The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-20
NEWS OF THE DAP.

1t is estimated that the various mission
and tract societies Of the United States dis
burse annually SO, 600, 1000.
The German consul general at New York
is collecting subscriptions for the relief OF the
sufferers by the recent storms and foundations
on the coast of the Baltic.
in Boston, the relics from the fire most
priced are specimens of burned condensed
leather, the fine dust of granite blocks, ahd
gold coins melted In are-proot safes.
Paul May, the young German who was In
dicted for the murder of his friend, Hermann
Nagel, at Chelsea. England, because he agreed
with him to commit suicide, and Nagel died
while May didn't, has been acquitted.
The competitors for the prize OF $780, 600
offered blythe State of New York for the best
Invention for propelling canal boats by other
then horse power are on the qui vlve at pres
emit. The commission appointed to Judge OF
the merits Of the different inventions are to
render their decision some time during the
present month. Each inventor is, Of course,
positive that he ought to have the prize. It'll
thoughtin some quarters that the commits
sioners will decide that none of The boats
have satisfied the conditions of the act Offer
Ing the prize, and that they will decline to
mako the award on that ground.
"A curious divorce case, founded upon the
plea that the marriage was compulsory and
contracted under protest, Ia pending In a Bal
timore court. The plaintiff Is the husband,
who says that in July, 1871, he was politely
invited to the house Of bis father.in-law by
that gentleman, who, getting him there, was
30 anxious for an immediate marriage be-
tween hls daughter and the plaintiff, hat ne
held the latter . prisoner by threatening his
lie, while the clergyman who had been pro-
yided performed the ceremony. The plain
tiff declares that to all his affirmative respon-
ses during the ceremony he added the provl-
so, uIf this Is legal" and he now asks that
the marriage may be declared null and void.
The acts passed by Congress In May last,
at the instance of the secretary Of war, regu.
lstingp the pay OF private soldiers and increas-
Ing II according to their time of service, and
establlshing q system OF deposits to prevent
desertlon and elevate the condition of the
rank and file Of the urmy, have produced salu-
tary results. Prior to 1872 assertions we're
alsrmingly frequent, and through them the
army was nearly decimated. The evil grew
to such proportions that something to render
the military service more attractive was an
absolute necessity. The acts referred to have
almost entirely remedied the evil, and the re-
ports of subordinate military commanders
show that the morale of the army has greatly
improved.
~ great fight is now going on in the New
Jersey courts at Trenton between the Penn
sylyanla Central Railroad Company having the
lease of the New Jersey roads, and the parties
Interested In the proposed 'National Ball
rosdn between Philadelphia and New York;
for which liae the latter claim they have OBJ
taiued charter rights, while the Pennsylvania
Central contends that they have only a bogus
charter. The national line is claimed to be an
air line, going mainly north Of the present
lines. 1t Ia not quite apparent, however, from
the map that 1t is more nearly an air line than
the Trenton road. Should these parties succeed,
though, In establishing their right to build
this road, 1t may help to establish a wholesome
railroad competition through New Jersey.
But there Ia an impression abroad that the
National Company do not really mean to
build, but to compel the Pennsylvania Central
or some other parties to buy out their prlvl.
leges.
Perhaps none of the recent colllery dis
SISTERS to which England is 80 subject has been
more terrible than that which recently oc-
CURED at the Pelsall Hall Colliery. In this pit
forty miners were working, when an adjacent
and disused mine. full of water, which had
not been operated since forgotten times, and
whose existence was.unknown, burst It's par
tltion and swept throughtp q resistless food
into this busy hive. Several sayed their lives
by swimming, and one man had Remarkable
escape. being carried for a quarter ora mile
underground, olinging to a ladder. When
taken ont he was insensible. Seventeen oth-|
ers escaped, but there was no help tor the
other twenty-five. The efforts to pump out
the water continued for days, while around
the edge OF the pit The wives and children OF
the doomed men gathered, rending the air
with their cries. The appearance of fre-damp
len no hope, but the women hoped against 1t.
There being a superstition in the mines that |
as long as the vile reIralns from eating the
husband will remain alive, for days tears was
the only meat these poor women fed upon, |
until In imminent danger OF their lives they !
consented to take bread, and then all hope de. |
narfaa from tho VILLAGE. |