St. Mary's beacon., 1858-04-22
JAMES Il. WAGNER.
March 26, 1858.

OvERLAIN CHILDREN.-Inquests upon the
bodies of infants who have died while living in
bed beside the mother or nurse, are not unusual
occurrences, even in this country but in Eng
land they are alarmingly frequent. The coro-
ner of MiddleseX county recently took occasion
to correct the error which usually prevails as
to the cause of death. He observed that chill
dren found dead in bed were said to have been
OverIain but this was an error, as not one in
hundred of such deaths occurred in this wav,
and then only in the case of infants very Young
indeed On the contrary, children assumed to
have died from having been overlain in bed
are really suifocated by means of carbonic-acid
gas, and it happens III this way: A very COM
mon and dangerous practice prevails with mo-
thers and nurses, who, Immediately they get
into bed, begin to suckle the child, its head be-
ing nearly always partially below the bed
clothes. In very short time the sucking
draws both mother and infant off to sleep, when
the bcdclothes cover the head Of the infant, and
it is placed as if in well with the lid close
upon it. The consequence is that there is no
struggle, no noise-in fact, no movement of
any kind whatever, to indicate the fatal mis-
chief that is going on. All are fast and sound
asleep, with nothing to disturb them. The
little victim is not found dead at half-past ten
o'clock, nor twelve o'clock, but, as a rule, af-
ter three o'clock III the notwithstanding that
the process of poisoning was slow, but not the
less sure. We cannot too strongly condemn
the practice Of mothers and nurses giving the
breast to children, under such circumstances,
or going to sleep whilst an infant is sucking.
The remedy for this evil is a simple one-ne-
yer to suckle child at night except in a sit
ing posture But it were far better to dispense
Kho
All infant lies in the bed of an adult, and to let
the babe lie in its own crib or cradle.
A New STEAMER-Messrs. Abrahams &
Ashcroft have on the stocks, and which it is
expected will be launched on next Thursday
a pretty steamer, built for the Messrs. Weems,
and designed to ply between Baltimore and
the Patuxent river. Her length is 200 feet on
deck beam SO feet, and "a feet over all; depth
of hold 9 feet. She has her main deck cabin
finished in the most approved modern style,
so feet in length, with sleeping apartments, &c.
Her upper or hurricane deck will accommodate
one hundred and fifty passengers, with state
rooms and open berths. 1t will cover the en-
tire length OF the boat. There is come cted
with the boat, all the conveniences of pantrieS,
kitchen, &c. The painting on her is not ger
geous, but neat, being almost entirely white,
with gilded mouldings. Mr. George Morris
did the shipjoiner's work, Mr.. James Stewart
the painting, and Mr.. Henry Boss the copper
ing, which is being done before launching.
Richard Waite is the shipsmith.
Mr.. Charles Reeder is making her engine,
which is a lever beam of $50 horse power. 1t
will be put in as soon as she is launched. She
will be under the command of Capt. Theodore
Weems, with the veteran Anthony Hemling
rs engineer. ter-
It is little curious to look back at the pro-
gress of trade on the Chesapeake. As far back
as the year 1900, Capt George Weems was the
owner of two or three sailing packet boats,
which run regularly from that section of the
State to Baltimore. This was kept up until
about 1920, when he got a steamboat called
the Surprise" This boat did not come to
much account. Shortly after that the Eagle
was taken in hand, and she exploded, a circum-
stance well known to some of our older citi-
zens. Now the same trade employs the stea-
mer Patuxent, Captain George Weems; the
Planter, Captain Theodore Weems; the Mary
Washington, Capt. Mason Weems. and the
new steamer will be put on the route forth
with. All these gentlemen are sons of Capt.
Geo. Weems, who more than q half century
ago traded back and forth in small sailing
vessels.-Bdh. Patriot.
| A PRoTECToRATE FOR MExIco.-In the
United States Senate, Mr.. Houston, Of Texas,
gave notice that on Monday next he would
move for the establishment of a Protectorate
over Mexico This cannot but be regarded as
an important step, and it will doubtless lead 20
an exciting debate. Mexico Is in a troubled
and uncertain condition, and several of the
leading journals of the South have for months
past been urging upon the United States gov
ernnent the necessity of taking some step
with view TO future events, as relates To- that
unfortunate republic. General Houston some
time since submitted resolution in relation tC
Protectorate, and he viii on Monday next