The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27


Injuries and not to be had every day. To the chill
dren-for the most part sturdy young imps-it wa
luxury indeed that tea and viii no doubt be dreamed
about often during the year. The evening was
brought to close by addresses from MIR. Catlin,
reformed costermonger, and Others interspersed
with Moody and Sankey hymns and ferventiy ohereo
POSTPONED POLAR EXPEDITION.
Commander Cheyne has just announced that his
Polar expedition cannot sail until 1880 He has re-
ceived letters from Glasgow and Aberdeen, where he
has received good deal of encouragement, request
ing him to forbear for time the promotion of the
movement in Scotland in consequence of the great
and painful distress caused by the failure or the
Glasgow Bank. Sir James Watson has also asked
Mr.. Cheyne not to recognize for the time being the
offer of Glasgow to bear onethird of the cost OF the
proposed expedition. Captain Templar has prom
Used not only to accompany the Commander without
pay, but also to provide a balloon for the expe-
dition free OF cost. The two are going TO
Paris in order to further the movement by of
lectures and with the view of showing that balloons
be directed by of currents of air. they in
tend to make the journey to Paris in balloon:
voyages of late that shall be anxious to see
whether Commander Cheyne's performances will tall
short of his promise equally with the rest
ANOTHER ARCTIC SEARCH EXPEDITION
1t is reported from Berlin that Sbiriakof wealthy
Russian patron OF geographical science, has all
nounced his intention of despatchin9 in the spring
vessel for the discovery OF Professor Nordenskiolds
steamer. The expedition will sail from Malmo and
proceed by way OF the suez Canal and the Indian
Ocean to Japan, and thence through Behring Strait
THE ROYAL ASSASSINATION SCARE.
HNttSNQN
ity," that the Duke of Cumberland on his wedding
day, and the King of Denmark alike, received COM
muncation Of the deaths head variety and that the
Princess Thyra feels considerable alarm in conse
quence. The same journal informs us, now that the
marriage is fat accomp, every effort will be made
for obvious political reasons, by the Court of ST.
James to bring about reconciliation between the
Duke of Cumberland and his feudal superior at Ber
lin. 'one man: however may take horse to drink
but ten &c. 1t Is well to remember this old adaSe
wANTED-A LORD CHAMBERLAIN
There is a rumor afoat that Lord HEREFORD Inc
present Lord Chamberlain, is about to resign his
Office. There have been a number of statements
abroad to the motive OF Lord Hertford S
retirement but the fact seems to be that the ncna
ton to resign prompted by private motives The
position is not bed OF roses, as one may imagine.
Truth says
LGsS nss d. S h M
would involve his being granted an English peerage
FIND THIEF
A remarkable case, as showing the amount of
superstition still prevalent among the lower orders
III England. came before the borough magistrates OF
Ludlow, Shropshire, Tuesday. A woman named
Collier summoned under the local bylaws for
using abusive language toward another named
Oliver. The parties, 1t appeared, were neighbors,
and sheet having been lost of a garden line the
practice Of turning the key and the Bible was re.
the thief. The complainant said oliver
met her in the street and told her the
Bible had been turned down to several houses
where suspected persons lived, and that when Mrs.
Golfers name mentioned 1.-THE Bible fled out 1T
their hands," The Bible then turned to see
the sheet was stolen during the udy OF auu,
the latter was indicated Mrs. Collier called her "a
- daylight thief" The Bench dismissed the
case, remarkng that the superstition was more like
"a relic of the past than belief Of this advanced
age" 1t is curious to remark how this method Of
divination, very commonly practsed in the Middle
Ages, has survived almost without modification
The Bible is opened at the Book OF Ruth, and, bal
anclng the key the forefnger of each hand which
formed in the shape OF cross, the verse is re.
peated commencing, "Whither thou goest will CO."
Where it turns the guilty party is to De found
NJ. oFFENBACH's PROLIFIC MUSE.
