Morning journal and courier., 1888-10-29

| amining the history of 8, 3,000 criminals under
 going sentences of various lengths he found that of the vagabonds and beggars there were 79 per cent. who were confirmed drunkands; of assassins and incendiaries from 50 to 57 per cent; of thieves and swindlers n per cent while of those convicted of violence to the person there were 88 per cent. and 79 per cent. of those guilty of violence to property. A German scientist concludes that be- heath Saratoga is a vast water-flled cavern with roof or crust about 800 feet thick. He thinks there is some connection between this body of water and the ocean, and he expects, if he can get line long enough, to find at what depth the subterranean heat is constantly generating this gas from the carbonates. line 2,700 feet long
 with three pound weight attached to it reached no bottom, and at last accounts 8 trial was to be made with line $500 feet
 in length with 6 six pound weight attached to it.
 A new invention is reported for drying
 buildings. A Russian engineer, M. de Wrag
 insky, has invented an apparatus for drying buildings which is said to have proved very effective. It is based on the principle of earbonic gas rapidly absorbing the moisture of the air, and to this end the inventor has constructed closed stove burning charcoal
 by the introduction of air into it direct from
 the open through two tubes. A steady cur
 rent of dry, warm carbonic gas is allowed to
 escape into the room to be dried, which rap idly absorbs the moisture in the air and es-
 capes in the ordinary manner through the
 chimney.
 The Democrats promised four years ago to reduce the expenses of the government in such degree ss to prove that the Republi- cans had been spending money in a shame fully extrevagant manner. To see how this promise has been fulfilled it is only necessary
 to glance at the figures which show what the government is now costing us. There has been no decrease whatever, but on the contrary an increase of about 800 1000, 900 a year. We have 8 right to infer from this exhibit that the present administration if not less honest
 than it's Republican predecessors is certainly
 less efficient, and the people are paying $9O,- 900, ,00O per year as penalty for making the change.
 Progress, and very encouraging progress too, has been made in the war against the
 car stove. The Railroad Gazette has cole lected information as to the prevalence of steam heating among the roads of the coun-
 try. While many are still experimenting only few have equipped all trains. Among
 the latter are the Boston and Albany, whose
 entire passenger outfit is provided with
 steam-heating system; most ot the Wander
 bilt roads, including the New York Central, West Shore, Michigan Central and Lake
 Shore, which are either now or will be this winter well rid of the car stove; and the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern,
 Fitchburg, Connecticut River, Maine Central and Portland and Ogdensburg. Several im- portant lines are providing steam-heating equipment as rapidly as possible, including
 the Atchison, St. Paul, Rock Island, Cleve- land, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapo- lis, Lackawanna and Western, Delaware and Hudson, Lake Erie and Western and Wis.,
 consin Central Experiments are being con- ducted on various other roads.