The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-06 00:00:00

FALL OF A CHURCH FLOOR IN KENTUCKY.

Passengers from Lexington, Kentucky, report that while
funeral services were going on in the second Coloured
Baptist Church before a very large congregation, the floor
gave way, killing some persons, and wounding about 150.
Of those who did not go down with the sinking floor, many
were injured in jumping from the windows. All those
Present were coloured.

BOLTON'S TELEGRAPH CODE.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

To comprehend this Code the fact must not be over-
looked that the electric current along the wire admits
but of two signs, the dot and the dash, the one being
but a prolongation of the other; even in STEIN-
HEIL'S alphabet, used on the single needle instru-
ment, the motion to the left signifies a dot, and to
the right a dash. The question Major 801.--rort has
undertaken to solve is, how best to apply them. In
the word " best" is implied speed, as the telegraph
means time ; accuracy, for the message is worse than
worthless if incorrect; universality, for the globe is
the field and the wire is the true bond of brother-
hood. MORSE, out of his dot and dash, constructed
the alphabet now in use. A dot and dash is A ; a
dash and three dots is B ; C is dash, dot, dash, dot ;
D is dash, dot, dot; E is dot, and soon. The Professor
took the letters as arranged in a compositor's bor,
representing those most frequently used by the
easiest symbols. That BOLTON'S Code requires an
alphabet is clear from the fact that there are names,
for instance those of persons, which must be spelled
in the same way as at present. In incorporating
that alphabet into his Code, Major BouroN.shows
its wonderful simplicity and universality. He has,
as we observed last week, five dots for his first five
numerals, and five dashes representing 6 to 0.
MORSE'S alphabet is, as we said, . for A, which,
according to BOLTON'S Code, is 16, therefore 16 is
A; . . . means B by Mons E's alphabet, by the Code
it is 63, therefore 63 is B ; . . means C, and in
the Code 6161, hence these figures represent the let-
ter, and so on. The Code therefore takes in MORSE'S
alphabet to be employed when required. Thus the
system is made so comprthensive that it embodies
everything now used, while confining itself to the
numerals as synth:As. In applying this Code to the
_main consideration, time, it must be explained that
spaces, of which there are three, are almost as
valuable in transmitting messages as symbols. The
first space separates the elements of a letter ; the
second, the letters of a word ; the third, the words
themselves. The duration of a dot is tile unit of
length, and the dash equals three dots. The first is
the unit, the second is the ctish or three dots, and
the third is equal to six dots. In subularnie liner the
dot increases in length, indeed in equalling the dash
on short open air lima. Bad spaces cause moat of