Preparations, understand, are being made to in
troduce Nj. Offenbachs new comic opera. Mime:
Favart, to the English public This, the latest Of
the composers works, although i'll line somewhat
different to his former operas has proved an equal
success to any of his others, at least in
the French capital. it no doubt will
in the English. BY the way, Truth gives
amusing and at the same time characteristic anoc
dote respecting the fertility OF Ofenbach COM
poser The maestro, it appears had agreed TO write
the music of operetta under the title OF LApoth
caire ct lie Perruquler. When called upon to fulfil
his promise however he did not care much to do
and the young author had to remind him more than
once OF the treaty between them. Some GOODNESS en-
sued, and finally matters came to hot discussion,
which took place in Ohenbachs study. well. sir,
you your music do your the maestro said At last
in hit OF passion "You shall have it too, and all ut
once. Please to sit down there Here is newspaper
and cigar for YOU" He jumped at ruled paper, pen
and ink and began to write away for AN hour so.
Then turning round to his foe:-"Here is the IN usic
you take 1t away with you and have 1t played II
YOU Ike" you cannot mean it, objected the au-
thor, .for the sake of your own fame? IL tell you,
sir, you take 1t, as you shall have no other"
Seeing that he could gain nothing mOre the author
went away with the manuscript He took II to some
friends and, examination, 1t was found that there
five or six charming melodies in this musical
scribbng. quite enough for one-act cperetta Ofen-
bach was prevailed upon to revise it, and within a
month the work was presented. 1t proved u com
plete success.
THE THUSDERER's BURST GUN.
You may imagine the dismay-downright in
creduity at first III artillery headquarters at Wool
wich--with which the news of the bursting Of one
Of the big guns Of the crack turre ship received
There indignant protest from the arsenal.
hrS our fasr treatsnt Ws TO do them istice
1t is fact that the Thunderers thirty -eghtton gun
burst owing to the ball-if one can call mass OF
iron as long as u bostcr-having slipped forward.
The Thunderer's guns muzzle-loaders and the
method of loading them is believe, by depressing
the gun so that it can receive the charge from
below the deck outside the turret huge
rammer worked by machinery sending the powder
and projectile home. On the present occasion the
rammer did its work apparently, but the projectile
had slipped forward before the gun leveled and
of course when the immense cartridge was fired the
gun broke in two instantly reducing the ships crew
Well, l saying, the artillerymen secuted the
idea Of woowich guns bursting, and Lord Charles
Beresford writing TO the Times said THAT any OF the
Woolwich pattern guns could burst excepting under
conditions unfair to the guns do not believe"
AN INCONVENIENCE PRECEDENT
In to-day's Times, however, a rear admiral has his
say, and this is how he says it,
Facts speak for the%ssves Let me mention one In
the two oincn s5opower wooiwieh guns
burst during target practice outside OF olyhead
blown out striking the bufor in against which
the carriage recos Several large pieces OF metal
also blown about and through the of the urret
Fortunately not person injured. although think
there thirteen inside the turret An oil
n Wooiwich Immediately sent to nspcct the
damaged and IL found that its bursting due
the metal and ia way attributable careless
loading Sc not quite the number of
the had been fired before bursting but under the
impression did not exceed sixty The remaining guns
were by Admiralty order never fired again. and when
the ship of months later they returned to
the Ordnance Department, where as far As know they
may be now. or, what is more probable. broken up
q. A. &. BROOkER. Roar Admiral.
TO those English artillery officers who not
ashamed to cut from self-adulatory prejudices
and do believe that the English system muzzle
loading artillery il right and the breechoading
system OF the whole Of the rest of the world wrong
IT may be satisfactory to know that the Thunderer
accident may be the death knel of the mzzeloaders
for naval use at least
The papers of to-day have the following paragraph
the subject
The Thundcrcr xploson WILL II is expected DO at
followed by change ia the loading system, aud IL In
unlikely that IL will facilitate change which has tor
been thought inevitable from muzxle loading
brecch- loading guns for board ship. Thick aud
heavy being the first necessity ct modern iron
clad the batteries must necessarily be reduced In size