Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-30
4 Droken Arch az Four Vile Rum.

The ALEXANDRIA CANAL DRAINED AND Rail-
ROAD TRAVEL INTERRUPTED.
Yesterday quite a serious accident occurred
81 -Four mile rUr. between this city and Alex
ardr.a. The public " DO have visited this place
viii rene 4 Der thar the railroad and turnpike
pass over the FCur-ni run under an archway
support ng the canal Two eFchwaysare in the
embsnkment running from south west to north
east, through which the waters OF the run flow
cut, ard over this again are two II assiyc arch
ways supporting the canal, the railroad running
under through the arch on the east side ard the
turnpike through the other. The small arches
over the run ara OF 10 feet span, and gre built
On rock foundation laid on piles, and the larger
arches arr 20 feet span and about 80 feet high,
resin partly on the smaller ones. Yesterday
morning certain movements in the embank-
n-tBt Just east Of the railroad indicated that
some thing was wrong, and 10 IL believed that a
Portion OF one OF the lower arches giving way
causef TIE embankment to crack and settle.
About eleven O'Clock. as the local train WAS
passing the tunnel, the earth to the east was
observed 20 be moving. and to split open in
several places, and In a few moments the lower
arches became gorged with water and swept
ont stones, earth aud debris, showing that the
waters OF the canal were precipitating them
selves, with fifty feet fall, into the run below.
IL was fortunate that the railroad tunnel arches
dic not rect rpon that which broke, otherwise
the who's mas muss have been swept away;
put Is ~ Wa. The railroad ard turnpiEe tunnel
vans stocd hrn, while the waters Inade whirI-
pools IN tbs canal above them, and washed
down soras ten yards east or the railroad, un-
Sen but Eet uphesrd, through q rent torn in
<0e bottom Of the canal into the run below. The
stop gates n the caral, imnedi ateiy north
and south of he run, were soon closed, and the
water gate near by opened, dim Wishing some
what the flow through the sunken arch, and
within an hour all the water except such az
passed thronc.h leaks in the stop gates had been
empnet- The railroad trains in passing stop on
each sice Of the tunnel, and allow their passen-
gers 10 pass on foot. The train Is then carried
through, and the passengers resume their seats
on TIE other SIDE, and proceed to their Gestina-
ton. Some fears are expressed lest the wash
below may have undermined the eastern tun-
mel wal, and thus endangered its stability.
The canal win be closed for q month az least,
during which the river route will probably be
utilized by the coal boats going to Alexandra.
LGter.-The ofhcers Of the Baltimore and
Potomac railroad who own ami run the Alexan-
dria road examined last evening and this morn
ing the arches, esp ecially those over the road
and turnpike aud the foundations, and came to
the conclusion tbat they were perfectly safe, az
there rs now no water in the level directly over
the archwsys. The trains-local, Richmond
Express and Alexandra and Fredericksburg
and the Virginia Midlant-are therefore run
ming through as usual. The break Is a very
serious one TO the canal company: the gap in
the level being about $50 feet long, and it VIII
require possibly q month 20 repair it.
The JOHN MITCHELL TESTIMONIAL MEET
IFe-There Was meeting of Irish "A merican
courage the movement lately inaugurated in
New York and some other of the large cities to
Mitchell in recognition OF his services in the
fraEs n I'D. Nj. ID. a .Brospan was elected
cssiTrlan. With Nj. -. d. O'Connen secretary.
The chair laid before the r,e.o-hg iet.sE IRON
NJ John Mutaly, Of the New Y0rS tesuHlo.La
committee, which was read, inviting CO
ton Of the friends Of Mr.. Mitchell in this CITY.
Tae letter sets forth that contributions for this
object IN Ireland cnount to 81 goo, New York
$500. and other places TO hear from. The az
gregate sum required Is 80, 900. Remarks were
made by Major AcMahoH, Captain O'ConGell,
Captain Reagan, Mr.. j. ID. Msgiil, of the
GeoEsetoWn COUTier, and others, after which a
Committee was authorized TO be appointed to
solicit sDbscTi ptlors 70 the fund. II was an
IOuneed thai each contributor would be fur
nishet with nicely er gIaycG card, in scknowi-
tcgEent o. the amouIic, 20 be preserved ss a
souvenir. Ar. BTosnGn headed tie substitution
list with $50, which was followed by Others,
Evening the amount ~ about SO. 1t Is expected
TO raise 81 600 in this city for this purpose.
After the election OF Mr.. Daniel Gray as
CeaS-reT 10 the fund, the meeting adjourned.
A PATENT CASE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT
This morning, in the Circuit Court, j Judge Mac
Arthur orcered N andaI u issue in the case
CT II PGTte X. III. Bigelow TO the Commissioner
OF Patents. Letters patent were issued to Bige-
lew July 9Th, 1870, for heel presses, which let
tiers have not expired. In August, 1871, one 3.
w. Baldwin fled an application for the manu-
facture Of boot and shoe heels, which was adj
judged TO interfere with Bigelow's patent, and
sn Interference was declared. The parties were
notified TO take testimony as to the priority OF
invention, and they did, and IL Is alleged thst
~ then became the duty Of the commissioner TO
fereDces, to determine the question, but that he
refused TO direct or allow Adams, but referred
10 TO one Brown, an assistant examiner, VINO de-
cided against petitioner. Petitioner subse-
QueLtly moved tie commissioner 70 set aside the
decision Of BrovY, which petition the comnis-
siorer refused 70 allow. he therefore asked
writ Of mardaIas. Mr.. i. q. oOcrlbs Appeared
Tor Ittiuoner.