the operators' blunders; hence whatever reduces the
number of spaces tends as well to accuracy, though
more still towards economising time. The numerals
cannot fail to be more simple, being confined to ten,
than are the letters, consisting of 26, while stops,
parentheses, accents, will also, in a measure, be done
away with by the Code. But BOLTON'S system
does not only leave the alphabet as now in use for
those v. ho require it, but increases its utility, both
by giving whole all the small words frequently oc-
curring, as and, the, but, and by giving double
letters, as 454 M, 455 M', 456 Ma, 457 Mb, 458
Mc, carrying the alphabet through the whole, each
letter in capitals being printed in conjunction
with every other letter of the alphabet, enab-
ling the operator to send double letters, whereby
half the time is saved. Such a Code is applic-
able to the globe, as numerals are universal, all re-
quired being to interpret the English signification
of the number into that of any other language ; for
instance, in Mantevarr's signals two ships of diffe-
rent national Lies having his Code in their own
tongue, could converse through it without knowing
each other's language. Indeed the Telegraph Code
is derived from the Army and Navy signals, which
were brought to their present perfection by Major
BOLTON. lie was trained for and served in the
Royal Artillery for 11 years, and though he left th's
branch of the service, he re-entered the Army
after the outbreak of the Crimean War, and
has devoted the past ten years to this subje3t,
both as an employe of the Governmeat in codify-
ing army signalsand on his own behalf. his system is
acknowledged to be the best, [tad would be imme-
diately adopted by the propietors of the eleei'ic
wires were it not that the work already oTe::ng
does not furnish full employment. It is not in hu-
man nature for a trader to reduce an already in-
sufficient traffic to a third. Sti'l as with cheap news-
papers, with cheap postage, or in the cherpening of
any other thing greatly used by the public, a great
reduction may be found the requisite to being the
transmission of messages into more general use.
The introduction of this code might then even add to
the profits of telegraphy, more than compensating
the proprietors, by increasing the business. At any
rate her iVAJe',II'CY'S subjects -w"1 soon own the
wires of the United Kingdom, and it is worth the'r
while to try the experiment on themselves. If they
lose in oneway they must gain in the other, wh' leit is
highly probable that they will gain in both. The Post-
master-General writes ambiguously in reply to Major
BOLTON'S direct application to i... Pow numerals to be
counted as letters, and the groups of figures to be
delivered as transmitted without being translated.
At present, figmes are sent as words ; thus, 1251
becomes in the hands of an operator one thousand
two hundred and fifty-one, turning four signs into
thirty-two. At an International Conference at
Vienna this question was discussed, and it wag re-
commended that figures be sent as letters, with the
proviso that they should be repeated. Now this
is all that is asked for by Major Bolton; and it
does appear absurd that in using the Code, figures
should be charged as words from London to Dove:,
but as letters from Dover to St. Petersburg. Cheap-
ness, which must be the direct result of economising
time, would be, however, but its chief element
in inducing the. public more generally to use the
telegraph. The Post-office, soon after the Ist of
next month, will have wires ramifying to every sub
money-order office, so that in a village or in any
street of the metropolis a man's cherni,A or statiouer
may be his transmitter of a message, and this fact
will have an amazing influence in checking the
free use of the wire. Families recoil from carry-
ing into a shop a message which tells more
of home affaini than they desire should be openly
discussed. Worse still, in the sender's mind will
arise the question, " How will neighbour JONES in-
terpret this ?" If the return home of a husband
is earnestly desired, two ideas may suggest them-
! selves to neighbour JONES-Ist, that the husband
is out on a spree ; 2d, that an execution is in his
house. If a case of champagne be telegeLphed for,
that extravagant fellow is not the man to be truAed.
Indeed it may be safely predicted that secresy in
the transmisiou of messages, with cheapness, are
the vital principles for Government action if it de-
sires to make a thorough success of i s manage-
ment. This Cede is well worth the attention of
the United States, and if Major BOLTON takes our
telv:ce he will try to make the Republic the chief field
for his operations. As it is, something has there
been done to codify, or, at any rate, to simplify, the
symbols, and we have little doubt that if lloeTosi's
Code really possesses the superiority claimed for it,
it will be detected and at once adopted by so prac-
tizal a people.

MONEY AND B USIA' ESS.

(From the Springfield Ryublican, No'. 20.)

