Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-06-15
General News.

General News.
A farmer in Dearborn county, Ind, had
roof ii feet square come crashing down into
his orchard during tornado. four weeks ago,
and has not vet been able TO ascertain where
il came from, even after diligent inquiry IN
the track Of the hurricane
The whistling buoys now in use weigh
abont fifteen tons each, and in their plung-
ing, even during calm weather. force OF
three-horse power is evolved. To utilize
this waste energy Mr.. Edison has devised
small dynamo machine to be carried by the
buoy. the current from which Will sustain an
electric light equal TO one gas-]et. II sue
cessful, the self-illuminating buoys mast be
of great use TO mariners.
1t viii be remembered that one Capt. Can
dy, an Englishman, signalzed his visit to
Newport last year, by riding into the club
house. A similar feat has been performed,
possibly by the same gentleman, at Melton,
England. A horse went up stairs into a
drawing room, but positively refused TO come
down. Ultimately part Of the wall was
taken down, and the animal was lowered by
a steam crane. This funny fellows joke cost
about $1,000.
The 81 400, 900 which George Peabody left
to establish homes for the poor of London had
grown to over 50, 100000 last December,
through additions of rent and interest money
to the principal. The trustees of the fund
have already housed 1905 persons in 2355
separate dwellings, and have made arrange
ments to buy nine acres of land in Glasshouse
street, near the mint. To cover these sites
with buildings the trustees have obtained a
loan of 81 900, 900 from the fund, in yearly
installments of $500, 900, and on the condi-
ton that the whole shall be repaid in Is years.
They calculate that this sum will provide
weekly earnings of the head of each family
in the Peabody buildings last year was about
Sc, the average rent of each dwelling about
81, and of each room about so cents. :.
The problem of steam canal boat seems
to have been solved. After various expert
ments model has been hit upon which it is
believed will pay handsomely. It has as full
bow and stern as the ordinary canal boat.
The wheel is eight feet in diameter and placed
close to the stern. The boiler is upright,
with single engine, very compact machinery,
taking up no more room than the stable in
many boats, and enabling the boat to carry
1900 bushels of corn and coal for the trip.
With this cargo they run from Buffalo to
New York in seven days on five and Il half
gross tons of coal, saving river and harbOr
towing. a large number OF these boats will
soon be at work OH the Erie canal.
a sea unicorn, recently caught and stuffed
near Cape Sagami, is now on exhibition in
San Francisco. The body is of the size of
s small deer and covered with scales about an
hair grown quite plentifully between the
scales. Its legs are quite slender, and have
long hair about the hoofs which resemble
those of deer goat. The tail is straight
and tuffed, like that of a COW, while the snout
is enlarged at the end like that of swine,
and the mouth shows formidable tusks pro-
truding on either side. From the centre of
the face projects Il single horn, not more than
six inches in length and less than an inch in
diameter, which curves upward slightly In
addition, there are two long feelers, or tenta-
cles, one on each side of the mouth. The
hair upon the neck is longer than elsewhere,
of the same reddish color, and has the ap-
pearance of short name. The fishermen
related that this animal was sometimes seen
upon the shore of the island, and that he
made musical noise, which gave him the
name of the singing unicorn, and some of the
more credulous islanders had taken his notes
heard family in the distance, for those of
mermaids.