Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-05-21

MILL RIVER ALLEY.--From the account
of the New York World, we extract brief
sketch of the appearance of the desolated val
lev OF Massachusetts.
"As proper curiosity brought many Of the
VISITORS their visit, if inopportune, was pardon
abie because Of the grand aad awful sight there
va, 10 see-a desert OF water, OF things strange
and uucouth, wrought into shapes like nothing
m earth; pandemoDlum wherein the presid-
;ng chance worked out the most bizarre effects
If grouping, eye has looked on outside the var
;ous landscapes, surnamed of the devil along
the Yellowstone Over the green of the mead.
ows is laid Two feet of sand or Of gigantic
gravel, every stone of which is boulder. The
blow of the torrent has scooped out strangly
vdruug gulcnes 10 the earth whose edges are
already eroded and worn smooth under the
water which was at once plow and harrow
Groves Of young trees are bent to the ground
aud left hattened with their limbs tangled In
dritt and debris. Stronger trees, if they
were in the full swing OF the current, are up
rooted or snapped OFT. If they were at one
side the food has left with them stacks OF tim
ber of tree trunks, of iron scraps, OF clothes,
Of rocks, of earth. Away up in tree-trop
ot,eDtmes is shapeless something that was
the wooden side of house or its tin roof, aud
then down again in the track OF the flood are
the broken houses, Of which you know by their
diIapidatiun that the life has been shaken out
Of them and turoed into death IN the abyss OF
the stream. And Of all this seven miles from
Williamsburg to Northampton itself, aud to
end it at Northampton railway embankment
sapped and guttered aud sucked away, bridge
gone, au immense factory roof lifted over an
L., into a md rnhhISh-
laden fiat below, with washings Of the seven
miles of ruiH all around; aud ninety minutes
was enough to make such chaos as this out ola
New England paradise"
FEMALE CRUSADERS arrest Of the te-
male temperance crusaders In Cincinnati on
Saturday last was quite a novel scene, as de-
seribeu by the papers of that city, and perhaps,
iu the way of displaying the zeal ofthe parties
engaged, was more effective than the besieging
of the saloons Whilst engaged in their prayers
before tavern, the band was surrounded by q
posse of police and ordered to disperse. They
replied that they were obeying Gods orders,
Which we're more imperative than mans" and
then they sang hymn in full chorus and kneel-
ed and prayed aloud. When told to consider
themselves under arrest, their leader, Mrs.
Leavltt, tok the arm Of the police captain, aud
the other ladies followed this pair by twos, fol-
lowed and Aauked by the patrolmen. As they
marched they sang their songs, and were &C.
companied by large but quiet and respectful
crowd Of spectators. who understood the sltua-
ton and were curious to see 1t to the close.
Whilst waiting at the station house they re-
sumed their exercises. When the Mayor ap-
peared be was called into the midst ofthe band
with the remark, will your Honor please give
us moment before you commence the exercise
Of your duty?'' As be stepped up to them the
ladies' all went down on their knees, and one OF
their number commenced praying, while the
men uncovered their heads and liked their eyes
90 the Mayor. As the exercises seemed to
have no end, the Superintendent of Police
fnally enforced silence by vigorously rapping
The result Of all was, that the women were re-
leased Tor further hearing on their own re-
coguizances, and left the station house avowlng
q purpose to continue their labors.
IMPENDING DUEL.-For an aristocratic
scandal there has been nothing lately that would
bear comparison to the exchange between
Count de Montebello aad Prince Metternich Of
challenge to duel That imperious queen
Of fashion and ruler of Partisan society, the
Princess Metternich. is at the bottom of the
affair. 1t seems that she purposely, and 10 the
face of all present, gave the Count the cut direct
at recent ball, and that haughty old noble has
called her husband to account for it. The two
men staud high on the lists OF the nobility
Prince Metternich is the Austrian Ambassa-
dor at Paris, aud Connt de Montebello Is the
sou Of the first Napoleon famous Marshal Lan-
nes, who perished when on the field Of Esslng
the French eagles we're checked 10 their pro-
Rress towards Vienna. He has filled important
Naples and St. Petersburg, and held Office in
the various Ministries that were formed 10
France during the reign of Louis Philippe.
He is more than seventy years old, but age ap-
pears not to have cooled the impetuous ardor
aud fiery temper that came to him from the
soldier of Essing. Behind the action of the
Austrian Princess there is undoubtedly pl-
quaint story of either political or social compli
cations that have led up to this offering OF a
public insult to a peer of Montebello' 5 rank, age
and fame.
The GERMAN EMpIRE.-The present Ger
man Empire dates from April l6, 1871; it en-
braces tweety.sx States, counting Alsac aud
Lorraine as one. The Kingdoms of Prussia,
Bavaria, Wurtemburg and Sa1ony are the four
largest of its federated powers: The supreme
direction of both military and political affairs
is vested in the King of Prussia, whe bears
the title of "Deutscher Kaiser" and he also
represents the Empire internationally, and can
declare defensive war, make peace, appoint
aud receive ambassadors, &c. The legislative
functions are vested in federal council con
siSting of two houses, called the "Bundesrath'
aud the "Rschstag" The Bundesrath, like
the United States Senate. represents the States
of Germany, and the Reichstag, like the House
Of Representatives, the German people. The
ormer has ffty-eight members, appointed by
the different States; and the latter three hun
dred and eighty.two members, elected by uni
versal suffrage for the term of three years. In
the latter 1.-THE Reichstag) Prussia has the con-
trolling voice, having two hundred and thirty
SIX Of its members. In the Bundesrath she