, 1880-08-23
Walking On the Water.

A young man named w. y. Soule
walked across Harlem River yesterday
on the face of the water, at spot about
one hundred yards above high Bridge.
His feet were shod with what he calls
"water skates" an invention of his
own, and he was dressed in suit of
ordinary summer clothing, and wore a
straw hat. The skate is an air vessel,
made of zinc and Theoretically sealed.
The contrivance is about five feet in
length. ten inches broad and five inches
deep, with vertical sides. and tapers Oft
fore and aft, or at the toe and heel, like
a steamboat. On the deck. or upper
surface, there is socket, shOe-shaped,
and about four and half inches deep,
ito which the foot is set, the opening
being guarded by u rim of metal one
and half inch high, to keep the water
from washing into the socket. The
bottom of the skate is fitted with
double gang of automatic paddles, one
gang forward and the other aft. with
ive blades in each gang. The blades
are set on swivels in frame ten inches
square, that hangs vertically from the
bottom of the skate. As the skate is
pushed forward through the water, the
blades are opened and offer no resist
ance, but when the foot rests so as to
begin forward movement with the
other foot the pressure backward closes
the blades and gives purchase on the
water that materially aids in propul-
sion. Zach skate weighs actually
about eight pounds, but in the water.
owing to its buOyancy, it has no per-
ceptible weight on the foot.
Mr.. Soule weighs about 125 pounds,
and when he stands on his skates in
the water they sink about three and
half inches, leaving the deck and one
and half inch of the sides above the
water.
Mr.. Soule put the skates in the water
alongside boating float, and without
any support stepped into one. then in
to the other. and started off on his
walk. The tide was running out at the
rate of perhaps two miles an hour, but
he made his way directly across the
stream, and turned and came back to
his starting point. The total distance
travelled was perhaps 500 yards. The
movement in walking is a sort of Gid
ing step, the skate being at no time
Lifted out of the water. The progress,
OF course, is necessarily slow, as there
is q recoil or retardation at every step,
Notwithstanding the resistance offered
by the paddles.-Ne'o York Letter.
For and About Women.
A family of young ladies who reside
in this city SO often entertain their
company on the front stoop that they
have gained the title of the step-sis-
ters.
There" said a charming lady, with
q naive expression that made her face
radiant, pointing to an ebony case of
chinaware, that is ny brick-bat cabi-
net"
It is monstrous, exclaims a social
philosopher, that thousands of young
shop girls should be forced to work
from eight in the morning until nine
or ten at night.
The Queen of England is becoming
more subject to fatigue at receptions.
She is also getting too unusually whim,
sical, SO that great trouble is given to
the court officials.
"I should like to see somebody ab-
duct me" said Mrs Smith at the break.
fast table the other morning. HIM
go should I, my dear; so should I, ,
said Mr.. Smith, with exceeding ear.
nestness.
A chivalrous young man in Norfolk,
Va, knocked young girl down with a
brickbat and broke several of her left
ribs, because she wouldn't marry him
He was determined to get at her heart
some way.
Robinson latter long whist bout al
the club - 1t is awfully late, Brown.
What will you say to your wife?'
Brown lin whisper)-" Oh, I shan't
say much, you know. Good morning
DEAR or something of that sort. She Il
say the rest Per Exchange.
The New York Times asks: Gear
women enjoy q Heaven deprived o.
weddings?" That depends. If new
styles of bonnets make their appear
ance every other week, women viii
manage to keep happy without mar
riage to their back Nsrr. Herald.
The man with the iron jaw is dead
but the one with the iron arm lives il
Ohio. He went to sleep with his arm
on the rail and threw gravel train OF
the track.
The next attraction in the circus ant
menagerie parade, will probably be
den of trained New Jersey mosquitoes
accompanied by their keeper. =
Graphic.
It is never to late too acquire bat
habit. Solomon Eversull, who is 10
years old, and has lived since 1909
few miles south of Cincinnati, has go
in the habit very recently of sleeping
for three days at a time, and waking