The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-24

VINO Dtsc0Vored dPhOtOgraphyt
One of the most interesting questions in
scientific circles yet undetermined is the
name Of the original discoverer of photo
graphy, and certainly one of the most peril
nent circumstances tending to solve the mys-
terry is that which is now related of an old
house OF Soho, near Birmingham, where the
renowned engineering establishment Of Watt
a. Boulton was originally founded, aud In
which house Boulton lived. He died in 1909,
and on removing the contents of his library
many years after, there was found large
hgure-picture by West, which was on two
sheets of paper, intricately cut at the joining
place so that the line of union might fall at
the edge of shadow, and not be perceived
when the two halves were put together TO
form the complete picture Further research
also led to the discovery of a couple of sill
vered-metal plates, each about the size of a
sheet of note-paper, precisely resembling those
used by Daguerre in the early days of
photography. On each of these plates was
a faint image of the house of Soho, so unmis-
tskably taken from nature, and SO evidently
produced by the aid of light, that all experts
of any authority at once pronounced them to
be photographed pictures taken directly by
means of a camera Attached to these plates
was memorandum stating that they we're
sun-pictures representing the house prior to
certain alterations made in 1871. Subsequent
investigation proved that there had once
been found q camera in Boultons library
answering in description to the kind of in
strument required for plates of that sizel
This evidence, if substantiated, will go far to
prove that the discoveries of Niepce and Da-
guerre we're anticipated by Boulton.
MORTALITY AMONG SEAMEN "A return has
Just been issued, showing the number, ages,
ratings, and causes of death of seamen re-
ported to the Board of Trade as having died
in the British merchant service during the
year 1870. The mortality seems to be large,
if not excessive. The deaths amounted in
all to 4523, of which 2946 are ascribed to
wrecks and other accidents, 13 to murder and
homicide, 81 to suicide, 205 to unknown
causes, and the rest TO fevers and other
diseases. The following list will convey some
idea of the waste of life-In 1870 of Brit
ish merchant seamen we lost 355 mates, 9
midshipmen, 16 quartermasters, 40 boat
swains, 1866 able seamep, All ordinary sea-
men, 362 apprentices and boys, 16 surgeons,
314 cooks and stewards, 130 carpenters, 80
sailmakers, AZ ''minor capacities" 20 engi
neers, 116 fremen, stowaways, and 733
unknown" That the large majority of
these were men in the prime of life is shown
by the following list of their ages-901 were
under q years old, 1921 were from 21 to 80,
724 were from 81 to 40 32S were from 40 to
80, 81 were from 81 to 60, 6 were over 60.
The ages of the remaining 652 are returned
as unknown. This is a painful record, but
we may console ourselves by rejecting that
although we lost 1923 British merchant sea-
men in 1870, we lost 1882 in 1859 and 5237
in 1868; SO that last years return presents
favorable contrast to its immediate predeces-
sors. Let us hope that further diminution
will be observed in the returns for the cur
rent year, for there can be no doubt there is
still large margin left for improvement