The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-10-02

OUT
It il stated that the Suez canal will be open
ed for vessels of the largest size in the course
of October next. Its depth is 90 feet, its width
from $50 to 300 feet. Its cost will be about
$80,000O00, and it will shorten the navigation
between Europe and India by about one half
Itbelongs to a French joint stock company
Its construction is due mainly to the genius,
energy and persistence of Mr.. Ferdinand de-
Lesseps, who, as grandson of the Marquis of
Lafayette, has special claim upon theregard
of Americans. Much of the excavation has
been done by machinery, and where heavy
masonry has been requisite to guard the canal
against the influx of sand from the Meditera-
mean, vast blocks of artificial stone have been
manufactured for the purpose of sand and n.y.
draulic lime. About twenty thousand Euro
peans have been employed on the work, and
are settled in new towns along the line
A vast number Of Arabs have also worked at
1t irregularly. 1t has lately been visited by
Gen. Charles w. Darling, Engineer in Chief
of the State of New York, who speaks of the
enterprise with admiration, and regardsit as
certain to be successful. assa
The Ohio Statesman puts the immense char
acter Of the public debt in the following fa-
miliar form:
At 50 per bushel the public debt represents
1881 ,767, 245 bushels Of wheat, or 37,653,027
tons. To transport this amount in two-horse
wagons, allowing one ton to each, would re-
guire 37,853, OH wagons and "a, zoo, 0S4 horses
Give each team thirty feet space, and you
hayea cavalcade which aooatld encircle the globe
nearly nine times.
On the same subject some one has gone
into'a mathematical calculation, which shows
that If our national daht xuaa raduced TO ana
dollar bills and placed one upon another, the
pile would be three hundred and asnety-eigt
and a half miles high.
In Newark, N. J., an ingenious German has
constructed q safety cofiin," and has shown
wherein its safety consists. he will get into
his coffin, be buried as the dead generally are,
covered securely with the customary load of
earth and laid away to rest. Those above
ground are requested, however, not to retire
Immediately, but wait an hour or two. In
that timeethe buried man promises that with
out visible assistance he viii raise the earth up
from its place, burst open the coffin, and step
out In as good health as the spectators who
have observed the performance. he claims
that his coffin viii be preventive Of the bu-
rial of living persons.
Aman calling himself s'professor" advertised
an entertainment In Chicago the other night
at which he was to expose the mysteries Of
spiritual manifestations, allow himself to be
shot at with pistols, and let the audience into
all the secrets Of jngglers After appearing
to the audience and requesting all who desired
to shoot at him to prepare their pistols, he
went behind the curtain and was seen no
more. He obtained about $500, and left his
hall rent and printing bills unpaid.
~ Two Jockeys In Illinois agreed to swap
horses without seeing thenl-if either refused
forfeit Of So was to be paid. One trotted
out q sorry looking steed and the other ap-
peared with q wood-sawyers horse on his
back. The latter says he got the worst Of
the bargain.
The Muscatine Qowa) Courier says: "a day
or two ago, q raftsman, by the name of Gore,
wss struck by lightning, near New Boston,
and instantly killed. He had remarked seve-
raj times on the trip that he would not live
Thought During the storm he said he didn't
care o d--n for any lightning God ever made
Immediately the bolt struck him on the head,
and he was dead man. /" ,-.i ~.
A man who made an exhibition of perform
ing bears in the streets of Quebec was recently
complained of and taken before the courts for
nedangering the lives of citizens. He took
his animals into the court and proved to the
Judge that they were not dangerous, as they
happened to be boys disguised In bear-skins
A popular clergyman at Troy, who married
. couple the other day "in most beautiful
and impressive manner" received, after
the service, an envelope, supposed to enclose
the usual fee Onopening it, after their depar-
ture, lie found its contents were simply res
sauraut bill of fare. = ~ So
Planchette isn't always reliable. A gen.
tleman who was informed by the seller that
Planchette would answer anything, bought
one the other day to answer the door bell, and
found 1t wenldnt work.
A woman has been arrested in Lordon as
vagrant for exciting the public sympathy, by
begging with straw baby.
A fellow writes that he takes no stock IN
the "new woman's club" BE says the "old
woman's club" is enough for him, and fire.
quently too much ,at