The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-19 00:00:00

THE SUN. LONDON. SATURDAY EVLNING, OCTOBER 19, 1%7

parties with the hard fact that this week again, and
not for the first time in the few weeks which have
elapsed since harvest commenced, Andover, Bath,
Bedford, Carlisle, Exeter, Doncaster, Chelmsford,
Colchester, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Canterbury,
Maidstone, Leicester, Mallon, Newcastle, Norwich,
Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Ripon, War-
minster, Worcester, Southampton, and York, all
showed more or less excitement in their wheat
markets, and generally noted an advance of 2s. to
3s. per qr.

Railway and other Companies.

GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA.

The traffic receipts on this company's lines for the
week ending 28th September amounted, for passen-
gers, to £12,513 ; for emigrants, to 1179 ; for mails,
&c., to £1,027 ; and for freight and live stock, to
£19,500; total, £33,219, and for the corresponding
week last year to £34,326, showing an increase of
£1,107. The total receipts from the Ist of July to
the above date amounted to £338,257, and for the
same period last year to £353,322, showing a de-
crease of £15,065.

THE BATTLE OF THE SAFES.

Official report of the committee to conduct the competitive
trial of the two safes constructed by Mr. Samuel Chat-
wood, of Bolton, Lancashire, England, and Mr. Silas C.
Herring, of New York, United States of America, re-
spectively.

