Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-11-23
Fog Trumpet.

A Pacific Mail Steamship Company
are erecting fog trumpet about 1000
feet north Of Arch Rock, on the hill,
which will be of great benefit to the
shipping interests of this port. The
building is already completed, and on
Monday the machinery, which arrived
by the last steamer, will be taken out
and erected, so that the trumpet will be
in full blast in few days. time. The
machinery is worked with a small Erics-
son engine. Fires will be Kept up in the
furnace continually, day and night, and
watchmen will be constantly on hand to
attend to the working of the instrument.
The trumpet itself is about six feet in
length, composed of the same metal
which is used in the manufacture of
what are commonly termed brass band
instruments, and resembles a huge
speaking trumpet. In the mouthpiece
is tongue of flexible steel, which vi-
brates as the hot air rushes through il
from the engine, blowing a blust that
can be heard for fifteen miles at sea. The
invention is known as DabolP sSteam
Trumpet, and has been in use in the
English Channel for a number of years.
The old fog bell is entirely unfit for the
purposes for which it used, is constantly
ly getting out of order, and is, therefore,
deemed unreliable in the extreme
Ships might be wrecked and many
lives lost by failure of the fog bell to
perform its duties, and the Pacific Mail
Steam Company, mindful of the lives
and property entrusted to their care, as
well their own vast interests in the Pa
cific waters, determined to erect suit
able fog signal at their own expense.
The whole concern, building and appa-
atus, will cost the company over S., 600,
while the maintenance Of the establish
ment after its completion, will also en-
tail considerable expense. But the
security afforded their ships viii, more
than compensate them for the expendi-
ture, while the loud blast of the trumpet
striking the ear Of the anxious mariner,
when his ship is enveloped in the fog
may be the means of saving many 9
ship, and will be a benefit to every
craft, even down to the smallest fishing
smuck entering this port.-Bulleti1.
THE WIDOw.-In the great annual ex'
hibition Of pictures in Paris, there ]:
this wear a portrait ofa lady, with the
simple title of The Widow in the cat
alogue. There is q terrible fact connect
ed with this picture, and it is thus relat.
ed by a correspondent: The lady is the
Countess D, who, although only
twenty-four years af age, has been
twice widowed. She is said to be of
humble birth; but when only sixteen
years Of age, her great beauty attracted
the attention of the attention of the
Marquis de u, who married her.
On leaving the church, however, the
Marquis was assassinated by some OBJ
scure rival, and the lady Iefta widow with
an immense fortune. The Marnioness
retired to a convent, where she remain-
ed till her twentieth year. She then
made journey to various parts of Eu-
rope, and visited among other places
st. Petersburg, where one of the most
wealthy bOyards of Russia placed at her
feet his heart, his diamonds and his
millions. The marriage was celebrated
in the house of the bridegrOOm's 8 mother,
in a remote part Of Russia, some distance
from her own estate. The newly mar
ried couple left on their way for their
new home in a magnificent sleigh. On
their way they were attacked by wolves
and the Count in trying to defend his
bride, made false step, fell out Of the
sleigh into the snow, and was immedi-
ately deYOured by the wolves. The
horses, mad with terror, dashed off with
immense speed, and did not stop till
they had arrived at the Counts chateau
which was brilliantly Illuminated for
the newly married.