The continued ease of money on call and unwillingness
of the New York banks to discount commercial paper, ex-
cept at exorbitant rates, produces no little embarrassment
and ill-feeling at that centre. The apprehension of a panic
is not so great as the general feeling of disgust at the
illiberal conduct of the banks. This begins to take shape
in projects for a new bank, whose sole functions it shall
be to meet the discount demands of legitimate trade and
to receive deposits. It is suggested that such a bank be
o•ganised under the law of New York, with a capital of
$10,000,000 in gold, to be increased if' necessary to
$35,000,000, without the power to issue notes of circula-
tion at all. Foreign', bankers stand ready, it is said, to
take $5,000,000 of stock, and think they could raise the
whole capital abroad. The London and Westminster Bank
would be the model, which issues no notes and yet pays
large dividends. The proposed institution would have a
gold department and a currency department, and would
establish intimate connection with southern and western
centres. This project seems very praiseworthy, but, in
proportion as it is thus laudable, throws discredit on the
present banking facilities of the metropolis. If the pre-
sent numerous and largo institutions of that city fail to
serve this first purpose for which banks were ever
created, the fact is a very !disheartening one. If all
these banks now in existence, with the ability and pro-
bity which we are bound to suppose inheres in their ma-
nagement, still stray into forbidden paths of speculation,
the remedy lies deeper than in the establishment of new
banks. The resumption of specie payments would do
away with much of this demand for a bank of deposit
and discount, though it may even then be a desirable
addition to our present facilities. If, as some claim, it
would alleviate the distress of specie resumption, it would
certainly do no harm to try the experiment. The call for
currency from the West and South is still light, though
trade and the crop movement have been decidedly more
active. The Now York bank return for last week shows
a gain of about three millions in the strength of the
banks -over last week. The amount of specie now held
by the banks is over $26,755,693, a much larger stun than
they were accustomed to hold in ante-war times. In
1857, for instance, the average was from seven to twelve
millions. Gold has been steady at about 127 during
the week. The dealings in it continue to be of a
purely commercial character, all attempts at specula—
tion being of two feeble a character or meeting with
too little encouragement to create any demand for it
for gambling purposes. Governments do not vary
esgantially from last week's quotations and show no
sign of a decline. It seems too obvious a truth
to need statement, much loss re-statement, that the
recent apparent decline in Government bonds was really
an advance, as gold at the same time fell still more. If by
some magic gold should suddenly and bona fide fall to 100,
bonds would as certainly fall to the same point. The gold
price of the latter, however, would have risen from about
90 up to 100. Notwithstanding the plainness of this
statement of the case, the I. inancial aironicle, in its last
issue, had an apologetic leader, the tone of which may be
inferred from this opening sentence :—" Among the causes
which have combined to cause the heavy recent decline in
United States Bonds, it is certain the economical adminis-
tration of the Government and the efficient management
of the Treasury have had no place." That there has been
no "recent heavy decline" is also evident from the steadi-
ness of quotations abroad. The interest in stocks for the
past week has been confined mostly to Boston, where
Hartford and Erie has been the subject of quite a panic.
Lenders who had taken the Seven per Cent. Bonds of that
road at 50 its collateral, feeling insecure, demanded a
wider margin of their customers, but the ly)rrowei s re-
fused to respond. The former threw the unsatisfac-
tory stuff upon the market, end quotations fell from
18 to 9 for the stock, and from GU to 48 for the bo,ids.
The object of the panic is otherwise said to be to
enable New York parties to buy up and control the
stock. The Boston pap-rs, with a childbke faith in
future dividends, and perhaps in future loans from
our empty State Treasury, exhort the capitalists of the.
Hub to hang on. Some failures of brokers were reported,
and the Traveller, which ought to know, but probably
didn't, said that the stock had gone irredeemably to Now
York. Pacific Mail and Lake Shore have experienced a de-
cline, the former from the natural competition with the
trans-continental railways, and the latter from the mere
association with the name of Erie in the third rail business
alluded to last week. Railway shares generally are very
dull. That this depression of stocks is due rather to lack
of the speculative spirit than to any decrease in the earn-

