Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-08-13
FROM WASHINGTON.
COU nj -" W ~
,,I f,,,rssnSuorucr uf the Alexandria s1aseiie.


The NAVY Department has informed the
.n,ar;c.n makers Of chronomeiers that
,wclve new chonometers will he purchaser
,b;s f,lI and that all dealers wIsniug 10
c,,mnete must deposit their specimens al
IN. Naval Observatory before the ISL OF
January next, when the six mouths test
will begin.
The action of the Treasury Department
in reducinc the force of the special lnspec-
tor. of foreign steam vessels TO Que naIl Tue
rr.sent number, is due to the fact that Inc
inspection service has diminished III ABOUT
that ratio since the force was originally or
g,,;zad by secretary Folger. The number
If steam vessels to be Inspected IS only one
half of what it was when the inspectors
were appointed.
Tho attention. Of The State Department
having been called to the appointment OF
In. Fenian James Whelan, of Buffalo, N. y,
TN The C,asu!ship Of the United States III
F,r, Erie. il /. announced that nothing can
be done i'm the matter at present, IA the
| Dominion government has not yet peeh
officially u.ied of his appointment. mere
is no doubt That Whelan's exequal"' "''
he refused. a,h,
tenseIy hot weather have decided depress
ing in iluence upon politica! as we'll as other
matters.
The q. 6. monitor Wyandotte, which has
been the receiving ship at the Navy Yard
for some time past, was put out of commits
sion Yesterday, and her place was taken by
the Dale. It Is probable that the Wyandotte
will be sent to City Point, Va, to join the
other monitors.
The lug Pilgrim was offered for sale AT
auction. Yesterday, at the League Island
Navy Yard There were only two bids
offered .250 and 81, 800 the latter being
offered by Purvis & Son. Of Philadelphia.
It was accepted, SUBJECT to the approval OF
the Secretary of the Navy. The price was
considerably below the appraised value OF
the vessel
J. J. Kellum was to-day appointed post
master ut Morrison, Warwick CO., Va, vice
ID. II. Johus removed for offensive partisan
ship. The following 4!h class postmasters
were commissioned today: Thomas f..
Morse at Hxburg, James +. Trout at Long
Glade, and William j. Taylor at New Kent
| Court House.
Assistant Naval Constructor Lewis Nixon,
OF Lsesburg, Va, who has recently returned
from England, has been ordered to duty at
the Delaware River Iron and Steel Works
| at Chester, Pa, as a member of the Board
president.
IL is said here that the locality of the
natoual observatory is becoming more and
more unfavorahle every year. During last
year there were Only eighty eight fair see
ing nights, and Of this number but very few
were such as astronomers naturally expect
where an observatory is fixed. The mist
| from the Potomac is constantly clouding
| the SKY or making the atmosphere ha3y.
The meteorological aud climatic conditions
Of The new site on Georgetown Heights,
| purchased in 1850, are said to be unexcep-
| tionabe, and now the only question is when
will Congress appropriate sum sufficient
| for building the new observatory.
The Acting Secretary Of he Treasury has
awarded silver Life Saving Service medal
t, Charles H. Billtr, for heroic conduct in
rssc,iing Thomas O'Ncal, of Newark, n. j.,
from drowning, al Asbury Park, last sum
rHer.
A New York politician who arrived here
Yesterday states positively that while in
New York. attending the Grant obsequies,
President Cleveland paid quiet visit to
Greys,one and held lengthy conference
with Samuel J. Tilden, principally with ref
erenoe to the approaching gubernatorial
contest in that State. MIR. Cleveland,
Salu the NEW 1OFkef, Is luFoidoio w INC
nomination Of ex Mayor Cooper, of New
York City, as Governor. He is opposed TO
Hill because he believes hiGa to re the ma
chine candidate. Cooper and the President
have long been good friends 10 fact he ad-
mres Cooper as an efficient officer and u
consistent democrat Mr.. Cleveland also
frankly acknowledged while in New York,
| that in the future it was his intention TO
ignore professional politicians in making
appointments. BY professional politicians
he means that class of men in New York
who have made living for years by dab
bling in politics. irrespective party"
Postmaster General Villas left Washington
this morning for the West to take vaca
ton Of three or four weeks. lie goes first
to Chicago. thence probably 10 his home.
Commodore Oscar o. Badger, recently relieved
from the mmand of the Boston Navy Yard, has
been placed on the retired list.