The Portland daily press., 1867-09-24

NEW YORK, Sept q
To the Editor of the Press:
The annual exhibition of the American In
stitute, now being held on Fourteenth street,
near Sixth avenue, is one of the chlei asia0
tons of the city at the present time. rum
5000 to 10000 persons attend the eAhioi.aon
daily The opportunities for sclentihc thior-
nation are superior, indeed, rarely exceeded py
any similar institution in the country. Inc
Institute was incorporated in 1879, for the pur'
nose of encouraging and promoting domestic
ministry in the State of New York and the
Tinted States, and of disseminating useful
knowledge relative to agriculture, commerce,
manufactures, and the arts and sciences. Ex-
hibitions or fairs are held annually on large
scale in this city, and large sums of money dis
tributed in the form of premiums, medals, &c
The Institute has become identified with the
growth and prosperity of New York, and is
deservedly popular, not only in the city, but
among men of education and science in all
parts of the country. Thousands of persons
from the interior make it point to be present
during some part of the exhibition, which does
not close this year until the last of OCTOBER.
1t is superior this year. The Board of Machl-
merry, the Fine Art Department, the Chemical
and meteorological Department., the Depart
ment of the Dwelling, the Inter-communica-
ton Department., and the Departments OF
Dress and Handicraft, are under the control OF
men of superior ability, both theoretical and ex-
ecutive, and nothing has been left undone that
money and industry can furnish, to make TINS
years the Grand Exhibition of the Institute
The Department for the exhibition of Horticul-
ture and Fruits, is one of the most attractive
One of the large rooms is entirely devoted to
sewing machines. A large steam engine is
provided on the grounds to drive all the ma
chinery on exhibition. The display Of pianos
and other musical instruments is large. A re-
nlarkable piece of musical mechanism called
the "Orchestrion," is on exhibition. Ii was
made in Germany, and exhibited at the Lon
don Crystal Palace in 1862 1t looks like
church organ, but is really an immense music
box, wound up like clock, and run by weights
OF 600 or 700 pounds The pneumatic railway
attracts much attention. Itextends across the
space occupied by the exhibition, and visitors
travel on it free of cost. The passenger is
hoisted by steam to take his seat; the propellng
force is compressed air. A company has been
formed to build pneumatic railway from New
York city to Newark N. j., for the conveyance
of packages and parcels. 1t is calculated the
package or parcel will run over the course at
the rate OF one hundred miles an hour. An
other company has been formed to build a
pneumatic railway for the conveyance of pas
sengers across to New Jersey The Institute
furnishes plenty of topics of interest. The
interior of the Fair'buiIding presents brilliant
| spectacle. Price of admission 30 cents. The
| pupils of the public schools are, however, adj
,nitted at ten cents each. 5aaDH 4aJ aa1gr
| Contrary to general expectation New York
has almost entirely escaped cholera the pres
eDt season. and the city has been comparative
| ly healthy thus far. What appears singular is
| the fact that the disease has ragged somewhat
| excessively, perhaps more excessively than is
| generally known, among the soldiers on Gov
| ernors and Bedloe's Islands in the harbor.-
| Even at the present time the cholera is said
| to be raging on the latter island. WHY'S this?
| Steamers pass constantly within stones
| throw of both islands, and yet the disease does
| not fasten itself upon the city. The sanitary
| officers cannot account for the fact. And the
| same state Of things has existed for several
seasons past. Why should these beautiful
and clearly islands, famed by the pure breezes
ISSSDoShOito
| dreaded pest and the SUM sof the city escape?
| The medical gentlemen composing the sanits.-
| ry board cannot agree upon a theory explain
| ing this singular fact.
A steamer collision on the Hudson, whereby
| a floating palace went to the bottom in twenty
minutes, was one of the exciting events of the
past week. In the night, the steamer Wander
| bilt running up river, and the splendid Dean
| Richmond, coming down, when it was almost
| as light as day, ran into each other at full
speed. The Vanderbilt struck the Richmond
near the bow, and ploughed its way thirty
| feet into the vessel! They remained locked
| together, but the Richmond settled they
gradually became disensaSed- There Was
| frlghtful time among the 300 or 400 passengers,
/ but they were finally all saved. The Wander
| bilt had her bows torn off and her guards
crushed, and the Richmond now lies on the
bottom with her upper deck above water. The
! cause was the criminal recklessness of the pi-
| lots. The Dean Richmond was one of the
| largest and finest steamers that ever run on
the Hudson. She was a splendid model of
steamer, elegant in all her appointments, of
great speed, and cost an enormous sum.
John Henry Livingston, the shrewd forger
who took $4,000 from the City National Bank
of New York last July, a forged check ON
Cornelius Vanderbilt, is caught at last, is in
| the Tombs, and will get his deserts. The de-
| tectors tracked him to Chicago where he was
| spending money freely, and nabbed him. He
had only $4,000 left, having spent $65000 in
less than three months. He pleads guilty, and
| will get his sentence to Sing Sing next week
The forged signature was not discovered until
six weeks after the money was paid, when Mr..
Vanderbilt, on comparing accounts with the
bank, detected it. s eD..
Theatricals are becoming spirited as the cit
liens are returning home from the county.
Edwin Forrest is enacting the legitimate dra-
ma at the Broadway Theatre. Tonight he APP
pears as Macbeth Forrest seems to have lost
none ofhis early vigor or fame as the greatest
of American tragedians. Madame Adelaide
Ristori, at the Theatre Francois, is great at
traction The Black Crook still runs at Niblo's
Garden, where it is hoped it will wear itself
out soon. Another attraction is Mr.. Jefferf
sons Rip Van Wrinkle at the Olympic Thea
tire. -aEH 8ff is..r,
Money is tight-State politics, in view of the
approaching election, are getting lively-the
newspapers are beginning to use personal and
violent language-the hotels are crowded
Broadway is brimful of fashion, folly, and dia-
| monds-beggars in rags look up piteously at
the street corners in view of the approaching
winter-aristocracy, democracy, luxury and
frailty faunt and whirl through Central Park
the bulls and bears of Wall street are engag-
ed in fierce confict-peaches, pears, melons and
apples are plenty-everybody is doing some
thing-"go it" stands out ON the countenance
of every man that rushes with the crowd
through the streets and, in general, New
York may be said to have entered upon this
glorious autumn season most auspiciously.
.ts... NASSAU
The LATE SIR FREDERICK BRUCE. The
death of the British Minister appears to be
attended with some mystery A Boston paper
says: