Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-09-12
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
TIE NEWS IN BRIEF.
Trnin Wrccking on the New York
Ceutru1,


Trnin Wrccking on the New York
Central.
The utter depravity and iendishness of
some human minds was exhibited in the
deliberate attempt to wreck "A passenger
train on the New York Central x Hudson
River railroad last week Thursday night
near Albany, N. Y, at about midnight
The second section of the Montreal sleeper
out of New York left little behind time,
and was running unusually fast, when on
a straight level piece of the road a stout
obstruction was struck which threw the
train from the track down a slight en-
bankment andl,'overturned coaches, but
miracuousy no loss Of life or serious inju-
ries ensued The obstruction was an in
genous arrangement, consisting of two
pieces Of railroad iron about six feet long
crossed like the letter Y, so that when the
engine struck it it spread the tracks In
vestigation showed that a similar obstruc
tiou had been placed on the southbound
track short distance above. Vice Presi
dent Webb at onceoffered a reward Of $4,000
for the detection and conviction of the per-
son or persons who did the deed, and the
Knights of Labor also offered "A re
ward This is only one OF numerous sim
lar crimes, though of smaller scope since
the New York Central strike began, and
the imperative duty of the civil authorities
is the capture of the fends who can thus
jeopardize the lives of their fellow men.
On Sunday John j. Reed Of East Albany,
a brakeman, was arrested on suspicion of
being connected with the wrecking. aud he
confessed, duplicating four others, all Of
whom are strikers Three of these men
have since been arrested.
Monday night desperate attempt was
made about eight miles from Poughkeepsie,
~ Y to wreck the fast St Louis and Chi
cago express. ilagman discovered sever
al ties standing on end in the culvert, and
when he tried to remove them he was fired
upon from the bushes by the track, but he
ran some distance and set the danger sig
nal which stopped the train. Eight full
sleeping cars and two ordinary passenger
coaches were included in the train. The
Central strikers are doubtless responsible
for this attempt also.
The finding of Judge Humphrey in the
Quincy disaster case, removing the respon
,ibity from the subordinate and placing II
upon the section master under whose drec
ton the work was being done, is empha
sized bv the decision of the Dedham grand
jury last week in finding Foreman Welch
guilty Of the death Of Mary +. Fenley
through his neglect of duty. The findings
differ in this respect The Judge held that
Welch was guilty of criminal negligence in
directing the Jack 70 be used at that time
and place. aud Of grosser negligence in
omittiug to order its removal upon the ap
proach Of the train but the jury rests its
send out toward the approaching express
any signal 10 stop or warn it, as prescribed
10y the regulations Of the Old Colony rail
road company.
The refuse from the glucose works at
North Aurora, Ill has killed the fish in the
Fox river, so that the whole surface of the
river was covered with them. Thirty two
thousand pounds of dead fish were taken
from the river in one day.
Eight miners were buried in the Lake
Angelne mine at Ishpeming, Mich, Fri
day, by cave in.
A fire Friday night in Philadelphia in a
building occupied by large baking estab
lishment and chemical works, did damage
to the amount of S20O,OOO.
More than 30 persons were injured in Il
collision at South Norwalk. Conn, Satur-
lav. between Boston express train and a
commuters train The accident was due
TO carelessness 1t was the third accident
which this train had met on the same run
By the premature explosion Of blast at
Spokane Falls Wash, Saturday, 5000
cubic feet of rock were thrown upon the
unsuspecting workmen, lS Of whom were
killed Twenty seven men are still missing.
5. j. Dixon, a noted photographer of
Toronto, Ont, walked over Niagara Satur
lay on a slender wire cable, the act being
witnessed by large crowd of spectators.
He performed a series of difficult feats at
the end of the cable near the American
shore. after which he was taken by car
riage to the Canadian shore where he also
gave an exhibition.
News from China reports that the Yellow
river is again overlooked. 1t has burst its
dykes in the Shantug district and flooded a
vast area of country, Thousands of per
sons have been drowned and widespread
famine has resulted from the terrible disas-
| ter.
The last decade Of the nineteenth century
has opened dismally enough, when We take
a look at all the disasters and calamitie'
which have already visited every country
In Japan the cholera scourge is raging
while it has also escaped the bounds OF It's
oriental birthplace and Is invading many
| European cities with great fatality. In IL
alv and Ireland famine threatens great Suf
| fering in the approaching winter In the
VINEYARDS of France and Germany there Is
threatened AN almost total failure of the
usual fruitage One part Of Austria Is
burned with drouth, while in another part
disastrous floods cause great suffering anC
loss Our own country has not escaped
but has met disasters attended with grea
suffering. The teaching of history that the
closing wears of each of the bygoue centur
les have been rendered memorable by :
more than usual amount of the sorrows
troubles and ills to which mankind is heir
seems likely to be enforced by these las
years of this century.
An exodus of Jews which promises to b,
the largest movement of the kind III mod
ern times, has been in progress for coupl
of weeks; from one town in Russian POLAND
no fewer than 7j0 families having alread,
left. The emigrants have made for Eng
land, America and Australia.
Isaac Sawtel was indicted by the gran,
iurv for murder at Dover, n. II Saturday
The three counts are first as principal il
New Hampshire second as accessory befor
the fact of the murder of Hiram Sawtel
committed in the state of Maine by som
person to the jurors unknown, third as ac
cessorv before the fact of the murder o
Hiram, committed in New Hampshire b
some person to the jury unknown.
Some three years ago Dr. d. A, Sargent
director of the Hemenway gymnasium a
Harvard college, offered $1,000 in two prize
to persons, male and female, whose physica
proportions should most nearly approac
perfect symmetry, the object being to stinl
ulate to systematic and judcious physica
training with view to attaining the nor
NAL standard There have been about 300
competitors, and last week prizes wer
awarded to Henry Chester jackson of Wis
casset Me. senior in Bowdoin college, an
Margaret Blanche Best Of Meadville, Pa.
member of the summer school of physics
training at IIemenway gymnasium and IN
structor in physical training at Alleghen
college.