Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-12-27

rem county, IA, We're burned up on thrl>!l;l&s
night
Five colorcl wom@n were shot during Christ
mas festivities in Memphis two fatally, by
their husbands and the others by cGlJrci adj
mlrcrs.
The jury in the case OF DR.. Irish, on trial in
New York for poisoning, have disagreed and
the prisoner been admitted tn bail.
The President will revoke the appointment
of Governor Bard as Postmaster at Cha;ta
nOoga
Action OF LIGHT on TIE RETlNA OF THE
YE.-The newborn child seeks the day BY in
stiuct, and turns to the side whence l'gh'
comes, and if this spontaneous movement O!
the Infants eyes is tilwarlcd strubislnus may
be the consequence.
OF all our organs the eye is the one that
light especially affects. Through the eye come
all direct notions Of the outer world, and all
impressions Of an aesthetic kind. Now the
eXctability Of The rctlua shows variations 81
every kind. Prisoners confined in dark cells
have been known TO acquire the power OF see
ing distinctly in them, while their eyes also
become sensitive to the slightest changes in The
Intensity Of light. 10 l7G6 Lnvoislcr, ii study
ing certain questions upon the llghlrg OF Paris:
which had been given for competition by the
Academy of Sciences found after several at
tcmpts that his sight wanted the necessary
constituencies for observing the relative inten
sites of the different flames he wished to con-
pare. He had a room hung with black, and
shut himself up in it for SIX weeks 10 utter
darkness. At the end Of that time his scusl
tivencss of sight WAS such that he could dis.
tineush the faintest differences. |, is very
dangerous, too. to pass suddenly from dark
place into a strong food of light The tyraut
Dionysius had Il building made with bright,
whitcwashcd walls, aud would order wrctcheS,
after long scclusiou FROM light, 10 be suddenly
brought into it, The contrast struck them
blind. Nenophon relates that Macy Greek
soldiers lost their sight from reflections OFT the
snow in crossing the mountains OF Armenia.
All travellers who have visited the polar regions
have often seen like results produced by the
glare Of the snow When thu impression Of
light on the eye is sudden and ovcrpowering
the retina suffers most fit is less powerful,
but longer Continued, the humors of the eye
are affected The phcnomnon called sun
stroke results from the action of light, and not.
as is often supposed, from excessively high
temperature. 1t sometimes occurs III the mod
crately warm season of spring. or very intense
artificial light and particularly the electric
light, may occasion it. The violet and ultra
violet parts Of the sunbeam seem to be the
cause Of this action, for screens Of uranium
glass, that absorb these portions. protect the
eyes OF experimentcrs occupied in studying the
electric light This disorder Is 4 true lntiam-
nation Light md Life.
ILluM-A German Savan has been digging
[ ~ II % I;yip ms
In letter, published in the Herald, he gives
the results of his explorations The place, for
80 many ages considered the site Of Troy. and
where so many people have ramblcd and cx-
hailed their scntimcntallty, he is certain, has
nothing in common with the Troy Of Hector
and Homer. Some distance otf-but how far
he does not state, but On the other side of the
Scamander finds the Identical spot, where
Helen smilcd and Hector fought Eighteen
months ago he began to dig. During the rainy
season. in the winter, he suspended operations,
and last spring he began again. He has dug
trenches thirty to forty feet vide and sixty ieet
deep, and is satisfied he has come upon the
identical citadel of Troy, at the latter depth.
The TroaDs were the original inhabitants
they built on the virgin soll-and have been
succeeded by three or four pre- historic races,
who also built and have perishcd The cx-
plorer calls upon all the world to aid him in
digging, and laying bare the city of Prlaul, as
it existed indefinite ages ago, and as 1t still ex-
lists,
THE GREAT STORM During the past forty
eight hours most extensive snow storm has
prevailed almost from one end Of the country
to the other kilograms from all points north
and west indicate Que Of the scvcrest seasons
of snow and ice ever known, while Columbia,
South Carolina, marks special era of sleigh
riding aud even Mobile, Alabama, gives an 10
dicatIon of having come within the circuit OF
the general Storm The effect of the weather
has been to cause general interruption Of
mails and travel. Some accidents have occur
red, but as yet no serious disasters attributable
to this source are reported.
The signal bureau reports at 4:3I p IN. yes
terday that the thermometer stood at Baltl
more at 10, at New York IT,, at Philadelphia
b. at Boston 8: at Portland, Me-, and St.
Paul, MIMI, at zero, at Quebec l3 below zero,
at Burlington. VT, 10 below Zero. In pronl-
nent cities south of Baltimore the mercury
ranged as follows At Washington II, Lynch
burg 80. Charleston aud Ncw Orleans &c.
Bult0. Sun.
The weather continues extremely cold
Snow and ice i'll ''proillslon.