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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 1867)
BY STOCKTON fr CO, OUR TERMS. The following are the rate? of Subscription: Daily, one year ; $lO 00 Weekly, one year $3 00 The Thoroughfare. All (lay I watched the busy crowds That j>re?s atoiu the street. Have hoard, like rain drops on the roof, The sounds of falling feet; Finn morn till night this tide of life Flow? like a ceaseless stream, Like to those nameles* shadowy throngs, Which pass us in our dream. To those who've walked some crowded street, Wher strangers c >rne and go Lik" shadows—heedless whom you meet, No faces t at you know— I need not toll that ’midst the crowd Which thronged the stteets today, Y< n might have se. n the young, she old, The sorrowful, the gay. ** For you, like I, have marked such crowds, Have read them like a hook ; And in the flushed and haggard face, The frown, the smile, the look. Have read the secret? of the soul— Have seen the fond desire For w> altli and fame enkindled there, And burning like a fire. You have upon that street, perchance, As eye to eye yon met Borne b ttuty whose bewildering glance Dwells in your memory yet; You there have read the sentiment * H Joyousness and glee, Upon the page* of that heart— They were not writ for thee. And on that wan and laggard brow Have read how sorrow’s fangs Have pierced tin- breast and torn the heart; What <• uc-l, hitter pangs ruthless hand has giv* n ; What p vertv, what tears The heart hen li, am hope all crushed, The future nought but fears. Business and pleasure, toil and rest, Hath each its suitor here, And some to-day the streets have pressed Who’d weep when night appears. I know not whence they come, nor where Their eager st,*jis will thrust; I know hut this ; t hey go at length, At last, to death—to dust. And other crowds will press these streets F'or lucre, love and lore ; Others will frown, and laugh and weep When we shall weep no more. The children of that coming day— A better day, 1 trust— Will little reek how sound we sleep, Who’ve gone, to death—to dust. The poem below is as seasonable as it is beautifully expressed: lalling Leaves. They are failing, slowly falling, Thick upon the forest side, Severed fiom the noble branches, Where they waved in beauteous pride. They are failing in the valleys, W hero iho early violets spring And the birds in sunny spring time F'irst their dulcet music sing. They arc falling, sadly falling, Close becido our cottage door ; Pale a id faded, like the loved ones, They have gone forever more. They are falling, and the sunbeams Shine in be uity soft around ; Yet the faded leaves are failing, Falling on the inos-y ground. They are falling on the streamlet, Where the silvery waters flow, And upon the placid bosom Onward with the blue waters go. They are falling in the church-yard, . Where our kindred sweetly sh'i /norc Where the idle winds of suratra Softly o’er the loved ones swdk Stea They arc falling, over falling, iJ' ' When the autumn breezes sig™' I’d When the stars in beahty glister...i. Bright upon the midnight skr uul > J They are falling when the temp;he chi' Moans like pecan’s hollow rot W hen the tuneless winds and bjrospci'L Sadly sigh for evermore. £ j ]( ( They are falling, they are Newbi While our saddened To the sunny days of eluldl^^^^B In the dreamy long ago. Con Ami their faded hues Idasted hopes t'lc.l Faded like the falling w ].'.j Cast upon the icy stream^^^^jP ' a const! Uu Manage De Oonv^Bkf^^. If yon saw my wife with her beauty rare, Her elegant form aud her raven hair, You would deem me ble.-sed and without a care. For the light falls soft bn a sweet pale face, On exquisite lips full of pride of race, Ami a nock so white in its queenly grace. But the novel rests unread on tier knee, And the lire’s red rays reveal unto me A lingering look 1 shudder to see. I love her full well; but I’ve grown too wise Too closely to peer in lier tell-tale eyes, Or to seem to hear her suppressed sighs. When the gloaming sad with its dying gleams Again glimmers o’er the Paetolian streams, And her dead love's face beacons through her dreams. And I turn away ; for well do I know That her heart is chilled as by Winter snow, And never with love of me will it glow. When I hear her tears on the pages fall, The w andering win ’s a hushed requiem call O'er the hopes I lay breath a heavy pail. And the thoughts that come through tiie gath’rinsr gloom Are th 'lights of our lives and our bitter doom, To be kept apart by a gaping tomb. [ 1 tushy's Magazine for November. In Memoriain. D. J. R. By (he author of “ The Conquered Banner." Young as the youngest who donned the Grav, Trim as the truest that wore it Brave as the btavest, he inarched away, til t tears on the cheeks of his mother lay), Triumphant waved our Flag one day, lie ?e 1 in the front before it. Firm as the firmest where duty led, Ho hurried witnout a falter— Bold as the boldest, he fought and bled, Ami the day was won-but the field was red, And the lood of his