Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-01

The announcement that the government
of Spain yields to the demands OF our gov
eminent in relation to the Virgnius, dis
pelling the war cloud which has rested
over us, is received with satisfaction by
our people. The President will be able to
make his message one of good news.
The new Congress which meets to-day
for the first time is politically divided as
follows. In the Senate there are SO re-
publicans and 10 democrats in the House
1913 republicans, SO democrats. and one
vacancy. In the last Congress the repub-
licans had 40 majority in the Senate, and
only 81 in the House; now they have Sc
in the Senate and 105 in the House.
Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. having
been called to account by Congregational
churches in the vicinity for dropping the
name of Theodore Tilton from its roll OF
membership, contrary to the usage of Con-
gationalism, held meeting the other
evening, and made reply to the charge;
against it by declaration of entire and
absolute independence of outside dctaton.
The meeting was of most remarkable
and interesting character. The reply
takes the highest ground possible, an
nouncing that the true Congregational
politv is that which nearest conforms to
the democratic idea of government. The
church, by large vote, accepted this view
of the case, declining all outside iuterfer-
ence in the management of its own affairs.
Ex-senator Yates, whose death took
place at St. Louis on the 9th, was man
of brilliant parts and decided worth, but
an inordnate appetite for strong drink re-
duced his usefulness below what it might
have been. He was born in kentucky
Jan. 1918, removed to Illinois, graduated
at an Illinois College, and studied law
He served several terms in the Legisla-
ture, and was Representative in Congress
from 1851 to 1856. In 1861 he was chosen
Governor of Illinois for four years, and
participated extensively in the raising of
troops. He was elected United States
Senator in 1865, for six years, serving on
the Committee on the District CT Column
bia, the Pacific Railroad, the Territories,
Pensions, Manufactures, and Mines and
Mining. and was Chairman of the Com
mittee on Revolutionary Claims and the
Territories.
THE HOOSAC MOUNTAIN PENETRA-
TED
The Hoosac mountain was penetrated on
the 9th, the blast which did the work being
given in the afternoon about 3 o'clock. Not
many persons were present. A reporter OF
the New York Times says:
The old workman, who has faced death a
thousand times in charging holes with nitro
glycerine, was sent down the central at about
l 80 o'clock, with his long cans of the explo-
sive. All the glycerine for this final blast V as
carried down the shaft, and that for the west
end holes was passed through the hole already
drilled. The most dangerous task connected
with the work ofthe tunnel was accomplished,
and work was bi ought up so that nothing re-
manned but to connect the wires of the bat
terry. The cage was packed full halfa dozen
times, and the visitors were speedily dropped
The hollow echoes of the walls, the dim and
Pickering lamps, the drip of the water, and
the reports OF occasional explosions, where
the workmen were engaged in trimming east
of the shaft. were the only sights and sounds.
There was long wait between the acts, owing
TO the lateness of the train which brought the
gentlemen from Boston TO the East End. At
last, Mr.. Shanly, who had started out to meet
them, returned with the rest of the company,
and word was at once dispatched to the man
who had charge of the blast to connect the
wires. This man was stationed only about
500 feet from the heading, and, from the ef-
feet at our distant station, 2, 600 feet from the
blast the crash when the wires touched must
have been terrific. The report of the explo-
sion came first with distant crack followed
instantly by a dull, prolonged boom, and ac-
companied by very perceptible puff of wind.
shout was given by all present, and the
company began to flock forward toward the
heading in a general scramble, but this was
soon stopped, for it would have been highly
dangerous to have gone into the heading be-
fore it was known whether all the explosive
had been discharged. A few hundred feet
from the shaft, therefore, the visitors were
stopped until two men, who had gone up to
examine the holes, came running back with
the information that a fine clean breach had
been made. Then there was another pell
nell scramble for the opening. The miners,
however, were first, but they did not pass
through the opening but prevented others
from doing 80. When the company had as
sembled, the miners made passage way be-
tween two lines, and Mr.. Shanly, with Hon
Robert johnson, of Boston, State Senator and
Chairman of the Legislative Committee on
the Tunnel, marched up to the breach, the
entire assemblage cheering them heartily.
Just as they reached the aperture Mr.. Shanly
fell back and allowed Mr.. johnson to pass
through in front of him. The general crowd
very quickly followed, and on the other side
of the opening not less enthusiasm, was mani.
tested, and for few minutes Mr.. Shanly had
an experience similar to that which new
President undergoes at his first reception
The breach made was about five feet by four,
large enough for two people to pass abreast
quite easily. The explosion on the west side
was much louder than on the other, and had
greater effect on persons in the tunnel
The work done was tremendous. One great
rock. weighing fully ton, was thrown dis
. lance of 800 feet, where its momentum was
still sufficient to break down the ponderous
gates set up as barrier. There was much
picking up OF relics for a short time, iuclu-
ding, doubtless, many rock specimens of pre-
ElA hale 81 IL,