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THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION, TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1882.'
WILL THE WORLD END
■WHEN THE NEW COMET STRIKES
THE SUN?
The View* of Several Astronomers on th« Subject
-A Million Mile* a D»y-F»ofes«or Draper's
Views—What the Several Sshuola Held
-It Kuat be a Very Large One.
From the New Yorg Sun.
If the comet that was discovered by a young
astronomer in Albany last month fulfils half
of the promises made for it, we may expect to
behold, in May or June, a celestial spectacle
such as lias not been equalled since 1858 or
1811. This comet, although some 200,000,000
miles from its perihelion, which it will not
reach for three months, shows a bright tail
and a star-like nudes. The inference is fair
that the comet is a very large one, aud that
when it gets into our neighborhood it will
present a mignificcntappearance. Moreover,
Professor Chandler’s figures show that the I wandering in space for millions and millions
, , . . • i . .. 1 of miles, until perhaps they wear themselves
comet is plunging almost stratght at the sun, out and fal , to *J je e ^ nil f n fragmentSj M a
Which it will probably approach within 100,- | showetpf meteors."
far away as the stars we should not be able to
| see it at all.
COMINQ TOW AUD Til* EARTH.
“The comet’s course is about north north
east. The rate is say a degree a day.”
“And how fast is that?’’
Calculating that the comet is about a hun
dred million miles away, which is aboutright,
it is coming at neariy a million miles a day.”
'Coming towards the earth?”
Towards the earth.”
Then in a hundred days—”
It won’t come nearer than eighty-million
miles.”
This timely assurance enabled the reporter
to recover his breath.
“Then,” sai-l the professor, “it will go down
into the southern hemisphere. It will be at
its brightest there. The best views will be
had in Australia and South America. It will
fade rapidly to the unaided eye in the south,
but they will be able to follow it with the tel
escope tor months."
“Will it ever come back?”
“Its orbit lias not been sufficiently deter
mined to say. Indeed, it is'too new to say
much of anything about .it. Most comets,
however, are seen but once. They then go off
000 miles. The only other comets, in the long
list of those bodies whose orbits have
been calculated, which approached ]
anything like as near to the |
sun as this. are the comet of 370 B.
C., the-comet of 1GC3, the comet of 1080, often
called Newton’s comet, the comet of 1813,
“Js this the new comet’s first visit?”
'It appears to be so. The comet of 1312, is
according to the records, to return this or next
year. This comet, however, is not it. Its ap
pearance is different, though that might not
be conclusive, as these bodies change in ap
pearance; but the orbit is not the same and
that settles the question. We may look for
the comet of 1812 to follow this. This comet
and tho comet of 1880. Tiie lust named was I differs from telescopic comets generally in
observed only in South America and Austra
lia and at the Cape of Good Hope. Concern
ing the comet of 370 B. C., of which frightful
tilings arc related, and which is said to have
split in two, not much is known, hut the
measurements made in the otlici cases are
generally to be depended upon. In fact, it
was the nearness of the approach of the comet
of 1030 which led Newton to anticipate possi
ble jieril to the earth from the fall of a great
comet into the sun. This is not the popular
view of the danger from comets, the fear
usually being that they may strike the earth,
or produce pestilence by mingling the sub
stance of their tails with our atmosphere. Of
late, the other view has been made more
conspicuous, especially since Mr. Proctor’s
recent article on what lie calls the menacing
comet of 1880, which he anticipates may re
turn in 1807.
The apjienrancc of this new comet on the
heels of the discussion awakened by Mr.
Proctor’s suggestion gives the subject renewed
interest, especially in view of the announce
ment that the coming comet is going so close
to thesun. Unless the calculators have made
it very great blunder it will pass through the
cyronn, aryl, if large enough, may graze the
luminous surface. It should be noticed that
there is a discrepancy between the estimates
of the perihelion distance made by Professor
Chandler,'of Harvard university, and Profes
sor Boss, of the Dudley Observatory, the lat
ter making the distance considerably greater
than that above given. Both agree, however,
that the approach will be a close one. The
question whether the eartli may not at some
time he in danger from a great comet is all
the more interesting because men of science
are not exactly in accord upon it. Mr.Proctor
is not the only astronomer who thinks that if
ever the world is to be destroyed with heat it
will lie when a great comet plunges into the
sun. Even those who think Mr. Proctor is
mistaken in his conclusions admit that, given
a comet big enough and massive enough, un
doubtedly its fall upon the sun would prove
disastrous to the earth. But they 1 say it
would require a body having
mass some
thing like that of ’Jupiter’ to produce such , .
effects, and compared with Jupiter the I ce ?! in photographing the o
most massive comets ever seen are mere pig-1 ? a, d : ^ es > there is a comet, 1
having a tail. As a rule, telescopic comets
are only masses of light.
IT MUST BE A BIO ONE.
“The presence of the tail indicates that
this comet is a pretty big one. The appar
ent length of the tail is about the diameter
of tiie moon. In reality it is much larger,
it is so much further away. The moon,
you know, is only two hundred and forty
thousand miles distant. Put that against a
hundred millions. The indications are that
this is a larger comet than that of last sum
mer. We shall tell better later. It is not
in the direction of the planets, but off in space
of itself. Of course it rises and sets with the
stars.
“This comet, then, won’t solve the last
great question?”
