Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-11-21
VIRGINIA NEWS.

A special dispatch to the Richmond Wing,
from Lexington, on THURSDAY, says: 'Our
Board of Supervisors last night made con-
tract with Major Darlington for repairing the
North river branch Of the James river and
Kanawha canal. The county OF Rockbrldge
loans the company $4,000 in bonds.
One hundred and fifty Swiss immigrants
passed through Lynchburg. on Friday, The
18th instant, on the way to Water Valley, Mis-
sissinni, It is said that FIVE thousand more
ARE expected from Switzerland within the mex
three mouths, all Of whom design locating at
Water Valley.
The CuIpeper Observer ys:-"We are
sorry to learn that Mr.. John N. Hill was killed
last evening about sunset, while returning
home, It seems that he was in company with
MIR. Yogell, and bantered him for a race
MIR. Hills horse fell, breaking his (H,lrs) neck:
Rev. Henry Keeling, one of tho oldest and
most esteemed Of the former we'll known min
listers of the gospel in Richmond, died on
Saturday. He was in the seventy sixth year
Of his age.
It is estimated that Of the sixteen hundred
colored voters in Henrico county, only some
seventy.fve or SO pay taxes, fifteen hundred
aud twenty FIVE paying nothing whatever to
the State.
Col. John W. Holt woll-kuown and prom,
iueut citizen of Bedford county, died at his
residence near Liberty, on Thursday las',lu the
Seth year of his age.
Col. David Gibson, an aged and honored
citizen Of Hampshire county, W., va, ana
soldier of the war of 1872 died On the lofh =, INST
DR.. Palmer resigns the sherltAlty or itch
mond city, to which be was elected at the late
election.
FEARFUL EFFECTS OF A NITRO GLYCERINE
EXPLOSION The Philadelphia Ledger says :;
The full particulars of the recent explosion OF
eight thousand pounds OF nitro giycerlnHe; at
Farport, Ohio, are highly interesting. FAIR
port is thirty miles east of Cleveland, and three
miles north of gainesville, and is situated near
the mouth OF Grand river and on the shore OF
Lake Erie. 1t was formerly the regular stop:
ping place for the lake steamers; but Grand
river having become choked up with sand, the
trade has almost ceased and the once prosper
Gus town is now reduced to hamlet OF thirty
rickety and di'apidsted houses, Inhabited prn'
cipalIy by sailors and fishermen.
On the east bank OF the river there are three
or four old warehouses, which, since 1865 nave
been used for the manufacture OF nitro glycc.
rino and 1000 pounds Of this dangerous ex-
plosi7e agent are made in the establishment
every day. On the vest bank of the river, and
over twelve hundred feet from any house, two
magazines, about one hundred feet apart. were
constructed, by placing frame buildings, about
twelve feet high, 10 excavations In the sand,
ten feet square and eight feet deep, the sand
being banked up on all sides except at the ca:
trance. In the magazines were stored 5000
pounds OF nitro gycerlne In stone Jars
| hIoored in the river near the west bank was
small schooner OF forty tons burden, used to
IL 81, o. r;II-
| road end transport alton companies refusing TO
carry so dangerous substance. Fcur men
| were engaged in complying the nitro gycerina
from the stone jars into sheet iron carboyS,
n I'd then taking the caltoya aboard the
schooner and packicg them in the sand, which
was used for ballast. Suddenly the country
for twenty miles round was shaken by vic
lent ooncusson the earth trembled as II shaken
BY an earthquake, and from the magazines au
immense cloud of blood red smoke shot into
the air and spread over the heavens.
Then huge mass consisting OF broken jars,
splintc:s of wood, clay and sand rose to the
height OF two HUNDRED and fifty feet, and tall
ing again, was scattered over talrport. Inc
houses in the town wcrc rocked, The roots
blown of, and the windows and doors shattcr
ed The Inhabitants Of Fairport, who, two
months ago. suffered from an explosion Of two
currence OF the second calamity, rushed out
into the streets frantic with fear, and unable
to recognize their neghbors, and the sailors
and Workmen commenced fighting each other
in the attempt 10 keep of some imagined
enemy. . ,
The only trace Of tie four men engaged 10 the
magazine was a few charred and blackened
pieces of flesh, hardly as large as a mans
hand. Of the frame magazines only few
spIintcrs could be found, and where the build
ines stood, two large cavities in the earth,
partly filled with water. were formed, ono sixty
seven feet, the other sevcnty-f7e, feet IN diane
ter, and thirty feet deep. Huge masses were
heavcd up from the bed of clay lying twenty
five feet below the surface OF the ground and
scattered round the mouths of the cavities.
The cause Of this fearful accident, OF course,
cannot be ascertained, but tits supposed that IN
carrying the large jars, weighing one hundred
pounds each, the men accidentally dropped
one, and that the conclusion was sufficient to
produce the explosion. Nitro glycerlne. has
sixteen times the force of gunpowder, and the
amount stored in the magazines produced the
same effect as the explosion Of one hundred
and twenty eight thousand pounds of powder
A SINGULAR LAwsUIT.-The Newark IN.
j. Courier OF November IA, says: l." A sin
gular lawsuit was.heard.before Justice Rose
yesterday. 1t seems that some time ago Mr..
Marsh, resident of the Fourth Ward, paid to
Mr.. Bible, the barber, corner of Ward and
Market streets sl,75 for mug aud brush,
which be left there, and which was regularly
uubcred in its place with other customers
shaving utensils. When Mr.. Marsh desired
to undergo tonsorial operations, he would, OF
course, patronizs Bible. Recently a distur-
bauce occurred between the barber and his pa
iron, whereupon the latter expressed desire
to take away his cup and brush, but Bible
very uneenerousy refused.
''Nlarsh thcreupon brought a suit 10 troycr,
before Justice Rose, to recover his property |
On the trial the barber testified that he had to |
pay 50 tor each mug, and % cents per brush, |
at Wholesale, and that they we're Lot sold to |
Mnrsh Int nnlu leased while he shnnl natrnn