The morning call., 1892-12-25

The gale howled itself out yesterday
afternoon. 1t is not quite certain that we
shall not have renewal of the gusts, and If
they do come il will be depiorable for Christ
mas dinner parties and for those VINO are
inclined to keep the celebration on Monday.
Considering the violence of the storm, with
the wind travelling at sixty miles an hour at
intervals, very little damage has been done
TO house property in San Francisco, a large
number of frame houses in exposed sltua-
tiOus must have rocked and behaved in a
terrorsome way. but few have gone down
owing 10 defective underpinning. We may
be thankful that the miseries of a storm in
San francisco are not increased by q foot
or two OF snow and fall Of temperature
below zero. A man who delights ia the
bracing bite OF a sea bath does not require
10 miss day in the year in San Francisco.
And the florists have always flowers to sell.
The United States has led ahead in certain
lines of civilization, and strongly in the
lines of kindness to sufferers. THE CALLS
movement to befriend the numbers Of fGml-
lies in want is a case in point. For thou
sands of people Christmas will be joyful
day because Of this effort in which so many
kind-hearted citizens have participated with
hearty good win. The cordial spontaneity
of contributions is something to remember,
in connection with this fact that careful in
quiry has preceded all distributions of as
sistance. Up In Grass Valley there has
grown up commendable custom of collect
ing all manner Of supplies for the poor
through the school children. 1t is crafty
ing to find that the experiment year after
year augments in usefulness. The old story
of the sack OF flour at auction bears fruit.
The hope that every humane person in-
dulges is that the gifts of the good TO the
poor 90 TO the right persons. and that the Door
ia accepting a thank Offering at a festival
season are not lowered in the status OF per-
sOnality. and may give thank Offering
themselves when next Christmas day comes
round. Too much beneyolence is bad. but a
little sweetens the souTness of human
nature.
The City Of Paris of the Inman Line has
been beaten by the Etruria of the Cunard
Line in an eastern voyage across the At
lantic This is surprise to seamen and
companies. but possibly not TO engineers
The Etruria is single propeller steamer
while the City Of Paris, the fastest of all
Atlantic steamers heretofore tested, has
double propellers. The gain OF twin pro-
pellers is doubtful in the sense of speed, for
the boilers supply the working power, and
one propeller and one shaft may do the
work as long as they hold out. But,
from the point of view OF safety,
the twin shafts and twin propellers
are advantageous to an immense de-
gree. Tire present Cunard steamers
are only behind their most advanced
rivals by few hours voyage. But when
the single propeller steamer breaks down
the voyage is precarous. When an engine
in a twin-propeller steamer breaks down
there is only an extension of the time of
the voyage. On the steamer goes in safety,
provided the bulaheads hold. The triumph
Of the Etruria Is the more remarkable to
engineers who have puzzled their brains
over this question from the fact that they
have been studying the problem for years.
In the end twin propellers will win. Moth
ing else is acceptable for war-yessels. They
must turn in their own length to be service
able.
II Is almost as difficult to recognize
Chinese as to recognize sheep. The shep-
herd knows his flock, and the flock can be
trained 10 recognize him, but il is next to
impossible to train Chinese In the paths
they ought to follow. The Chinese under
stand their advantage. They take kindly
to smuggling across the Canadian border,
and are happy when left unmolested in any
OF the American States. They have to re-
sort to strategy to step across the boundary.
but they succeed. This traffic cannot en-
dure forever. The Chinese are not an
adaptable race for this country. aud they
must be kept out forever.