fr. sh, young heart was shed, On his country’s hallowed altar. On the trampled breast of the battle p’ain Wher • the loremost ranks had wrestled— On his pale, pure face, not a mark of p a pl tiiis mother dreams they will meet bcainv The fairest form amid all the slain, ’’ Like a child asleep—he nestled. ’ In the solemn shades of the woods that swept The field where his comrades found him— 1 Tt *\ buried him ther*—and the big tears crept liite -troiig men s eyes that had seldom wept tills me her, God pay her—smiled and slept, Dre utug her arms were around hint), ******* A grave in the woods, with the grass o’er grown, A giave in the heart of his mother— His c’ay in the one lies lifeless and lone ; There is not a name, there is not a stone— Ana only the voice of the winds maketh moan G er the grave where never a flower is strewn— But his memory lives in the other. [Front the Cleveland Plain-dealer. Thrilling Incident. A MAX IN A TRANCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE I>EAI>. ANT) IS DEPOSITED IN A VAULT—HE BURSTS HIS COFFIN, ESCAPES, AND IS SHOT AT AS A PRETENDED GHOST. We have before us a private letter, detailing events that ree. utly occurred in a Southwest ern Ohio town, that £ive peculiar force to the old adage, that “ truth is stranger than fiction.” Mr. Delos W. is a wealthy and influential rnau, residing near the village of I*. On the Thursday preceding the prize tight between Gallagher and Davis, the old gentleman was thrown into a high state of excitement at learn ing that his only son John had gone to Cleve land with the avowed purpose of attending the light, and his excitement was intensified at still further discoveries that John had helped him- 1 self to his (the father’s) pocket-book, contain ing S2OO. Mr. VV. fumed and fretted over the I conduct of his son, and went to bed on Thurs- j day night with a raging headache and marked j symptoms of fever. He was about the place ! in a more composed state of mind on Friday, but the interview with John on Monday after- j noon, immediately after the son’s return, threw j ihe old gentleman into a paroxysm of rage ! and grief, which was rendered doubly severe j by John’s insolence and his acknowledgement j that he had lost $l5O of the money in a bet on j Gallagher. Mr. W.’s frenzied feelings finally : got the better ot him, and he felled his son to the floor with a blow of his fist, and immedi ately thereafter fell down himself in a sense less condition. Great excitement in the family ensued. The mother ran screaming lor assist ance, which was soon forthcoming 1 in the per sons of several of the neighbors. Mr. W. was found in an apparently lifeless condition, with : blood flowing from his mouth aud nose. A ! subsequent examination by a physician led to ! the announcement by him that, Mr. W. had ! died from the bursting of a blood vessel. So ! evidently had the vital spark fl- and that no efforts 1 at resuscitation were made, and the “remains” were prepared for burial as promptly as pt s- ( sible. The funeral of the “ deceased ” took place | the following Wednesday. Mr. W.’s body had only been coffined the previous day—up to which time it had lain draped in its shroud in the parlor. Notwithstanding the wonderful life-look ot the skin and the color in the face, it occurred to no one to suggest a postpone ment of the burial till death was absolutely certain. The funeral was very largely attend ed, and everybody remarked the life-like ap pearance ot the deceased. The “ remains” were temporarily placed in one of the vaults of the cemetery, owing to the fact that a brick tomb, commenced for their re ception, had not been completed. At 10 o’clock on Thursday night the village was thrown into great excitement by the re port that a ghost had been seen in the cemetery a short time before, and that the old lady who had first seen it had been frightened into a fit. trom which it was doubtful whether she would recover. Thinking that probably the ghost was personated by some scoundrel, who had played the same trick several times before, a number ot persons armed themselves with shot guns, proceeded to the cemetery, and com menced a cautious inspection—their heart? keeping up an anxious thumping in their bosoms, in spite of their assumed bravado. — They had not long to wait, for there, flitting among the tombs, was a wiiite object, plainly to be seen. With trembling hands the guns were raised, and fired when—strange fact for a ghost—they saw the white creature fail between a couple of graves. Plucking up courage, they cautiously approached the object, and turned a d.wk lantern upon it. Their feelings can be belter imagined tkau described, when they found that the ghost was the lately “ deceased Mr. Delos W. Whilst a portion of the party picked up the bleeding and senseless body of the old gentleman, and started homeward with if, the remainder hastened to the vault. There they found Mr. W.’s coffin broke open, and lying upon the floor, aud the coffin ot a de i eased lady, that had been placed upon