The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-20
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

| northern trim On Sunday he was at his place in
church, morning and evening, like any other good
christian This morning it was reported that he
was somewhat ndispesed, but not seriously so. l II
believe the statement is erroneous, and am in
formed that the President is and has been in per-
| feet health
The homeward trip of the Presidential party, l /
learn, very pleasant. Special trains for their
exclusive accommodation provided by the
lberality of the several railroad companies be-
tween here and New York. Thus the President
escaped in great measure the fatiguing attentions
of continuous crowds, who forget that hand-shak
ing becomes serious labor when performed for
the thousandth time per hour
The homeward trip, however, was not without |
its excitement. A brief but startling railroad |
panic was gotten up for the occasion, somewhere
this side Havre-de Grace, which is thus related
by one of the party: While the cars were going at
speed of thirty miles per hour or more, the pas
sengers sensible Of slight jar, occurring
simultaneously with a fierce kissing of escaping
steam, and the overwhelmingly hoarse shrieks of
the locomotive whistle, that seemed by its hur-
ried, Short oft-repeated notes of warning to be in
an agony Of terror because Of apprehended dan
ger. At the same instant the air. hitherto unu-
| sually clear, became filled with dense clouds Of
unaccountable dust, which rushed into the front
door Of the car pari passu (as the lawyers say |
with the conductor, who made for the rear with
an unsoemly haste and earnestness that said, as
plainly as action could say, ''the ID take the
| hindmost''
| Here was combination of circumstances, all
occurring within few seconds, we'll calculated
to alarm the coolest; for the bare possibility that
a Norwalk catastrophe may be just upon is
in no degree soothing to mans nervous sensibil-
ties. The prevailing impression among the ira
vellers was, that fearful collision was just at
hand Every one was on his feet instantly. The
President and one two others, who happened
to be the back door, found themselves "trans-
lated" to the platform with almost the rapid
ty of thought. Quite suddenly as the panic
arose the cars shot out of the dust, the conduc-
tor arrested his retreat rearward, the conviction
of safety flashed on every mind and confidence
was restored. Then for the explanation 1t
turned out that an insane pig (the property, per-
haps, of some reckless Wing farmer) attempted
to butt the train off the track, when the cow
catcher ran its long iron teeth through him with
out giving him time for a solitary squeal The
body of the animal, instead of being thrown off,
swung under the cow-catcher, and was dragged
rails 1t was this that kicked up the dust The
conductor, fearful that the body might fall direct
|ly upon the rail, and throw his charge into pi,
started for the brake, to check the speed of
the train--hence the contribution of his share in
the manufacture of panic. But it's all over, the
Presidents safe, and the news market on a rise.
q The boilers of the steamer Princeton are pecu-
liar in their construction-being, like nearly every
r thing else about that vessel, experiment, and
like almost every experiment on board her, failure
The engines were of Lamb s. Sumner s patent
with perhaps some alterations by direction of our
Navy Department. Whatever they are they
) have failed utterly, and must be replaced ere we
t can hope the vessel to make speed enough to run
away from green turtle. If Commodore Shu-
brick can get along with her at all, he will proba-
t bly, take her the fishing banks for short
cruise, if no more. The Fulton beat her two full
days in the trip from Norfolk to Portsmouth,
New Hampshire.
/ Of course the Princeton will not 90 to China
with Minister Walker The only other steamer
that can be furnished him is the Saranac, which
may be got ready by the LIST of October perhaps,
and thus enable the minister to reach Shanghai
with her some time next year. VIII he consent
to such delay' Is there way of avoiding it
Mr.. Walker will have incurred heavy RESPONSE
bility if the great door of Asiatic commerce |
should be closed against us for another century,
because of our failure to have man of the right |
spirit on hand, at the right time to take advan-
: tage of a change in the government of the Ce-
lestials.
The steamer Waterwitch, Lieutenant Com
handing Swartwout, was at Tampico on the LIST
of July, awaiting the return of Major Mordecai
and his companions of the Gardiner investigating
commission. They were expected to reach the
steamer within a fortnight, and may therefore be
expected home about the LIST proximo
| The fgate Columbia, with Minister Scion
Borland, is expected to sail for San Juan on or
about the 10Th. 1t is not unlikely she may be
ordered to join the fishing squadron at Halifax,
together with the sloop-of-war Albany, soon after
she shall have performed the duty now assigned
6 her. The Cyane is also expected North soon, with
recruits from Pensacola, whom she will transfer
to the frigate Savannah at Norfolk, and then
proceed to the fishing grounds
Senator Morton, of Florida, who has been do.
y tanned in this city since the adjournment of Con
gress by the illness of his wife, has left for Florida
G Governor Wood, consul to Valparaiso; Gov
ernor Trousdalc Minister TO Brazil; Hon. C. M.
d Conrad, late Secretary of War; Hon. Reverdv
Johnson, and A. B. Rhett, of South Carolina, are
among the strangers in town to-day.
WAsHINGroN, July 10, 1853
Secretary Guthrie, during his recent visit to
G New York, made examination of several build
ings offered the Government for purchase for the
, United States assay office at that point; but the
Secretary made no selection the price demanded