Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-10
NUMBER 4S.
Mrs. George Washington. .

/
ton, painted about the same time, wcsee something
of that pleasing grace which is said to have been her
distinction. Born Of good family and heiress OF
a liberal fortune, Martha cambridge had troops oi
sutors before her first marriage, at scveDtsen and
when, few years after, as the richest and hand
somest widow in Virginia Mrs. Daniel Parke Gus
It's, attracted the tender regard Of the young sol
dier of Mount Vernon, there was Of cejkpbe, abund-
ant competition; but only tho bravo S6srve the
fair, and in this case only the brave5e rbuld win
the hirest. II was certainly love Ihntch; few,
upon the whole, have been happier, and is only
misfortune was doubtless fortunate for tbs world,
since greatness is rarely transmissbIc, and any de-
scendant Of Washington, however respectable,
would have seemed in history but small satellite,
too frequently passing between us and his impress
sive and luminous grandeur. During the Revolu-
ton Mrs. Washington had remained US much AZ
possible with the Chief
AT the close of each campaign, an aidde-camp
repaired to Mount Vernon, to escort her and her
arrival in camp, in plain chariot with her postil-
lions in white and scarlet liveries, was always an
occasion for general happiness, and the signal for
the wives of other principal officers to join their
husbands. With the army, and all the succession
of eminent and curious strangers who visited the
headquarters at Cambridge Valley Forge, Norris
town, New Windsor, Ncwburgh, or elsewhere, she
was eminently popular The gay Marquis dc Cha
tellux, grandson of the great d'Aguessau, de-
scrbed her at the end of the contest as "one of the
best women in the world, and beloved of all about
her." In the six years from the peace till Wash
ington was chosen President, she dispensed the
ample hospitalities of Mount Vernon with tact
and graciousness which won applause Of her nll-
merous guests many of whom left her praises in
their correspondence. Everything about the
house, said Brissot dc Warvillc, |" has an air of
simplicity the table is good, but not ostentatious,
and no deviation is seen from regularity and do
mestic economy; she superintcnds to the whole,
and joins to the qualities Of an excellent housewife
| the simple dignity which ought to characterize a
woman whose husband has acted the greatest part
on the theatre Of human affairs, whilst possessing
that amiabilty, and manifcsting that attention to
strangers which render hospitality so charming.
| [Americdn Society IN Ae days Of Washington.
| SIGNALS BETWEEN ESaINE-DRIvERs AND GUARDS.
| We read in tho London Times: The want of
| system of signals between railway guards and
drivers seems at length likely TO be supplied
through very simple and inexpensive arrange
ment. The invention Is that of Mr.. Chalmers, OF
Manchester who made the first public experiment
yesterday morning, on the line of fraway between
Manchester and Ashton-undcr-Lyne. The contri-
vance consists of piece of halfnch gutta pcrcha
tubing, passing over the tops of the carriages COM
posing the train from the guards van to the en-
gine, and having whistle at either end. The
guard as he stands near his break, has only to APP
ply his mouth to large mouth-piece. close TO his
starting-lcver on the engine, which enables him
as readily to signal the guard. The code of sig
nails at present attempted Is very short one. If
the guard wishes the train to go slow, he whistles
If to STOP twice and, II he wishes tho engine re-
versed, he whistles three times The driver is
supposed TO have but one command for the guard,
which is to put on the breaks, and he need only 10
whistle once. The whistle was SO shril, as tried
yesterday, that when blown in the guards van In
q train going 20 miles per hour, the sound came
back again, and could be heard from the engine to
the van, and all persons present appeared TO think
the continuance would be complete success.
The mode offxing the tubing was simple enough,
lengths of tubing are carried over the carriages
lengthwise, and long enough to project at each
end. When number Of carriages thus furnished
are put together, tho tubes are united by flexible
Joint and thus the separate tubes be made into
one, whatever the length Of the train. The part
Of the tube passing over the engine Is Of iron in.
stead of gutta percha and it is suggested that iron
tubes, instead of gutta percha, might be attached
to the bottoms tops Of carriages, as more dura-
ble leaving only the projections for junction be-
tween the carriages TO be formed Of gutta percha.
The whistle Is easily used; the long tube Is, Of
course, always filed with column Of air, and only
the slightest disturbance oftby the BREATH through
the mouth h-piece, produces sound as shril and
ear-piercing as could be wished. Unless guard
or uriVer were asleep, couiu hos iah w 10 heau'
STATISTICS OF THE PAST YEAR-The papers, in
various directions arc filed with statistics Of the
past year giving the remarkable events accidents,
Incidents fires &e., throughout the country. The
entire loss, from fires, throughout the United
States, for the year. IL estimated at about 25,00o
000 There were, also, eighty-three fires " which
loss Of life ensued, the number of victims being
one hundred and sevcnty-one.
| The number of railroad accidents was one hun
dred and ninety three, killing one hundred and
eighty-six persons, andwounding five hundred and
eighty-nine. In 1853 there were only one hundred
and thirty-eight similar accidents, but attended
with the loss of two hundred and thirty,four lives,
besides four hundred and ninety-six wounded.
The steamboat accidents Of the year have alarm
ingly increascd--tbe total number reaching forty
eight, with the loss of five hundred and eighty,
seven souls and two hundred and twenty-five
wounded, against thirty-one accidents, three hun.
drcd aud nineteen killed, and one hundred and 6i-
ty-eight wounded in 1853.
| Crime, too, of every grade, foots up fearful
catalogue. There were six hundred and eighty
two murders, and eighty-four executions during
| the year.
The list Of mortality during the year includes
the demise of no less than eighteen men and TWEEN.
ty-seven women who had attained the age of one
hundred yeats and upwards. One, colored wo-
man, was said TO be one hundred and forty-six :;
and another, an lndian woman, one nunureu anu
forty-two years Of age. The oldest white man
was one hundred and seven, and the oldest white
woman one hundred and twenty-one years. Death
has also, during the year, greatly thinned the di-
minshed ranks of the soldiers OF the revolution
no less than eighty-six having closed their earthly
existence during the last twelve months.
Daily Inland.
NIaHr RUSSISe UroS RnLRoAps.-We have
some times heard II remarked by timid persons
that they would not travel by night a railroad
their impression being that there is moro danger
of accidents in the dark than during daylight.
Upon first thought this would seem to be the fact
but writer in tho Railroad Advocate takes diff
fercnt view Of the matter, and certainly makes out
good case. He says that there are many circunl-
stances which make night running comparatively
safe. All work upon the track is stopped. Com
paratively few other trains are on the road No
drawbridgc would ever be likely to remain open
| in the night Switches are more likely to be right
than at other times they not in use for other
trains and are locked. The signals made for the
night trains being made by lights, would scarcely
\ cal tn he ohsarvod and obeyed and what Is im-