Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-08-12

ygas- Is published regularly on TU UESDAI Us,
THURSDAYS and SATURDAYS, at ST per
snnum-paysble in advance.
floT SUMMERS. This is not the hottest sum.
mer known. In 1882 the earth cracked by
reason OF the heat, the wells and streams OF
Asace all dried up, and the bed of the river
Rhine was dry. In 1852 the heat was SO great
that sand exposed to the suns rays was hot
enough to cook eggs in llG0 great numbe;S
of soldiers, in the campaig gn against G1la died
from the heat In 1916 and 81 crops OF hay
and oats failed completely. In 1903 and 1904
ana ,aapld have crossed dry shod over the
i,,-n,ant -, Rhine and Danube. 10
--ultitude of animals perished
INTERESTING was so great that the har-
ho., ,l440 the heat was extraor-
'a'o 1889, l540 and l54l, all the
meeting, last Dig dried up. In 1856 there
aut-through thewhich extended over nearly
ing, back Of the n. ln l6l? and 1916 there
be expected thocG aea eac tharo ttu al
tnat actuate the days of extreme heat; ;
could Induce thel as were the first three
vcemotions of ltstemtury. 10 Ills it did not
rain nd," and the sPm April until October,
The g., " as burnt, the rivers dried
up, the tHs .hey fapt wherefore is not stated)
were closed By c.. oland of the police The
thermometer showed,,360 Reaumer, equal to | 3
degrees Fahrenheit. lI irrigated gardens the
truit trees bloomed twice. In l723-24 there
was great heat. The summer Of l746 was hot
and dry, growing grain being caclDed. 1t did
not rain for months. l74S, 1854. 100, l767.
IT'S and 1883, we're years in which the sum.
mers were extremely hot. 10 the famous con-
ct year, 1911, the summer was warm, and the
wine produced that season was very precious.
iu 1918 the theatres had to be closed on &C.
count of the heat, the highest temperature be-
ing s. Reaumer, or llS Fahrenheit. During
The three days of the revolution in July, 1880,
the thermometer stood sc degrees Centigrade
about 81 degrees Fahrenheit. In 1882, dur
iug the uprising of the 9TH and 9Th OF July, the
temperature was about the same.
The EXPENSES OF A BALL-One OF the
Paris evening papers, LIZ Soir, publishes the
following curious estimate or the cost 10 va.
rious persons occasioucd by ball given at
the Hotel de Vile by NJ. Chevreau. That
gentleman sent out between II, 900 and r.
900 invitations. and 9. 500 persons viz: $500
ladies and G. 00Q gentlemen, accepted and at
tended Now it was necessary that they
,hould be elegantly dressed, and consequently,
much expense was incurred by them iu procur.
ing he reedIul habments and adornments.
The writer 10 the Sor makes the following
calculation ,hcreupou Toiettes Of $500
aides, exclusive of ewelry. $l65, 900; Datural
and artificial flowers, feathers, &c. 81 200;
gloves, $4,000; shoes, $4,000; washlag, &o.,
50 375; bairdresserS. pertumers, &c, SO, 600;
gloves and cravats for C,O0O men, S4. QUO;
hairdressers, s., 400; washing, $4,000; taliors,
repairs. hatters, &c, $4,000; carriages Tor
ladies' and gentlemen. 5000 hours, $4,000;
drink for the drivers, s240 Total, $2l0,0l
The writer maliciousIy adds tnat he has not
taken into account the sum paid for false hair,
which would be about SO 400, representing
weight Of J 324 lbs. OF. 9 dr., and length
ol +, ,374 yards.
MURDER WILL OUT-It has been recently
mentioned in Europe, to the surprlse, OF many
hat in Sweden, # man be condemned 10
death, he cannot, by the present criminal law,
be executed until such time as he has made
confession of his guilt. 1t is said to be the
fact that though, from the fear of death,
criminal may for a while assert his innocence,
vet, in the long run, what with the eXhOrta-
lions of the Clergyman under whose special
charge the convict is placed after condemna-
ton, coupled with the WEAKNESS OF life pass
I'd in dark and solitary cell, he In the emo
very rarely fails to acknowledge the justice OF
his sentence" 10 addition TO imprisonment TOR
lie, which is the substitute for death punish
IUcUtS 10 DWCuCU, llC idCtOl ~ oAtSo o."
fenced to subsist previously on bread and wa
ter for certain number OF days; and, as no
salt is allowed to be introduced into the bread,
this. when taken into The stomach, ierments,
aud thus acts in a degree as poison, and not
unfreauentIy kills the man, This punishment,
il extended to twenty eight days, the term
limited by law, is therefore justly deemed Hear-
ly equivalent to the halter or the block.
DlcKENs.-T so much has bsen writ
ten and said about Charles Dickens, 1t may
not be generally known that he had ten chlld
rem, two only Of whom arc dead Two were
daughters-one OF whom Is Mrs. Y. a. Co'ilns'
ard the other unmarried. The single one bids
fair 70 he good novelist; alresdy three stories
from her pen have appeared 10 the All the
Year Round Aunt Margaret's Trouble,
"Mabers Progress" and "Vcronica, and
have gained deserved popularity. OF the SIX
SONS. the eldest conducts All the Year Round,
and has made few efforts in various maga-
zines: one the youngest, is still at college; one
is in The navy; TWO arc sheep farming in Aus
tralia; and one is in India. Those who know
MjlIas' picture Of ''Thc Black Brunswieker'
may be interested to know that the lady there
depicted is good likeness OF Mrs. Cherries
Collins Figaro.
The New York Commercial Advertiser says:
I'VE are glad Gen. Lee has not rendered his
services to either Of the European belllscrchtS.
He can safely rest his military reputation
where it now is. The Prussisn Field Marshal
Won Mollkc, in the presence OF several Ame'l!
can gentlemen, once paid the great Conieder'
ate chit ttain compliment which, from such
lipS, was indeed worth having: L consider
Gen. Lee, said the old veteran, as a soldier
not Inferior to Wellington His auditors were
all Northern men, but they reIlshed the remark
none the less as a deserved tribute to an
American soldier.
There was boat race between fashionable
youur ladies on Lake George last week. -Four
Iwo-rsred boats were entered, each with a
cr.,r NJ ,,co vounp pirls and gentlem an for