Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-04-20

PREPARATIONS FOR waR-THE PETIT pIABLE-
AsUICIpK SOCIETY GOSSIP.

| PREPARATIONS FOR waR-THE PETIT pIABLE-
SUICIDE SOCIETY GOSSIP.
PARIS. March 3lst, 1877.
| To the Editor OF the Free Press and Times
The entertainments given here to Gov.
| Ignatieff have been the subject of much gos-
sip, and the Eastern question has been para
mount. lie has held conferences with the
| President and Due Decazes. and there are all
| sorts of rumors atoat. Although the proc
tocolisesms moderate and implies peace,
| still l must say that the general opinion is
that Russia means war, only she doesn't
wish to 30 at it single-handed Certain
straws seem to point toward an alliance be-
tween France and Russia, and many people
believe that this will be the result if war en-
sues France at all events will not be be-
hind in regard to preparation. if all that |
hear ID true Not only is she perfecting
military man,suvres on land but she is also
busily engaged in essaying new projects for
maritime combat
accompanied II party to Cherbourg the
other day TO see new experiment with
torpedo ram. We ran out in II yacht Ms near
US they would permit us TO the condemned
vessel the Bayonnaise. which was a large brig
under full sail. Out from the harbor came
her small and almost invisible enemy, tho
Thorneycroft. little. low-lying vessel, hard
ly distInguishable from the waves across
which it sped. A lieutenant and three men
all who were on board of her Her
weapon of destruction, the torpedo, was at
tacled to her bow. After all sail had been
set on the Bayonnaise the crew and their
commander lett her, and sought govern
ment vessel near by. while sho sailed gal
lantly on, the wind filling her sails, her mnsts
quivering. the whole doomed craft looking
instinct with life M If she felt and shrunk
from her doom. How excited We all felt
when the Thorneycraft dashed toward her
She looked such pgmy, that. although |
tremblad all over and put my fingers IN my
ears, dropping my marine glass to do 81, |
laughed like II nervous child not believing
anything of moment would DO the result.
The rcid iidbie though. struck the doomed
ship on the broadside and the next thing
knew | WAS sitting on the deck and the water
was fairly boiling around us. The explo-
SION WAS terrible and the whole side of the
ship seemed torn out and she filed and went
down ut once. We thought that the Thor
ntNcrbtl lhl gone uoWt, hlsp, Out hiteI tllne |
sho wns seen heading for shore. The recoil |
had driven her back out of danger. and al
though she seemed to dance Dutch yalse |
for some time she ut last grew steady and re-
turned to the port. II IN said that these |
Icfiys didLlsS can bo built ut one iifieth of the
cost of IN ironclad 30 suppose they will be |
come rs popular III the navy Us yellow IL in
tho modistes rooms. Having grown rather
weary Of balls We all enjoyed this new sen
sation, perfectly admissible in Lent also. al
though not very suggestive of poace. If
you should have any such experiments your
side of the water. try to see them, they are
exciting in the extreme.
sad event has recently taken place here,
in which young lady recently committed
suicide in such terrible way. She is said
to have been an American. She was nicely
dressed and called at the St l4azare Station.
Tuesday. and asked for n ticket for Passy,
but afterwards said, "No, | think after all
that Batgnollos will be far enough" The
train had but Just started whan she got out