Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-03-13

tenn OF freight lopuItd'lOu uaS peei uCfiocet,
which promises entirely to supersede the rail
way. A pneumatic tube is to be constructed,
of metal or of wood, at the height Of about tif-
teen feet from the earth, and supported upon
nosts or piers The fret GIT is packed in a
sphere Of iron. which. heius little smaller
than the tube, will roll with ease. The propel-
the air in front Of the sphere, leaving the pres
sure OF the remaining air behind it. The air
is exhausted by steam pumps A force equal
TO one ten-thousandth Of the weight Of the
sphere is said to be sufficient to set it in mo-
ton \ railway car requires force measured
bv one twelve huudredth of its weight to move
it, showing that the mechanical advantage OF
the sphere is fifty times greater than that OF
the car.
This invention, if it prove as successful on
large scale as it has in the model cannot fail
to revo,utiunize all our commercial arrange
ments 1t is claimed. that it will afford trans
portaton at one fifth the rate demanded by
railways, and that velocity OF one hundred
miles per hour may with ease be given to the
former The cereals of the West can be corked
UP and sent to the Eastern markets IN very
short time. Beet slaug Uttered in Texas in the
evening may be sold 10 the Eastern cities the
next morning. Many Of those Troublesome
problems Of population and subsistence which
have troubled the statSticians will then De
solved. All the bulky articles of food can thus
be supplied at rates remarkably cheap. In
fact, the great friction upon trade resulting
from heavy cost Of transportation will be re-
duced to an incousitlerabe amount Hash'"g-
tan Chronicle.
EARTHoUAKE.-On January IL all EARTH
make DESTROYED the city of Schculacha. in
Russia. According to the official report Que
hundred and eighteen persons were Killed and
forty fur wounded, but all the inhabitants
we're left without shelter SchenacEa Is, or
rather was, city of twenty-five Thousand IN
habitauts, and lies on the road between Ti1i>
and Baku, at the loot of the Caucasian noun
tains, about seventy-fve miles distant from the
latter city. Schemaeha is 2.3l6 feet above the
Caspian and 2240 above the Black sea, aud
was formerly the seat Of government of the pro
vince which. however, on account OF the ire
oucut earthquakes in that region, was transfer
red, about ten years ago, to Baku, on the Cas-
plan sea. The inhabitants Of Schcmacha are
nearly all Armenians
PosToFrlcE AFFAIRS Postofhees have been
established at Leroy, Rockingham county. Va
Samuel D. McCommon. Postmaster. on the
route from Waynesboro to Port Republic: at
Forest Station, Shenandoah county, William
j Mofct, Postmaster, on the route FROM Ma
nassas notwithstanding: and at the Y cars, Mont
gomery county, Va, Henry C. Russell, Post
master, on the route from Lynchburg to Bristol.
COMMUNICATED.
''rnE LAST DOLLAR. The last dollar oil
the Poor Fund of the u NJ c. A., was ex-
pended yesterday.
Owing to the long and severe winter some
families have asked for aid, who never have
applied for it before In some cases they have
| disposed of every article of furniture that they
| could spare, of bedding, and Of portions OF then
wardrobe, not asking for help until they were
entirely destitute of food and fuel.
Some families are still in great want, who
would be able to help themselves if work could
be furnished thcu.
There are women depending upon the nee
| five or six tatherless children to provide for
Some of these women have made every effort
to obtain work, but in vain. They choose to
work rather than to receive charity, and this ar
tcle is written iu the hope that some OF the
people of Alexandria may think of something
which they can give these poor, but deserving
women to do.
If there are those who can give out sewing
to be done, they can learn the address of par.
ties wishing for work by calling at the office Of
the General Secretary, Dr. James Entwl>le jr.,
81 King street DISPENSER
Alexandria, March 18th, 1872