, 1878-06-01
From the Daily of w.dnesdsy

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From the Daily of wednesday
STREET IMpRovEMENTs.- spas
modic efforts made from time to
time to improve the streets OF this
city, are sufficient to excite the ridi-
cule of Chinese joss. Instead OF
completing the improvement of
street when once commenced, such
improvement is carried on just suf-
ficient to render that street lmpas-
sable, when work is either suspend
ed or transferred to some other To-
cality. The work on Commercial
street. which passes through the
business part of the city, was com.
menced early this spring and carried
forward with commendable energy
until it was filed up level with the
grade. Just as our people were
about to congratulate themselves on
the prospect of having at least one
perfect street in the city. the work
was brought to dead lock. leaving
that thoroughfare in a pitiable con-
dition. the dirt being hauled on and
dumped premiscuously, SO that that
the street now is about as level as
the back of sturgeon. Ten days
labor, judiciously expended, would
put that street in condition to re
ceive its gravel covering. without
which it will be impossible in wet
weather. Why this improvement,
so much needed, is not carried for
ware to completion, is mystery
which can only be solved by the
Street Commissioner.
ALMOST A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
Yesterday afternoon, about 2
o'clock, DR.. Bryant, accompan-
led by Mr.. Frank Rigby, ascend
ed to a room on the upper floor
of the United States Hotel,
where the doctor keeps his fire
escape apparatus, for the purpose
of testing an improvement which
has been recently made to some
portion of the machine. The
doctor, having adjusted the sup
porting ropes upon his person,
grasped the break line, which is
composed of two strands OF
heavy copper wire, stepped
backward out of the window,
and was soon swinging in space,
distance of seventy feet from
the ground. All went well until
he had descended about twenty
feet, when Mr.. Rigby, who is OF
an excitable temperament, think
ing the doctor was not making
sufficiently rapid progress, pried
up the break, thus freeing the
cylinder upon which the tup-
porting. ropes are coiled, when
the doctor Shot down the break
wire with the velocity of a tele-
graphic message. With rare
presence Of mind, just before
reaching the earth, the doctor
managed to double himself up,
so that instead Of coming down
feet foremost he lit upon the
cushioned part of his person,
= otherwise he must have been
shattered into small fragments.
The injuries sustained are COM
paratively slight considering the
circumstances, consisting OF
lacerated hands and the shock
occasioned by the sudden halt
in the descent. No blame
attaches to Mr.. Rigby, as he had
mistaken the admonition of the
doctor to "steer clear Of the
break" understanding him to
say "keep the break clear, y
which transposition came near
sealing the inventors fate. 1t is
safe to say, however, that Mr..
Rigby will not assist the doctor
in any Of his future experiments.
AswER TO CORRESPONDENT. A
distant correspondent is anxious to
know the origin of the term mad
house." as applied to familiar in
stitution in this latitude. Several
years ago the insane of this Terrific
ry were confined at this place in q
large building erected for their
keeping. Subsequently they were
removed to Steilacoom, when the
building was purchased by citizen
and transformed into dance-house,
where red, white and black used to
congregate and hold high carnival
by night. So notorious did this es-
tablishment become that the author
tiles found it necessary to interfere
and suppress it as nuisance. In
the complaint entered against the
proprietor, the term ''mad house" !"
was used in describing the premises,
on account of its former associations
with the insane, since which time
the name has been applied to kin
dred institutions wherever located
on the Sound. There could hardly
be framed more suggestive term
to designate houses Of that charac-
ter, as all who frequent them are
mad indeed.
The walk along the water
edge of Yesler's wharf, which has