Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-02-03
THE BLIND ASYLUM AT BOSTON, AND
LAURA BRIDGEMAN.

had been very anxious to pay q visit to the
Blind ASYLUM and Laura Bridgeman, at Boston
Perhaps the reader will remember the very III
teresting account given of poor Laura by Mr..
Dickens, in his work on America, and DIR. Howe's
wonderful and successful mode of teaching her.
She is blind, and deaf, and dumb, and has hard
y any sense of smell or taste.
They told us at the Asylum that if they gave
her strong Cayenne pepper, or any thing equal
ly pungent, she would appear to taste it slight
ly but nothing less powerful.
After Mr.. Dickens excellent and elaborate
description, need not say, that found Laura
well and contented, though she is slight and del
icate looking, and has rather pensive, serious
expression of coutenance. A lady, who we I'M
derstand was governess, especially devoted to
her, told us Laura Bridgeman had enjoyed a late
visit to the country very much and though she
could neither see the views, nor hear the merry
song of birds, nor smell the sweet odor of flow
ers, yet she appeared to inhae the freshness Of
the free air with delight She added that Laura
was now learning geometry and that she took
very deep interest in it, and made great and
rapid progress. Is not this wonderful?
When we first entered, the teacher was hold
ing an open letter in one hand, while with the
other she was repeating the contents Of it to the
poor girl, by telling it very rapidly on the fin
gers of Lauras left hand This was letter
from her country friends, and it was extraordi-
nary to observe each eloquent change of express
sion that passed over Laura's intelligent and al
most speaking face. Wonder, peasure-some-
times a slight shade of vexation and disappoint-
ment-regret, affection, mirth, sympathy, doubt
anxiety, hope, expectation; all seemed to i'm
press themselves by turns on the voceless and
sightess ones features | could almost read
The letter on Laura's eloquent face, which these
mute signs, quick as lightning, were conveying
to her mind
| might well have been reminded of the ilu-
minated alabaster vase to which some one imag-
inatively compared celebrated poets counte-
nance, for really Laura's face appeared chrys-
tal one, and the mighty mystery of mind seemed
peering through the transparent casket. do
not think / ever saw any features that had
voice to help them, or eyes to look WITH speak
so impressively with their varied changes. All
her features and movements seemed forced by
her active mind TO act as voice, tongue and eyes.
When we first entered the ASYLUM, the
blind children were singing, in sort of music
al hall, furnished with a good organ. What
pleasure it must be for these poor bereaved be-
ings! Their voices sounded very sweet and
solemn, and they had evidently been carefully
taught.
The Institution for the Blind, is admirably
situated, on open and elevated ground, and CON-
mands noble and elevated prospect Of the ISL
and-studded harbor, the city and circumj acent
country its lofty position, and the pure air that
circuates around itare, no doubt highly condu-
Give to the health of the pupils. But how won
derful to think, on looking out Of the vast OPEN
ed windows Of the establishment, that all this
beauty and glory can shine not to these poor
benighted eyes.
Lady Wortleys travels in the U. S.
IRON AND STEEL.-Steel is iron passed
through process which is called cementation,
the object of which is to impregnate it with car
bon Carbon exists more abundantly in char
coal than in any other fusible substance, and the
smoke that goes up from charcoal forge is car
bon in n fluid state. Now, if you can manage
to confne that smoke, and put piece of iron |
into it for several days, and heat the iron at the
same time, it will become steel. Heating the |
iron opens its pores, so that the smoke, or car
bon, can enter into it.
The furnace for this purpose is conical bull
ding Of brick, in the middle of which are two
troughs of brick or stone, which hold about four
tons of bar iron. At the bottom is large CRATE
for the fire. A layer of charcoal dust is put up
on the bottom of the troughs, then layer of
bar iron, and so on alternately, until the troughs
are full. They are then covered over with clay,
to keep out the air, which, if admitted, would
prevent the cementation. Fire is then commu-
nicated to the wood and coal with which the fur
mace is filled, and continued until the conversion
Of the iron into steel is completed, which gen.
orally happens in about eight or ten days.
This is known by blisters on the bars, which
the workman occasionally draws out in order to
determine. When the conversion is completed,
the fire is then left to 60 out, and the bars re-
main in the furnace about eight days more, to
cool.
The bars of steel are then taken out, and eli
her sold as blistered steel, or drawn to con-
,enient size, when it is called tilted STEEL Ger
nan steelis made out of this blstered steel by
breaking the bars into short pieces, and welding
hem together, drawing them down to proper
'ize for use.
David Crockett happened to be present at an
Of animals some time ago, at least, in
he city Of Washington, when monkey seemed
o attract his particular attention and he rather
observed. elf that fellow had on
pair of spectacles he would look like Major