legs of the railroads is shown by the figures on this lea
topic for the past ten months, as collected by the Financial
Chronicle, which is commendably prompt in gathering
►
dustrial and commercial statistics. Although the 81°W
movement of the crops" has been generally bewailed, the
earnirgs of 12 of the principal western roads for the tea
months ending November 1 were $58,595,315, againgt
$55,501,610 for the same period in 1868, or an increase of
over three millions. It must also be remembered that the
earnings of 1868 were comparatively large, by far el'
seeding any previous year. The low prices of breadstuffe
and provisions iu the wholesale markets is a matter of
general interest at the present time, in view of the agitly
tion of specie payments. With such incomplete data as
the market reports from various points present, w° h"
endeavoured to make a table, showing the present currency
prices of some of the most important staples:
potc:
Flour. Wheat. Corn. Butter.
New York $
3 7 1.27 1.27 49
:33 8 8°•'?
C hicago
Boston 5 8 1.12 36 40 "
Cincinnati
29
St. Louis 4.50 84 91
Indianapolis
St. Paul
Jiiiwankio
Philadelphia 5 6.50 1.30 1.00
Omaha 3.75 55 80 13 45
San Francisco 5.30 7 80 1
Potatoes are 70 cents per bushel at Boston, 45 at Detroit,
35 at Indianapolis, 60 at Chicago, 40 at Omaha, and $t it:
currency at San Francisco. The coal trade last week sii-
active, the smaller sizes selling much more freely, th°l',::
they are from 75 cents to $1 per ton higher than t"'
larger. The production in the Schuylkill region is slso
quite active. The tonnage of all the Pennsylvania carry,'"
ing companies thus far this year has been 12,239,917, e
decrease of 380,594 from last year's. The increase for th:
past few weeks, however, if kept up through Naverab°f
and December, will bring it up to within 100,000 tons
last year's. The supply is therefore not likely to fall much
short.

5i.25

(From the 117011-s: reel Journal.)
FRIDAY EVENING, NW/Wilber 19.
Business of every description continues exceedinglY
slow, and the transactions in Wall-street are on the sma
lest scale. The depletion of Wall-street capital, 11 the
failure and clearing out of various firms by the recent g°'
ring swindle, presents a fine opportunity for firms hall,
bona fide funds to transfer their business to bantling. /.:-
learn I hat, following the example of Morton, Bliss, and
ric°,;
and George Opdyke and Co., at least four prominent 7-',
goods commission and jobbing firms contemplated retirl-u
from their present business on January Ist and ante/
Wall-street. It is announced that the firm 01 Lockwn°,
and Co. (the heaviest sufferers by the recent gold panic/
will at once resume business. No fAilure elicited m°
to
genuine sympathy than this, and the return of no firm
active business will give more satisfaction to the SVee
than that of this respectA and enterprising house. 31°1
on call is plentiful at 6 to 7 per cent., with excepanns
5 per cent. Diseount3, however, continue as before, Wu
heavy, and there is little inclination outside to linn,_d!
paper, except at usurious rates. We quote first-rate &nil
names at 10 to 15 per cent., and prima first-class names a„
15 to 24 per cent, In the Gold Market the trau
continue e:-ceedingly small, and the price* closes hold
sactio.7.

at 12Gt.
Quotations for specie :
in 483
Amer. silver 971 to 93 I Eng. sovs ...... 4813 881
Alex. do'lars 104 „ 101 i2O francs ........ Seri ~ 70
Erg. silver 47U , 480 I Thalers ......... "
F:vo I our
Foreign Exchange is generally active and firm, 3
quotations,