“Burn tip the world? No. Only the head
of a comet contains solid matter. It is sur
rounded by a self-luminous atmosphere, much
like that of ordinary gas. We might pass
through that atmosphere without being sensi
ble of the fact. And the solid body? Well,
the earth is so little that there is but one
chance in a million of its being struck. And
suppose it were struck, only that part which
should come in contact with the foreign body
would be injured. But that is all specula
tion.”
And if it should crash into the sun?”
“Well, if the force should be great, im
mense heat would be generated. But 1 do not
believe that it would affect us the least little
bit. But this is only guessing at stupendous
possibilities. There is not any reason to be
lieve, as some imaginative persons do, that
tiie presence of a comet has any appreciable
effect upon the atmosphere, upon vegetation
or our health or that it affects our positive
interests in any way.”
PROFESSOR DRAPER OS TIIE NEW COMET.
It being reported that the new comet, which
was discovered about two weeks ago, would
be visible last night, “for the first time, in
the absence of moonlight,” many amateur
astronomers were sadly disappointed when
he thick clouds obscured the heaven,shutting
out not only tho comet, but also Vega and
Diaco, between which stars the stranger is
traveling. To a reporter who called on him
Professor Henry Draper, who had good suc-
comet last year,
I am told, but'
Mr*. Frances M. ScorllJo Applies for the Qusratsh-
sbip of Guiteau, Alleging His Insanlty-Tho
Question to bo Heard Before a Chicago
Jury—Betty and the Baby Fund.
Chicago, April 11.—Sirs. Francis M. Sco-
ille yesterday prepared a bill which was
filed to-day through her attorney, W. S. John
son, praying the county court that she be ap
pointed conservator of the estate and person
of her brother, Charles J. Guiteau. The fol
lowing is the bill:
THE TEXT OF THE BII.L.
State of Illinois, County of Cook—In county
court of said county, in May term, 1SS2, peti
tion of Frances M. Scoville - for the appoint
ment of a conservator of Charles J. Guiteau.
To tiie Hon. Mason B. Loomis, judge of
said county court—Your petitioner, Fran
ces M. Scoville, respectfully represents
unto your honor, that she is a sister of one
Charles J. Guiteau, whoso residence is in Chi
cago; that said Guiteau is now insane; that
said Guiteau is owner of certain personal es
tate, of the value of several thousand dollars,
consisting chiefly of copyrights, manuscripts,
and other,objects and rights pertaining to the
publication of literary works;that in addition
to such personal property the said Guiteau is
in receipt of a daily income of a large amouat
from the sale of photographs and autographs
of himself, and that by reason of being in
sane, as above alleged, is wholly.
UNFIT AND INCOMPETENT
to have the care and charge of such property
and income, that by reason of his so being
insane, as aforesaid the legal rights of said
Charles J. Guiteau have become jeopardize.!,
not only as to his property and income as
Besides, there seems good reason to
believe that a comet would, on approaching
close enough to the sun, be pulled to pieces
and so drop piecemeal into the great orb, the
full being prolonged perhaps through
many revolutions, so that the
accession of heat caused by the conversion
of tiie comet’s motion would lie dis
tributed over a considerable period of time.
Besides, as Professor Young has pointed out,
if a comet fell into the sun the increase of
heat would lie mainly used up in producing
expansion of tiie sun’s orb, and would after
ward be rudiuted out again through n long
space of years. Another very interesting ob
jection has been raised to Mr. Proctor's theo
ry, namely, that as three-quarters of tiie sur
face which the earth presents to the sun is
covered with deep water, such an increase of
the sun’s heat as the fall of a comet might
produce would cause a gieat increase of evap
oration, which would use up the extra heat,
ami so protect the earth from lmrin. Accord
ing to this view we are reasonably safe so long
ns the oceans last and the sun does not get too
hot.
Of course the reply may be made to these
objections that, although no known comet is
great enough to cause us harm by its down-
tall upon the earth, yet we do not know but
that comets exist thousands of times more
massive than any that human eyes have ever
seen, and that such a comet may at some
time pav us a visit. In fact, we have had a
rather distant view of one comet that really
seemed to belong to an order of magnitude
•different from that of ordinary comets—a sort
of celestial whale among fishes. This was the
famous comet of 1811, which had a head
almost as big as the sun itself. But it kept
far away, its perihelion distance being some
ninety million miles. If such a comet as that
should rush upon the snn, Mr.
Proctor thinks it would soon
show us what it could do. But his oppo
nents say that even the downfall of the
comet of*18U, although it might mako tiie
weather uncomfortably hot for us, would not
“dissolve the elements with fervent heat.”
Those who may have a lingering suspicion of
danger can take comfort in the fact that when
this huge comet disappeared it was traveling
on a track that must have carried it uncount
ed billions of miles away from the solar sys
tom, so that it is not likely to return in thou
sands of years, if ever. That the astronomers
themselves are not much alarmed is shown
by the fact that they are all very anxious to
witness the promised spectacle of the down
fall of a coiuet in 1897 or thereabouts.
have not seen it yet. So far it is only a mere
telescopic speck.”
“When will it be visible to the naked eye
asked the reporter.
"In about six weeks. Come here about
decoration day and I will tell you all about
it.”
“Is tills a new comet or an old one?”
“Probably a new one, but I am not sure.
The fact is, it is too young to be named yet."
“Is it going to fall into the sun?"
“I hope so. Don't be frightened. I only
meant that 1 should like to observe its fall
and then photograph the result.”
’But some astronomers say that the extra
heat caused by this conjunction would dry
up all things terre-trial,” suggested the re
porter.
‘That theory has been frequently exploded
more thoroughly tiian tiie comet would be if
the threatened conflagration should ensue,"
responded tiie professor.
IS GUITEAU INSANE?
E QUESTION PRESENTED IN A
NEW SHAPE.
MM
A STRANGE tragedy.
Thrco Philadelphia Sluter* llle One After the Other
Within a Hull* Hour.
Philadelphia, Pa., April 10.—An astonisli-
lg ease of fatality, in which three sisters
died within half an hour, was reported to the
coroner to-day. About ten o’clock last uight
Mrs. Winsniore went to her bed room to re
tire for the night, when she heard a noise in
her sister’s room.
THE TRAGEDY CULMINATES.
Upon reaching iier room Mrs. Winsniore
found Mrs. Watson in a dying condition.
Medical assistance was promptly summoned,
aud Mrs. Smith was also sent for. The phy
sicians found Mrs. Watson in a comatose con
dition, and administered ammonia, but she
did not revive and expired in a few
minutes. Before they had recovered
from their astonishment Mrs. Winsmore was
overcome and fell to the floor in an uncon
scious state, and in ten minutes she died, and
ten minutes later Mrs. Smith,the third sister,
was a corpse. All are supposed to have died
from natural causes.
“OLD SI” ON THE CHINESE.
aforesaid, but also as to his liberty and life,
thereby rendering the speedy appointment of
a conservator for the person and property of
such insane person urgent and imperative;
that on the 2d of July,1381,in Washington,the
said Guiteau, while suffering from mental
disease and not having sufficient mental
power to control the impulse of his
disordered brain, did shoot and wound one
James A. Garfield, then president of the
United States; that afterwards, on the 19th
of September, the said Garfield died, and
thereupon the said Guiteau was, in the city
of Washington, indicted and tried for the
killing of the said Garfield; that during and
since this trial many people believing the
said Guiteau insane at the time of the shoot
ing aforesaid, and cognizant of his helpless
condition and financial needs, presented him,
the said Guiteau, with sums of money from
time to time; that autographs and photo
graphs of the said Charles J. Guiteau have
been and are being constantly sought for and
paid far by a large number of people. And
your petitioner further shows unto your honor
that she is informed and believes that the
said Charles Gniteau, insane as aforesaid, is
about to negotiate, or has already negotiated,
for
THE SALS OF HIS BODY,
lo be delivered over after death, in the event
he is executed in pursuance of the sentence
of death now imposed upon him. Where
fore, yonr petitioner prays for a speedy inqui
ry into the mode provided by law and accord
ing to tiie statute of this state in such cases
made and provided, of and concerning the
matters in this petition alleged, and that
upon an adjudication hereof, in case such
matters and things be proven as true, that
said Charles J. Guiteau be by order of tins
honorable court duly adjudged insane, and
that some tit and proper person be appointed
by your honor conservator of the person and
property of the said Charles J. Guiteau, and
as in duty bound your petitioner will ever
pray, etc. Frances M. Scoville.
THE TURN IN AFFAIRS.
The attorney for Mrs. Scoville in this ease
is William S. Johnson, of 99 Washington
street, who is one of our brightest young
criminal lawyers, and has much experience
in insane cases. In the celebrated Claret
murder trial here Johnson cleared his client,
Minnie Dixon, on the ground ofinsanitv. He
was formerly engaged with Emory A.Storrsin
the practice of law. This is an unexpected
turn of affairs in the case, and while the ques
tion of his insanity will be tried here in Chi
cago, whether Guiteau is present or not, the
case requires trial by jury before Judge Loom
is, and the question will again come up as to
whether Guiteau was in sane or not at the
time of the shooting of President Garfield.
Newly discovered evidence will be introduced
at the trial of the case in Chicago. Many
witnesses who were not present at the Wash
ington trial will be in attendance here at the
next term of the circuit eonrt in May.
GUITEAU'S OPINION EXPRESSED.
Special Dispatch to The Constitution.
Washington, April 11.—Guiteau has issued
a card in reference to Mrs. Scoville’s petition
for a conservator of his estate. He describes
the petition as impudent ; says liis only prop
erty is the copyright of h.s hook issued to
day; that he is not a lunatic was officially
decided on his trial; and that his legal resi
dence is not in Illinois, but in Washington,
aud concludes that the Scovilles are nui
sances.
BETTY AND HER BABY.
The Betty and the Baby fund has reached
seven thousand dollars. Mrs. Mason depos
ited to-day one thousand five hundred dollars
in Riggs’s’ bank. She and her relatives are
disappointed in the amount of contributions.
She does not wish her husband pardoned if it
results in keeping him in the army to serve
out his enlistments, as she wants hint to use
liis money to buy a Virginia farm; $3,000 are
expected’to-morrow from Philadelphia. The
sergeant states that he is well treated at the
prison
attempt at wrong doing. On the question of
Mr. Adams's mental condition there is but
one opinion among those who know him in
timately, and that is that his mind is weaken
ing. I was told as long ago as last September,
by one of his sons, that tne family were mak
ing strenuous efforts to prevent him from per
forming any work that required thought or
study. He was a good subject for a gang of
sharpers, and they utilized him to the full
extent of his usefulness.
A MODEL CONFIDENCE MAN.
