Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-06

PRISON BARs--A MYSTERIOUS MURDER-soL1D
INsURANcE-sw1NGING DAMAGES AGAINST A
RAILROAD coMpANY-rREsH ATTRACTIONS ny
THE OCEAN.
New YoRK, Jan. 26th, 1850.
While General Newton is daily and unos-
tentatiousy exploding mines under the reefs
at He'll Gate, and English miners are blown at
the rate of 900 a year, according to the lat
est statistics, while excayating coal, we have
been treated to a similar disaster on a smaller
scale on board an ocean steamship while be-
ing docked on its arrival from across the At
lantic. Some incautious longshoremen took
! n lighted lantern into one of the coabunkers
of the National Steamship Greece, and the
gas generated by the soft Welsh coal, and
confined by the utter absence of any sort of
ventilation, exploded, killing one man out
right, mortally wounding two others and Sc
verely injuring number more, including
Capt. Bracket, the well-known secret service
federal officer, who was in the very act of
making an important seizure of smuggled
silk. 1t is feared that the Captain will lose
the sight of both his eyes.
The spasmodic virtue of the New York po-
| lice has been exhibited again in the shape Of
their favorite raids The notorious The. Al
len keeps dance house and groggery in
Blceckcr street. The frequenters are not all
of the low class one would suppose would
haunt such place. At any rate, many who
drop in are only occasional visitors, and are
mainly attracted by curiosity. The other
evening the place was surrounded, and some
three hundred male and female prisoners
made. Unless they audaciousy took the
names of distinguished people in vain, it is
astonishing how many namesakes of promi-
nent warriors and statesmen were victims Of
the occasion. One young gentleman had ev-
identity forgotten the false name he had Civ
en-, and was fined double in consequence. He
was dazed by sitting too long under the juni-
per tree.
OF course your readers have heard about
the mysterious murder of young lady of too
easy virtue in Prince street. on the next block
to the station house where presides Light
ming Charlie, one of the smartest police cap
tains in America 1t bids fair to rank with
the historic Nathan and Burdell murders in
interest The girl was apparently robbed
but more valuable articles than any missed
were left behind No noise was heard, though
in the room below ,reclin1d d a sleeplcss invalid
Altogether it is very strange case, and will
exercise the kcenest ingenuity of the detec-
tives to uuravel.
1t is estimated that no less than SlOO, 900, o.
900 worth of buildings are annually destroy
ed by fire. Were these enormous losses not
1isfrihpfaI bN.t NJ Ern T,g
panies, the consequences would be ruin to
many of the most enterprising people. 1t is
important that insurance should be effected
where losses will be paid. Like capital in
vested i'll other directions insurance follows
the line of concentration. While many hun
dreds of the smaller fry of companies are
cutting rates and running each other, and be-
coming utterly unreliable from their rabid
scramble for scanty earnings during their
precarious existence, such corporations as
The Home, for instance, keep steadily ac-
cumulating funds and adding to their reserve
even during the darkest periods of depression
During the early portion of last year there
were some terrible fires, not only in the dry
goods district in New York (by far the richest
district in the city, but in various parts of
the country. OF course the largest and
strongest companies had their full share of
the loss. On examination of a report just
published by the Home l see that they
not only continue to pay their regular divi-
dends, but have already recovered their loss
by these great fires, and present as strong an
array of undoubted assets as ever for the pro-
lection of their many customers.
told you some time ago of the enormous
sale of New York Central stock by Wander
bilt to a syndicate. These bonds are now Of
fered in general market by the great opera
tors in parcels to suit, and they await bids,
of course intending to clear comfortable lit
tie profit by the transaction.
A good business for street railroad COM
panies to keep out of, and one in which they
have shown great proficiency, attained by
constant practice is that of running over
people A small boy who was crippled by
the carelessness of a horse car driver has Just
recovered $4,000 damages. A few more
such swinging verdicts will impress the soul
less corporations with some regard for the
lives and limbs of pedestrian citizens.
The ocean suburbs of Brooklyn are to be
improved in marvellous way. Two colossal
enterprises are now under way. One is to
improve the far-famed and formerly fashion
able watering place, Rockaway Beach, to the
extent of 50, 200, 900, a prominent feature be-
ing mammoth hotel some two-thirds of a
mile long, with all the appurtenances sug-
gested by the late success at Coney Island.
The other scheme is new railroad to CON
IL 1.
circuitous route involving the bridging of the
East River at Blackwelrs Island. And no
doubt there will bo mints of money in both of