Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-15

,,.,e She contains such a world Of resource
md wealth within herself as to be like star OF
rope to the sons OF toiiLParnculaIIy 10 thele
= no cold to starve your children, nor fever to |
" ND the soul Of life in man and wife. Con-
yress fs bound to do all 1t can to exhibit the min
srals and products Of our teeming State at the
ational Capitol to the citizens who .coagseRate
here once year from Ill parts Of the Repubiic.
"A. s. T., of Monterey.
SHARPE's BREEcH-LOADIsa PIsroLs-The
War Department has received their report
from the Board of Examiners appointed to IN
spect Sharpe new breech-loading pistol Ihey
state that they conducted their experiments
with two of these pistols, the barrel OF one
being eight and the other ten inches long
target. composed of series of seasoned white |
pine boards one inch thick, and placed Mt the |
distance of one and quarter inches apart, I
was used, and the shots were fired at the dis |
lance of thirty yards therefrom. Twelve shots |
were fred from the ten-inch barrel, and the
mean penetration was through s 5-6 boards.
In the same number of shots from the eight
inch barrel, the average penetration was $40
boards. Ten shots were fred from the latter
pistol in the space of one minute, and fifty -four
were fred in rapid succession without stopping
to cleanse the weapon. The larger pistol be-
came too foul to use with facility after the
thirteenth shot, but from the smaller one
twenty six shots were fired before the sliding
breech worked with difficulty. The charge
used independent of the loading of the arm is
twenty-five grains Of powder and an elongated
ball, weighing 2lO grains. ....-
NOTEWORTHY IMPROVEMENTS We were
shown this morning several copies of new de-
signs for the Postmaster Generals drafts and
warrants, and the collec ton drafts for the Au.
ditor of the Post Office Department. The en-
craving is exquisitely beautiful, and in our
opinion far surpasses that Of the Treasury
notes. They are the workmanship Of Messrs
Bald, Cousland 4 Co, of Philadelphia and New
York. -.
The warrants are ornamented on the left
with me daflion head Of the Hon. A. V. Brown,
Postmaster General, and q handsome scroll
containing the words" Transportation of the
mails" The vignette is q medallion of WASH
ington, surmounted by an eagle, on one side of
which stands the Goddess of Liberty, and on
the other an American backswoodsman. At
the base is representation of train of cars in
motion.
The drafts have for a vignette an eagle with
a shield in its talOns and in the background
is seen steamer, ship and schooner. On the
left is handsome floral com bination, surround
ing the words Transportation Of the Mails, y
and at the base is the medallion likeness Of
the Postmaster General. These drafts are
framed for the signature of the Third Assistant
Postmaster General, instead of the Postmaster
General as formerly; and, together with the
warrants, have blank receipts on the back,
which are to be signed by the psyee on receiv-
ing the amount for which they are drawn
This is an improvement which was much
needed, as under the old system a separate
receipt was necessary, in order to tell whether
draft or warrant had been paid by the Treas
ury Department.
The Auditors collection drafts have on tho
left female figure representing the genius OF
Commerce and in the background are to be
seen a canal, river, steamboat, railroad cars, a
harbor, mill and farm hou.e. The vignette
Is medallion of Washington, and train Of
cars ornaments the base.
NAVAL IsrELLIGENCE.-TheN Navy Del ar
ment are in receipt of dispatches from Capt. ii.
X. Hof, Commander of the U. s. ship John
Adams: bearing date at Valparaiso. Chill. Dec.
18th December, after a passage Of A days from
Panama. Capt. H. states that, after takiny in
provisions, wood and water, ard repairing tho
rigging, he would sail for Norfolk lie expec ted
to leave valparaiso on the 5th or Sth January
He states that
Lieut.. John l.. Broome, Purser of this shin
has drawn on the Department for IS 600 in two
separate bilis-one for 81, 500 dated December 22
tnumbered four,) and the other for like sum ,
dated December %, numbered fve;) the former
being negotiated at four and the latter at Ave rer
cent premium; which bills have endorsed >
Capt. Ii. also states that he deems it i'm ,ru-
dent, On his return, to stop at Rio, on acc punt
OF the yellow fever and therefore, should it be
necessary for him to obtain further supplies of
wood and water, he contemplates running over
to St Helena to replenish
We again quote from Capt II. . letter
H. B Nj. ship Monarch, Admiral Bruce. i,
Eos,. IN port, waiting for relief to return to
hhgiand The Admiral had the Kindness tn
send he the following information as 10 an
american ship having foundered at sea, viz
Nov 10Th. 1857, British ship Salvatore, of Lon
~ In In !a'tnoe o2 deg 46 min. south, longitude
% deg. 80 min west, fell in with and boarded
'ne american ship AntOinette, of NV York
abandoned, masts standing and no boats on
oo'u cdoh cleared and no bedding. &c on
Doafd the conclusion was that her Officers md
crew had been taken of by some vessel. They
looked around hastily, and she went down shortly
after leaving her.
The DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPOINTMENTS
Every body QocaD around US appears to b. in
a stew of excitement concerning the appoint
ments of U. S. Marshal, Postmaster, Commits
sioner OF the Public Buildings, Navy Agent,
Naval Storekeeper, and United States District |
Attorney, soon to be made for US by the Presi
dent. The particular excitement of the mo.
ment grows out of a rumor that the nomina- |
lions went to the Senate this morning Such |
was not the case, however, up to II p. m OF |
that fact we are certain.
The President knows the District of Colum-
oia well, and its necessities, and has ALWAYS
proved himself to be its true friend. So we |
leei well assured that when nominated, it will
De FOUND that he has made good selections
81 L.