The man who enticed Mr. Adams into the
den is a model confidence man. He is a
graduate of Harvard, a tine scholar, a fluent
and interesting speaker, and has all other in
gredients that enter into the composition of
the polished gentleman. He was selected to
“rope in” the venerable statesman. He
learned his history first and then his weak
points. When he met him he talked on his-
tory, polities and art. He spoke highly of
the statement “fraud first triumphant in
American history,” etc., aud after demonstra
ting his own connection with the Adams
family got him into a room and deliberately
robbed him. He boasted of it as one of the
most difficult schemes he ever handled. He
thought the family would settle rather than
stand an exposure, and now he finds himself
in a quandary and his game exposed.
COMMITTED IN DEFAULT OF BAIL.
J. S. Morrison, who was arrested on Wednes
day night for obtaining checks to the value of
$20,000 from Mr. Adams, was arraigned before
the municipal court this afternoon on three
counts, each count representing a check.
Morrison waived examination, and was com
mitted in default of $25,000 bail to appear be
fore the supreme court, where an indictment
will be returned against him by the grand
jury. The real name of the defendant is
Janies Fitzgerald, alias the “Kid,” and but
little is known of him by the Boston officers
except that he has the reputation of being a
professional banco player. It is said that one
of his most intimate associates was Charles
Miller, also a banco “stcerer,” who was shot
in a barroom in New York by William Tracy.
The money received on the $17,500 check
which Mr. Adams was induced to sign has
been refunded by Mr. Farnald.
A LIFE SAVER.
JUMBO TALES.
THE LANDING OF THE GREAT LON
DON PET.
Odd Incident of the Famous African Bl'phant’s Voy-
a*o irom Liverpool io New York-The Greatest
Living Hnmba*'s Enthusiasm Over His
Frlre—Personal .Peculiarities, Etc.
From the Jacksonville Times.
“Old Si” wiped his glasses and remarked:
"I see de president has sot down on de Chinese
hill!"
“Yes, he has vetoed it.”
“Datwuzrite! I don’t belebe in dis way ob
passin’ billsfer ter keep fokesouten dis country jess
. 'kase dey’s yaller an’ don’t use de same kin’ ob
M hetherjthe coming comet s close approach | j- 0 i 0ne <| a t de rigger does at er cake-wait er one ob
de Micks do at er wahd-meetin’l”
“Then you think the Chinese ought to be al
lowed to come in?”
Sartin! De only ’jection dat 1’se heah’d agin
’em is dat dev min’s dere own bizness, sabes dere
money an’ don’t go gallivantin’ ’rouud de poles
soilin' out dere votes for mean whisky an’ hall dol*
lar notes. Dere’s so menny trilln’ niggers an’ po'
white trash in dis country now dat I thinks er mil
lion er two ob Chinamens wouldn’t hurt anybody
to the sun will riirew any light on this inter
esting question of course cannot be foretold,
but all the present indications are that it will
pay its respects to tiie ruler of tiie solar sys
tem with royal splendor, presenting, perhaps,
such a scene as was witnessed when the great
comet of 12tU; which failed to return, as ex
pected, in 1S60. spanned the heavens with its
tail. In the meantime, there is'no occasion
for anybody to be alarmed, but good reason
for everybody to rejoice that we are likely to
witness one of the grandest phenomena of the
.skies.
A PHILADELPHIA VIEW,
From the Philadelphia Times.
Some folk say that they can discern the
Easter comet now without the aid of a glass.
It appears to them like a glowing speck near
bright, bluish Vega in the northeastern
heavens. Professor Sharpless, of Harvard col
lege, laughed a little doubtingly perhaps yes
terday when a reporter for the Times spoke of
tespecially these blessed observers. They must
have very sharp eyes, indeed,” he remarked.
‘•The comet can be quite clearly seen, how
ever, through a small telescope. We shall
wait until the moon changes its position. It
is near Vega and lights up the sky so brightly
as to make the comet appear dull and faded
by comparison. The visitor will be clearly
visible to the naked eye in about two weeks,
and will remnin so until the beginning of
June. It will come into sight just after
midnight and remain apparent until dawn.
Just look to the northeast, If the time be
about two in the morning, you will see the
heavenly visitor about half way up in the
zenith. It will be in the constellation of
Lyra, quite near Vega. And you won’t miss
Vega. It is the brightest s'ar of the morning
n that part of the sky. If the comet were as
much 'ceptin' hit ar de washwomen!”
"Perhaps you are right on general principles!”
“Well, ef I ain't rite I'm jess bull-headed 'nuff
ter beleebe dat eider de Chinese hez got er rite ter
cum. er den dis or white tnau's gubm ent au’ de
nigger'll be de r.ex’ ter go!”
DEATH OF THE BAY-TREE.
THE BOSTON SENSATION.
From the Philadelphia American.
How lovely it is in its lissome grace.
The sofi leaves guarding its brow and face.
Its proud head lifted towards the sky.
While the lilies droop and the roses die!
The Frost King rode on his wind so fleet,
(The King was sandaled in snow and sleet!)
He touched the bay with a wand of death.
He blasted its leaves with his icy breath!
In the garden of fame the bay is qneen.
And the sunlight lurks in its leaves of green.
But sad is the lesson which time hath taught
To the poet's heart, of the death of thought:
The leaves of the bay may shine above
The discord of life and the loss of love:
But oblivion comes like the snow and sleet.
And the dust of the ages clothes its feet.