it like wise thrown down, from the shelf, and stand- • ing on end, partially broken open, displaying its ghastly inmate. The vault door, which was a rather weak affair, had been forced open by the resurrected W. The party then went to Mr. W.’s house, where they found that the wounds were not serious, and that he had recovered his senses. His story was briefly told: He had been carried to the cemetery in a trance. Early on Thurs day evening, consciousness returned to him, and the horrid truth flashed upon his mind that he was coffined alive. This led to additional strength to his struggles to get free, and he finally succeeded in bursting the coffin. Mr. W. is now last recovering, and seems good tor a lonsr lease of life yet. John Hardy, editor of the Radical paper pub lished in Montgomery, Alabama, has been con fined in a lunatic asylum, and when we say this, we do not mean that he has been chosen to the State colored convention. The “ American clown Agreat, called the man fly,” according to a Baris paper, “ committed suicide last week at Berlin iu presence or 2,000 spectators, by firing a pistol in his mouth at the moment he wu hanging by his feet to the ceil ing of the theatre. The Wilmington Star relates the following incident ot “ Human Progress The following is said to have occurred at l nion Superior Court. A colored gentleman on the jury is objected to on the ground of in competent v—the following questions pro pounded by the counsel to a juror : “ Sam, are you a free-holder ?” “ Yes, Sar.” “ Have you any land ?” “ No, Sar.” “ What do you mean, then, oy sayinir you are a free-holder ?” “ I means bein’ free and holdin ’ on. and so on.” “ What is a verdict , Sam ?” “ I dun know, Sar.” “ What is a plaintiff f n “ I dun know, Sar.” “ What is a defendant ?” “I dun know, Sar; I’se green ’bout dese tiugs.” Here Gen. Canby’s order was read, from which it appeared he was competent— so the man and brother was duly “ cussed ” in and took his seat. Brilliant Career and Sad End of a Con federate Boy. —We find in the last number of the Winchester (Va.) Time a brief biograph ical sketch of Capt. George Burwell, of Clarke county, in this State, who recently perished in the Imperial army of Maximilian. This gallant Virginian was only fourteen rears of age when the late war of independence broke out, but despite the protests of bis friends, enlisted in the Southern army, and fore himself through all its coutests with distinguished gal lantry and credit. Alter Lee’s surrender be de termined to leave the country, and with this purpose he went to Mexico and tendered his sword to the Emperor Maximilian. In the Im perial service he displayed the same ardent valor which had marked his Confederate career, and he rose to the grade of captain. In one of the almost numberless atfiirs which were fought in Maximilian’s last camprign, young Burwell was mortally wouuded, and breathed S his last on the field of action. | There are but few heroes to whom are so ap plicable the words of Byron— *' Brief, brave aad glorious was his young career.” I Louisville Courier. AUGUbTA, GA., WEDNESDAY KORNING, NOVEMBER 27, 1867, ‘ Elegant Extracts. —We have published a telegraphic dispatch giving an account of a con versation which a correspondent of the Cincin nati Commercial had held with the Hon. Ben Wade, setting forth the vie ws of that persouag in relation to the Ohio election, and other topi* s i growing out of it. Since then the letter oflfj, correspondent has appeared, detailing in fu' ! the political ideas of Mr. Wade, .as expresses |in his own choice language. The following ex tracts are specimens ot the style of the man who now fills the second office in the republic. Referring to the Ohio election, the correspond ent approaches him with : “ Well, old gentleman, how do you like it as far as you’ve got ?” To which Mr. Wade re- j plies : “ It’s the fate of war. We’re d—d badly j whipped ; but it can’t be helped. We must get 1 ready for another round at ’em.” Ot the defeat of the suffrage amendment he j says : “ I’ll be for keeping it up until we do win ; j for by the Eternal God they can’t beat us all the I time on a question like that! * * * I won’t I back a d—d inch.” Referring to weak-kneed Radicals: ¥ Hell’s j full of such Radicals as we have now. There’ll be the damnedest crawfishing you ever saw j from this time forward.” In reply to a ques- j tion whether Mr, Lincoln left little or no pro- i perty behind, he said : “ 3 and and lie. Mrs. Lincoln was very I well off, and ctid’nt need even what she got j ($25,000) from Congress. She took a hundred j boxes of something or other—l don’t know ! what —away with her, and the Commissioner j of Public Buildings swore there were fifteen i other boxes that she wanted to carry off, and j he had to interfere to prevent her. At any ! rate, she cleaned out the White House. I \ didn’t know but she was going to run a big ho tel with all she carried off.” His opinion of -Stevens’ confiscation bill : “A piece of and and foolery.” In regard to