The National tribune., 1895-06-20
BRIEF NEWS.

The residence of the Duke of Fife, at Brse-
mer, Aberdeenshire, Eng, was destroyed oy
fire. Among those who witnessed the destruc-
tion OF the ducal residence was Queen Victoria.
The American war ships Columbia, San Fran
cisco, and New York, have left Copenhagen for
Kiel.
Kaiser Welhem is now spending Sl.5OO OoO
on additions and improvements to his palace at
Berlin. Last yeaf $3.50, 900 was spent in re-
| building the northwestern end of the palace.
The French are experimenting with single
track temporary railroad that can be laid on
country road or across the fields. They ex-
| pect TO use il in military operations aud In
| harvesting crops. Tho barrows aud cars used
are on the bicycle principle and they can be
| operated either by hand or horsepower. Ihe
gain in the use of the single rail is the great
| diminution of friction.
Spain is taking energetic action TO put down
the revolution in Cuba. The Senate has passed
. bill authorizing the Government to raise
sl20000.000 for this purpose, should that
amount be needed.
The bicycle has earned new honors. In
race from Riverside TO Palmyra, n. j.. the other
day a bicyclst beat n Pennsylvania train by n
| yard or so. The train had to make three stops,
and the man on the I" bike" shot ahead each
time.
woman lawyer has secured a big verdict
for her client The District Court at Colorado
Springs has granted Mrs. Julia A. Boles, OF
California divorce with $75 600 allmony from
X. J. Boes, q wealthy mining man of Colorado
Springs. on the ground OF desertion. Mrs.
Clara Foltz was attorney for the complainant.
The Pope has conferred the decoration of the
Order of St. Gregory the Great upon George
Bliss, of New York City.
The Sultan has backed down. and has asked
the British Foreign Minister to postpone de-
cision, which request has been accedcd to by
the Earl Of Kimberley.
The big Moses," large oil well near Sis
tervile, W. Va. owned by the Victor Oil and
Gas Co., was struck by lightning last week,
and is now a roaring volcano. This well was
drilled a year ago, and for several months no
one would undertake the hazardous work of
shutting it in. After an outlay Of much money
and many days of hard work, it was brought
| under control; but special fittings. many times
| heavier than had ever before been used, had
to be made. to accomplish the purpose. Heavy
timbers were buried deep in the ground, and
to these were bolted the fittings. In few
months the well burst its bonds, aud since then
has been wasting millions of feet of gas every
| day.
Recent investigation has brought to light
| Of Vermont five daughters of Revolutionary
| soldiers Two of them, Mrs. Edward Buck. 50
years of age, and Mrs. Arson Buck, two years
| younger reside in Arlington. The third Mrs.
| E p. Jones, of Georgia, % years of age, has an
undiminished intellect and general good health.
| Mrs. Sarepta Cohen, of Queeche, now "a years
| OF age is another. She has two brothers living
who are older than she. Mrs. Betsy II. Peton,
of Woodstock, celebrated her Goth birthday the
! 9Th inst. Her father, John NJ. Call, served five
/! years in the Revolutionary war, and afterward
was two years in the standing army. He was
seriously wounded in one leg during the war.
A test of the usefulness of the bicycle for
military purposes is now being made by Albert
| Matiey, a private attached to Battery q, LIST
| L. :. art, stationed at Fort Hamilton, Long
| Island. lie started Monday morning, June 10
at a. m.. OH bicycle trip to Chicago, carrying
dispatches from Gen. Miles to the commanding
officer of the Missouri Division of the Army al
| Fort Sheridan. He expects TO make 100 miles
! a day. going by the route laid out by the j.. A.
| W. guides, mp to Albany, thence across to
! Buffalo. through Cleveland to Chicago, which
| he hopes to reach in about IL days. He makes
| the trip in regulation fatigue uniform. He
started with pair OF blankets strapped to his
| back a eanteen over his shoulder, aud in bis
| knapsack are change of underclothing and
| the Regular soldiers kit. He will camp under
the stars except when it rains. Mattey is 9
well-built fellow of %, and was born in Brook
lyn. lie enlisted in the Army two years ago
| An enthusiastic wheelman. lie is a member o.
the South Brooklyn Bicycle Club, and carries {
| letter from Chief Consul Potter, OF the League
| of American Wheelmen, requesting all bicy
clists he may meet to show him every courtesy
possible.