—William H. Hayne.
Ball Fighting la Disfavor.
City of Mexico. Aprils —Following the example
set in the federal district and a few other cities, the
Vera Cruz council have prohibited bull fighting
within the city limits.
Farther Detail* of the Conspiracy to Swindle Charles
Francis Adams,
Boston, April 10.—The family and friends
of Mr. Charles Francis Adams maintain the
strictest secrecy as to the details of the swin
dle perpetrated on the venerable statesman
by a gang of confidence men. The family
content themselves by saying that the state
ment furnished to the press contains all that
can be said about the affair; that they told
the whole truth in that, so far as they know,
and that if there were aiiy further develop
ments they must came out in the trial.
divided opinions on the case.
Outside of the narrow circle in which the
Adams family move opinions are divided as
to the facts in this strange case. A gentle
man, who got the whole story through Rich
ard Olney’s office, where the interview with
the sharpers was held, says that he has no
doubt that Mr. Adams wagered on the game
and signed the checks to cover the losses He
says further: “It is true that the old gentle
man is declining gradually, both from a men
tal and a physical standpoint, but he was as
responsible 'when he drew the three checks
for $17,500, $l.G0o and $250, respectively, as he
was when he drew another one three or four
days later for $500.” This does not so clearly
appear. Mr. Adams’ balance at the Mer
chants’ bank was just $13,000. The aggregate
of his supposed losses, or concessions, to the
gamblers was $19,350. He had overdrawn his
account by $1,350, and yet, three days after
the transaction, he signed another check for
$560. This was paid, but the clerk was noti
tied that the account had been withdrawn.
DETAILS OF THE DISCOVERY.
The notification fell into the hantfe of his
son, Charles Francis, Jr., who was thunder
struck. He went to the bank, and there
learned that one Fernald, a lawyer and a de
positor in the same bank, had deposited a
check for $17,500. Fernald, who had been
counsel for one of the men, told him that he
had the check handed to him, and that while
he was suspicions about it, he could only
leave it in the bank till after the monthly
settlements had been in without drawing
against it. He then told where and how lie
got the check and professed ignorance of any
How a Small Bor Has Haile Himself Useful Aron:
Where Other Hoy* are Taught to Swim.
“The first dive I made for him was off the
spring-board,” a gentlemanly little fellow
was saying yesterday, when the words fell
upon the ear of a passing Constitution re
porter.
“Who were you diving for?” asked the re
porter, stopping short and making hitnself
part and parcel of the crowd of boys who
weie attentively listening to the story tiie
first boy was telling.
“For Lester.”
“Did you dive for Lester?”
“Yes."
“Did you get him out of tiie pond?”
"Wnat is your name?”
“Charlie Douglass.”
“What do you do?”
“I stay at the Kimball house store room.”
“Where do you live?”
“In the Kimball house on the fifth floor.”
“How came you to try to get Lester’s body
out of the water?”
“I was tired sitting around in my room, so
went out to the springs on the car. When
got there I heard of the young man being
drowned, so I pulled off my clothes and
thought I would make a few dives for him.”
That was a fine idea. Wliat did you want
to dive for a dead man’s body for?”
“Because I didn’t want him to stay down
dead or alive and he might have been alive.
The first dive l made for him was off the
spring board. I fit into the water on my
head and went down like a bullet. I think
missed tiie body about three feet. It was
in a ditch that the branch used to run in
before it was darned up. It was as cold
as ice down there. The pond is fed from
S and the water was chilly certain,
niitf ilbout twelve feet deep. Well, I went to
the top and made another dive. That time
went about two feet too higli up the
stream. I went to the top again.
There was a boy out there raking around
with a rake and I was afraid
lie would rake me in, so I took the rake away
from him and threw it out on the bank.
Then Mr. Rush showed me where he thought
the body was. I went over to one side, got a
good footing in water up to my arms and
went down again. When I got to the bottom
I felt along on the ground until I came to the
bank of the ditch. I went over into the
ditch and my hand touched the dead man's
body. One leg was cramped and he lay there
on bis back perfectly still in water as cold as
ice almost. I caught hint by the arm with
my left hand, braced myself and started out.
He was heavy, but I carried him. I was
swimming with my right hand, and when the
boys saw me not using my left hand they
thought that I had tiie body. I carried him
out, and they took him and turned his head
down hiil and let the water run out, but he
was dead—they couldn’t bring him too. I
would no: show liis face in the water because
I saw a boy come near drowning on account
of a tiling like that once.”
“Where was that?”
“In Augusta.”
“When?”
“About three years ago.”
“How was it?”
“It was at the Hawk’s Gully wash hole in
the Savannah river near Augusta. The boy
went over his head and got strangled. I
went in after him and was bringing him in
by the hair o’ the head, when I went too near
a little fellow. When he saw the .white face
of the drowned boy lie just keeled tight over
in a faint and came near being drowned.”
“Did you ever see anybody drown?”
“I have seen some come pretty near it.
saw that fellow but they brought him to.
guess you couldn’t call him drowned but he
was about dead when I was carrying him out
by the hair o’ the head, I saved four boys
from drowning in that very Angler’s pond
last year.”
“How was it?”
“They were all little fellows and they would
get in too deep and I would go in and get
’em.”
“Did any of them ever come near drowning
you?”
“Ollie Pease did. He caught me by the
arms and we both went down. As we rose
I let drive at him in the stomach but we
went down again. Finally I got him by the
hair and got him out.”
