Feb'. 24,1300, to Feb. 23,1400. Nine days must be added to any date from Feb. 24, 1400, so Feb. 23,1500. Ten days must be added to any date from Feb. 24,1500, to Feb. 23, 1700. Eleven days must be added to any date from Feb. 24,1700, to Sept. 2, 1752. To give the correct year, in new style, one year must be added to any date in old style between ;the last day of December and the 25th of March. For example: Washington kas born Feb. 11, 1732, O. S.; and was born Feb. 22, 1733, N. 8.

Still Anxious.

When Hardin White was brought out on Monday morning to answer to the charge of drupkenness,' he said he was very anxious to get home to Bay City, and he was told to go. When he Was brought out again Wednesday morning, bit the same charge, he explained that he got left, had been robbed, and was still very, very anxious to reach home by the air-line route. “And are you still anxious to Bay City , inquired Hie Hnn<»,'as the prisoner stobd before him. • „ / I’m so anxious that I fairly tremble,’’ replied Mr. White. “ I suppose you’d charter a special traiu if yqu had the money ?” r ' “ Yes, I would. I tell yoth this being separated from my loving wife almost kills me-. If ever 1 get home ggain I’ll stick right there.” n “ What is your wife’s name ?” suddenly asked the Court. The man stuttered and stammered, scratched his head, and finally replied that it was Mary. “Well, I’ll have the Clerk drop her a note to the effect that you are still anxious to reach home, but won’t get there for thirty days. Bye-bye—trot along.” “Oh! Heavens! buttbisiya crushing blow!” gasped the prisoner, as he slid into the corridor. <Bijah ww. beginning tp tafll sympathy for him ( when the fellow picked up a new broom and broke the handle across his knee and tried to tear the stove down. — Detroit Free Preu. a IM< , ’• * ’C4 —A frightful accident occurred at the Scranton Coal mine, in Pennsyhejnia, a few days ago. Levi Thomas,A?young English mechanic, endeavorel to step bboard the carriage of the elevator, .which he,evidently thought was la waiting to descend, when he was, precipitated into the shaft, striking the bottom9oo, feet below. H'S remains were so marred as almost to preclude recognition. —they Hooper, the European--letter-writer, weighs 330 poufids, and has a double chin. ? ' .r; — ■ -•

THE MARKETS.

NEWYOfik . . (!> May 16, 1877. LIVESTOCK—Cattie.....>,SI9.OO W^ffi-Vl^N^Vchieago. l.'B9X@ LW CORN—Westerh'Mixed.. 7. - .72, OATS—Western and State... .49 & •&’ LARD—Steam CHEESE., 'I- “ .57 ■ a&T.-.'.'*:- I S Butchers’ Stock., 3.75 @ 4.75 gtodcCattle -.- 3.75 © 4.85 HOGS—Live—Goad to CWti 5.10 @ 5.62 / SHEEP live. ... i........ 4.00 @ 6.50 iTMtaring Extra .79.50 10.00 Bat g t -NoJ r 1.64 @ 1.67 .51W -523< C < Ryn No. i .85 Barley, No. 2 TOW .75 PtteK;.;. ..... . @ 14.22. 1 ; luSSsb— iUtaaiich.*.'. itaM % sw UST LIBERTY.. (1&TTUE—8M6...U.......-BMS @ $".00 MadfUta. H. fe4.v.-<4B”, Q 5.75 HOGS—Yariranr..••■'/•A.x# @ 5.40 PhitaddphiM 5.70 BH2EP—BeM 5-1* @ 5-50 Medium.... tiO 0 5.00