impeachment: “ What the devil has an election in Ohio to do with the matter?” He would like to know whether Grant was “for Johnson or for Congress, or what the devil he was for.” When he (Wade) endeavored to eiieit from Grant his views upon political subjects, he turned the conversation to horses ! “Conser vative devils ” is the complimentary phrase Mr. Wade applies to those who cannot “ jumn forward ” as far as himself. “We’ll give them (the. Southern States) a republican form of government in spite of the devil and all his angels, including Andy Johnson.” We sug gest to the party of progress, among their other side issues, to put a prohibitory plank in their platform against profanity, for their fine “ moral ideas ” lose much of their weight when set forth by their leading official func tionaries with so many “damns” and “ devils.” The Dignity of Labor.—The Boston Com mercial Bulletin tells the following, which some employers will not fail to appreciate : We were never more impressed with the dignity ot labor than while witnessing, a few days since, a group of “ down-trodden work ing men ” engaged in putting up some ma chinery. There were five of them, or rather ioui men and a boy, and at the time they came under our notice, 5:80, p. m., one was engaged in slowly turning over the contents of a box in search of a screw, two were looking with much interest for the labors of No. 1, the fourth was slowly scratching a piece of ’iron with a file, and the boy was Scratching his head. No. 1 finally found a screw to suit him, but during the search his pipe had gone out. — Laying down the screw, he began to investi gate his pocket for a match. Nos. 2 and 3 searched theirs in sympathy, while the filer paused to see the result. Finally No. 2 found a match, ignited it and handed it to No. 1 who having accomplished a light, smoked tor a few minutes to assure himself of the fact, while the boy went to the other room to look at the clock. No. 1 then looked at his watch aud compared time with No. 3. Time, 5:40. No. 1 then put the screw into position to fasten a bar. No. 2 held the bar, No. 3 squint ed at it from the other side of the machine.— No. 4 inspected the whole operation reflective ly, -as he slowly resumed his filing, and the boy wiped the oil from his fingers. Time, 5:45. Ax Editor Sued.—The editor of the Musca tine (Iowa) Courier was sued the other day. He took it philosophically. Hear him : The dim recesses of our dark sanctum were illuminated yesterday by the rubicund visage ol our friend Constable Scott. Our hair stood on end as with tears in his eyes he proceeded to read a very nicely printed blank on which our name figured conspicuously with that of Justice Klein. To cut short a long article, we were sued. _ Were you ever sued, reader ? Yes? #*ice, ain’t it ? We put our pen behind our ear and looked wise at the officer. He trembled a little, for the idea of suing an editor was new to him. He never imagined that anything could be got of “them le'ffrs” ny suing—we didn’t either. Wo don t now. The art of suing is a science. Young lawyers anxious for suits some times bring them lor luu. Old ones, however, never do anything of the kind unless they can’ get something. We never knew anybody to get anything where there wasn’t anything to be hid. We hope they’ll get a judgment against li', then we hope they’ll take out an execution, and lastly, we beg they’ll execute it. If we’ve got any property we’d like to know it. They might garnishee a lot of other (ellows we owe around town. _We guess they will If they are sharp they’ll commence on George Schneid er. W'e owe him for a glass of beer. If they get that it. would help a little Failing in this we recommend them to attach a box of soiled paper collars we have on hand. They haven’t b< • n turned yet, and they might use the clean side. If this won’t do, we are unable to help them. . The Corruption of Ancient Pompeii.—A correspondent ot the Tribune, who lias lately ecu at the buried city* in Italy, writes as follows : There is one matter in relation to Pompeii that is seldom touched on by writers, and which I dare not touch too closely,to-wit': The horrible depravity of the Pompeians, as illus trated by the frescoes, sculptures and bronze statues that are found. Huudreds of these vile e jects have been carried away to the museums in Naples, and put in a room which no woman is allowed to visit; but there are still houses iu Pompeii that are kept locked, and others that have such sculptures over the doors on the outside that the guides harry past them when there are worn uin the party. Even iu private houses there are scores ot frescoes—magnifi ceiitlt executed, too—which one would dare to visit only m Company with his earnest and dearest friends, if ladies, and in other houses pictures- and statues than which none can im agine anything worse. I cannot understand why the writers on these matters have beeu so anxious to conceal the faults of the ancients.