“Did anybody ever give you anything for
saving those small chaps?”’
“No. Ollie Pease didn’t even thank me.
guess he must have been thinking of the way
1 plugged him in the stomach when he was
about to dtown me.”
* When did you learn to swim?”
“A little over three years ago.”
“How was it?”
“I was out in a boat near Augusta with a
man. and we had a twelve-foot cow sturgeon
in the sundown drift. I was pulling at the
net, when, all at once, the old sturgeon she
gave a flirt and I went over the boat like
lightning and lit on my head in the water
about fifteen feet away. The fellow in the
boat couldn’t swim, and it was a clegr case of
swim or drown with me, so I decided to
swim. I struck out, dog fashion, toward that
boat, and you can just put it down that I got
there.”
“How far can you swim?”
“I swam once from the canal at Augusta to
Sand Bar ferry, and that is four miles down
the river.”
An Apt Scholar.
From the Tcccsa News.
Benjamin J. Hayes, son of Mr. John H.
Hayes, had been attending school only eight
weeks, and had been through his spelling
book once, and will soon be through again.
He commenced in his a-b abs, having been to
school only a few days prior to this, and can
now read in the first reader, and most any
where in the spelling book. Little Benny is
only six years old, and is a pupil of Miss Lou
Attaway's school at Liberty Hill academy in
Franklin county.
As already announced, Jumbo arrived in
Xefr York Sunday night. The first seen of
him was an enormous trunk, reaching far out
from the front of his box, writhing and twist
ing in all directions, in mute appeal to every
body within his sight for apples, buns, or
other palatable morsels. The box measured
thirteen feet in length by twelve in height,
and six feet eight inches in width. Its bottom
rested upon the main deck. It was made of
three-inch yellow pine planks, fastened to
gether by seven inch beams, broad straps of
heavy iron and masses of %-inch angle iron,
the flanges of which were about five inches
wide. In front and rear it had hea’vy oaken
beams and its lining was of oak, planed smooth
and fastened by screws with counter sunk
heads. Altogether it weighed six tons, with
in half a ton of the weight of the ponderous
animal it enclosed. Jumbo so completely
filled the cage that his head touched the top
whenever he raised it, aud his sides almost
touched either wall.
now he looks.
Inside the cage were visible a mountainous
head encased in a rough, harsh skin, a pair of
columnar legs, gracefully bowed, and two
enormous ears. Jumbo is not a handsome
beast. Like all African elephants he has a
very coarse hide, and two humps on his back,
one above his fore and another over his hind
quarters. The pangs of homesickness had
reduced him to an attenuated state, but his
very emaciation increased the impression of
his great size. Protuberances and hillocks
gave a pleasing relief to the ontlines of his
frame, and his curved backbone stood out
like the sagging ridge pole of a country
bam against a wintry sky. His eyes, of
a yellowish color, fringed by long
lashes, were set in a head like the irregu
larly sloping side on a rocky hill. The
stumps of his tusks, which had been broken
short off in his youth, just appeared beneatn
folds of leathery skin. So far as could be
judged, with allowance for J umbo’s lack of
proper toilet facilities, his color was lighter
than the usual hue of elephants. He swayed
to and fro in his cage, restlessly thrusting out
his trunk twelve feet long in every direction,
scorning hay and begging for sweets and buns.
Across the upper part of his trunk were three
broad, smooth bands, where he had rubbed
against the plank before him. Between
these were deep wrinkles. He drew in and
shot out his trunk like the joints of a tele
scope. When he curled it up, it appeared
composed of wrinkles, but when he reached
for a bun it looked like a huge piece of hose.
HIS SIZE.
He is eleven and a half feet in height,
twelve feet six inches long; his trunk is seven
feet in length; he is thirty-seven feet in girth
and weighs six and a half tons. From tip to
tip of his ears he measures fifteen feet.
Jumbo was stated to be 13 feet high and 12
feet long, to measure 15 feet across his head
from tip to tip of his ears, and to weigh 614
tons. A measurement by the passengers on
!jie voyage made him 11 feet 2 inches in
height.
“How high docs he reach up with his
trunk?” asked Mr. Barnum. “It’s 49 feet,
isn’t it?”
“Twenty-six feet,” replied a keeper, and
Mr. Barnum virtuously remarked: “If I
were a showman, I would have exaggerated
it, but there’s nothing like the truth.”
Didn’t somebody tell me it was thirt;-six?
\l ell, maybe they didn’t. Maybe I only
thought so. That reminds me of the time
that Burton brought out at his theater a bur
lesque that he called ‘Barnum’s museum.’ In
the course of it, playing Barnum, he exhibi
ted a stuffed snake skin as long as liis arm,
saying, ‘This, ladies and gentlemen, is the
only live anaconda in thii country. It meas
ures forty feet in length—museum measure.
And perhaps I was thinking of museum
measurements for that elephant’s reach.”
ELEPHANT BILL’S STORY.
While Major Leland busied himself with
unloading into Jumbo’s trunk the peck of
apples with which he had stuffed his pockets,
Mr. William Newman, well known among
showmen as “Elephant Bill,” told his story.
“I was sent over by Messrs. Barnum, Bailey
& Hutchinson.” said he, “to aid in bringing
Jumbo over, and either Mr. Matthew Scott,
his English keeper, or myself have been
with him day and night since we
left the zoological gardens. He has
made the trip in admirable style.