This committee was ppointed in virtue of an agree-
ment made and executed at Paris on the 9th day of July,
18G7, between Mr. Samuel Chatwood, of Bolton, Lanca-
shire, and Mr. Silas C. Herring, of Now York, U.S. The
duties of the committee wore clearly determined in the fol-
lowing articles of the agreement : —l. That the four mem-
bers named by the two parties to the agreement should
elect's fifth member of the committee, who should be a French
engineer. 2. That they should be at liberty to employ
such means as they may think best to enable them to form
a correct judgment. 3. That the decision of the commit-
tee shall state which of the two safes is in their opinion
the best; in the following particulars, viz.: - In the quality
of the material used, in the capability of resisting drilling
instruments, gunpowder, steel wedges, crowbars, steel
screws, or any other kind of burglars' appliances. The
committee elected M. P. Douliot, civil engineer of Paris,
as fifth member and President of the committee. In order
to secure equal zeal, good faith, and skill in the conduct of
the experiments which were to bo made simultaneously
upon the two safes, it was decided that to each of the com-
petitors should ho allotted the task of opening his ad-
versary's safe, that ho should be allowed to inspect the
drawings of the safes, which had been furnished, and
accepted as sufficiently correct by the committee, that
ho should choose his workmen and supply them with the
necessary tools. By careful study of all the facts which
became evident during the trials, the committee aro enabled
to arrive at a decided opinion on the points subjected to
their decision by the agreement. Taking first the Chat wood's
safe, the mode of attack and the facts developed were as fol-
lows: —Herring's experiments commenced by attempting to
drill through the door of the safe, but without attaining
any other result than to convince the committee that the
safe was invulnerable to this mode of attack, although no
attempt by drilling was tried upon the Herring's safe, a
subsequent examination convinced the entire committee
that his safe possessed this quality in an equal degree ;
although 57 minutes were spent in the fruitless attempts
to drill Chatwood's safe, not more than 37 minutes of this
should bo deducted from the total time occupied in open-
ing the safe, as prior to the abandonment of the
drilling at least twenty minutes had been spent by one of
the experts in chiselling a small groove along the whole
depth of the edge of the upper side of the safe ; this groove
displayed the position of the joints, and the plan of attack
with wedges was commenced which ended in the opening
of the safe. It was now evident that the plan adopted by
Mr. Chatwood for joining the plates forming the sides of
his safe, though offering great facilities for accurate fitting
and concealment of the mode of construction, had the grave
inconvenience of being open to a simple and straightforward,
thought laborious mode of attack. As soon as the first
wedge was driven in each
joint and each dovetail became
accessible in its turn,' and in the same manner, and
although the labour required was severe, the time required
might be calculated approximately; after considerable
labour the steel plate forming the exterior of the attached
side of the safe was torn off, and exposed to view a plate
of hard cast iron, already broken, and which from
its brittle nature yielded readily to the blows of the ham-
mer ; under this plate was a second ono secured in the
same manner as the outer one, to the inner set of plates,
and further supported by being bolted to the door frame.
The experts now tried to force the bolts of the door, but
the admirable arrangements of this part of the safe resisted
all their efforts. and much time was lost in the fruitless at-
tempt ; by this time, however, the fireproof material had
become loosened and a great deal of it had fallen out, and
the exports were enabled to see that beyond the plate with
which they were battling there was only a sheet of thin
iron to oppose their entrance into the safe ; encouraged by
this discovery they returned to the plan by which they had
taken off the outer steel plate, and succeeded in removing
the second one in the same manner ; a few blows
from the crowbar sufficed to drive iu the sheet
iron. The block was now taken out and the safe
declared opened according to the resolutions of the
committee. The whole time occupied in these opera-
tions was 235 minutes, or deducting 37 minutes, the time
spent in the drilling operations, which in no way affected
the resisting powers of the safe, wo have 195 minutes as
the time occupied in the opening. Subsequently the two
slight drawers at the bottom of Chatwood's safe were laid
completely open in one minute. This was done to ascer-
tain whether any gain in time would have accrued to Mr.
Chatwood if the sealed block had been placed in either of
the drawers. The resisting powers of the Chatwood safe are
greatest at its exterior surface, but they diminish consider-
ably as the interior is approached, and are also rendered
somewhat less efficacious by being spread over too large au
extent. The door, it is true, possesses an excess of strength
over the sides, but to say that if the safe were built into a
wall it would be perfectly unassailable is to admit that it
is not so of itself, and as this mode of fixing is by no
means general, and has some grave disadvantages, it can-
not be appealed to. Mr. Herring's safe is constructed
on an entirely different principle ; its exterior walls
are meant to protect the contents of the safe from fire
only; before the outer doors can be opened their bands and
fastenings mud be removed ; this Mr. Chatwood's men
proceeded to do at once by the use of wedges, and by the
same means they forced open the two wings of the outer
door in a comparatively short space of time ; the interior
was then seen to be divided into two distinct parts; the
upper one, the larger in its capacity, was filled with shelv-
ing and drawers, for books and papers of value only to
their owner. The lower division was a coffer designed for
the safe keeping of valuables and containing the sealed
block of wood. On this coffer the maker had concentrated
all his sk 11 and the resisting power of his materials: only
two of its faces wore accessible, the door and upper side ;
the latter was first attacked, but this plan was soon aban-
doned, and the workmen directed all their energies to the
breaking open of the door. The position limited the space
from which it could be attacked, and to seine ex-
tent circumscribed the effect of , the levers and
hammers employed against it, showing how well
its situation bad been chosen so as to add to its defence.
The direct introduction of wedges was prevented by a
strong iron frame which protected the joint of the door,
and which had to be cut bodily away, and when after a con-
siderable time this was effected the door itself was attacked.
It was formed of a network of steel bars riveted together,
and covered with a wrought iron plate which concealed
its structure. The numerous and solid attachments of the
door would have rendered its removal piecemeal an inter-
minable operation, so the experts endeavoured to remove
it whole ; but its extreme tenacity, which it owed to its
mode of construction, and the strength of the steel rivets
by which it was secured to the inner plate and the bolts
prevented its removal until within ten minutes of the
time when Chatwood's safe was declared open. The
coffer still remained entirely closed by a plate of
hard cast iron, similar to that employed by Mr.
Chatwood in the construction of his safe, but by
an ingenious contrivance the tenacity naturally deficient
in the material was supplied by the use of a close web of
i-on rods which covered each face of the plate, and was in-
timately connected and even soldered into the plate itself
by the mode in which they were cast together; the suc-
cess of this mode of construction was completely demon-
strated by experience. In order literally to bend over the
plate all the wedges and tools which the workmen pos-
sessed were made use of, and the necessity for a larger
wedge, similar to those which the committee had refused
to allow to Mr. Herring's men was so evident that Mr.
Chatwood's experts made usn of a hammer head from
which the handle had been taken for the same purpose.
After half an hour's labour, when the gap along the top
of the door was completely blocked up with wedges and
tools of all sorts, tho close of day put a stop to the
proceedings, while it was yet uncertain how long tho bolts
attached to the plate could continue to resist the strain
brought to bear against them. The trial was resumed by
the experts the next morning, who coming fresh to their
work opened the door in four minutes, the opening into
the coffer being then completely clear they were enabled
to withdraw the block. The total time occupied in all
these operations was 254 minutes. The Herring safe is
thus distinguished by an ingenious complication of its
means of defence, all concentrated at the precise point
which it designed to protect, and indicates on the part of
its maker an intimate knowledge of the requirements of a
good safe. Admitting the excellence of both the safes
submitted to trial, and also admitting the force brought to
bear upon them was far superior to any over likely to be
employed by burglars, a careful consideration of the facts
compels us to the following conclusions :—Firstly, That,
considering the intrinsic quality of the different materials
employed as being equal in the two safes, Mr. Herring has,
by his happy combination, rendered the material more office-
cious,and indeed given to the hard cast iron the tenacity which
it lacks by nature, and we are therefore of opinion from this
point of view —lst. That Mr. Herring's safe is the better
in the quality of the materials employed. 2d. That the
exterior aspect of the Chatwood safe, from the closeness of
its joints and simplicity of its form, would disincline bur-
glars to attack it, but if they should have the security ne-
cessary to make the attempt, its too great uniformity of
constructive detail would give them groat hope of success,
their difficulties would considerably diminish as they
proceeded, and this would act as a moral stimulant to their
physical force until they attained the prize they coveted.
The Herring safe, which appears at first more easy of
attack, presents to the end difficulties always groat and
always varied, and never shows signs of an approaching
success; it therefore tends to exhaust both the physical
and moral energy, and to this extent offers a superior gua-
rantee against the successful attack of burglars. Wo aro
therefore of the opinion that the Herring safe is the best in its
capability of resisting drilling instruments, gunpowder, steel
wedges, crowbars, steel screws, or any other kind of bur-
glars' appliances. We, therefore, in accordance with the
foregoing decision, direct tha,t'tho 15,000 francs deposited
by Mr. Herring be returned to him, and that the 15,000
francs deposited by Mr. Chatwood be applied, first to the
necessary expenses of the trial, and that the balance,
divided into three equal portions, be given to the charities
of London, Paris, and Washington, as directed by Mr.
Herring. In consequence of the QOll.OO taken by the

