The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-11-09
rnu SIGNAL SERVICE.

mcnts from which are taken the reports
that are in our papers Anemographs.
rain.guages, Cvaporator>. Paragraphs.
thermograpls all follow In order.
Th,n comes the plate from which the
maps. etc. OF the VAR department arc
printed. signal flags. rockets. pistols and
every thing connected with the signal
service. Passing on wt reach The school
OF military engineering, where we find
models of torpedoes. ditto o! mining, Of
pontoons, bridges brcakwaters Return.
ing we reach the
COAST SURVEY,
And here j.. where the finest OF instru-
men,s are found. Huge transits and
| theodoli'cs. telescopes. maps OF different
surveys, all oi which could be made
| full days study. An opposite are some
light houses; with great magnificent
revolving lenses, and models OF some of
our mos, noted light houses. One OF The
finest models was that OF spectacle
Beet a little further On we come 70
the bureau of engraving, where are eX-
hibted some Of the finest specimens Of
| engraving in the country. Bank notes,
bills. everything in fact in the greatest
profession. Back of il are photographs
OF sill Of our best postoitlces, custom
houses. etc. IN the United States. We
saw the custom house OF Cairo. and a
very good photo. il was. Nashville had
a model over eight feet high of her Gus
tom house and poStoiiicc. There is one
thing that attracted universal attention
which was model of the arsenal ut
Rock Island. II must have been five
feet square, and everything was faith
fully dclinrated. Now passing back 10
the door We enter. and taking the left
hand side we come to the
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The first thin. that strikes ones eye,
Is model OF the s!oop of war Antietam.
II is~a beautiful piece OF workmanship.
being fully eighteen feet long, with every
rope, spar. gun. etc, in position. BY the
side OF Ii is model o. an immense
French Line of-Battle-Ship, the Dante.
and also the Dido. Passing on we came
TO some more models Of guns, shells,
cartridges, hand-grenades, torches, very
old guns, and all The different small arms
used IN the army. a little further on
are some immense torpedoes, with cleo
trio keys 10 set them OFT. Close by are
beautiful "Cutter engines" We soon
came to an ancient relic in the form Of an
old Spanish cannon, used Dy Cortez in
his conquest Of Mexico. This gun is
supposed to have been east about 1850
4. y. y little way on wc came to a
alass ease. containing fuse, friction, tube
ignltcr', everything nscd in setting of
torpedocs or mines, or guns. Here and
there we sec tle wax figures OF the sail.
ors, marine and navy officers OF 1876. \
great many specimens OF minerals are
found, and also all the "!!xins" pertain
ing Ia the navy-binnac..s. blocks, etc,
One OF the mos. complex and beautiful
machines Ia the building is the
ENVELOPE MACHINE.
The paper il cat and put on stand;
from whence the machine takes it IN,
puts the ''gum stickin'' in, makes the
envelope and stamps Il, so that when it
comes ont it is ready for use. Surround
ing this machine are frames containing
all thc stamps issues, in their regular
sets, all kinds Of stamped envelopes,
postal cards and a regular postofiicc,
where the centennial mail" is distribu-
ted. Also miniature ear, showing the
way in which mailbag are taken ION
the n.y. Opposite 10 all these, are some
large eases, inside OF which are most of
the birds found in the United States,
both Wild and tame--of course MI stuffed.
There are also specimens OF wood about
two feet in length, OF all the trees found
in the United Stafcs. Also some splendid
specimen OF stuffed animals. Including
the white bear, sca-llon, seals,
white whale, and common bear. Down
the center arch are models taken from
the patent Office. articles from the com.
mon schools, very fine collection of
minerals, etc. Going out Of one of the
southern rooms, We see guns, chief
among them are twenty-pouni Ifled
bronze cannon, weuty-iour-pounl boat
howitzcr, one hundred-pound Emerson,
two eieyen-inch smooth bores. two thirty.
two-pound, two fifteen inch guns, in the
monitor ferret. each weighing about
43,6ls pounds, an eight.inch, a nine
Inch, and one rleyen-inch, and TO cap all,
mon'trous twenty-inch Rodman,
mounted on It's carriage, with another
near by, a little inferior in size. But al
these will sink into insigniacance besides
the monstrous "krupp" gun, the largest
cannon In the world. All these and
many more things can be seen st No. :,
aud no Que should go to the exhibition
without spending full day at the L. :.
building. Adios. JrVESrLF.
Notice
owing 10 the need OF nv ucr.onrl M.