The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-05
CURRENT NOTES.

The gas in New York Is the subject Of bitter
complaint in the Journals of that city, who assert
that there is no town in the Union furnished with
such miserable light and charged such extraya-
giant prices.
The iron bridge at st. Louis, connecting the
Illinois and Missouri shores Of the Mississippi
River, is reported to have been commenced, and
four hundred and thirty men, with all the mo-
dern steam appliances for exeavating earth and
moving heavy stones and timbers, are now at
work. The bridge structure Is to be composed Of
three wrought and cast iron arches, one OF five
hundred and fifteen feet in length the other two
four hundred and ninety-seven feet each. The
lower part of the bridge Is intended for the pas
sage of railway trains; the upper for ordinary
travel.
Sewage, as manure, is now attracting great
attention in England, and 1t Is asserted that the
members OF the Metropolitan Board Of Works, OF
London, by their apathy on tile subject, are con-
nlving at an enormous waste OF money and fertl-
llzing power by neglecting to utilize the sewage
OF London The annual outflow OF the sewer
water OF London is estimated at one hundred and
eighty millions Of tons, and this refuse is calcu
lated to be worth nine farthings ton. Hence. it
Is contended, valuable manure Is discharged into
the Thames worth $1,000, 900 per annum, or $780,
545 a day.
The suffocation OF four persons at fire in
Liberty street, New York, has called attention In
that city to the necessity Of constructing outside
iron stalr*ays to the tenement houses, which are
frequently crowded with human beings from the
lao. 70 tha nnfo
scuttles and ropes have been tried, and found to
be Intellectual. It Is asserted that within four
years over thirty persons have been suffocated or
burned to death In consequence OF the absence OF
suitable flre-escapes. The four persons who were
sufrocated in Liberty street, it is contended could
have been saved had the 1remen assembled to the
roof of the building, and then descended through
the hatchway, instead Of attempting to force o
passage upwards from below.
From the reports in the London papers, 1t Is
evident that the people there have become much
more expert than before at the business OF max
ing Thames tunnels. A new one, which has gone
on without much cosmopolite notice, is now
nearly completed from Tower Hill to the street Of
the ''Three Tailorsr-Tooley- y-street-a distance Of
over 1900 feet 800 feet or so shorter than great
Brooklyn bridge, that is to be. The work was
going on at the rate OF nine feet In twenty-four
hours-a much more rapid speed than that Of the
first Thames tunnel which, for one cause or other
took twelve or thirteen years to complete 1t. In
the new tunnel people can hear the sound OF pad
dies and other noises on the river overhead; but
the arch is pronounced perfectly safe one, and
the listeners are Qtsfttes pour la peur, as the
French say.
Some OF the ideas proposed at the recent
Woman's Parliament In New York are rather
startling married woman ought to have q
legal right to dispose in any way she may please
of a share of her husbands income. According
to that plan, an extravagant woman might
BsefsRaee lseS- husbands earnings before he re
ceived them, and he would have no power to
help himself In cases Of prohigacy, the money
which properly belonged to husband and chill
dren could be withdrawn by the wife. Another
speaker contended that children should be allow
ed greater freedom-that no article belonging to
them should be touched without their consent;
that any question they liked to put should be
answered, and that they should be accustomed
to the idea that they are to think and act inde-
pendently. 1t Is generally supposed that In this
country there is not much room for Improvement
in the aforementioned particular.
The Army and Navy Journal says that the
Navy Department proposes to take the defence OF
our habors out OF the hands Of the engineer corps
Of the army, cntrustng 1t no longer to forts, but
to monitors and torpedoes. The new torpedo
corps is being put into On effective condition, and
in case OF need will prove itself valuable a,Xili-
ary. new iron-clad is in progress, embodying
the main idea OF the monitor, having an elonga-
ted turret carrying fourteen guns, five on each
side and two each front and rear, thus command
ing the whole horizon with its artillery, and with
out changing the position OF its guns. 1t will
carry sail and have telescope masts, which can
be taken in when preparing for action, and Il
bowsprt that can be trlced up and got out of the
way OF the forward guns. 1t will carry five or
six inches of iron armor, backed with forty-two
inches of oak. These are, we believe, the main
feature OF the yesscl proposed. 1t is expected TO
combine the cXcecncics OF the monitor with the
advantages Df q broadside vessel.
Two or throc OF the French newspapers OF
the Republican side complain with bitterness OF
the lack OF sympathy which they meet with in
the United States and England. The Americans
who reside in Paris are accused Of being to q
large extent, t0adieS or the couft-reauy 10 ira
tcrnizc with anybody who will procure them ad-
mission to court balls and festivities 1t Is de-
clarcd that the French opposition, which no
doubt consists Of the most illustrious men OF the
country, finds more friends among any other
class Of foreigners than the Americans and Eng
llsh. Certainly the articles of some OF the London
papers are offensive enOugh-the Tory Journals
even advising the Emperor TO try another I'd OF
December From the French point OF Tiew, this
as every one will understand, seems selflshness
ITSELF On the other hand, it IS not clear how
any class of residents are to manifest their pref
crence for the opposition If they do prefer It,
The most they can do is to abstain from ostenta-
tious marks of regard for the powers that are in
stalled.
gzs- NOTICE.-NATIONAL FREED