The morning call., 1894-02-09

Tie wreck of the keaTsarge is an event
of widespread interest throughout America
and even in Europe. 1t is an historical shin,
like the Hartford. but the circumSI ances
OF her duel with the Alabama in comnnd
of Captain Semmes gave her even greater
celebrity. By sinking the Alabama she
ended the depredatiOns of the Confeder-
ates on Northern commerce. Great Brit
ain, under the finding of the Geneva
award. had to pay $1,000, 600 for her neg
ligence IN letting the Alabama and other
vessels get to sea. and that naturally gives
the English considerable interest in the
Kearsarge, for had she not ended Semmes'
cruise the bill of damages might have been
heavier. The Kearsarge was reconstructed
to a large extent about eighteen years ago,
and at that time the Kearsarge cane was,
or professed to be, in the hands of many
people who took q proper pride in the
mementO. The wreck may revive the en-
thusiasm for relics of the good ship. The
loss is not of much moment 10 the navy, as
she was not in any sense but guns modern
ship, bet il would have been much more
satisfactory had her last berth been some
where in dock as a curiosity and eX-
hibitiOn.
The fact that De Mello's ship, the
Aquidaban, was able 10 steam past the
forts and enter the haTbor of Rio without
sustaining material damage. although she
was as close 10 the batteries as two or
three hundred yards, does not prove much
beyond bad gunnery. Even at two miles
distance she should have been struck very
heavily and penetrated by solid projectiles
if not by shell. But it is to be borne in
mind that an ironclad has the advantage
of shore batteries when in motion, and il is
possible so TO maneuver as only to present
the sides or ends to glancing blows. Hence
the heaviest prOjectiles from rfied guns
10 Sc much of their effect OH impact and
only indent the side and glance off. Armor
is thus q good protection TO ships Of war,
and especially If they cannot be pene-
trated by shells, which would explode in
side and do great damage to machinery
A clean hole through ir0nclad is nothing
compared with an explosion inside. De
Mello seems to have run the gauntlet scot
free, and his own firing was just as wild
and harmless.
An Eastern inventor has shown what
NAV be done by utilizing the force of the
wind in providing an electric installation
supplied by storage batteries. tits obvious
that's as great amount of mechanical power
10 Hull lOl
or pumping from wells or grain grinding,
the mechanician has little difficulty in
adapting a windmill to electric storage,
which may be either turned TO account for
Illuminating purposes or applied in some
field of mechanics. In breezy city, such
as San Francisco is in summer, two or
three windmills in a block might supply
enough Of Incandescent lights 10 meet do
mostic wants. All along the coast. when
the trade winds are blowing. the ranchers
could derive similar advantage and dis
pense with oil lamps. Holland has doubt
less taken some advantage Of the facility
of converting wind into light. 1t has MADE
extensive use of windmills for centuries,
but they are OF a clumsy pattern compared
with those which American ingenuity has
devised.
Mrs. Maybrick, according to Land and
Water. weekly journal of some note, but
not usually concerning itself with such
matters. may very likely soon be released.
She was sentenced to death on conviction
for the murder CT her husband by poison
ing, but there were many circumstances
which cast doubt on the justice Of the con-
vctioD, and the sentence was committed to
penal servitude for life. The judge who
tried her was FitZjames Stephen, a high
authority on criminal law, but soon after
the trial he was persuaded TO retire from
the bench because, In the opinion of the
bar, he was developing symptoms OF un-
sound mind, and assuredly did not pre-
serve that judicial calm which is so requi-
site in judge. This was something t.
work upon in an appeal for clemency, and
the friends of Mrs. Maybrck have been
very persistent in bringing her case before
the Home Secretary. who is now Mr.. Henry
Asquith, a lawyer of high ability. Some
| fresh points of evidence have from time to
time been unearthed. and the health of the
prisoner has also been pleaded. But heI
release. If 1t does come, will be on the
substantial ground that the case agains,
her is weak and shadowy as many believe
Only two or three years ago DuncOmbe
House at Helmsley, in Yorkshire, Eng
land. was destroyed by fire, but the ar
treasures, some of which are very precious
were saved. The Earl Of Feversham i'm
mediately rebuilt the III ansion. News now
comes that il Is again destroyed by fire ant