davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning call., 1891-02-15

the open sea are more frequent Our surf
boats, IT is true, venture upon outlying
shoals covered with breakers, such as the
Nantucket Shoals off Massachusetts, and
the Diamond Shoals off Cape HatteraS, but
neither OF these are so fatal as the terrible
Gro dwin Sands, a range of exceedingly de-
struct!ve shoals in the Strait of Dover eX
tending off the southeast coast of England
III the county of Kent, where the ROYAL Ma
tioual Life boat Institution has accomplished
much noble work. 1t is highly probable,
however. that the conditions of the service
are so diverse that no just conclusion as t.
the superiority of the boats can be drawn.
1here can be no question as to the deSira-
Dlllty OF sell-rlghting and self-bailng boats
IN the matter OF saving lives, but these quail
locations must be obtained without. in too
great measure, impairing ether qualities.
Aud this suggests the question as to wheth-
er or not the use of sails could not be ad-
vautageoISly incorporated into the suIf-boat
without materially increasing Its weight or
draught, and nhether such an arrangement
would not be found to be better adapted to
perform the general services of life-boats
than those which sit deeply in the
water and which, on that account and
because OF their great weight, are
to transport and launch. The self-bailiug-
property has been successfully applied by
Lieutenant Mcclellan and is in favor with
the crews; the addition of sails has been
ih"ue successful by the use OF center
board and the self-righting principle is re-
ported TO be on the verge of successful ap-
phcatlOn. Why may not these be carried
on passenger vessels for life-bJats?
Our service has been able to effect COM
munication with stranded vessels by EN-
ploying the Lyle gun. invented by CAPTAIN
ID. A. Lyle of the Ordnance DEPARTING It.,
U. S. A, and it has been placed in all sta
tions except the houses of refuge. The
Hunt gun, devised by Edmund 5. Hunt of
Massachusetts. and the Cunningham rocket,
invented by Patrick Cunningham of the
where the outlying bars are SO far off shore
that vessels may possibly strand beyond
the range OF the Lyle gun. The Lyle gun
is OF bronze, with a smooth 21b-inch bore,
and weighs with its carriage IS5 pounds.
The shot weighs II pounds. 1t is a solid
The morning call., 1891-02-15

elongated cylinder, Az inches in length,
into the base of which is screwed an eve
bolt for receiving the shot line; the bolt pro-
jecting sufficiently beyond the muzzle of the
gun to protect the line from being burned off
in firing. When the gun is fired the weight
aud inertia Of the line causes the projectile
to reverse.
The lines attached to the shot are in size
4-32, 7-32 and 9-32 of an inch in diameter,
and the charges of powder vary up to a
maximum of 6 ounces. With the 4-32 OF an
inch line, under favorable circumstances, a
range of 695 yards or nearly half mile, has
been obtained. This line is merely for the
purpose of hauling the whip-line on board
the stranded vessel. The Hunt gun is also
OF bronze, and differs from the Lyle gun in
having an inch larger bore, and instead of
resting on trunsiOns, it is attached to its car
rage bed at the cascabel. Its projectile is a
cylindrical tube of tin, into one end of
which is soldered a solid hemisperical niece
of lead, which. when the projectile is placed
in the gun, rests upon the cartridge, and
upon discharge reYerses its position like the
Lyle shot and goes foremost. The shot
line, being fastened to a staple in the
The morning call., 1891-02-15

tie station IS properly prepared for the re-
ceptiOn Of the crew and the rescued people.
and TO aid in doing the extra work that
severe weather necessitateS. Where the
self-dghting and self-baIling boats, which
pull eight oars, are used, mostly at the lake
stations, corresponding number Of men
are employed.
For practice with the beach apparatus
there is provided near each station a suit
able battle-ground. on which a spar called a
wTeck-DOle is erected 10 represent the mast
Of q Stranded vessel seyenty-fve yards dis
tant from the place where the men will
operate, which represents the shore. Ii
possible, water is made to intervene. The
crew being mustered in the drill-room, each
man Saluies the commanding officer, and
each, rs Ills number is called. recites the acts
he is to perform in the exercise as prescribed
by the service manual. When the word is
given, they go through the exercise of effect
ing 4 mimic reScu", by rigging the gear and
taking a man ashore from the wreck-pu in
the breeches-bUoy. In one instance, with
no other light than that given by the moon
agd stars. the shot was fired, the apparatus
set up and the man brought ashore from the
wreek-pO in minutes. As a matter of
course this celebrity cannot be expected in
case Of actual shipwreck.
There are many kinds OF life-b0ats, but o
late years only three varieties have been
furnished to stations. These are named re-
spectiyely the Beebe, the Higgins 81 Clifford
The morning call., 1891-02-15

