The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-01-22

ASSASoAaSo ao eAo btuh COuutCTS Oh CaCn.
a WONDERFUL LAaE.-Under the above
heading the Pottsville (Pa. Miners .jom-
nal notices the model of now railroad
and machinery by which it is claimed
that trip can be made from Liverpool
ciu Now York to San Francisco in six
days-counting the time from New York
to San francisco in hco ttud a-hulf uaus.,
We arc prepared in this age of progress
tor almost any improvement or inven-
ton, and nre consequently not surprised
ut the credulity of the Journal, which
says:
we were shown yesterday tho model
OF new railroad and machinery invent
ed by r. A. Wilder, Esq, for which lie
has made application for n patent, by
which tho trip can be made from New
York to San Francisco iii sixty hours,
including moderate stoppages Mt the
principal points, with much more safety
than on the present road. There will be
four rails laid down instead of two for
single track, and will he laid in such n
manner that the road can be used in
various ways. We are not at liberty at
present to give the full particulars, but
this much we can say, that the passenger
and freight cars can be built seventeen
feet wide; that they can bo run Mt the
rate of sixty miles an hour, with double,
If not treble, the safety over running tho
present cars ut forty miles an hour.
That double engine Of sixty tons will
tnko 900 passengers in Il single train,
with less wear and tear to the roadway
than is now caused by thirty fivc-tc n
engine. The expenses of building such
q road will be about SO, 600 mile more
than building one Of the present single
track roads, which, for 5000 miles, from
New York to San Francisco, would be an
extra expense of only $24,OOO,OOO \
single passenger, merchandise, or bag
gage car, capable of carrying double the
number OF passengers ard double the
quantity of merchandise, will weigh ut
least five tons less than any two OF the
cars now in use. The capacity of the
road, single track, will bo nearly, if not
quite, three times as great rs that of the
present single lines. There will bo no
no oscilinting movement in the cars when
running at a high rate of speed, and it
is almost impossible for n car to be over
turned III case of all accident. On such
road, with passenger cars seventeen feet
wide, they can be fitted up with state
rooms, &c, and with nearly all the com
forts that can bo obtained in first class
hotel
Should the project also be carried out
OF extending railroad from New York
to the most remote point in Newfound-
land, and establish n line of steamers to
cross the ocean i'll three days from that
point-which can be done, as the dis
tance is only / 200 miles-the distance
i'll six days; and, add two and q half more
days to San Francisco, tho whole route
can be travelled in about nine days, dis
tance of upwards of G,O0O miles. Is not
this wonderful age?
ORIGIN OF FREE MAsoNY.-Ex- Chief
tain Peter l.. buchanan, of the New
York Caledonian Club, delivered one of
series Of lectures before tho Club last
evening, his subject being the History
of the Scottish Free Masops." Among
the various theories of the origin of Ma
sonry, the true one, he said, was that it
originated among the Romans, where an
organization Of practical NIasons follow
ed the army and erected Notifications
and walled camps. Many of the mem
bers of these colleges of architects and
builders, becoming converted to Christi
anity, camo to the British Isles, but
England being then under Roman rule,
they went Northward to Scotland. At
that period monasterics were being rap
idly erected, and in their erection these
organized artizans were engaged travel
ing from place to place under the lead of
q monk. Among the chief buildings
erected by them was the Abbey of Xii.
winne, after which many of the subse-
quent lodges wcrc named. Tho lecturer
referred to the histories of Masonry by
Rev. James Anderson and Thomas Paine,
both Of which he regarded as largely
imaginary. The first appointed beredi-
tary Grand Master of Scotland was
William Sinclair, who, on re-organiza-
tion of the craft, was subsequently elect
ed Grand Master. At the beginning OF
the last century the organizations of the
practical craft had become almost obso-
lete, and it being desirable to preserve
the principles of the craft, it was extend
ed to men otherwise worthy, though not
practical Masons. Thus arose the term
Free and Accepted Masons. From this
point Mr.. Buchanan gave an outline of
the increase of Scotch Masonry, now
numbering 100000, or 2I@ per cent. of
the population York Times.
MIR. James Rice, on engineer of tho
Brunswick and Albany (Ga) Railroad,
Was killed on that road q fexv davs opo