Threo
Sixtays.
London Bankers -
DlO9l 1091"-10ol
London Prime Commercial lOBl 1081 ......
Paris, V -I—
ankers -5.16 i 5.155.13*
Bremen, Bankers
Harubargb, Bankers 331-36
Frankfort, 0.111 4oi-40k
Berlin and Cologne
Antwerp 5.214-5.171 .....
Amsterdam, Bankers
S wiss 5 2ll-5.171 ......
Government Bonds show a slight improvement, but the
busirie,,s is very limite
Sixes, 1861, registered ill to 11.1
Sixes, 1881, coupon ll7l to 11' s
Sixes, 1868, coupon
U.S. Gs. Pacific Railroad • .... 10-,1 to It
Five-twenties, 1862, registered ll3 to 11'-6
Five-twenties, 1862, coupon
113 i to 113 f
Five twenties, 1861, coupon
1131 to 1131
Five-twenties, 1865, coupon
Five-twenties, 1835, coupon, new
Five-twenties, 1867, coupon
U.S. 5-20 Coupons, 1868 ll3l to 11"
1071 to 1081
Ten-forties, coupon
1071 to I°4
Ten-forties, registered
to
Oregon War Loan, Sixes, 1881
State Bonds are dull, and, with the exception of
souri's 6's, which are strong, are all lower.
Railroad Stocks are quiet, and very little doing. 40
Gold Stocks are in good demand. The following
for mortgages: --
N. Y. Central Gs, 1883... 89
N. Y. Central Gs, 1887... 89
N. Y. Central Gs, It Est.. 851
N. Y. Central Gs, Sub'n... 851
N. Y. Central 7s, 1876... -
N. Y. Cen. 7s, con. 76 99
E.-ie let Mort, Ex 97
Ere 7s, 2d Mort, 1879 -
E..ie 7,, 3,1 Mor;,, 1883._ -
Erg- 7s, Ith Mort, 1880_ -
E•ie 75,, sth Mort, 1888 -
Long Dock Bonds
Buff:N.Y.& E.lstM,'77 B4
Hill E. 7s, Ist 11, '69_1001
flud. R. 7s, Yd M,
Hark:mist M, '6B '72 -
Mich. C. Ist M, G9'72 -
Mich. new Ist M Sc, 'B2 117
(1
• Mich. So., 7p.c. 2 M B7
N. Ind. Goshen Line '6B -
Mich.S.&N.l.S.F'd7p.c. 94
111. Cen. p. e, '7O 117
Alton & T. H. Ist 89
Alton &T. li. 2d pfd
Alton & T. 11. 2d M. Inc 7O
Han.& St.J. LandWrntslo4
Han. & St. J. Con 105
Chi. B. & Q., Ist M 1071
Chi. & N. West, S. F 93
Chi. & N. W. Con Cony B7l
Chi. & N. W. Int B B4
CU. & N. W. Ist M B7l
Quincy & Tel, Ist M, '75 -
111. & .So. lowa Ist M., -
Gt. West. Ist M, 'BB 7B
Gt. Western 2d M '93 7Bl
To'. & Wab. 2d MEx Bl I ilopeoll
The following for the Railroads and Afisce clos"
Stocks, in which Pacific Mail is the leading
ing at 51 851
N. Y. Central lB3l Fort Wayne ............
53
Erie
Hudson
.
Reading
Mich. Central 120; W. U. Telegraph ......
16
Illinois Central
Cleveland & Pittsbrg B2 Ohio and Mississippi. •
North-West
fosturo,
11
North-West Preferred 851 Cumberland ...........
Canton... Si Bankers and Brokere... 61/
Cleveland and Toledo
Rock Island
PPasuull
p. .....
f.e..r.er.er1080;,,0;
At the annual meeting of the stockholders of
Mail Steamship Company, on Nov. 117, the f
which was the only ticket, was duly electech,cPoora
M‘Lane, William Dennistoun, James H. Brown? borne
Potter, Abiel A Low, Francis Skiddy, Jonathan -4
Wm. H. Webb, and Sidney Mason. sacti°lll
Express Stocks are generally quiet and the trse
small. We quote:- to 571
Adams 571 _
to 4
American Merchants' Union .................. 3,at
Merchants' Union, old Stock .................. 5291
t to
o L3f
cio
v
United States l9l to 4
Wells, Fargo, and Co
-snort

......