center of the inside Of this piece
of lead, is coled in the tube until
the cavity is nearly filled, being kept in
place by coating of paraffine, which is
sufficiently adhesive for the purpose, but
does not materially retard its paying out a
the prnjectile flies. The tube has a capacity
for 800 yards of 4-32 of an inch line. In the
outer end is placed n diaphragm of paste
board, with a circular hole in its center,
three-fourths of an inch in diameter, through
which portion of the other end of the line
hangs out. When the missile is placed in
the gun four or five inches protrude beyond
the muZzle. Upon this portion four trapezi-
form wings are soldered at regular intervals
to control the fight. Before firing, the pro-
truding end of the encased line is tied to
another line coiled in a can. or otherwise so
arranged as TO permit it to be taken out
without entaDgement. When the discharge
takes place the line In the can by its in er-
tia and weight causes the line in the pro-
jectile to pay ont, md when the latter is K.
hausted furnishes the supp y for the rem al
The morning call., 1891-02-15
Transportation.

An English newspaper in a recent article
concerning the criminal classes of Great
Britain suggests that the system of trans
portation should be revived, and hints that
the newly opened regions of Africa would
make modern Botany Bay for the recep-
ton OF those who have offended against the
criminal laws of the mother country.
Probably the Africans, at any rate those
tribes that have not yet gwen up the prac-
tlce OF cannibaliSm, would welcome the
arrival of the deported Britons as a material
addition to the subsistence stores of the
country. But if the involuntary emigrants
should escape the native cooking pots thew
would soon find themselves In the same
trouble that beSet those who went TO Aus
tralla; the honest people who voluntarily
settled at the AntiDodes refused to receive
the criminals, and it was through their re-
1usal to do SO that the system of transporta-
tlon was stopped. There is certainly a
large area in the interior OF Africa, the
table-land so graphically described by Stan
ley and others, where Europeans can find a
climate suitable to their tenperaments but
II Is doubtful if the nations Of Europe
would agree upon converting this beautiful
land into penal colony. France, Germany
and Portugal are all interested in the de-
velopment of Africa and not in its retarda
ten, and there could be no greater obstacle
to It's progress than to make it the dumping
ground of criminals
The morning call., 1891-02-15
The Wars of Nann1eon-

Did any one suppose that some of the men
who took part in the wars of Napoleon
First were still alive? I read in an English
paper that within the past two months there
died in Paris Colonel Nicolas de Lilseferme.
one of the very few survivors of the wars of
the great Napoleon. The last battle of
the little Corporal was fought seventy-fiye
years ago. and it seems that some of his fol-
lowers yet remain. Colonel Llseferme
dled at the age OF SO. He was a commander
IN the Legion of Honor in addition to his
rank OF Colonel, and the funeral houors that
were shown him were of the highest order
Every arm OF the service was represented in
the procession, and the church at Versailles
where the funeral was held, was crowded
with the friends and admirers of the gallant
officer. The survivors that remain must be
we'll advanced in years. A man who was
20 years cd on the day of Waterloo would
be 80 to-day, and q youth of 10 would be
iourscore and ten. Twenty and odd years
ago visited The field of Waterloo, and nv
guide, on that occasion was a gray
haired man, who said he was born
In the neighborhood and was II years
old at the time of the battle. He
was shut up a prisoner in farmhouse DUR
Ing all of the terrible day, and spent most
OF the time in the cellar, so that his knowl-
edge of the fighting was not obtained from
personal observation. But he had evidently
studied his subject diligently, and was an
OASCAiVhL euIut lOI NlSlJOTS. w men he came
to the sunken road of Chain, one of our
party asked him as to the correctness of the
wonderful description which Victor Hugo
gives. OF that road in Les Miserables."
All" said he. 81 was guide for Victor
Hugo, and went with him everywhere
When we came to this road, and told him
Of the charge of the French across it. he
took out his notebook and did much writing.
Then we went on and saw other things. ami
after time he went away He didn't ask
me question about the road, and told him
nothing more than that the French went
across 1t. He saw the sunken road. and
imagined how it was PILED full of dead man,
and wounded men, and dead and wounded
horses. Ii he had asked me about it. I
should have told him that Mt the time of the
battle the road was level with the ground
on each side OF it. and was not sunk down
as it Is now until eight years after the
battle"
And still they comet Since writing the
foregoing paragraph L have read of the
death of an English officer who fought at
Waterloo. The writer who penned the
notice of this British warriors demise speaks
of him as "a veteran" as though he feared
the reader might not SO understand the
matter!
The morning call., 1891-02-15

