Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-03-10
From the London Times.

For coming events cast their shadow before,
Or rather volume OF steam.
thought had slept hundred years.
Midst ruins and rubbish dirty,
And suddenly walked to the smiles ana tears
of life again, and it rang in my ears
TWAS nineteen hundred and thirty.
Thought spirit beside me stood,
Strange in his shape and dress,
He wore = cowl and he wore hood;
Who he was I might not guess.
Hut the silence broke, and the stranger spoke
heard him in my dresm,-
oFesr not" he said, "but come and see
How all the world is govern'd by me,
The mighty spirit OF steam"
straightway, like falling moon,
With rushing sound there came
4 mighty sphere; lighted soon,
And what should il be but steam balloon,
And we entered together the same.
And away we went Ger London far,
As swift as the lightning's CLEAN,
But in vain I look d from my lofty car,
For from Westminster abbey to TemPle.bar,
They ere all in cloud of steam.
"Come, lei US nearer to the earth"
The mighty spirit cried;
The car sunk down, and set forth,
Through the streets with him tor guide.
sNow," quoth the stranger, approach. approach
I'm tired With wondering, srow,
so well get into the that hackney coach,
IT'S the best in all the row."
In we got, and strange, oh strange,
The horseless coach moved on
We fell from the clouds in Re seut-street,
We glided along in our chariot feet,
But Of all the folks we CHANGED to meet
Alas! knew not one.
We passed by Newgstc,-s crowd was there,
And q scaffold was raised before,
The criminal knet and whispered prayer,
Then stood erect once more.
Much maryell'd he stood alone,
But he suddenly utter'd a scream;
Gone was all hope, on his neck rope
Already noosed, from above fell down;
The bolt slipp'd from ITS band without hsnd,-
The corse swang away from its final strand
They were hanging the man BY steam
Aswe return'd to our vehicle,
figure before us stood,
II stood broom IN hand al dirty crossing,
A sxpence-l thought it was hesh and blood
Rut my friend held my hand, says he, "'tis wood:
A strange thing to you it may seem,
But let me tell you. the plan is good,
We sweep our streets by steam!"
We went into Paternosterrow,
II had mournful look,
For passed away were Longmsn and Co;
Their shop and every book.
Yet clouds Of vapour were issuing
From each window low aud high,
As erst have seen il wandering
From the Brenford Brewery.
"Strange, strange" said I, "that they sh u'd turn
Their minds to such a schemc!"
"What scheme" quoth he, "you may discern
They publish still, but YOU have to learn
How we write and print by steam,
But. come, enough ofthis city wide,-
And yet one peep you must have
At the mighty house, where you have deserted
Peers long ago in the grave"
Straight We ALT by the House of Peers;
II was sicnt.-sent ALL
Tho all seemed ranged, as in former years,
On the benches round the wall.
Suddenly all arose. and each
paper gave and took,
1t stood, it seemed, in lieu Of speech,
Intently did look.
looked again; but they stirred no more,
They were almost as stiff and rs stark Is before.
Wooden was each, -blocksdes weretll;-
Mandarine members filed the hall.
oh, strange, strange, grew my dream:
With grim smile the spirit said,
think you not, of all you have visited,
This is the best and noblest plan
To spare the tongue and brains Of man,
And govern the nation by steam"
But slowly q little vspour arose
From the wooden Prime Minister'S head;
II gather'd and grew, and DER his foes
In the oppositisn spread.
There was Kissing rushing nose,-
A crash, shout. scream,--
The engine had burst:-and. oh, the smell.
The horrible vapour, who can tell,
At that bursting of Parliament steam!
TWAS no joke, and awoke,
The Kissing still around me broke,
The candles were out, my wife in pout,
For in my struggling dream
had seized the tea urn, ami turn'd II o'er,-
The water was swimming about the ioor.-
And was awaken'd by steam.