The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-06-02
Special TO the CARBON ADvoc ATE.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON d. c., May 20, 1888

WASHINGTON d. c., May 20, 1888.
Mr.. EDIToR The weather continues
cool, and it has rained almost inceseantly
during the past week. Notwithstanding the
unpleasant weather, however, the city has
been unusually crowded with strangers.
The annual conclsve of the order of the
Knights of the Golden Eagle was held on
Tuesday and Wednesday, and about five
thousand uniformed members OF the order
participated in the parade, which trayersed
the principal streets of the city, and was
reviewed by the President as it passed the
White House.
The event of the week, however, was the
ceremonies connected with the laying of
the cornerstone of the new Divinity build
ing, the first of the series of buildings to be
erected upon the recently purchased site of
the Catholic University. Preparations had
been made for celebrating this great event
in the history of the Catholic Church upon
grand Scale. Invitations were sent to
prelates of the church IN all sections of the
country, and the President of the Unitep
States with his Cabinet had agreed to be
present. A monster procession had been
planned in which all of the Catholic So
cieties and members of the local Catholic
congregations were to participate, but the
raging storm which prevailed during the
day rendered IL necessary to dispense with
the procession. Notwithstanding the rain,
however, more than FIVE thousand persons
were present at the laying of the corner
stone, and the ceremonies were both inter-
esting and impressive.
Lieut.. Gen. Philip II. Sheridan is con-
fined to his bed with what is reported to be
a serious attack of nervous prostratiou, due
to his recent extensive trip through the
west, where he has been to establish mill
tary posts. There is much solicitude among
his friends as To his condition, and his
physicians are very reticent, but 1t is known
that they have been in constant attendance
at his bedside since his first attack on
Wednesday last. AS the General has had
trouble with his heart in the past, the re-
fusal upon the part of the physicians to
furnish the public with information as to
his real condition has lead the public to in
fer that he is a very sick man.
A patent was issued on Tuesday last up
on one Of the most ingenious inventions Of
modern times. Mr.. John T. Kiltan, the
inventor, who Is resident of northern
New York, has deyoted several years to the
study of scenic changes and effects, and the
invention which he has recently patented
consists of an arrangement of series Stats
upon which the scenes are painted, by
which 1t is rendered possible to change the
entire scene upon the stage, including both
wings and flies within the one-tenth of O
second; thus obyiating the necessity o.
either turning down lights or lowering
curtains in making changes In scenery.
series of scenes may be produced in Iapit
succession. or portion of scene changed
without affecting the rest of IL. A ghost
bird or animal my be caused to appear a
will at any desired point, or mere specl
upon the horizon may be made to gradual
, ly increase in size until 1t appears as a full
sized ship in the immediate foreground.
, A n.initure mrdel of this invention, whicl
has been upon exhibition in the city, ha
been the subject of wonder and admiration
of those who have seen it. Fl.