For the first two days out Jumbo was in t
bad condition. He bellowed constantly and
would eat almost nothing. He was not sea
sick, but was thoroughly discontented with
cage fife, and his left hind leg swelled and
troubled him a good deal.”
“Idonotquiteagreetothat,”said the purser,
Mr. Lloyd. He showed all'-the signs of sea
sickness, except that he did not vomit. His
appearance was most forlorn. He stuck his
trunk between tiie bars and rested on it as
he could not hold his head. He moaned and
sighed, and acted as a sea-sick man would who
did not care whether he lived or died.”
“On the 2Gth, the day after leaving Eng
land, Jumbo appeared to have contracted a
cold in his eyes, which were carefully bathed
in warm water by Scott and screens put up to
prevent any drafts. On the 27th his condi
tion improved, though his trunk and tusk-
lips still looked sore. The ship heaved t
great deal under a heavy head of sea,ar.d not
withstanding the alleged scientific fact that
elephants do not get sea sick, Jumbo was evi
dently suffering from that malady. His long
trunk hung over the beam in front of the cage
in a helpless sort of fashion, and he paid
no attention to visitors or attendants. H«
flapped his huge ears with heavy sighs,
shrugged liis shoulders, and leaned heavily
on his proboscis at each motion of the ship.
On the 28th there was no perceptible change
in his condition. On the 29th lie experienced
some trouble in a heavy sea during the night,
going down on his knees, assuming all kinds
of postures aud butting with vexation. On
the 30tn Jumbo was found to begetting along
splendidly, and the swelling on his leg con
siderably abated. By the 1st of
April he seemed to have gotten
quite over his sea-sickness and took a
slight refection. - This consisted of 200 pounds
of hay, two bushels of oats, a bushel of bis
cuit, twelve or fifteen loaves of bread, various
hot mashes, twenty buckets of water, and
indefinite beer, whisky and other delicacies.
On the third day he was visited by 300 steer
age passengers, and the sight of the crowd
seemed to recall to Jumbo liis palmy days in
the “Zoo.”
During the day, when there were lots of
people about ail the time, feeding him. pet
ting him, and moving about him, lie was
quite content; but when night came, and
tney left him, he wanted to see either Mr.
Scott or myself, and if he could not would
make such demonstrations as quickly made
his loneliness known all through the’ vessel.
Lamps constantly burned in front of him at
night. Between 10 and 1 at night he,usually
hung his trunk over the plank before him,
leaned his head against the side of his cage
and slept. Once a dog went near him and
Jumbo started suddenly, blew a blast from
his nostrils that sent the animal flying in
terror to the other end of the deck. Again a
sailor was washing his clothes near Jumbo
and happened to hit the elephant’s trunk.
Thereupon, Jumbo resented the indignity by
seizing the man’s shirt and wiping up with it
the floor of his cage. He broke two of these
heavy planks above him by simply throwing
his head up against them, and mashed with
bis stubs of tusks the big beam in front of
him, so that we had to replace it a couple of
days ago. When Scott went for his coffee in
the morning, and passed him, be would, if
not spoken to, try to mash down the beam.
his diet.
His daily allowance of food was about as
follows: Two hundred pounds of hay, two
bushels of biscuit, ten or fifteen large loaves
of bread, two or three quarts of onions, five
buckets of water, and apples, oranges, figs,
nuts, cakes, candies and dainties of that sort
in unlimited quantities. Tiie Baroness Bur-
dett-Ooutts. and other distinguished person
ages in London who visited the steamer to
say goodby to Jumbo just before tho As
syrian Monarch sailed, left boxes of candy
and buns, of which Jumbo is very fond, for
Ins use during the voyage. Scott, liis London
keeper, said: “It has been very cold during
the voyage and he has eaten 100 pounds of
onions. 1 have given them to him to warm
his stomach, and lie is exceedingly fond of
them, and what is more, they don’t effect his
breath. He has been fed on sea biscuits,
bread, boiled potatoes, oats, bran and hay. I
suppose his feed for the voyage has cost*£50.
He generally drinks twice a day, taking about
twenty gallons at a time. Whisky? Well,
es, v^e have given him whisky occasionally,
and rum once or twice, you know, to keep
him warm, it lias been so cold. Sometimes
we give it to him witli his water ami some
times clear. He seems to take it clear nat
urally, and don't care whether he has any
"•ater after it or not. He wont toucli brandy.”
To illustrate the whisky experiment the
steward brought a bottle and Mr. Scott
poured it into his trunk. Jumbo waited
until the last drop front the bottle had been
drained into his prehensile appendage, and
then without spilling ji single drop trans
ferred it to his mouth.
WHAT HE HAS COST.
Dear old Jumbo,” cried the aged Barnum,
with eflusion, and he seemed inclined to
weep. But he thought better of it, and re
marked in an off-hand way: “That beast has
cost me $50,000."
Mr. Hutchinson was seized with a fit of
coughing, and finally ejaculated that the
figure was a little high, and that the actual
cost thus far was about $30,000. This includes
the price of the animal, $10,000, the expenses
of the removal and lawsuits in London, and
the costs of passage -on three steamships, for
Jumbo’s passage was engaged on both the
Persian and Egyptian, as well as the Assyrian
Monarch.
“Dear me,” said Mr. Barnum, “I have rid
den on Jumbo's back with Tom Thumb.