English members of the Committee, and in order to place
ourselves and our decision beyond all suspicion or ques-
tion, we hereby request M. Tagnard to be good enough to
charge himself with the naming of the amount to be paid
to the different members of the Committee for their profes-
sional services. Accordingly wo have signed the present
document this sth day of October, 1867, in the presence
of Mr. Beckwith, United States Commissioner-General of
the Universal Exhibition, and Mr. Cheysson, Chief of the
Delegated Service.

President of the Committee.
(Signed) P. DOULIOT.
Members of the Committee.
(Signed) JOSEPH E. TIoLmEs.
(Signed) Tiros. It. Picimuso.
(Signed) W. J. Hon.; Secretary.
Chief of the Delegated Service.
(Signed) S. CIIEYSSON.
U. S. Commissioner-General.
(Signed) N. M. BEcKwiTir.

1911SCELLLAINEOUS FOREIGN NEWS.

A letter from Rome, dated Oct. 11, says :

The telegraph and the newspapers have in-
formed you day by day of all that:has taken place
in the Papal territory since my last letter. Do not
put faith in the news coming from Florence, but
take as the truth the news that comes from Rome,
and which is given in the Giornale di Roma.
To resume : Bagnorea was retaken after two-
and-a-half hours' fighting. The Papal troops were
480 strong, 260 natives, and the rest Zouaves. The
Garibaldians numbered more than 500. We had
three killed and five wounded. The enemy lost
seventy men killed or wounded, and 100 prisoners.
The population went out to meet the soldiers, and
welcomed them as deliverers. The Papal column
had three small cannons and a machine to throw
grenades. The Garibaldians had already pro-
claimed the deposition of the Papal Government,
hoisted the Italian flag on the cathedral, and nomi-
nated a triumvirate to govern in the name of Vic-
tor Emmanuel. On the same evening the Papal
troops received a telegram from the Pope to con-
gratulate them on their gallant conduct. Colonel
Azzanesi, who commanded the detachment, has
been nominated Commander of the Order of
Pius IX. On the next day the prisoners were
conducted to Viterbo. These, together with
others taken in various places, amounted in all
to more than 200. 'Very few wear the red shirt
All belong to the lower class. On the night of.the
10th they were conducted to Rome, and were
placed in the Castle of St. Angelo.
Rome enjoys a perfect tranquillity. The people
attend to their pleasures and to their duties with
their usual indifference, but this indifference is
founded on faith. By a police order the rural inns
have been closed during the prevalence of cholera.
The month of October is a month of vacation for
all the world—tribunals, schools, congregations,
have suspended their labours and every Sunday
and Thursday whole families are seen wending
their way towards the neighbouring villas.
Strangers are astonished at the tranquillity which
prevails here.
At the moment when the enemies of God and
of His Church are making a supreme effort at our
gates to attain the end which they have been so long
pursuing, it is well to give public testimony to the
security which prevails in the Government classes.
Yesterday the Holy Father showed himself in
public—he is taking what he calls his October va-
cations ; iF other terms, he is payingvisits to some
convent dr some public institution. Never have
we seen him so calm and so joyous even. The
crowd received him with enthusiasm, and a good
number of passers-by accompanied him as a guard
of honour, till he had re-entered his carriage.
The tranquillity of the Holy Father communicates
itself to all about him. Some days ago he said to
a Roman patrician, who was expressing his fears,
" Be of good heart, my son ; the Church has seen
many invasions come to nought since that of
Attila," and, in speaking these words, he pointed
to the wall of the room where they were, to a
fresco representing St. Leo the IGreat, who ar-
rested the progress of Attila.