pital service. Then the applicant under
goes an examination as to experlness in the
infringement of boats by the inspector of
. the district. When he enlis;s he signs
articles by which he agrees 10 reside at the
station continuously during the active
season. TO perform such duties as may be
required Of him by the regulations and bv
his superior officers. and t. be ready if
called upon to do service during the inactive
season. He must not be interested in any
wrecking apparatus or connected with any
wrecklng company, nor is he entitled to any
salvage on any property he may assist in
saving. He cannot be discharged, except
FOR good cause, but for sufficient reason he
may be immediately discharged. He is to
receive no allowance or EN- olument of any
kind except his wages. and must furnish his
own food and clothing. Desertion entails a
I'd forfeiture of wages.
go The number of men composing the crew
of a-station IS determined By the number of
oars required 10 pull the largest boat. Some
C.! the boats on the Atlantic stations are five
Dared. but all Of them have sx-oRred boats.
Six men, therefore. make up the regular
crews 81 these stations, bat on the 1st of
December a seventh man is added to assist
IN launching and Bleaching boats, to see that
The morning call., 1891-02-15

der of the flight The range obtained Is
about forty yards greater than can be had
with the Lyle projectile
The Cunningham rocket system is an ap-
plication of the Hunt projectile to a rocket
1t Is powerful rocket, at the rear end of
pointed end of sheet-iron tube, 5 feet 9h
inches IN length, aud of equal diameter wit
the rocket. This tube is packed with 500
yards OF shOt-line, which is connected
with n shore-line in the same manner as in
the Hunt system, and is paid out in flight
as from the Hunt projectile. The tube takes
the place of the stick in other rockets. The
shore-line can be Of any size. The range of
the rocket with a shore-line is from 700 to
1000 yards.
In the service the gun is held in preference
TO the rocket for a number of reasons. The
cost OF the Lyle gun and all its appurten-
ances, exclusive of projectiles, is SS7 So
Inc lowest cost of any rocket and its appur-
tenances is about the same. The expense
attending the use OF the gun is the cost of
the cartridge, which is about half dime,
except occasionally, when a shot is lost, which
can be replaced for So. The firing of a rocket
involves an expenditure of several dollars.
The gun Is easily handled and readily pre-
pared for firing. Everything necessary to
It's efertnal working can be done just about
rs we'll IN the dark as in the light, and if
the weather is cold the mittens need not be
removed. The firing of the rocket requires
more details and is not so simple. A rookie.
must be given considerable elevation, usu-
ally far above the stranded vessel, where it
IS exposed t. the force of the wind, making
1t liable in falling to float wide of the mark,
ana rall 10 drop across the vessel. The
gun, on the other hand, can be given anv
elevation, and even be depressed below a
horizontal position If fired from cliff, and
The morning call., 1891-02-15
New Method of Handling Clay.

The great trouble experienced in the con-
structiun of the ST. Clair tunnel, in rem0v-
ing the stiff clay as it oozrd through the
apertures of the advancing shield, brought
out the fact that clay can, under some con-
ditions, be manipulated much better BY
means of drawing-knife than by shovel.
The clay of the tunnel was so stiff ard
sticky that ordinary shovels were bent out
of shape in handling it, and narrow, long
baded English ditching-spades had to be
imported for doing the work. 1t
is stated that journeyman coorer
who was out of Job secured
employment as laborer in the
tunnel before the work had progressed very
far. He was unaccustomed to the handling
OF both shovel and spade. but said he could
make tool that would beat them every
time. When he next came to work he
brought an odd-shaped draw knife, made OF
a piece of heavy band iron and two wooden
handles. The cooper's felow-labOrers
greeted the novel tool with deriSion, but
they changed their tune when they saw
that it shaved down the clay twice as fast as
1t could be CHOPPED out with a spade. The
engineer in charge quickly recognized the
value of the simple adoption, and all the
labOrers were soon furnished with the new
The morning call., 1891-02-15