Tol. & Wab. Equip***** --
Mil. & Pr. du On. Ist 31..gl
Gal. & Chic. Ext. .........
& Chic. 2(1 112......•••100
Chi. & It. I. Ist 111.....•••.
OW. It. I. & Pacific 7's••• 9G
Cleve..; T.,1. S. Fund.,
N. J. C.,ntral Ist ......
N. J. Central 2d 31.•••••
'0
Pitts. Ft,W., &Ch.lbt3l.l(,;ii
Pitts. Ft. W , & Ch. 2°l' 90
' Pitts. Ft. W., & Ch. 3d , 7..1
Cleve. & Pitts., 4th 31...
Cmhi
St.Al t
Chic. & Alton, S. F-19°' pi)
Pa»l Ist
Mil. & St. Paul 2d NI••• sl
Marietta & Oin. Ist 31... of
Morris & Essex Ist 31.' " 91
Morris & Essex 2d 31.•
Joilet & Chic. Ist g."
Chi. & Gt. East'nletli•"
N. Y. & N. ii. Gs .....
92
Dubuque &S. City,lst3d. al
Peninsula Ist M.........
Ohio & Miss. Ist 31 ......
Ohio & Miss. Con ......... 811
Tol. P. W. Ist 31. B. Px•i*
Atlantic & G. W. 22dd
310 9.3
Del., Lack., & as
Lake S bore Div. 1,1"
Cleve, P. & Ash. 14•pP,'''
0.." 83
Do.
Union Pacific Gold B." 921
Central P.RII. Gold 13... 83
Pacific RR. guar. 1131°.

Messrs. Drexel and Co., the Philadelphia bankell'
as follows on Nov. 24:—Pennsylvania Railr°3lu 163111/rfr
531 53i; Sixes, Ist Mortgage, 976 971; sues'' b
gage, 941 93.

PRICE OF GOLD•

sod
Ili e quotation of gold at Paris is about sl
flax
ll
Vie short exchange on London is 25f. 15a. Per 13, 'lotie•iree -‘1
On c
-.?mParing these rates with the English 301" ',g et"
100- per ounce for standard gold, it aPPe'vuo
gold at the above price is slightly Fearer Faris
Loudon.

_ —_— n
OBITUARY.—Isaac Bryant, an old residev tiot
B.uffalo, died suddenly in the Central Railroad depot il;0110,
city, on Monday, Nov. 15. Colonel Alfred
e'a op
son,d a well-known citizen of Belfast, Maine, di t the
St. Yon Sunday night,
James Ilotel, Boston, of lung • Ile 039 sbe
pioneerovls of the Pacific Expressth disease. , jii, t
South for the benefit el4tbhuosifsso:deiin:t:Ltoioi:
of his health.--John Butterue utico,
Giulia drd• 86
years. -The renoweed s;nger '1,j:;11,1r0-
.ay,
Nov.died at the Hotel du Nord, Berlin, on
a N 25, of inflammation of the lungs.

BIRTHS. ber1311(11
ALLGOOD—On the 2d inst , at Alumouth, Northucn
the wife of Major-General G. Allgood, of "7 j3al'el.'
BAKF.II.—Ou the 4.h inst , the wife o: Mr. Fre
of 88, Fleet-street, of a .son.

'IIARRIAGES.
i 1 CV ' e
ELI IR p
----.. ETERS—On the 2:1 inst , at St. I:tote ‘4, if th
Horace Ellis to Elizabeth in:r eldest daughter sve,t"
Ed° Johu Peters, of Sloau:,-, '"
Chelsea, and
WPIORT % :gum:,
Wandsworth. ob"
• teS: - to
--lAtEcit—On the 3d inst., at 'WWI sof/
Williamin, Willia F. Wright, Esq., Militarybt°E L° .h, I;s'
Anna,
second daughter of the late Robert eot'
M.D.

DEJTBS. Cbarit°
BERNAL —On the 2d inst., at Tunbridge, the Rev'
Bernal, aged 57. 1 4tt.llgus'
IlosNEn—On the Ist inst at Folkestone, Colose 4'
tus C. lionner, aged 51. of 11
NE WILL —On the 3d inst., Josenh Newill, Esq.,
bury, North Shropshire, aged 73.

.......-----....._„—.—,.........—.-----1
„ID tt; T
Loollirion : Printed I,:id Pqblistied by WILLIAI,I /1/2-*— 1,..i00- '
No. 112, 6tr:tnd, Printer, at THE SUN Office 2, %,"
id 00
in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of ii---411°
Monday, December 6, IV.B