Thirty years ago, on a Sunday, I brought the
biggest thing New York had ever seen up the
bay in the shape of Jenny Lind—and she
cleared $700,000 in nine months," he added,
hopefully.
There have been many unforeseen expenses
in getting him here. In the first place, the
opposition in London to the sale to h^r. Bar-
num was so strong that several lawsuits had
to be contested, entailing a cost of $2,000 for
legal expenses alone. Then the experiments
in making a cage in which to transport him
were costly, and the expense of bringing him
across the Atlantic was very heavy. Passage
was engaged for him twice, and two steamers
were fitted up for him and provisioned before
the Assyrian Monarch, but on both occasions
Jumbo positively refused to enter his cage at
the last moment, although he was docile
enough at all other times. In addition to the
freight charge of $1,000, the steamship com
pany exacted pay for fifty tons of freight
displaced and for two hundred emigants,
at $30 per head, because the
emigration authorities would not
permit passengers to be carried in the same
parts of the ship wstli Jumbo. No duty is to
iie paid on the elephant at New York, as Mr.
Barnum had procured an order from the sec
retary of the treasury permitting him to land
Jumbo without paying duty for him. “I
paid $2,000 for Jumbo for breeding purposes,”
said Mr. Barnum, “and would not in the first
instance have paid $3 000 for him for show
purposes. If there had not been so much
tuss made about him in London I would not
have been so anxious to get him.
GETTING JUMBO ASHORE.
While this Jumbo talk was going on in the
cabin the officers of the line and steamer were
busy with preparations to land the animal.
The steamer reached her dock, Erie Pier No.
2, Hoboken, at 12:30, but it was 3 o’clock be
fore the barge and derrick were got into posi
tion. Then v the covering of tiie forward
hatchway was taken off and forty-seven-ton
chains passed under each end of the ponder
ous cage. Jumbo was very uneasy while the
cage was being unfastened from its moorings
and tiie chains being put iu place. Scott
took his position on the cage floor in front
of him and talked to him almost
constantly. A bottle of whisky was ad
ministered to quiet bis nerves, and crackers
and onions were fed to him. When at last
tne chains and tackle were fastened and tiie
cage hoisted and lowered to the barge there
was no bellowing or boisterousness on the
part of the elephant. When the barge was
safely reached, the crew of the Assyrian Mon
arch, with the visitors and the hundreds of
persons on the tops of the adjoining docks,
sheds, barges and tugs gave throe long, hearty-
cheers for Jumbo. Tiie barge was towed
down to tiie Irom steamboat company’s pier,
and there landed at 9 o’clock last evening, the
wheels being placed under the cage while it
was suspended in mid air. A large crowd had
gathered to watch the landing."
SIXTEEN HORSES AND TWO BRETHREN.
Although it was raining a largo crowd gath
ered along the wharf and shouted lustily
when the landing was effected. A half-dozen
span of horses had been ordered down from
the garden, and were as quickly as passible
hitched to Jumbo’s cage. It appeared to start,
bnt then stopped, and tiie horses conld not
budge it again. More horses were put on and
more attempts made, but it was found that
SOME OTHER MEANS MUST RE A DOITED,
and M^. Bailey gave au order to one of his as
sistants to go to the Madison Square garden
and procure “some elephants.” Two ele
phants were sent down Broadway, and the
box was started, the elephants assisting by
placing their heads against the cage aud push
ing. Once started, the horses were able to
pull the load. It was about midnight when
the procession passed up town, and between
1 and 2 o’clock when it reached the Madison
Square garden.
ELEPHANTINE DOTS.
Scott sent across the park for a package of
fine-cut tobacco and gave all but a comer of
it to tiie demoralized beast, who seemed to
relish it. “He gets some every day,” said
Scott, “but not as much us he wants.”
On Friday last. Dr. Boyes, the ship’s sur
geon, was vaccinating some emigrants, and it
was suggested that he vaccinate Jumbo. The
sight of a bun brought out the clepliant’s
trunk to its full length, and the surgeon
scraping away the skin in a small spot until a
little blood oozed through, applied the quill
in the approved fashion, with no objections
from his patient.
“He is a grand animal, isn’t he?” said Mr.
Barnum. “But not a pretty one. For exhi
bition purposes I would never have given
£2,000 lor him. We have large enough exhi
bition elephants in America already. But I
only breed with African elephants, because
they arc iarger and more tractable. That is
why I have bought Jumbo, and why he is
admitted free of duty. Alice, the mate Jumbo
has left in the Zoo, is an Indian elephant, so
when I bring her over next fall I shall pay
duty on her, as I do not want her for breeding
purposes.”
New Building and Loan Association.
The Empire building and loan association
was organized in this city night before last at
Concordia hall. Mr. A. Rosen ft Id was electr
ed president, Mr. W. H. Nutting vice-presi
dent, and Mr. Aaron Haas secretary and
treasurer, while Messrs. J. C. Hollman, Peter
F. Clark, Joe Hirach, William Ladd and
Joseph Flieshel were elected directors.
A Venomous Serpent.
From the Cochran Enterprise.
On last Wednesday, at Reid’s station, Mr.
L. W. Malsby shot and killed the largest
snake that we have heard of this wason. His
makeship was of the kind commonly called
“water rattlesnake”—a species ot the mocca
sin—and measured five feet one inch in length,
and thirteen incites in circumference. The
make was cut open, and inside was found a
trout that was thirteen inches in length.