New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-04

SpurgoOn and few other prime ministers
of the gospel according to Spurgeon. 1t is
. good Trollope story.
Report Of the Committee ON the Wtnsard
Force.
For some time past there has been in the
public papers, an allegation that by name
less force, q vessel could be blown mp at
distance Of one or two or more miles.
Mr.. Wingsrd, an old and respectable citi
zen. claims to be the disc0verer OF this force,
and the inventor of the mode of applying
it; and proposed, if he could be aided in
means, OF demonstrating his invention and
discovery; to E give ample evidence OF the
The fact that Mr.. Vineyard had been the
inventor of the Calling gun, from which
springs the Mitrailleuse, 10 we'll verified
and known to many persona in this city,
snd tended to give to Mr.. Vineyards state
ment that he had discovered such . de-
structive agent some credence. Besides,
he was known to his neighbors to be . most
ingenious man and . capital teacher. and
wss an humble bat consistent member OF
ono of the Christian churches. These facts
led few persons to advance the money for
an experiment.
Il Was from the first stated by Mr.. Win
gard that his secret was his own, 70 be
made known to NO person. His right to
this no one disputed; but Of course that
placed him in the category of disbelief, and
subjected his statements to the rldicule OF
the press.
when oil was ready he announced day
for the exhibition, end . great number OF
persons went down to the Bayou st. John
to witness the explosion, and after waiting
q whole afternoon failed to see Mr.. Win
gard or his explosion. The schooner was
moored and prepared by committee OF
citizens, who expressed their Impotence at
the failure, which seemed unexplained. IL
appeared afterward that the number OF
vessels visiting and running about the
schooner interfered and rendered danger
ous the experiment, without hazard to the
life of others.
The newspapers from the first, with an
honorable exception, we're jubilant at the
failure. With the peculiar prescience that
always predicts atterward and sometimes
before, they chuckled at the failure
Another appointment for last Monday was
made, to take place at the lake end of the
New Canal, when Mr.. Wingsrd fired but
missed his mark. Yesterday he appointed
for his committee certain gentlemen who
were willing to see him have o fair trial,
and believed that the first experiment Of so
new and extraordinary force might poesi.
bly REQUIRE new adj ustment before success
could be attained. The public were not in
vited.
The vessel was moored at the two mile
stake from the canal, her bottom was raked
from stem to stern and flag or stresmer
left flying.
the lighthouse at IL NJ, and was under our
observation every moment thereafter. he
rowed about q mile from US down toward
BAYOU St. John, and made fast to stake
He rowed his own skiff, with large trunk
or box in it, and was not even visited by
any person. His son, in another ekiff, kept
near, but not in contact with him, and still
| another skiff with Sam, . sailor. kept OH to
| the left in case of accident. No one Of hi
party went near the doomed vessel.
At different times through the day sal
boats and row boats passed near and about
| the vessel, and more than one stopped tt
bare poles, was lying out there for. Tit
committee used all precautions to render
| fraud impossible. To presume that plaI
was laid by any persons to destroy the YES
eel, or any one who should visit her aftel
| they had boarded her, was to impute 1
| design of murder too devilish for any con
| ceivable motive; we did not, therefore, fol
| low all the craft that visited the schooner
| At 2:35 P. NJ, Mr.. Wingard, standing
1
something directed towards the vessel.
We waited q moment, and seeing no effect
were remarking our disappointment. whel
the vessel suddenly blew up, at an est
| mated interval of one and q half minutes.
| Mr.. Wingard came in, but was SO badly
burned, and having to row himself mile
that he could not receive tho cOngratula
tions of friends. for his agony. We boun'
up his hand in -four, and in spite of his pail
l ia 49, 6u~y IN
wreck. This was in some respects peculiar
The schooner was shattered in small frag
ments, and though she was first blown NJ
astern, her bulwarks were torn to httl
pieces, to the very stem.
Another curious fact: A flag was hyln
from the peak of the mainmast. 1t was tor
in fragments and dropped ON the halyard
half mast, where it hung, come two squar
feet of it, in the wind. &C
We would state that we know nothin
whatever of the nature Of the invention
discovery. The agent was apparently ele'
trio, and the use of apparatus and insuls
tors to handle the glass and brass instrr
ments were in evidence.
The committee does not think that an
exclamation is due to them from Mr.. VIII
gard, who owes it still less to the pe0pl
and the press, from whom he has receive
nothing but ridicule. He has, howeve
the company of Fulton and Franklin an
Espy and Morse, and can afford to wait th
result. e. q. FOKSHEY,
L. T. MADDUX,
Il M.F. BIGNEY,
Committee of the Wingard Force.
Twas not present ct the experiment ye
| terday, but to all the rest put my sign
ture cheerfully. A. l.. ABBOTT.
New Orleans, June 2, 1876.
| Sat this moment I clearly cav line Of d
| turbed water like the trail Of passing body, ru
| ming from the 6kiH toward the schooner and 9
| tending APPARENTLY about 100 yards. NE
thy eye wss still on the vessel, though It q
| left my watch. Y. y.
Il Anheuser & Co.'S bear, ice cold, ct Euge
Krost's now saloen, No. l28 Gravier sire