New-York tribune., 1881-12-05

growth of the system has scarcely kept pace
however, with the advance OF the co"nh'
in nopulafion and wealth. Its conservative
character is shown by the fact that the present
remarkable activity in general business mas
not caused any undue expansion III ltS
activities.
Sir Edward Reeds letter to Admiral Am
men in favor of the Tehuantepec Ship-iau-
road project will inspire fresh confluence III
that novel undertaking. His views are thOSe
of a recognized authority on engineering. lie
was for many years the Chief Constructor of
the British Navy, and may he presumed 10
know something about the strain upon SHIPS
in taking them out of the water, and the posi-
bility of handling them without detriment to
hulls or carcoes. Sir Edward thinks there VIII
he no more difficulty in getting vessels lh'o
the car or cradle designed for their transpor-
tatior than is experienced in dTy-dock'hs' Wi'iIe
bauling them on a railroad across the lsthmus
he looks upon as simply matter OF building
| road broad enough and strong enough ana
providing sufficient steam power
John TAYLOR the successor OF BIlgllam
Young as head of the Mormon Church, has
taken unto himself another wife. The dis
patch announcing the fact does not gratliy
curlosity hy giving the numeral rank OF this
last accession to Taylor's household, and only
describes her as a wealthy widow. The Nor
mon President" appears to stand in more
dread of the United States statute against
polvgamv than did his predecessor, for he did
not venture to have the ceremony performed
! in Salt Lake City, but went off to country
town where he could enjoy the exclusive com
panv of the Saints" Probably it would be
| of no use to arrest him for this fresh offence
against the law, for the witnesses to the mar
riage world not testify, and yet it may be
| worth while for the Government officials to
make the attempt. If they could succeed in
bringing him to justice they would strike
polygamy a crushing blow.
American travellers abroad are pretty unani-
nous in the opinion that the English do not
know how to keep a hotel Acting on TINS
| .dea a company is going to erect IN LondOh'
upon the Thames Embanlmc1t, mg hosiery
on the American plan. II it Is as well man
aged as our hest hotels in New ork, Phliadel-
| ,hIa and Chicago it will he sure to succeed
for it will find ample patronage from the
| thousands of t0uTsts who run over to Europe
for pleasure every summer and make long
stavs in London as the most interesting OF
foreign cities. They will regard an establish
ment where a guest is lodged and fed at n
fixed price. and can eat when he pleases ana
what he plcases, escaping the annoying re-
| strctions and exactions Of English inns as a
haven of comfort and delight. Perhaps the
English themselves will patronize it out OF
curiosity, and come at last to see that 1t Is a
GOOD thing to afford the traveller the con-
venienccs of baths, barber shop, reading
room, smollng-TOom, public pdrlors, etc, un-
der one roof, and let him know in advance
lust how much he has got to pay.
An evil fate seems to hang over the great
Touring interests of Minneapolis. Four years
ago two of her principal mills were destroyed
by fire and by explosions of mill-dust which II
will be remembered attracted much attention
IN the scientific world as a novel form OF
calamity. Yesterday morning three OF the
largest -four mills in the place and cotton
mill persisted in like manner. The catas-
trophe began with fire, and there was soon
an explosion of dust, which blew out the roof
and rear wall of one of the mills attacked by
the flames, and produced a conclusion so
tremendous rs to shatter the windows of the
neighboring bldings within radius Of ten
blocks. The loss of property is about $780,
900. which of itself will not fall heavily upon
so energetic a town as Minneapolis; but the
character of the calamity will further disturb
confidence in the security Of mill property,
already seriously shaken by the explosion OF
1877. 1t is now demonstrated beyond the
possibility Of doubt that the fine dust iioatlng
in the air of a -four mill becomes under GER
tain conditions a destructive agency as ter
rible as gunpowder The lesson of the disas-
ter is that mills should be made more secure
against the spread of fire. Touring mil
need not be peculiarly inaammabe. The
= great stone mills upon the Brandywinc, ii
Delaware, which ground corn for Washing
, toms army, are still in existence and still a
work Let the Minnesota millcrs use more
brick, stone or iron, and less pine lumber, il
their structures, if they want to guard agains
such catastrophes as that of yesterday
FIENDISHNESS NOT INSANITY.
. l. ,iI,.1 4