Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1871-12-30
How Gen. Polk Was Killed.

CuTTcu NHile our army LAY III iIoll' vi heh-
esaw. Johnston, with a group of officers,
among whom was Polk, was making re-
connoisance of the encmy's lines from the
summit of Pike Mountain, lofty, solitary
mount, which juttcd out from the range,
and formed the apex of an acute angle, OH
which our line WAS arranged. The situa-
ton was very hazardous one, being COM
nandcd, or rather reached, by guns from
any portion of the cneny's lines. The I'M
usual asscmblagc in such . conspicuous
place soon attracted the attention of the
vigiiant enemy. 4 battery in front imme-
diatcly fired one shot, which we afterward
found out was but the prelude to one OF
the most fearful s!lcllings ever witnessed.
The group was standing between young
Bcauregard's battery and the fifth company
of Washington artillery, Johnston being
on the works looking through field glass.
"T'iie first shot could not have missed
him two feet, but the only attention he
paid to it was to turn his glass to the bat
terry that fired it, Polk had, in the mean
time, separated from the group and was
wa king thoughtfully away, with his left
side to the enemy, his head down and his
hands claspcd behind him. The second
shell fred at the crowd struck him in the
arm, aud passed through the body, tearing
out his heart, and then crushing his right
arm above the ,?5ow. He dropped on one
knee, wavcrcd lhen fell on one sile-dead.
| lad hardly turned my back when heard
line General Polk is killed Johnston
said not word, but ran to him and lifted
him in his arms. lIardec uttered cry,
and rushed forward. He was past human
help. The members Of his staff tenderly
lifted him and bore him from the field"
The coal mines of Great Britain, it has
been feared. would soon be exhausted, and
about five years ago the government of
that country appointed commissioners to
inquire into the matter These commits
sioncrs have recently published the first
/ volume OF their reports, which dispcls the
apprehrnsions entertained by alarmists
These documents estimate the available
amount of coal in Great Britain at one
hundred and forty-six thousand four hun
drcd and eighty millions of tons, which, it
is calculated are sufficient to. supply the
country for two hundred and twenty-six
wears 1t is assumed that four thousand
feet is the extreme depth down to which
the coal mines may be worked with
profit. Leaving out veins less than a foot
in thickness, it is calculated that the cx-
hausted coal in known mines amounts to
90,207, 100000 of tons. The veins lying
below four thousand feet. as far as they
! have been explol ed, it il believed will fur
nish 7,320,0O0OOO of tons in addition
The beds under the lower strata of rocks,
it is conjectured, will supply 56.273 OOO, 900
oftons. theory also prevails that coal
, exists at q depth Of twelve hundred feet
under the chalk rocks of southeastern Eng
land, and this view, although opposed by
the late Sir Rodcrick l. Murchson, has
been adopted by the member of the COM
mission who was appointed to examine
the locality. The report dwells with par
ticalar severity upon the waste in mining
coal-from ten to forty per cent. Of the
gross product being totally lost.
How good this! Writing to Mrs. s. X.
Minot in 1916, Miss Scdwick says: Last
evening l was apologizing to Mr. Field
for playing cards in his presence, and
said ! hoped he was not Of the opinion of
certain gentleman in New York, who
had written to entrcat would change the
game of marbles (nentioncd in my little
tract as, Of course, one Of the boys plays)
to kite, because marbles were immoral, as
by betting they involved an appeal to God,
as did cutting and dealing cards, it being
all regulated by the interposition of Prov
idcncc. So said Mr. Watts, is cutting
wood, especially Billy Brogan's; for, when
he lifts up his axe, Heaven only Knows
where it will striker" -EDIToRs DRAW
Err, in Hurper's 4.gas:ne for January
-------------------
A MAN OF BRAINs-Rev. DR.. Chaplin
is not only man of brains, but he has all
ear for mus:c-and his heart is moved by
II concord of sweet sounds' In one of his
addresses he says:
i love to hear the rumbling of the steam
power presses better than tie rattle and
roar of artillery 1t is silently attacking
and yanquisling the Malakotls of vice and
the Sedans of evil; and its parallels and
approaches cannot be resisted. l like the
click of the type in the composing stick of
the compositors better than the click of
the musllet in the hands of the soldier. 1t
bears a lcaden messenger of dcad.icr power,
of subiimcr force, and of II surcr aim, which
will hit its mark, though it is a thousand
miles ahead
THE PLEA OF INsANIrY.-GovCrnor
Gratz Brown, Of Missouri, sensibly and
pcrtinently suggests that all murderers ac-
quilted because of insanity should ut once
he incarceratcd in lunatc asylums, and
that the Judges trying such cases be rcquir
ed by law to see to it that the acquitted
and murdcrous mailman is at once con-
signed to a place where he will be harm
less to his fcllows. Certainly it is per-
version of justice to let loose upon society