The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-07-25

are afl watching the French eagle as 1t soar !
aloft and prepares for It's flfial swoop ON its
quarry, what cnn be finer than 10 SEQ the no.
bic bird halt in IT'S flight, and remain calmly
poised in air, as il conscious OF its strength
and disdaining to touch its predestined VIC
tim
Il i true that the far-seeing eye of the eagle
may detect danger which Is not Obvious to hu-
man sight. II is true that the seeming Glenn
ency of tho French Emperor may be the result
of the glimpse he has had of those 100000 Ger
man bayonets which are still beyond the Alps
and on the right bank of tha Rhine. But to
the vulgar his last act will only be one more
reason for applauding to theecho the great and
merciful Liberator of Italy; while even those
who appreciate it more justly will acknow-
ledge it to be another proof that Louis Napo-
leon, in peace and in war, is the most success
full conspirator that ever plotted. He plays his
part maryellousiy well, and is in appear
heart to distrnst him. We can scarcely hope
that there is any real intention on the part of
the French Emperor, or that II is even in his
power, to conclude peace till his programme is
completely carried out, and Italy is freed to the
Adriatic and it appears to us that he joins in
the negotiations which are now about to be re-
sumed, because he thinks 1t may still be possi-
Bile to play off England and Russia against
Germany, and while, at any rate, the seeming
moderation of consenting TO talk about peace
at such time, is sop thrown to the clerical
party, to soothe their alarm at the progress OF
Liberal ideas In Italy. But none will more
gladly find than ourselves that our suspicious
are unfounded, or will more sincerely rejoice
if the honest efforts of England and other
Powers succeed in restoring peace to Europe.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENT AT THE MoNU.
MEST.-We mentioned a few days ago that
Lieut.. Ives, the Superintendent of the Wash
ington Monument, was desirous of arranging
the machinery and rigging on the top of the
column, in order to an early beginning of the
work. All the means of reaching the top had
been removed except single rope, attached to
strong brace extending across the top of the
column. AT first it was suggested that a rig
ger might ascend by this rope, but Lieut. Ives,
in view OF the possibility of an accident by
the undertaking, the rope being rotten, aban-
doned the plan. Since then several expert
ments have been made. First, a man was pro-
duced who, standing upon the ground outside
the column, threw a stone over il, more than
10 feet in height. Having aseertained that he
could perform this feat, n small pack thread
was attached 10 the stone, but the resistance of
the air to thread prevented his casting the
stone more than half the height of the column.
Next, an Indian bow and arrows were obtained
from the Smithsonian Institution. The arrows
alone were fired over the column easily, but
when the experiment was made with the pack
thread attached, they could hardly be forced
up hundred feet. A rifle was next obtained,
ana experiments were made inside the column
by shooting the ram-rod, with pack thread
attached, upwards, in the hope that it would
descend on the opposite side of the brace be-
lore mentioned; but this plan also failed, the
ialu-Ioo oUiuttlineS mctUlS Win obstacles
which prevented it's taking the direction
wished, and ut other times the thread would
be burned off by the firing of the gun.
Yesterday pigeon was obtained and car
ried inside the column. 4 pack thread was
tied to its leg and the bird was carried to the
top OF ladder by one of the gentlemen pre-
sent and thrown upward the company be-
low, TO brighten the bird and make IL continue
its flight upward, whooped and shouted; the
bird flew round iii the column and at last rest
ed upon 4 recess designed tor the reception of
one of the stones presented by contributors
BY again whooping and shouting, the bird was
started and took its flight upward, and rested
upon the very brace over which it was desir-
ed 10 cast the thread. This was an anxious
moment for those below. If the bird descend
ed by the side upon which it rested, the plan
would fail for the time; if by the opposite
side, all was safe, and the end would lie OBJ
tanned. The shouting was raised again, but
the bird looked down upon the noisy company
below with quiZZical !" no yon DON'T a pis-
tol was then fired TO frighten him, and after
some moments Of suspense, the bird descended
upon the side of the column desired The
pack thread was caught, a heavier cord was at
tached and drawn up, then heavier and stron-
ger cords, until rope Of sufficient size was
secured over the brace to enable The riggerS 10
proceed with safety the work of ref itting
the rigging on The top OF the column, and put
ting the machinery i'll complete order for future
operations. The experiments were made un-
der the direction of Lieutenant Iyes.-Wash
Star.