The Bank of England is the custodian of
a large number of boxes deposited by Gus
toners during the past 200 years, and In not
consienments are not only of rare intrinsic
and historic value. but Of great romantic in
terest For Instance, some years ago the
servants of the bank discovered in its vaults
chest, which On being moved literally fell
to pieces. On examining the contents. a
quantity of massive plate of the period Of
Charles III was discovered, along with a
bundle OF love letters indted during the
period of the Restoration. The Directors
OF the bank caused search to be made in
their books; the representative of the orig
anu tba pats and lovs
Chambers Journal.
The morning call., 1891-02-15
Slight Grounds for Divorce.

Tie Druses sometimes divorce their wives
for apparently the most trivial causes. Thus
a man named Soleiman Alfalfa had wife,
Isbakyeh. The woman frequently worked
for us, and on several occasions had to CON-
plain that she talked too much and worked
too little. At length L was obliged to tell
Soeman that, owing to his wife's laZiness,
could employ her no longer. Shortly after
ward l went to England. On my return,
after a couple of months absence, | was
surprised to find that Soleiman had divorced
1sbakyeh, and had already married another
woman. On inQuiring from him the cause
of this, he replied: "Your honor told me
so thought L would get rid of her and
marry another one whom you would en-
ploy."-Blackw woods Magazine.
The morning call., 1891-02-15

that was to be seen around the place. He
ordered the carriage and guide at once and
then asked where we wished to go.
" All around Sevastopol," | answered.
time"
asked. Az
didn't care for the cemetery, but wanted TO
see the batte-felds and forts before any
thing else.
Oh! you are Americansp exclaimed the
landlord. " Americans never care for the
cemetery, but Englisnnen always want to
see it before they go to the battle-fields."
l can we'll understand this. Nearly every
Englishman who visits SevasLopol has a rel
alive buried there, 0r has been asked to look
after the grave of some one who died in the
Crimea. while Americans have no such in
terest in the cemetery.
The morning call., 1891-02-15

EUTOuetts lIOTT1Tf fdftTl1 BOT ana mach Save
and the Beebe- Mcclellan surf-boats, named
after the persons who devised the modiiica-
sons. They are built Of white oak frames,
the sheeting being white cedar. and are In
size rs follows: Length, % feet to 81 feet;
beam, feet inches to feet; depth amid
ships. feat inches to 2 feet inches, and
from ] foot inches to feet inch sheer of
gunwale. Their bottoms are fiat with little
or no keel and have Gambler of " Inches
or 2 inches in feet each side of the mid
ship section. Their draught of water is
from inches to inches light, and the
weight OF each boat is from 700 TO HOO
pounds. They are propelled by six oars
and are expected to carry from ten to twelve
persons in addition to the crew, although
there are instances where tbev have safely
landed as many as fifteen, and in a bad sea
at that. The only difference between the
I5eebe and the Higgins 81 Clifford boat is
that the former is built with more sheer
aud is clnker built or lap-streaked, while
the latter is OF carvel construction. The
Beebe- Mcclellan boat is the Beebe boat
with the self-bailing qualities Incorporated.
Only few Of these boats are in the service
at this time. They are light, easily trans
ported, can be launched in very shallow
water and are easy TO handle in the breakers.
, In order that we may fOIm some idea Of
the actual value of the life-boats In the saw
ing of life let US put the information in
face from a statistical basis. In round num-
>.
been launched 673O times. landing safely
6735 persons. In this service ont of the IA
capsizes 6 were fatal. q surfmen and IA
shipwrecked people losing their lives. This
represents one capsize out OF 4S0 Launches.
aud one surfman's life lost out OF every lI44
surfmen aloat. com arson between the
self-righting boat and the surf-boat is In IA
vOr Of the latter. The self-rightiug boat has
lost to every 1876 saved and the snrf-boat
has lost l to every 15S saved, difference
- 10 Lee
boatmen afoat to every $50 were lost by
the self-righting boat and / to every 1I09 by
the surf-boat. difference of $50 in favor of
the latter. In the lfe-boat / man of the
crew is lost for every 157 lives saved, and in
difference OF SO in favor of the surf boat.
Since 1876 there have been put into the
United States service 81 self-righting and
self-bailing boats of the model of
boat received from the Royal National
The morning call., 1891-02-15

