The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-11-08


dread cholera has moved down its thousands
and in the island Of Barbados, about seventeen
thousand victims in the last three months sadly
attest the might and power Of its arm. On the
banks of the Euxine and Baltic, from the ranks
Of the various armies marshalled for glory and
conquest, one hundred thousand soldiers have
fallen by the same unseen. yet resistless foe,
They have been denied even the hero's despe-
rate wish Of dying at the cannon's mouth, with
the music Of battle sounding in his ears; but
ineloriously, in the dense and plague scented
hospital, they have made the last sacrifice to
fame and country.
And at our own doors, what a spectacle! The
last fall and winter were almost unprecedented
in the destruction of life and property by fires
in the northern cities, and by storm and ship
wreck along the extended path of commerce.
1t cannot be forgotten, how, day after day, we
were called on to chronicle the loss Of some no
Bile ship. gone down, with her crew and cargo.
to chambers of the deep. Spring returned, and
with it the labors and hopes Of the husband
man. The seasons were prepitous, and all
things promised abundance. lnSouth Carolina
never before did the prospects seem brighter.
Cotton, rice and the provision crops, all looked
we'll And this condition Of things continued
with but little change until one week ago, when
storm, unparalleled in the memory OF the pres
ent generation, swept over us, leaving IN It's
track desoaton and ruin. Incur city, It's work
| is to be seen in almost every object which meets
the eye, while from the country every mail
brings in the most sickening tidings Of loss and
destruction. The rice crop is cut off one half.
The sea island cotton fields are strewn with their
Just maturing fruit. The entire low country OF
Carolina and Georgia has been severely and
bitterly visited.
But our disasters have not stopped here. A
worse calamity is upon us in the ravages OF the
yellow fever. The city Of Savannah has been
lazar- house for number of weeks past. Her
people have fled by thousands from the jaws
of the unspairing pestence, and stand afar of.
watching, while it sweeps away the few who're
main. 1t is spectacle to excite the deepest
sympathy, and call forth our best aid Charles
ton, in abundant gratitude be it spoken, has
thus far been less sorely stricken Butitis i'm
possible to note the hearses which are constantly
vending their sad way througho our streets,and
every day more frequent, without feeling that
we, too, are afflicted. Our season, which
opened with such fair PROMISE has been dark
ened bv cloud of misfortunes. When we thus
|
history of Job, as messenger after messenger
followed each other in quick succession. with
their tales of disaster and distress
[Charleston Mercury.
-.~~-~---> ~rs>.e-~~
ART SCIENCE AND MECHANICS. Amongst the
more recent inventions patented by manufac-
turers is that of Mr.. Summerfeld, at the glass
works, Birmingham heath for what are termed
chromatic glass or glass faced grooved bricks.
By Mr.. Summerheld's process red Or other clay
can be combined with glass, and this will Sc
cure durability entire resistance to moisture, and
give an ornamental appearance to the building.
The form Of the brick is also, by means Of
groove at the side and end, made so as to add
greatly to the strength of tie erection, the joints
by this means being brought close together,an
the mortar acts as a dowell from the shape of
the groove.
The progress in the manufacture Of papler
mache since its introduction into this country
has been most remarkable. A company was
started in this line in Boston, two years ago,
when the art was in its infancy, and now they
are doing an immense business and sending
articles from their extensive establishments all
over the Union. They now have two large fac
tories in Roxbury in constant operation, and
another new factory of great size is soon to be
erected.
The paocess of rendering wood incombusti
bic may be efectually performed by soaking it
in strong solution Of alum and the sulphate Of
copper, about one pound Of alum and one Of
the suphate of copper being sufficient for one
hundred gallons of water. These substances
are dissolved in quantity of hot water, then
mixed with the water in the vessel in which the
wood is to be stepped. The timber to be rem
dered fre-proof can be kept under the liquor by
stones or any other mode Of sinkingit. All that
is required is an air-tight vessel of sufficient
dimensions to hold enough Of liquor to cover
the timber, which should be allowed to steep for
four or FIVE days After thisitis taken out and
suffered to dry thoroughly before being used.
The plan of building houses with gravel con
crete-a mixture Of lime, stone and gravel--is
exciting considerable attention, under the pres
ent high prices Of lumber and brick. tits com
paratively a new thing, although in Ohio and
other western states it has been practised for
fifteen and twenty years. The only question
about it is that of cheapness, for of its durability
there can be no doubt The building now i'll
progress of construction on this plan in Waltham
Massachusetts, by the Boston match company
is said to have thus far saved the entire cost Of
brick.
>s(r>-I-->1Nr>ls<---*---4r-
WAXING UpTHE WRoNG PASSENGER ap
pears that the person arrested in Switzerland
was not Mazzini, but an American named Phil
:, lips. The correspondent of the New York Tri-
), bune gives the following accountof the matter
t heard diplomatist last evening suggest
t the propriety Of requesting from the emperor
of the French permission to march body Of
; American troops through his dominions, on
:, their way to Switzerland, for the purpose of
avenging the insult to the American eagle, IN
| the person Of Messrs. Phillips and Eiehelberger
! by the Swiss police, at Austrian suggestion.
Mr.. Philips's calm, straightforward narrative
t of his Imprisonment and gross ill-treatment at
Bale was handed to me this morning. The fol-
lowing are the chief points Of interest. Hea
at Bale, August 80, with an American passport
perfectly in order After undergoing an exami-
nation conducted in manner needlesslv insult
ing g,evenifhe had been a criminal, of the motive
: or nrrnosa of which he was not informed he was