— It is a fact that deserves to be generally known. Great God ! what a picture of corruption in imperial Rome is revealed to one who looks into Pompeii with anything like thoroughness. The very stone of the door-posts tells a tale more damnable, than ever was invented by modern thought. Sodom was clean, and Go morrah was pure, compared with Pompeii. Where was ever a people on earth, before or since Pompeii, that “ advertised the ways that lead down to hell ” bv sculptures placed' iu the open light of the street? “Out, damned spot!” cried the stili iufant genius of modern civilization and Christianity, as it looked in upon Pcmpeii, and Vesuvius responded to the command and sent his consuming fires to do t£e work. I iter from Gen. Cialdini Lo Gen. Garibaldi. ’ he defeat of Garibaldi gives interest to ' following letter, addressed to him six : y rs ago by an old comrade in arms: Turin, April 21, 1861. yJ-ENERAU : From the moment I knew you I became your sincere friend, and I was so when it was a cause of blame in the eyes of a great number. I applauded your tri umphs, I admired your powerful military initiation,and with my friends, with yours— in public, in private, everywhere, and al ways—l have testified to you the highest esteem, and declared myself incapable of attempting what you accomplished at Mar sala. Such was my confidence in you, that when Gen. Sirtori pronounced those fatal words in Parliament, I remained convinced that you would feel the necessity of contra dicting them. And when 1 knew that you had left Caprera, landed at Genoa, and ar rived at Turin, 1 believed that you did so for that object solely. The words you have spoken in the Cham ber have most sadly but most completely undeceived me. You are not the Garibaldi for whom I felt so much affection. That att'ect-ion is gone with the illusion I cherish ed. lam no longer your friend : and, frank ly and openly, I pass into the rinks of your political enemies. \ on have the audacity to put yourself on a level with the King; you speak of him with the familiarity of a comrade ; you pre sent yourself in the Chamber in a grotesque costume, in hostility with his Government —calling his Ministers traitors because they are not devoted to you—in hostility with the Parliament, neaping blame on deputies who do not think as you do, to the detri ment of the country, on-which you want to exercise a personal action. Well, then, there are men who are not disposed to submit to all that, and I am one of them. An enemy of every species of tyranny, whether it be arrayed in black or red, I will combat yours to the very last. The orders given by you, or yours, to Col. Tripoli to receive us in the Abruzzi are known to me. I know, too, the words spoken in Parliament to Gen. Sir tori ; those that you uttered; and those in dications let me into the secret designs of your party. Your party want to make themselves masters of this country and of the army by menacing them with civil war. I am not in a position to know what the country thinks about all this; but I can assure you that the army does not fear your menaces, and that it only fears your gov ernment. . General, you have carried out a marvel ous enterprise with your volunteers. You are right in believing so, but you are wrong in exaggerating the real results of it. You were on the Y olturno in a most critical po sition when we came up. Capua, Gaeta, Messina and Civitella did not fall before you; and 56,000 Bourbonians were beaten, dispersal and made prisoners by us, and not by you. It is, then, untrue to say that the kingdom of the Two Sicilies was deliv ered by your arms. In your legitimate van ity, General, do not forget that our army and our fleet had some part in putting hors de combat more than one-half of the Neapol itan army aud in taking four fortresses. I cone*ude my letter in telling you that I ha\e neither the pretension nor the mission to s eak to you in the name of the army ; but I think I know it well enough to have no doubt ol its sharing the feeling of dis gust and of pain which your excesses and those of your party have created in my mind. I am, &e., Cialdini. [Fro in the St. Louis Republican, November 6. An Amusing Scene—A Would-be Bride Hesitates so Lons that She finally Misses Being Married. Injustice Jock’s office, yesterday even ing, an amusing matrimonial incident oc curred. The justice received notification that h:s services would be required to unite, in bonds of wedlock, two youthful lovers. He consequently remained after business hours ; the gas was lighted and all the necessary preparations were made. After waiting some time, a young man, accom panied by a veiled female, was seen outside. They appeared to hesitate somewhat about coming in, and constable Berger, ever ready to facilitate such matters, stepped out and invited them in. The lady still held back, and said there were “ too many men in there.’’ This objection was removed by the •justice ordering several deputies who were present to leave, and when they, had gone, the young woman and her companion en tered. A conversation took place with the justice, when, to the astonishment of her companion, it appeared the girl did not want to gat married just yet. She said the man was “ in liquor,” and that she wanted to see her mother first. Her lover expos tulated and vowed that he was sober as a judge, which was evidently the case. The lady, however, finally declared she would'ut be married that night, and the parties left the office. In about ten minutes they re turned. Lady still reluctant, but overcome by the moral suasion of her lover. The jus tice put the usual questions, which she answered. Then came the question as to her age. She declared she didn’t know. as shq eighteen ? asked the justice. She couldn’t tell, would have to ask her mother. This kind of hesitation aroused the impa tience of the justice, and he said he would not perform the ceremony, and the young people went away evidently discomfited. Presently they returned, the young woman approached the justice and whispered that she had made a mistake, that she was over thirty, and asked that the ceremony pro ceed. But it was now the turn of the jus tice to be obstinate, and he refused to marry them at all. In vain the woman entreated. The justice was inexorable. She said if they were not married that night they never would be ; still the justice refused, and, finally, the disconsolate lovers left the office to look for someone else to make them one flesh according to law. The town of Coburg, X. Y., was made fa mous. two mouths ago, by the birth of an in fant which weighed only one pound. The child is now in the third month of her exist ence, and has gained a pound and a half, kick ing the beam at two and a half pounds. An ordinary sized gentleman’s finger rin°- will easily pass,over her arm to the elbow, and her shoes are just two inches long. The Roman Catholics of Loudon are about to erect the finest cathedral in Europe, save, perhaps, St. Peter sat Rom<*. One feature-is i priests of every nation and language are to be constantly stationed at the cathedral, tor the purpose of hearing confessions and of preaching to foreigners in their native tongues. APPALLING D SASfERS TERRIFIC BOILER EXPLOSION ON CANAL STREET, CHICAGO. [From the Chicago Times of yesterday. THE EXPLOSION ON CANAL STREET. A short time before the Times went to press yesterday morning, the city was visit ed by an appalling calamity, so terrible in its devastating effects as to blanch the faces of the strongest with fear, and to cause brave men to tremble who never quailed before any ordinary peril. Beyond the sim ple announcement that a most terrific ex plosion had occurred in a flouring mill near the business centre of the city, accompanied by a great loss of life, and resulting in a very destructive conflagration, it was im possible at that time to give any details of the terrible occurrence. And now, after the lapse of an entire day in the investiga tion of the sickening details, it is a difficult matter to give a coherent and intelligible account of the affair. THE EXPLOSION. The building-in which the explosion oc curred occupied Nos. 23 and 25 South Ca nal street, being very near the centre of the block, on the west side of the street, be tween Washington and Randolph streets. It was a four-story brick structure, occupied by Messrs. Marple & Fletcher as a flouring mill. The engine house, also built of brick, and the boiler were located in the rear of the premises, near the alley. At a little before half-past two o'clock, the citizens for many blocks around were startled by a ter rific shock, followed by a deep, dull report, somewhat resembling the roar of a heavy discharge of park artillery. The first im pression by those awakened out of a sound sleep by ’he concussion was that a violent shock of an earthquake had occurred. They were speedily undeceived, however, jbr it was soon ascertained that the boiler in the mills referred to had exploded with indescribable violence. In the whole history of explosions, noth ing had been known equaling this iu severi ty. It was more like the explosion of a mine than any ordinary occurrence of the kind. The scene is described by the few eye-witnesses as being terrifically grand. The boiler was literally blown into frag ments, and the entire building was utterly demolished. By the grand and terrific up heaval, the whole structure seemed lifted bodily into the air, falling back an unrecog nized and chaotic mass. The air, to the height of hundreds of feet, was filled with a shower of brick, lumber, and other mate rial, which, falling, strewed the streets for blocks around with the debris. LOSS OF LIFE AND MINOR ACCIDENTS. At the time of the occurrence of thq ex plosion various wild rumors in regard to a great loss of life were circulated, the esti mates ranging from eight to fifteen. Up to a lat e hour last night, however, the remains of only one person had been found, those of James Connelly, the engineer. His remains were found covered up with rubbish, about twenty feet west of where the engineer’s house stood, at about one