The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-08

A fact connected with the recent destruction
by Gre of the steamboat Lotus is worthy OF men,
ton. She had on board crew OF about Sixty
men and fifteen passengers. The frst mate,
Mr.. Loper, q most estimable man and efficient
officer. and fourteen Of the crew, lost their lives.
and oil the passengers were saved. Among the
latter was a lady with three children. one at the
breast The total loss by the Lotus disaster Is
estimated at 100000. including boat and cargo.
The steamboat Port Eads. with four barges,
arrived here yesterday with very large freight
list. 1t embraced 2449e packages OF merchan-
disc $1,000 bushels Of corn In bulk. and $1,000
bushels OF wheat. That's right. Send forward
your grain, Western shippers, and we will sup
ply ample ocean tonnage whereby to transport
IL. expeditiously too, across the broad Atlantic
The cry Of insufflciency Of shipping at this
!. port for this purpose has been gotten up by IN
terested parties who wished to stop the flow OF
grain this way: but their mouths have at last
been stopped by the solid undeniable TACT mat
all the grain that has been shipped h1ther mas
been sent forward with the least possible
delay.
The steamship Borussia, which arrived here
yesterday from Liverpool. brought 1898 boxes,
coo half boxes and 1859 quarter boxes OF raisins,
which. under ordinary circumstances. would
only refer to 1t for the purpose Of mentioning
fact la connection with the trade In this article
that forcibly illustrates the hardness Of the
times. Last year importers OF raisins would
sell 1000 boxes to large grocers, while the same
parties take only 100 boxes. The prices have
fallen correspondingly, and the demand is re-
markably light Notwithstanding the near ap-
proach OF the holidays. The truth is that many
OF those who formerly were extensive consul
mers OF raisins. currants, almonds. ETC.. are
now too poor to indulge even In such small
1uxuries.
A new use has been found for the telephone
Since 1t was introduced into several mines for
the purpose of communication between the
men ct work below the surface and the officers
of the companies above ground, 1t has occurred
to somebody connected with one of the mines
that 1t could be used to advantage in indicating
the ventilation Of the mines themselves The
circulation of air In the mines is shown by the
thermometer. which Is situated below. The
miners have fallen into the way OF being care
less as to the ventilation. But now 1t has been
found possible, by attaching the telephone to
the thermometer below. to indicate the flow OF
air In the mine In the office above. 1t is pro-
posed shortly to try experiments to see whether
the telephone can be made available In divers
operations. IT is believed that the instrument
made a perfect means of communication be-
tween them and their assistants.
According to the Postmaster Generals report
the actual expenditures OF his department dur
ing the past fiscal year was $50 322 504 a. which
were 1922 1874 SO more than those ofthe preceding
year and $3.50, 4sa IS less than the estimates
therefor. The total receipts for the year We're
s1,l12,612 "a less than those Of the preceding
year and 81 ,126,61s "a less than the estimates
therefor. The decrease is largely in the item
of official postage stamps, the amount derived
from which during the last fiscal year was only
$370T30 AZ, while in the previous year 1t was
81 as1. $3.50 49, Excluding official postage stamps
and money order receipts from both fiscal
years, the reduction in ordinary receipts was
only s1ss,592 20, or about threefifths OF one per
cent. According to the terms of the act making
the appropriation, the official postage stamps
used by the Postof1ce Department during the
fiscal year. and amounting to s656.o95 so. do not
figure as revenue.
The government Of Guadalupe offers the
sum OF $40 900 to the inventor OF new process
OF extraction of Juice of sugar cane or of sugar
fabrication. this prize to be given to whoever
obtains from the cane yield of Ia per cent
of sugar. and the cost Of application Of the
new process not to exceed forty per cent Of the
value realized. The cane raised at GNadaloupe
contains IS per cent of suar, and. hitherto, a
percentage Of 94, on an average, has resulted
from the ordinary factory machinery. Recent
ly M Embarrassing invented an inhibition pro-
cess, by which, it appears, the yield Is Increased
from "a to nearly 10 per cent; in fact. according
to the claim of the inventor, the advantage de-
rived from his process Is gain In the per-
centage OF yield Of 2s3. At any rate. M. Du'
charsaing's invention was deemed sufficiently
ar1i Inc RI g
$4,000 prize The present premium, therefore
is a second one, and 1t calls for still further
Improvement to be made. The experiments
on at least $4,000 pounds of cane. are to be con
Quoted under the auspices OF government
commission.
Two vessels arrived here yesterday from
Liverpool with cargoes Of salt viz: The shiI
Annie Gondie with 2l63 sacks and the shir
Choice. with 1900 sacks. II. in the prospective
revision of the tariff, the duty on salt. which Ii
undeniably an article Of necessity. should be
removed. such measure would be OF incalcu.
liable benefit to New Orleans and to the greater
portion OF the West. Instead of ships coming
here from foreign ports ladened with worthless
ballast, they would bring to our port full car
goes of salt, as they did in the good old ante
bellum times. which would be sent up the river
to supply the demands Of our pork packing
friends of the West
1.-THE New York and Kanawha Salt Works are
having altogether too much protection, and il
our Western friends would enly look at this
subject with a practical, impartial eye. they
would speedily discover that this onerous duty
on imported salt is senseless and Injurious te
the common interests OF the country. We
would respectfully direct the attention OF oul
Immediate representatives in Congress to this
matter reminding them that while it may seen
to be a small and insignificant seasoning tx
their daily food it is in the aggregate one of thu
most important articles in the domestic econo
my of the nation. Let them put their faces IL
the right direction in the Pursuance of thi:
much needed reform, and never look backward
Remember Lots wife!