The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-08-10
Our Letter from Europe,
The Paris Exposition.

Ii is a fitting tribute to the genius
and character of the age that the two
grandest halls in the great Exposition
should be devoted exclusively to ma
clinery. There are mighty engines
there carrying in there Titanic sinews
almost limitless power, keeping in mo-
ton world Of wonderful machinery,
and surely there can be no higher
revelation Of the genius of man and
the power of mind over matter than
that afforded by this magnificent dis
| play. i.S1
AS you enter the Porte Rapp, the
grand avenue which exactly divides the
Exposition building, lies before yoa !:
sentinels grim, but polite, guard the
entrance, and beautiful works of art
invite you onward only few steps
from the gate is marvellous vase by
Gustave Dore. 1t is of colossal pro-
| portions and looks as if it were in
tended to tell the story, of the Deluge.
Myriads of little struggling forms
cling to, its green encrusted sides
seeking to- escape the terrible death
that threatens them on some of the
faces is an expression of mortal agony,
while others seem almost paraly zed
with fear. Here and there a smile
may be seen lighting the face of
some little climber nure fortunate
thar the rest, who has escaped for the
moment his impending and seemingly
inevitable fate! 3I.( g3 ss1
But whatever your desire to exam
inc this miracle, of art, the mighty
voice of hundreds of engines calls you
back, asking you to pay your tribute
70 that which is to-day the ruling
power of the eartll Close to the door
q crowd gathers about a machine
which excites universal wonder it is
q giant palmer. under whose keen
tooth the shayings fly from a solid
iron plate rs if it, were only q board 4
A little beyond a mighty trip hammer
performs in few minutes the work
of hundred men, 1t is a curious
thing, and nneaof the most instiue-
tive sights. in the Exhibition to see its
Titanic strokes, under which the great
bllilding Eibrates aud trembles, guided
by the hand of a little child. Net far
away the ingenious sawyer turns ont
from the sold block fairy chairs and
miniature furniture and all sorts of
intricate puzzles. The mystery of
diamond polish is unravelled, and you
see all the mysterious processes by
which tho rough gems are cHt' and
polished and made fitlto glitter in the
crowns,0f Kings. But see how that
crowd across the hall struggle to get |
sight of something apparently of
absorbing interest. These are the |
wonderful mechanical swimmers, who |
act their characters to the life. Ina
tank of about four feet in circHmfef- |
enee o miniature man and woman |
have plunged, both clad in battling |
suits of the most approved PATTERN.
The man strikes boldly out, and the
woman follows him lie approaches
the side of the tank and looks implor-
ingly up ut the wondering crowd, as
much as to sayI's are yOu not going to
help me out; are you going to let a
fellow swim ab0nt i'm this miserable
tub all day ~. ut is true it is only IL
toy, perhaps to iamuse children, and
yet, hom morning till night, grey
headed old men, Princes and Dukes,
grave Senators and learned doctors
and fight.to get sight of the
swimmers. 5lHatHge9 /
Among the mechanical wonders of
/. ExanoifsAF1 kI.11a n n, .r,I
more delightful places than the bower
Of singing birds. shave frequently
heard q single little mechanical singer
whose enchanting song has filed me
with woifder and delight, but here is
. whole grove Of linnets, nightingales, |
mocking- birds, tllrushes. bull-finehes,
skylarks and canaries, that make tile
lir vocal with flood of melody such
rs seldom blesses mortal ears; they
cap from bough to bough, they twist
Lheil. beautiful little heads, and look
up in your face as much as to say,
: now Keep your eye on me-" They
plume their dainty little feathers with
lie most eoQuettish of airs, and all of
/ sudden make the air tremble with d
burst of song, which rises,
Iwells and thrills till the vast hall,
iom one end to the other, seems alive
With singing birds. While the exl.i-
Ditim of machinery is exceedingly /
grand and instructive, there is no
engine that OvertOps all
,thers as the COrliss engine exceeded
else of the kind in the city
,f Philadelphia two years ago. Many
If the print presses Oh exhibition
ire miracles Of genius, throwing off
rom their lightning cylinders from
.welve thousand to twenty five thou
and impressions an hour. 80.
The telephone has found its way
lere, and now any esantryman can
AIRY one hume ia his pockets for his
IONS. The phonograph, too, has ar
lived, and in short We are up in nil
he latest improvements.
Things are getting dull it's week
ince we have had anything like a
irst-class sensation. Our royal yisi-
ors have mostly left Us and even our
y 4 q I