The last news of the invasion is that the Ga-
ribaldians have changed their tactics. In place.of
attacking in small bands they appear desirous of
concentrating their forces in order to enter on all
sides at the same time. From what I hear there
are 800 or 900 along the frontier of Lubiano,.soo
on the frontier of Naples, 700 or 800 between
Orvieto and Petigliano. During these last few
days they have felt their way in various points—
at Monte Libretti, at Cerbera, at Subiaco, at
Santa-Francesca, in order to see whether the pea-
santry were well disposed towards them. The
people treated them everywhere with contempt.
Meanwhile the Italian army is seen immovable two
or three miles behind the Garibaldian bands. I
can conceive how 50, or even 100 Garibaldians
may have escaped the vigilance of the Italian
Cordon ; but no man in his senses can believe this
of 2,000.

Day by day Cardinal Antonelli renders an
exact account to the foreign Ambassadors, of the
acts and deeds of the Garibaldians during each day.
The Minister of War takes measures to show front
against the invasion as much as possible ; for, as
long as the Papal army keeps the upper hand, the
Italian army will have no pretext for intervention.
If the bands show themselves in very large num-
bers, I believe the Papal army will restrict itself to
the defence of the chief places, and to the prin-
cipal towns on each frontier. The army consists,
it is true, of 13,000, but after making all necessary
deductions, not more than 2,500 could be put in
possession to protect the frontiers, which would
be quite an inadequate force.
- On the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, at Santa
Maria, in Ara Coati, in the capitol, the Minorites
assisted at a High Mass, celebrated by the Domini-
cans, in memory of the ties of friendship which
united St. Dominic and St. Francis. On this occa-
sion was heard for the first time the grand organ
which Prince Tolonia, Syndic of the Convent,
has just given to the church. The Houses of the
Mendicant Orders, on account of the strict vow of
poverty, do not manage the property which they
receive from the charity of the faithful. It is
therefore managed by a friend of the order, whom
they call their Syndic. Most of the Roman patri-
cians are Syndics. It is an office which they take
up in a spirit of charity, and which is transmitted
from father to son.

It is said that the Emperor of Brazil, knowing
the eminent services rendered by the religious
orders to the States of the New World, begged the
Holy Father to send him as often as he could,
members of the religious houses of Italy suppres-
sed by the law which has recently been enacted
against them at Florence.
The Invalide Russe, of the 27th ult., records a
case of a peculiarly horrible character, which has
just been heard before the criminal tribunal of
Vladimir. A man named Kursin, aged twenty-
seven, a member of a numerous and fanatical Rus-
sian sect called the sect of the Saviour, lately killed
his own son, a boy of seven, and offered him as a
sacrifice to God. His own account of the crime
is as follows :
One night I felt so strongly that the human
race must soon perish that I could not get a
moment's sleep. I rose and lighted all the lamps
before the images of the saints, and, throwing myself
on my knees, I fervently prayed God to save me
and my family. Suddenly the idea came to me
of saving my son from eternal damnation, for, as
this only child was a beautiful boy and finer than
most boys of his age, I feared that he would be-
come, after my death, the prey of hell, and I deter
mined to sacrifice him to the Lord. Filled with
this idea I continued to pray. I said to myself
that if, during my prayer, the thought of sacri-
ficing my son to God came to me from the right
side, I would execute it ; if, on the contrary, it
came from the left, I would give it up ; for, accord-
ing to our religious teachings, the thought which
comes from the right side is from our good angel,
and that from the left is the instigation of the devil.
After a long prayer, the thought came to me from
the right side, and I returned full of joy to the room
where my son slept by the side of my wife. Know-
ing that she would oppose the sacrifice which I
desired to offer to God, I sent her to the market
to purchase provisions. When she had gone, I
awoke my child, and said to him, " Get up my son,
put on thy white :shirt, that I may admire thee."
When he had done thin I laid him on the bench,

and, after stabbing him in several places, cut the
stomach open from top to bottom. Kursin says
that just as the child breathed his last, the first
rays of the sun shone through the window, and in
a moment of ecstacy he fell on his knees and im-
plored God to mercifully receive this sacrifice."
Kursin continued his narrative in these terms :
" Just as I had thrown myself before the holy
images, and as my son was lying in his blood, the
door opened and my wife came in. She instantly
saw what had passed, and, seized with horror, she
fell senseless to the ground. I raised her, and
said, "Go to the mayor and tell him all. I am
going to give a fête to the saints."

Kursin, after he had been sent to prison, reso-
lutely refused all kinds of nourishment, and died
of starvation before the sentence upon him could
be executed.