Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-05

Across the Atlantic in Sixty Hours.

Across the Atlantic in Sixty Hours.
Prof. Steiner, the young American Hro-
naut, that made an Krial fight from Gin
cinnati to New York last Fall, alighting in
a neighboring corn field, has been engaged
for some time in attemps to solve the prob
lem of Erial navigation, and it is thought,
has been successful. The Xenia Neaos an
nounces that he is about to make practl-
cal application Of the result of his expert
menting The editor Of that paper has
been shown the plans and specifications OF a
monster air-ship, designed to cross the At
lantic in sixty hours, for the construction Of
which Professor Steiner desires to secure the
aid Of Congress. The general idea Of the
plan for its construction is thus given:
The botto,a is to be of thin sheet copper,
weighing not more than half a pound to the
square foot. It is to be cigar shaped, very
much like the Winans' st Gamer, 800 feet
long and 80 feet in diameter at the centre.
tapering towards each extremity Beneath
this balloon is to be suspended by wire ca
bles platform of the same conical shape
with the balloon itself. On the central part
Of this platform is to be placed the machi-
merry Of the air ship and the cabin for pas
sengers. The surface measure Of the bal
loon will be Isl, 425 square feet. and its
total weight will 37a TONS. It will con-
tain 1884, AGO cubit feet Of gas. which
will support in the air weight Of 86aa tons.
The platform. cabin, machinery, &c., are
estimated at Is tons, leaving still power
enough to 21 tons Of passengers, Of freight
and ballast s.,u t.,. -..e \.
It is proposed to ,propel this vessel by
means oflarge paddles or fans, to work in
! the air as the paddles ola steamboat work
on the water. There is to be one wheel on
. each side Of the vessel. and at the stern is
/ to be screw propeller, all Of these, to be
worked by steam engines placed at the cen
tire of the platform. The side wheels have
the paddles so arranged as to fold up like q
lady's fan. as they enter the wheel-houst
above, and to unfold again as they strike
the air in the desired direction. There are
to be three small oscillating en- gines, Of five
horse power, one for each wheel ~
To couGne the balloon to a given heigh
above the water, it must be evenly ballas
ted, attached to copper float in the water
J connected to the platform underneath thu
! air ship by coil Of wire rope. An ingeni
4 Gus continuance, which cannot be satisfacto
rial explained on paper, is attached to th'
platform whereby the balloon is as certainl
! steered as vessel in the water. 7
i Prof. S. thinks he has efectually over
come the two great difficulties encountere
y by all experimenters in aerial navigation
viz, the expansion and contraction of gas
and the difficulty in exhausting the common
air from the balloon with rigid sides, with
; out having it crushed. The means used
} obviate these difficulties we have not tn
space to explain; but, suffice it to say, tn
process seems wholly practicable and etfee
. tive. al
It is calculated that with head winds
fspeed of 40 miles an hour can be obtaine
with this air ship, and with favorable gale
the speed would be increased to 100 Prof
S. estimated the cost Of building such bal
loon at $40, 900. .s.4
IMPORTANT TO UNITED STATES DIsrR1c
ATTORNEYS AND MARsuALs The Wash
ington Union has the following of import
ance to District Attorneys and Marshalls:
I The Attorney General has, at the re
quest of the Secretary Of the Interior, give1
an opinion in reference to the pay allowe'
by law to District Attorneys. It is he'll
that the act Of February s. 1853, can ad
NIT Of but one construction. The service
of District Attorney, in the examination o
persons charged with crime, are to be pal,
by the day, and are not to receive compen
sation for each separate case, No matte
how many cases he may examine in on
day, his pay must be but FIVE dollars TO
each days service.
In many cases, persons charged wit
crimes are arrested in localities where Their
is neither Judge nor United States Com
missioner, and where the examination mus
be had before some other magistrate. TIL
law can scarcely intend in the opinion Q
the Attorney General, that the District At
torney shall make such an examination
without being paid. A fair construction 0
the fee-bill entities him to his per, diem
without regard to the particular title b
which the judicial officer before whom tn
examination is had may be known, or call
ed, if he be of competent authority.
4 The same principles apply in the per di
EN- allowance to Marshals. f
! Governor s. was splendid lawyer
} and could talk ajury out of their seven sen
SEES. He was especially noted for his sue
; ces in criminal eases, almost always clear
ing his client. He was once counsel for
man accused of horse stealing. He made
long, eloquent and touching speech. Th
! Jury retired, but returned in o few moment
Iand, with tears in their eyes, proclaime
[ the man not guilty. And old acquaintanc
steppep up to the prisoner and said
! Jim, the danger is past and NOW homo