Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1876-07-27
CENTENNIAL J0TTlNGS.

[Occ,sional Philadelphia Correspondence
OF the CIARIoN.
! am very glad I only undertook
to be an occasional correspondent. |
wouldn't have suited me at all to b'
a regular during this swelterlng cen
tennial July. The regular could no
drop his pen, as have done these
last three weeks, and go u fishing, o.
snort the drowsy days in the cool re
treats Of the park, reading dime nov
els and munchihg Sandwiches IN the
basket pic mic style. With the priv
ileges Of our occasional | therefore
turned my back upon China, Japan
Egypt and all the worlds represen'
tatives, and upon science, art and par
ticularlv INDUSTRY, and betook myself
10 communion with nature and the
charms OF solitude. But the fierce
Sirocco seems to have now spent It's
force The mad mercury is on the
descending scale. Gasplng humanity
again breathes freer. | come forth
from nv retreat and find the great
exhibition has been busily going on,
although the popular pursuit OF SCI
ence and art within its walls have
been considerably interfered with by
u.stroke and kindred ailments, This
brings the centennial hospital into
reonisition as an additional though
not quite so attractive building tor
visitors. now take my pen again
for occasional letters according TO CIR
cumstances. =.
OF course the heated term has dI,
minished the number Of visitors and
led the management to reduce eXpen,,
SEES by curtaiing the Official force and
reducing salaries. For tiFty-two days
ending the S,h Of July the daily av-
erage Of paying visitors has been en =: 70
959. The total admissions , ,O3o, Va.
The fall months will undoubtedly
bring a large increase. The struggle
on the Sunday question | am glad to
say has been ended by the positive re-
fnsa! of thu authorities to open the
gates on that day and Sunday is there,
fore day Of comparative rest and
quiet. -,
The mighty Corliss engine which
operates eight miles of shalt'ng ana
runs nearly thirteen acres OF machln-
erv, continues TO be the grand attrac,
ton Of machinery Hall. People stand
before it almostin awe and reverence
The ny wheel is thirty feet in diane,
ter and makes thirty-siX revolutions
q minute. Since the 10th OF May II
has made a million Of revolutions
The other day an engine was exhibit
ed which is as wonderful for ITS 1l-
minutive proportions as the CorIl,S
engine is for its magnitudes. "mle
a large throng of visitors from all
countries were silently round the Cor
liss watching its gigantic movements
a gentleman who Afterwards gave ms
name and address as Levi Taylor, ct
Indianola, Iowa, joined the crowd
and with the others paid unspoken
vet eloquent homage to the wondrous
monster before him. After Watching
the motions for few moments the
gentleman passed around to one SIDE,
and extracting from his pocket a
small tin case took from it what look
ed like a diminutive alcohol lamp
and, striking u match, started a MN
iature flame and placed the contrlv-
ance on corner Of the platform
which surrounds the mighty steam
giant from Rhode Island. AT !IrSt
glance nothing could be dISc4rned
over this lamp but a small excresence
which looked more like very 1--WE
nile humming- bird than anything
else, but close inspection showed
that what was mistaken for llliputlan
wings was the hy-whoel Of a perfect
steam engine, aad persons with extra
good eyes could, after q close examl-
nation, discover some Of the other
parts of the curious piece of mechan-
ism. This engine has for its founda-
ton a 25-cent gold piece, and many
Of its parts are SO tiny that they can
not be seen without a ma5nifyinS
glass. 1t has the regular steam gauge,
and, though complete in every par
ticular, the entire apparatus weighs
only 7 grains, while the engine prop
er weighs but 3 grains. 1t is made
of gold, steel, and platinum, The fly
wheel is only 7 Of an inch in diane
ter; the stroke is la of an inch, and
the cutoff i-6l of an inch. The ma
chinery, which can all be taken apart,
was packed in films Of silk. 1t is to
be hoped that this wonderful piece OF
work may be placed on exhibition
alongside of its grand antlthesis, but
it is now probably too late to make
an entry.
The gay and dashing soldiers, the
cadets from West Point and the IA
nous 7th Regiment Of New York, so
much admired by the ladies, have
struck their tents and gone, but we
,b,1l hova n now onl far aruer on =