The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-05-03
RICHMO OND, VA,
MORNING, MAYS, 1854
ANOTHER INVASION FEARED IN
ENGLAND.

AolON FEARED
ENGLAND.
Man is ever at war with enemies in the
air, in the water, and in and upon the earth;
or rather his enemies in all these elements,
are ever at war upon him, and compelling
him to maintain vigilant defence, night and
day, against their assaults and encroach
ments. The insect tribes are sometimes not
the least dreaded, nor the least destructive of
these enemies. Latterly the ravages of the
dey'maes-winged insects often much resem.
bhng the ant in the formation Of their bo.
dies-have attracted considerable attention
They are found chiefly in tropical latitudes.
The termes lacifagus, one of the species ia
said to abound in Rochelle, and some of the
towns of France, and apprehensions are in
dulged in England that it may be at any day
imported there; and tits conjectured that the
temperature will be probably as well suited
10 their propagation as that of Rochelle.
England is great centre of commerce.
where all nations and the productions of all
lands meet; and there, in one way and ano.
ther, the plaques and pests of distant eoun.
tries are often introduced. Last fall we re-
ferred to the Introduction into the rivers and
canals of England of an aquatic plant, from
Canada, whose rapid dissemination was as
tonishing, and whose threatened Instructions
to navigation were quite alarming. The in.
PRODUCTION of the termes from Rochelle would
be perhaps more serious evil 1t is indeed
considered the most destructive of the Ter
mites. They are the same with those consi-
dered in some tropical localities white ants.
They get into the timbers of houses and eat
them away so completely that the houses
have fallen without moments warning
These insects are united into colonies of in
calculable numbers, and live concealed in
the interior of the earth, trees, and other
woody matter, such as timbers of houses,
furniture shelves, &c. in which they form
galleries connected with their nests in the
centre. They always leave the surface of
their habitation untouched, so that although
it appears to be sound and whole, the merest
touch often bursts through the shell and ex-
poses the hollow centre that has been exca-
waited by the industrious termes. They are
destructive at all stages except that of the
ovum-and especially SO when in the larva
state in which they are called acorkers.-
When the insect becomes perfect it spreads
its wings and flies away.
They were imported, it is believed, into
Rochelle in bales of goods from st. Domingo.
They have invaded two quarters of the town
where they are very destructive to the tim
bers of houses. The arsenal building is near
ly destroyed by them. The prefecture-a
mansion which was built seventy years ago,
by two wealthy merchants, who imported
largely from st. Domingo-was greatly in
tested with them. A few years ago the prin-
cipal beam of one of the rooms broke in two
and fell leaving the inmates in painful state
Of suspense as to which part of the edifice
would go next Subsequently larger por-
ton of the departmental archives was found
to be destroyed--the outside of the bundles
seemed to be sound, but upon examination,
the whole inside was found to be devoured
Painted columns which looked to be perfect
ly solid, were found to be fragile honey
comb, surrounded by shell of paint One
day clerk stumbled as he went up stairs,
and clapping his hand upon massive oak
joint, that looked to be solid, he was aston
ished to find that his hand went in up to the
wrist: the interior was nothing but collec-
tion of empty cells abandoned by the ter
mites.
They attacked, besides, permanent living
plants; a poplar was eaten ont up to its
branches-the Dahlia was attacked and its
tubers eaten up; one being pulled up, its
roots were found full of the mischievous in
sects.
Various means have been employed to de-
stroy them. Hot soapsuds were tried, and
even chlorine was resorted to. The latter
killed the insects instantly; but this mode
could only be available where the termites
were confined to narrow and well ll-ascertained
limits.
England seems ever to be fearing some
thing from France; and now that the two ma
tions are sworn friends, and gone to hunting
the old Northern Bear in couples, why these
little termites come in to disturb the quiet of
the Lion, and to prevent an entire cessa-
tion of all apprehensions of gallic invasions.
INDIAN OuTRAGEs IN TExAs-By the arrival of
the steamer Louisiana at New Orleans we have
advices from Galveston to the 2lst of April We
find but one item of important news in the pa
pers:
An extra from the Office of the San Antonio
Ledger, dated the 18th April gives intelligence that
Mr.. Gaaher's rancho, about % miles from the city,
had been attacked by a party of Indians, supposed
to be Camanches, killed and drove off number OF
sheep, and carried off or killed man and wo
man, the shepherd and his wife They also killed
an American named Forester knocked his wife
down with club, and probably killed their four
children. Mrs. Forester made her escape, and
came into town for assistance Parties had started
out to overtake the murderers, and expresses had
been sent to the different forts We shall give the
details early.
Nor TO BE REMovEp.-The city of Baltimore il
still to retain the euvia of that important agricul
tural staple. GuAso. The agency win not be re-