St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-07-24
NEWS OF THE WEEK.

The New York Sun begins its de-
scription of the fire in Chicago as
follows:
From the day in 1872 when the
Western Union Telegraph company
began business at 1875 Broadway its
ten-story building there has been a
sort of nerve centre of the United
States. Into its rooms ran 1900
wires that reached, either directly or
by connection with lesser centres, in
to every inhabited place of the globe.
Once all these nerves ceased throb-
bling. That was on Blizzard Mon
day, 1883. After a few days the
many lines of wires were restored to
their full activity. July II they were
paralyzed again. A fire, born of the
same electricity which gave them
life, twisted and melted them, de-
stroyed the great switchboard that
directed their energies and the APP
paratu which made them vocal, and
ruined utterly the three floors of the
building in which the far-reaching
telegraph system was centred-the
greatest telegraph centre of the
world
The fire started about O'Clock on
the seventh foor,-how no one
knows-and ragged furiously until 9
O'Clock when it was gotten under
control. The building is nine stories
high and the three upper floors are
ruined while the whole building is
drenched with water. The operating
room and the valuable switchboard
are a total loss. The results of the
fire stopped in degree the business
of the country for a time, as no wire
could be connected with the operating
room. The offices of the Associated
Press were completely wiped out
The telegraph company has divided
its operating force among the vari-
Gus branch offices. The Associated
Press is preparing temporary quar-
tiers. The loss is estimated at from
$4,000 to $15O,OOO.
TripIef Steers in Northampton
A COW belonging to Daniel Shee-
han of Northampton, Mass, gave
birth to triplet calves on July Is.
The calves average 60 pounds in
weight and the local papers stated
that they are the only ones in the
world, as far as known. This is not
true, however, as Josiah kenerson OF
Barnet has triplet calves, now IA
months old, as many of our readers
know.
A son of Victor Hugo was wound
ed in a duel near Paris, Sunday.
The trouble arose from a private
quarrel.
The first elections in the new state
of Wyoming will be held September
II. The democratic and republican
state convention will be held August
II.
The body of an unknown man was
found floating in the Connecticut
river about a mile above Lancaster,
N. H., Saturday. The body was
buried by the town authorities.
The New England Farmers cam
vass of the hay crop in New England
places it at IS per cent above the
average in amount and 80 per cent
above the average in feeding value.
Charles Tenant, brother of Stan
the Umbria Saturday, and Second
Secretary of Legation Mccormick is
on the Britannia, on leave of absence,
bound for America.
John W. Watson, the well-known
literary man and newspaper writer,
died suddenly at New York Sunday
He was the author of many popular
poems, among them 1.-The Dying Sol
der" 'Patter of Little Feet" and
"The Beautiful Snow"
The condition Of Henry M Stanley
is improving He is now able to
take short walks daily. An inven-
tory of the Stanley wedding presents
discloses the fact that the articles
lost are numerous and valuable.
Among other gifts that have disap-
peared is a costly matchbox.
The expenditures for pensions for
the year ending June 80, as now Off
cially stated, amounted to $1O9,-
357, 534. In the previous year we
paid ST., 644, 1911, while in the
year before that we paid $50, 2SS,-
5OS.77. The cost for the German
army, it may be interesting to note,
is for this year estimated at SOL
726, 293. Besides our pensions our
army costs $50, 100000.
The scheme of bridging the English
Channel has gone SO far that plans
have been drawn, soundings made,
and a special commission appointed
by the French Minister of Public
Works to inquire into the project.
The company is endeavoring to OBJ
tain concessions in England and
France for its construction, and last
week when the shareholders met the
above facts were announced by way
of reporting progress.
The Allan steamer Hibernian,
which arrived at Philadelphia Friday
from Glasgow, had narrow escape
from being dashed to pieces on the
side of huge iceberg. On July s the
the vessel ran into a fog. The berg
was sighted at a distance of about
5Oyards. The engines were reversed
and the man at the wheel had slight
ly changed the course of the vessel SO
the berg was struck at slant. The
iron plates grated along the side of
the huge pile and the vessel careened
until her rails touched the water.
THE NATTON1T CAME