The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-21
A VERY JOLLY LARK.
Midshipman Pixley, of the
Thrush, Impersonates
HIS HIG HNESS, PRINCE GEORGE
or Wales, and the Ton and Beauty of Halifax
Him Homage-How tie Fraud
Was Discovered.

Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch.J
HALIFAX, Aug. 2O.--Prince George OF
Wales is having very pleasant time soci-
ally. Monday evening he was the guest Of
archbishop O'Brien, at whose home he met
brilliant company. To-day ball will be
given at the admiralty house in his honor,
and Friday evening he will be the guest Of
Sir John Ross
The joke played by the five midshipmen in
personating his highness is still the topic
conversation and the punishment to be
melted out is subject of much speculation.
The true story is as follows: On the I'd,
when the ship arrived, deputation was
sent out to the ship to invite the prince to
grand banquet given by the upper ten Of
the city. The notice was short, so the in
vitation had to be declined, and five mid
shipmen, Henry Pixley, George Wooklock,
W.. j. Draffen, F. N. j. Car
gill and S. U. Ponson were deputed to
deliver the answer to the invitation.
To Pixley occurred the happy thought that
it would be well to personate the prince
ana his friends encouraged the idea. They
all put up at the best hotel in the place and
one was sent off to the gorgeously deco
4
announce that Prince George would have
much pleasure in accepting the invitation
OF his grandmama'S hege subjects. At 8
O'Clock the young men arrived, Pixley
playing the prince with great success. They
were led to seats of honor and all the beau
ties of Halifax were introduced to them.
Society was delighted with the princes
| atfable manner and pleasant smile. Every
| one went into raptures. After the ban
| quet toasts were drank and the so-called
prince responded graciously to that of her
majesty, the Prince of Wales and the Brit
ish navy. They each lost hotle of their
dignity by this time by inviting everyone
to meet them on board the Thrush next
day. This was unfortunate. The young
men returned well satisfied with their
| evenings entertainment, but the morrow
brought retribution swift and sure. One
of the hosts visited the Thrush and dis
| covered the fraud. CONSERVATION ensued
and the young men are to be court
martialed for conduct un5eftting English
officers and gentlemen.
Testing the Patrick Automobile Torpedo.
Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dspatch.T
New YORK, Aug 20.-The Patrick auto
mobile torpedo had another test at College
point yesterday in the presence of United
States army officers. Strictly speaking, this
torpedo is not automobile, being operated
by an electric current 1t is an innocent
looking Continuance which floats in the
water and has its movements directed
from the shore with which it is connected
by wires Under the guidance of skilful
manipulation it will dart back and forth
through the water like an energetic por-
pose and can be made te sneak up to the
side of an enemy's ship without the least
bit of fuss. The war department has
signified its willingness to pay $4,000 for
one of these machines and 81, 800 apiece
for two duplicates of it as soon as it's
ability to travel at the rate of twenty
miles an hour is satisfactorily demon
strated. If it cannot go at the rate of
fifteen miles an hour it will not be pur-
chased. Yesterdays test developed a
speed over a measured mile equal to IL
knots which shows that the torpedo could
catch and sink anything except the very
fastest war ships.