the car is hauled back and forth on the
water between the wreck and the shore
without the use of any apparatus. II is also
supplied with balls, one near each end, by
means of which it can be suspended from a
hawSer and passed along upon it like the
breeches-buov. The cover of the boat is con-
vex, is provided with hatch which fastens
either inside or outside, through which en-
trance and exit are effected. Near each end
it is perforated with group of
small holes, like the holes in a
crater, punched outward tn supply
air for breathing, without admitting much,
if any, water 1t will contain. six or seven
persons and is very valuable in landing sick
people or valuableS. On the first occasion
that arose for the use OF this boat it saved
POI persons.
The benefit If the telephone as a means
of connecting stations cannot be overest-
mated. By means of the telephone during
the great storm that visited Cape HenlOpen
September 10. II and u, 1889, one of the
most destructive that ever visited the
Atlantic Coast, the crews of three stations
The morning call., 1891-02-15

1t is the opinion of experts that much of
the money which is spent by factories, mills
and stores on the introduction of pipes and
valves for fire extinction might be saved by
the adoption of much simpler and more
efficient method. Both sulphur and am
monia are well adapted for extinguis hing
fire. Sulphur absorbs oxygen aud forms
sulphuric acid the fumes of which are much
heavier than air. The quantity required
would be small, since seventy grammes
of sulphur can make 100 cubic
metres of air inimical to combus-
ton. An effective sulphur extnguishing
apparatus can be made of large iron box
of moderate depth and open at the top. 1t
should be hinged at one end or the side to a
protected ceiling, and kept close thereto by
a cord or wire connected with wire or
strap formed chiefly of cadmium fusible at
144o Fahrenheit. Inside the box is placed a
considerable quantity of cotton wadding,
well saturated with powdered sulphur. On
the heat OF an iucipient fire melting the
wire or strip, tie box drops a short distance I;
by a simple device the cotton wadding is
ignited at the same moment, and a strong
cloud of sulphurous acid gas is instantly
evolved. which extinguishes the fire by rem
derng the air unit for combustion.
The morning call., 1891-02-15
Something About The Men Appointed
to Aid the SliDVrGeked.
THEY KEEP WATCH ALONG SHORE.
How ih5. Crews Are S8leGted-Tls Duties They
HaTe to Become Familiar With The
Surf Boats and The SelfRighttlg Boats.
- - .
RSclilg With The Breaches Bl0T-FiTilg
he Lifeline to a WTHck-The Lyle Gun.

Under the law the life-saying stations on
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are opened and
manned for active service from Septem Der
1st to May LIST of each year; those on the
lakes from the opening to the close of navi-
CATION; usually from April 10Th to December
10th. On the Pacific Coast the period is left
discretionary with the General Superin-
tendent, except in the case of four stations
kept in active service the year round in con-
sequence of danger from local causes. The
same may be said of the station at Louis
vile, Ky.
The crews are selected from the most
able-bOdled and experienced surfmen on
the coast. They must not be over Is years
of.age al the date Of original entry. and
must be subjected to rigid physical eX-
animation by surgeon OF the Marine Hos
The morning call., 1891-02-15
Earnings of railways for 1870

BrduSlrtet gives the gross earnings OF 10
railways for the year 1890. The amount
realized on n total mileage of 5,67S was
S4S4. 239, 134 This is gain Of Sc per cent
i'll earnings and 81 per cent in mileage The
gain on 100 roads in 1889 over 1883 was So
per cent. Every group of roads shows an
increase for the year, the smallest gain be-
ing that OF the Mexican roads, Z Of l per
cent, and the largest that of the South
western roads, 1877 per cent In addition to
the latter three, Others show no gains in
excess Of 10 per cent. viz: the Eastern roads,
1913 per cent, the Southern roads IL per
cent and the Pacific roads 1919 per cent
The Central Western roads gain 90 per cent
and the grangers 81 per cent, while the
trunk lines show the comparatively modest
gain Of "a per cent.
The morning call., 1891-02-15
New Use for PuIsometers.

The puIsometer is now used for filling the
tenders of locomotives with water. The
pulsometer itself is of the ordinary pattern,
connected with the steam tanks and feed
valves by flexible piping, and when not in
use is carried on the tender. When about
to be brought Into requisition it is simply
lowered into convenient stream or lake by
suitable means, aud its application to this
purpose is said to be extremely satisfactory.
Commercial Advertiser.