Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-04-25
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
The Highest ChiH,uey in the Uniied
atntea Damaged By IiRhtnInR.

states Damaged by Lightning.
At eight O'Clock in the morning, March
2S, 1890 the many hundreds Of employees Of
the great establishment known as the Clark
Thread ks, opposite Newark, n. J.,
were startled by a tremendous crash OF
thunder. and at the same instant beheld a
ball of fire, estimated TO be two feet in di.
ameter, gliding down one side of the great
chimney throwing into the air cloud Of
bricks and debris. Fifteen seconds later
came a second terrific crash, caused by the
fall Of another stroke of lightning upon the
chimney Here is an example of light
ming striking twice almost in the same spot.
The apex Of the chimney is covered by a
massive cap Of iron Of six tons in weight.
The first tore out few bricks under the
bell shaped top of the chimney, then skipped
over portions about 90 feet long and made
four ugly looking, ragged shaped gashes in
the exterior wall Of the chimney, two and
three bricks deep inward, two feet wide
and several feet long, down the north side.
Below these a serious crack perhaps fifty
feet long, was made. The second stroke
tore out few bricks on the bell portion.
As a precaution il was deemed best TO
shut down the mill until the interior wall
could be examined, although it is believed
TO have sustained no injury. The chimney
was also kept warm to prevent contraction.
As no means had been provided at the time
Of erection TO reach the top Of the chimney
in case Of accident, the interesting question
arose as to how this could be quickly done.
After discussing the matter thoroughly, the
proprietors accepted the offer of Mr.. John
Phillips, commonly called in Newark "Stee-
pie Jack, to scale the outside of the chin
Na.lr ,.shtnb ba pttrraagfttllty
plished in three working days by means of
ladders, which he placed one above the 9th
er, securing them firmly TO the chimney as
he went up, by means of steel hooks driv-
en- into the brickwork Subsequently, by
means Of ropes and slings let down within
the chimney, the interior walls were care
fully examined and found to be uninjured.
Ex President Hayes and daughter have
gone to Bermuda.
Historic Castle Garden has been given
up as a landing place for immigrants.
The palace of the czar on the Gulf of
Finland has been burned by the Nihilists.
The Louisiana Lottery company offers
the state $12, 500, 900 in half million install
ments if it will renew its charter for 2f
years.
Congress has passed and the President
has signed bill making John e. Fremont
a major. general and putting him on the re-
tired list of the army.
Stanley is now in Brussels, the guest of
the king of Belgium. He receives an ova.
ton whenever he appears in public, and is
in constant receipt Of great number OF
letters and cable dispatches.
A college at Rock Island, H., has been
closed on account of an epidemic of ty-
phoid fever among the students, forty OF
whom have the disease, a large proportion
Of the cases being of a malignant type.
E1-Gov. James Polluck Of Pennsylvania
died in Lock haven Saturday. 1t was he,
who, as director of the mint, from 1861 to
1857, caused the motto, "In God We Trust,
to be put upon the national coins, Secreta
ry Chase approving the idea.
The City of Paris, the lnman racer, which
broke down recently on her eastward voy.
age, was docked on her arrival at Liver.
pool, and as she rose out of the water her
starboard propeller dropped off, revealing
a broken shaft, which at once explained the
cause of the accident TO the engine, namely
the sudden jerk given by the breaking OF
the shaft
IL Is Salu JndI Lne MeAlcdu government u
about to put Photographs in all its princi
pal post offices for the benefit of people
| who cannot read or write. The sender OF
a photographic letter will go to the post.
office, talk his message into the receiver
and when the cylinder reaches its destina
ton the person addressed will be sent for
and the message will be repeated to him by
another machine. Another Mexican idea
is an insurance company which guarantees
the senders of valuable letters and pack
ages against loss in the mails.
A Chinaman stayed upon Niagara bridge
for two days aud night last week because
neither the United States nor the Canada
officials would allow him to enter either
country. The case probably has no paral
lel 1t seems that Thursday morning three
of the wearers of the pig tail we're hustled
across the bridge by the American officials
as violators of the Chinese exclusion act
! Two were admitted TO Canadian soil. hav
ing each a Canadian customs certificate
but the third, without the necessary pa
pers or $50 to pay the required tax, wa
sent back. The miserable Mongolian wa:
thus caught in a trap and had to stay OF
neutral ground and feed on the beauties o
nature till he was finally let off on tn,
Canadian side.