The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-17
Our vvashington CorTesp ondonce.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL, 1851.

leyan Methodist, called the "Foundry Church." at
the corner of.Fourteenth and streets, which was
near being attended with fatal consequences.
II was generally known that the Rev. DR.. Dur
bin, who is very eloquent preacher, and, ] be-
lieve, from the-Etate of New Yosk. was to deliver
a sermon, and the house was consequently crowd
ed at an early hour.
Previous to the commencement Of divine service,
the ceiling under the gallery cracked, owing to
the great weight above it, and the supporters APP.
peared to be giving way. l arrived at the spot at
1his moment, and found the windows crowded with
females in a state of the utmost excitement en-.
deavoring to escape, one of whom jumped out and
was safely received by those below. There was
an area which rendered this difficult operation;
boards were, however, speedily obtained, and sc.
veral well dressed females and children escaped
by this means Meantime, most OF those in the gal
lery had retreated through the nearest doors, and
It was with diih Guilty that females were prevented
jumping from the windows, which in this part of
the building are on the second story After short
time the alarm subsidized, and the service COM
menced; but numbers were afraid to enter, and
thus expose themselves TO another alarm and pro-
babe danger, and accordingly came away, as did
Others who found it impossible subsequently, to en-
ter. owing to the crowded state of the house.
This accident, and the probability (along time
apparently that several persons would have been Sc
Tiously injured in endeavoring to escape, evince
the necessity of their being means provided by
egIe6S
by having ladders at hand, to be used in cases Of
emergency, and which, in the present instance,
could not be obtained.
While on this subject / would state that the
Smthsonian Institution is very badly constructed in
this respect. The lecture room is easily empted,
but the avenues all terminate in a narrow passage,
with but one door at the basement for egress; and
in case OF hire this passage would become so block.
ed up that escape through the main entrance would
be impossible.
WAsHINcroN Jan. ii, 1851.
Interesting Lecture on the Alps.
/ attended lecture at the Smithsonian In
stitution, delivered by DR.. Morris, Of Baltimore,
descriptive of the Alps and their glaciers which
was rendered more interesting from the cir
cumsance of the lecturer having personally visited
those wonderful objects in nature. He commenced
with an account of the Alps, which, commencing
in Switzerland, extend distance of one hundred
and seventy miles in length, and having width Of
about twenty. The Alps are not an uninterrL. ted
chain of mountain ridges, rising some fifteen thou
sand feet above the level of the sea, but are COM
posed of innumerable peaks, clothed with perpetual
snow. The lower vallies-which, however, are
about FIVE thousand feet above the level of the
are inhabited by shepherds; not those described by
Virgil, and having but little Of the romantic about
them They possess large number of cows and
goats and the adventurers, on their ascent to the
summit of the peaks, obtain milk and cheese in
abundance. There are also hospices, kept by
monks, who supply the way-worn traveller with
refreshments The ascent il made, for the most
part, on the backs of donkeys, which are trained
for the PsrPose and so sure-iooted are they, that
those whom they carry are cautioned by the guides
to trust entirely to their sagacity, and to leave
them to choose their path, sometimes winding
around the edge of the mountain, or along the edge
of the precipice, and at other times among frag-
mens Of rock, at the peril OF breaking their legs.
The side. saddles on which the ladies ride are 80
constructed as TO prevent their slipping forwards or
backwards, and, well as those of the gentlemen,
are so secured that they cannot shift the back Of
the animal. Occasionally, plank or ladder IS
laid assures, over which the party pass and,
at other times, the frozen surface OF snow has TO
be crossed, which sometimes yields 10 the weight
Of the traveller, who sinks down some hundred
feet, and is never head of more. Among the more
daring OF those who undertake this dangerous Jour-
ney are English ladies, who remain on the backs OF
their beasts while gentlemen who accompany
them, and who possess less nerve, dsmount and
lead their animals on arriving al some OF the more
dangerous places that have to be passed on the
Dr. Morris gave brief account OF his ascent to
the peak called Riga; and his description Of the
Ising sun was graphic IN the e, extreme ,n me- some
very good humor and when the weather Is not
clear, the summit Of Riga is not one OF the most
agreeable places in the world: Englishmen, who
are proverbial for grumbng, de not submit TO the
disappointment incident TO such an occurrence with
the best grace imaginable, the folio wing lines,
quoted by DIR. Morris, will abundantly testify
Seven tedious hours that day climbd,
The setting sun to see;
Cullen and grim he went to bed
ulen and grim went we.
Nine sleepless hours that night we pass'd,
The rising sun TO see;
sullen and grim he rose at last,
6ullen and grim rose We"
II fortunately happened that the morning after
the Doctors arrival was clear and serene, and the
party were summoned from their beds 10 witness
one of the finest objects In creation, but which
many Of the children Of afuence and luxury never
eee-the rising sun-and who waste In bed " the
fleeing moments OF too short a life" First, there
appeared a horizontal streak on the sky, Of the
brightest crimson; then solitary peak, covered
with snow, received the earlieet rays OF the sun,
and assumed similar hue This was followed by
another and another, within a circle OF q hundred
miles in extent, and at length all around were in
Vulnerable peaks, glittering against dark blue
sky, meeting the gaze OF the Dewldered and adj
miring spectator, which gradually and successfully
faded into a more delicate tint, until they uti-
ma,ely resumed their original purity, before the
approaching splendor OF the god OF day. who at
length burst upon the astonshed view of the be-
holder, an adequate conception OF the gorgeous
beauty Of which, he said, no language could convey.
The third division Of the lecture was devoted TO
a description Of the glaciers, and he phenomena
connected with them-a sort OF frozen rlver, In
some instances fifteen miles In extent, and three
an width--from one OF which the Rhine derives its
source, whose appearance would seem TO convey
the idea that the descending torrent had suddenly
become concealed. The glaciers have their origin
IN the immense masses Of snow and ice that fall
from the PERCEPTIONS SUBMITS OF the higher peaks,
and descend through the adjacant valleys to lower
level, partly owing TO their inclination and partly
n consequence Of the pressure caused by their ex-
panslon. from the absorption OF water when ram
falls. The ice Of which the glaciers are COM
posed, IL OF various, and often uncommon hard
ness, and is from one hundred and hfty TO two
hundred and fifty feet in thickness. The water
which the ice yields, when perfectly pure, has one
peculiarly for which II has hitherto been found
impossible to account-it is quite blue, and the
scoloring matter cannot be detected. They have,
also, another peculiarity-they throw oil any
foreign substances. such as rocks or wood, or any
other substance thrown into the assures, with
which they abound, that vary from hair 10
several feet in breadth, and which, after lapse OF
time, come TO the surface at some distance lower
down. These glaciers often flow through we'll
nrnnaun niIIkinu Al