o’clock yesterday afternoon. He was considerably mutilated and bruised, and from the wounds he re ceived, and from his position when found, there is no doubt but that his death must have been instantaneous. The unfortunate man resided at No. 57 East Kinzie street, to which place his re mains were removed. He leaves a wife and one child to mourn his most untimely end. The only force employed in running the mill nights was the engineer and miller, and soon after the explosion a person was res cued, at great personal risk, by Officer Hinckley, of the second precinct police, supposed to have been the miller. He was badly burned, but is likely to survive his injuries. This accounts for the two occu pants of the mill, and it is probable that but one life whs sacrificed in this terrible affair. Charles Deeds, a boarder in the Fort Wayne House, was somewhat injured by the concussion, as was also a little son of the proprietor of that house. These are the only injuries reported, and the wonder ful immunity.in such a wide-spread devas tation seems little short of a miraculous interposition. INCIDENTS. A butcher, whose name was not learned, was driving in on Blue Island avenue with a load of meat, and at the time of the ex plosion states that he was looking directly in that direction. Instantly the air was filled with pieces of the wreck, many of them going entirely out of sight. Some of these missiles would shoot up like balls of fire, making it resemble a grand pyrotechnic or meteoric display. lie distinctly saw three large pieces of the boiler in the air, one of which came directly toward him. The entire neighborhood was saluted with fragments* of the boiler, which, as be fore stated, was literally blown into pieces. These shot off- in various directions, pene trating buildings with great force. Only a few of the largest of these will be noticed. One large piece, several feet in length, was thrown entirely across Washington street, over the tunnel, and through the agricultu ral warehouse there. Another piece, six ! feet long, went through the roof of A. Bish-: op’s wagon shop, No. 4G South Jefferson ■ street, and did not stop until it landed on the floor. Another, the flue-cap, or end of the boiler, was thrown in nearly the oppo site direction, and after demolishing a small out-house, landed in the yard on the other side of Washington street, having passed entirely over the agricultural warehouse.— Stili another, twelve feet in length, landed in the alley, in rear of the new building on the corner of Canal and Washington streets, and another, still larger, being ten feet in length, and of the estimated weight of over one ton, went through the pattern shop connected with Preble’s machine shop, hav ing traveled nearly two blocks. The large, new, four-story brick building, nearly com pleted, situated directly in the rear of the Barnes House, was terribly shaken, the side next the mill presenting the appearance of having been used for target practice. It was stated that, had not the walls of the building been unusually strong, the struc ture must have been thrown down. As it was, the walls showed large cracks over the entire building. It was built by Mr. Cnilds, of the Star Metal Works, cost SBS,-1 000, and was insured for- $25,000. The Barnes House was made the recipient of an immense shower of falling brickbats, which broke the skylights, while, in many places, from the force of the concussion, the plas tering tumbled from the walls. A piece of cast iron belonging to the boiler, and weighing fifteen pounds, was thrown VOL. 26. NO. 45 through the shed of Dr. Bames, Nos. 51 j and 53 Washington street, and was suffi | cieutly hot to ignite the building. George | W. Noble, Esq., who was confined to his i rooms at No. 23 Clinton street, with a bro ken leg, was startled by a large piece which struck the cornice, nearly over Ids head, but fortunately glanced - and fell to the ground without doing any injure. The i wo-story. No. 19, adjoining - the building in which the explosion occurred, and own od by the Star Metal Company, was occu pied up stairs by James Tansey, *he fore man of the works. He was awakened out ol a sound sleep by the roof crushing iu duectß o\ er his head, but every occupant of the house escaped injury. These art;but a lew ot the many incidents collected, but will serve to show somewhat the effects of the explosion. The door-bells of buildings blocks away were violently rung, windows were shattered, and but few buildings iu that neighborhood escaped the effects of the concussion. THE CONFLAGRATION. Simultaneously with the explosion, and more resembling a flash of electricity than anything else, the ruins and the adjacent buddings were a solid sheet of flame." The fire department were promptly on the ground, many of the steamers having start ed before the alarm was rung, being noti fied of the occurrence by the report and the .urid glare of the fiames that immediately 101 l owed it. For a long time they contend ed manfully with the devastating element, ami lor a while it seemed doubtful which would win the mastery. The immense volume of flame leaped, many-tongued, skyward, most brilliantly illuminating the surrounding buildings and the shipping in the river. A large number of steamers ranged in a row by the river’s bank, like gnomes, spitting forth fire and smoke, added not a little to the scene. In about one hour the fire was essentially sub dued, though it was necessary for the steamers to jffay upon the burning mass until daylight. Never had the department more arduous duties to perform, and never were duties more faithfully performed. In its progress the tire had completely demolished the entire row of buildings from No. 19 to Washington street. * * * * Some small buildings in the rear of those mentioned were either destroyed or consid erably damaged. The entire loss is roughly estimated at $75,000, which is probably not too high a figure. FIRE IN NORTH WATER STREET. Avery destructive conflagration visited the North division on yesterday afternoon, occasioning a loss of about $60,000, and re sulting in the entire demolition of the block of buildings and warehouses bounded by. Wells, North Water and LaSalle streets, and the river. The structures destroyed were all frame buildings, those on Wells street being used as saloons and boarding houses, the remainder consisting of the dock buildings of the Grand Trunk and Northern Transportation Companies. The Boiler Explosion at Pittsburg. [From the Pittsburg Commercial, Nov. 9. Yesterday morning, about half-past eleven o’clock, the residents in the Ninth Ward, lower part of Pitt township and Lawrencevilie, were startled bj a tremen dous report, as of an explosion, which shook the foundations of the houses for half a mile around. It was soon ascer tained that an explosion had taken place in the forge department of the Fort Pitt Iron Works, owned by Messrs. Rees, Graff & Dull, and located on the bank of the Al leghany river, between Wilson and Boun dary streets, in Pitt township, and fronting the track of the Allegheny Valley Rail road. The building had been blown to atoms. To add to the more horrible nature of the catastrophe, the ruins of the building had taken lire and were in flames. Not withstanding the exertions of the firemen, nearly all of the frame work of the build ing was destroyed before the flames could be subdued. We arrived at the scene of the disaster half an hour after the explosion took place, and found the building to be a mass of ruins. The ruins were in such a confused mass that it is almost impossible to de scribe them. The explosion had made such a complete wreck that not a board on the building had been left standing. A portion of the structure used in rolling iron, and located on the east side, and about twenty feet from the forge department, was torn down by the explosion. Two large smoke stacks in this building were thrown down by the flying timber, and falling on a shed near by were bent very badly. I: ii forge department, the ruins in some places had massed very high. None of the timber be longing to the building was blown any great distance, but principally fell in a con fused mass together. Singular to say, all the chimneys in this building were left standing, although everything else belong ing to the building was a complete wreck. A number of pieces of the boilers and tim ber were thrown a considerable distance from the ground. As soon as the flames had been - ’.Jued sufficiently to admit of the removal of the cb .rred timber and iron, efforts were made to take out the bodies from the ruins. Many of the spectators present assisted in the work, and succeeded in recovering about half a dozen of the bodies, some of which were so terribly burned as to be almost unrecognizable. The boilers (three in number) were par allel with the river and Allegheny Valley Railroad track, and about seven inches apart. They were built in July, 1803, by Carroll & Snyder, and [were 42 inches in diameter and 30 feet in length, with two 18-iuch flues in each boiler. The shells and flues were made of full quarter-inch iron. The iron was manufactured by Shoenber ger A Cos., each sheet stamped C. H. (char coal hammered) No. 1. It is impossible to ascertain which boiler exploded first, as the engineer and fireman, the only persons capable of giving such information, were instantly killed. The probabilities are that one of the boilers exploded and immediately caused the explosion of the other two.— I hey ail appear to have broken in the mid dle, and the fragments were thrown in all directions, the flue caps principally going in the direction of the Allegheny Valley Railroad track. From an examination of all the fragments of boilers that were to be seen, it appears that they were broken in pieces where riveted together. Several of the flues were collapsed, and but little re mained by which a boiler could be identified. Immediately after the explosion the build ing took fire, and the damage was thus ren dered much greater than it otherwise would have been.
