Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-08-30
Our New York Letter.


ground that there has been gross extrava-
gancc, mismanagement and fraud in the con-
duct of the work thus far that the legal linz
it Of expenditure will be passed long before
the structure is finished that the bridge
when built will be nuisance to shipping,
and in any case of no advantage except to
Brooklyn. The Corporation Counsel of New
York city, being applied to for an opinion
wrote an elaborate one to the effect that
Comptroller Kelly had no opinion in the mat
ter but was bound to issue the bonds. Still
the Comptroller holds out and refuses to fork
over until judicial decision shall have been
obtained. The newspapers have taken it up,
the majority supporting the Comptroller in
his action, and thus the matter stands The
force of workmen have been dismissed, and
everything is at deadlock.
! hope that we shall not soon be involved
in war which would enable us to use our
new style of submarine weapons but if we
should happen to become so involved, think
We could show thing or two to any men-of-
war which might seek 10 invade the harbor of
New York. AIajor-Gcneral Abbott Of the
regular army has been busy Of late, expert
menting with some new torpedocs at Wizards
Point, and the results of these have been to
prove that the heaviest vessels may be blown
into the mir at a moments warning. A large
number of torpedoes were exploded at differ
ent depths and under various conditions, the
effect in each case being carefully noted for
future reference. The final experiment was
the blowing up of a 2OO-ton schooner in the
presence of large number of spectators.
The scene on this occasion reminded one Of
the memorable blowing up of Hell Gate. The
torpedo, containing n hundred pounds of pow
| der, was sunk beneath the vessel and connect
ed by an electric wire with the station on
shore When all was i'll readiness, Gen.
Abbott touched the key, and Immediately
there was violent cOmmotiou of the water
under the schooner She snapped asundor as
if made Of pasteboard, with a loud, deep re-
port her timbers We're torn rs if they were
straws, and a confused mass of water planks
fragments of wood, black dust, and volume
of smoke, through which darted large red
globe of fire, was hurled up to u height Of at
least 1870 feet For moment the whole mass
balanced in the air and then fell. All that re-
manned of the schooner was the top Of the
cabin deck. OF the remainder of the vessel
no two planks were left together. Photo
graphy was called in to record the experiment,
several instantaneous views of the explosion
being obtained in its different stages.
Edison is not the only wonderfully inyen-
tive genius the world possesses. Another
scientific phenomenon has come to the sur
face in the person of a Mr.. James Gresham,
who not only proposes to take the photograph
of an individual, or q ship, or other object
from 800 to 1000 miles distant, but will also
furnish the exact latitude and longitude Of the
object So you see that should any vessel be
derelct hereafter, all that is necessary is to
call upon Mr. Gresham. and he will give her
whereabouts and condition in jIy. The
method proposed by Mr.. Gresham, or rather
the principle involved, is as old as the eternal
hills, and the only wonder is that it has not
been thought of before The story of the
spectre of the Broken is familiar to every
child and even the oldest inhabitant relncm-
bers having read Of that ghost in his early
youth. Mr.. Gresham's method is to produce
an artificial mirage, and the thing is done.
The way il was discovered was this. A little
over year ago, while preparing asphalt foI
the roofing of house. the cauldron was up.
set, and the contents taking fire, sent an i'm.
mense mass of dense black smoke rolling
heavenward. Suddenly sunbeam shot
through the dense cloud, and looking UP, 1t
saw distinctly brig which was lying at Hun,
ter's Point, and which was on fire. He plain.
ly saw the men throwing water on the fire
saw the hose saw gangs of men at work cast
ing of lines from adjacent schooners, and
every surrounding. Just as distinctly as though
he were on the spot He immediately went
to work and has demonstrated TO his own sat
isfaction at least. that an artificial mirage car
be produced which will reproduce objects
few miles distant. The same can be effected
on larger scale, by means of which object.
at any given distance can be photographed.
) The New York Custom House is again
quiet. At the time of the change in Collect
ors here, referred to the tumnlt the transfer
occasioned This excitement has died away
Gen. Merritt accepted the position with til,
intention of running the Custom House on
, business baSs-iust as Il clear headed manag
err would control the outgoings and incoming'
, of any large mercantile establishment Col
lector Merritt has all the elements necessary
for popularity. He has no impregnable in
} ner sanctum, but opens his doors to receive
any corners. Merchants appreciate this, ant
already the business men of New York heart
~ endorse the new Collector, There ough
not to be any nonsense in Congress next win
ter to interfere with the confirmation Of sucl
a man as Gen. Merritt.
As the dispatches come huuying in from tn
|
nal tidings than its predecessor, some uneasi
ness has been felt for the safety of New York
from which town it is, of course, impossible
| to entirely exclude fugitives from the yellow
fever districts One or two alleged cases o
: tile disease have indeed been discovered here
but SO great vigilance is exercised at quaran
tine and throughout the Health Department
| that l presume we really have little founda
e ton for our fears The appeals for help
which New York is always the first city to re
ceive in cases or local distress anywhere in tn
: country, have begun to pour in, and, as usual
3 are promptly responded to. Several thousand
= of dollars have already reen contributed ant
= forwarded, and more is being done in tn
, same direction The violent and rapid spreat
y of the scourge has had serious effect on GU
: Southern trade for this season, amounting il
e some lines to its almost complete ruin. Amonl
D the measures introduced to check the sprea'
p of the disease is the novel one of disinfectinl
the mails before forwarding from the yellow
I fever towns.
: Three funerals have taken place this weel
5 in which the seats of chief and lesser mourner
, were filed by members of the dramatic pro
a fession. Old William Niblo, who was a res
, taurateur and theatrical manager, was dear t
+ the last generation of New Workers, died a
e the age of almost ninety years. wealthy AM
respected by the few who knew him. So re