The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-11-12

bury within the city, specially at such a time when
there be great sicknesses and many die together.
| think verify that many man taketh his death IN
Pauls church yard; and this speak OF experience,
! for myself when have been there some morn
ings TO hear sermons, have felt such an i'll favored,
unwhoesoIne SAVIOUR, that was the worse for II a
great while after, and think less but il is the
occasion of much sickness and distress
CURIoUs DIscovERY.-In removing one of the old
aims houses of the Livery Dole, at Heavitree, near
Exeter, curious discovery has been made, illus
tratiye of the practice of fire and faggot in the
early days of Henry VIII. II is the remnant of the
stake 10 which Bennett, the schoomaster, was tied
in 1881, of which burning for heresy account is
given by lioker, first chamberlain of Exeter. His
crime was, denying the divinity Of the Virgin
Mary, and denouncing transubstantiaton. "Ben-
net Cor Benet,) the Torrington schoomaster, was
tied up in neat skin, (cow-skin,) and burnt with
all the iurze and faggots the parish of Heavitrec
could then supply. One of the Carews burnt his
beard with blazing brand" The stake found is
OF elm, slightly charred; and there has also been
found the iron ring which went round the apex of
the stake, into which stout staple clamp, or bolt,
somewhat in the gIise of ships anchor, with
transverse prongs or tlukes, inserted, having
ring or circular hole at the top, through which the
chain went which confined the sufferer to the fatal
tree These relics are to be deposited al the inst
tution.-Usstan Lunainary.
RAILWAY AccIpENTs.--By an analysis of the Of
fetal returns, il appears that of the ninetysx per-
sons killed, and seventy five injured ON all the rail
ways open for public traffic III Great Britain and
Ireland, during the halt-year ending 3Oth June,
lS49, there
Five passengers killed. and thirty injured from
causes beyond their own control
Seven passengers killed, and two injured, owing
TO their own misconduct or want of caution.
Twelve servants OF companies or OF contractors
killed, and nine injured, from causes beyond their
own control.
Fifty servants of companies or of contractors
killed, and thirty injured, owing TO their own mis-
conduct or want of caution.
Twenty trespassers and other persons, neither
passengers servants of the company, killed and
four injured, by improperly crossing or standing on
| the railway.
One suicide.
Total, ninety-six killed and seventy five injured
The number of passengers conveyed during the
half year amounted to IS ,76l s95
SCIENTIFIC GossIP,-A plan for protecting steam
boilers from corrosion has been submitted at the
last annual meeting of the Royal Cornwall Poly
tcchnic Society. tits proposed by Mr.. j. Williams,
of Helsonc, To pour small quantity of coal tar into
! the water just before the steam is TO be got up
This substance, when thrown into boiling water,
parts with all its volatile constituents, and its
bon is, as crust, deposited upon all sides of the
boiler with singular uniformity, adhering with
great firmness to the iron plates by the peculiar &C
ton OF the force which appears To condense fluid
matter on solid surfaces. Thus a kind of graphite
coating is formed, which protects the iron most eff
fectually from corrosion
As connecting itself with subject which is now
attracting the attention OF most meteorological OBJ
servers, the following communication Of M Matte
ucc is considerable value This electrician states
that his researches upon the loss of electricity in the
air, more or less humid, have led him to the follow
ing proposition In air taken at constant pressure
and temperature, the loss of electricity increases
with the quantity of the vapor of water that it
! tans. But this increased loss does not vary ac-
cording TO the simple law which Coulomb believed
! he had deduced from small number of expert
ments, viz, that this loss proportional to the
cube of the weight of the water contained III the air.
INTERESTING Discovery OF a CAVERN IN WALES.
| The following curious communication has been
! published: On Wednesday week the miners at
Llandno broke, in the course of their abors, into
| what appeared to be extensive cavern, the root
! of which, being mass of stalactte, reflected
! back their lights with dazzling splendor On OK
animation, the turned out To be old work,
! probably Roman the benches, stone hammers, &C.,
used by that ancient people having been found en-
/ tire, together with many bones of mutton, which
| had been consumed by these primitive miners.
The bones are, to all appearance, fresh, though
! impregnated with copper, they were when de-
nuded of their fieshy covering, after remaining
they must have done, nearly 900 years in the bow
els of the earth. The cavern is about forty yards
long, and must be subject of great interest to
those fond of investigating the remains of bygone
! ages
The CHEF LIBRARIES OF EURoPE.-lft the princi-
pal Libraries of the several capital cities of Europe
be arranged in the order Of their respective magn-
tudes, they will stand as follows: