The National tribune., 1896-08-13


exact locality are noted on canvas attached 10
the interior of the bottle, SO that the direction
taken in the drift and the distance covered
since last sighted can be accurately caicuiateo'
All ship Captains are requested on picking up
| bottle to inform the photographic office OF
the fact and to indicate on the canvas the longl-
tude and latitude, together with the date. Inc
last chart issued by the Office shows the general
direction taken by several of these botties' the
| distance covered and the average DRIFT per Jay
One bottle in four years has covered over 5,ooo
miles of water and still drifts, although it is now
| bound over the same course originally taken
by it. The experience of the Office so far
indicates that when one of these bottles gets in
current it will remain there and continue to
float until it reaches the place where 1t was
| first cast adrift.
K
! From reports received at the Office here it is
evident that the currents in some parts OF the
ocean are far swifter than in others, as one bot
tie was found to make but four miles day,
while another had an average of 10 miles Tor
! long while. The greatest speed attained by
! bottle was zig miles day, or nearly one KNOT
per hour for space of 90 days. While the EVIL
dence at hand is not sufficient to justify tile
statement that this large increase in velocity
during the Winter season is periodic it is in
accordance with the conclusion reached by
distinguished French photographer that the
onward motion of the waters of the North At
lantic toward the coast of Great Britain ana
Norway is not continuous, but is largely de-
pendent upon the winds. Other valuable in
formation has been obtained from these expert
ments and the observation of the speed and
courses of derelcts.
The printing of the new 50 and S. silver GER
tificates was finished last week, and the issue
was made on Monday. Like the 81 certificates,
they are a striking departure in money max
ing. Black ink is used in printing the front oil
| the notes. while the back is of the conventional
! green The 50 note was designed by Edwin ID.
Blashtieid, of New York, and the face contains
an allegorica representation of Science pre-
senting steam and electricity to commerce ana
| MANUFACTURED" and consists OF Fl We partly nude
! female figures in graceful poses. Walter Shir-
law, OF New York, designed the 50 note. The
| face has an alIegorical picture representing
America enlghtening the world" a beautiful
female, partly nude. holding in her right hand,
upliited lighted incandcscent lamp. Reclin-
| ing at her feet is female figure of Fame with
the traditional trumpet.
X
| One of the interesting features of the re-
cent payments of gold by the banks to
| the Treasury is the reduction in the amount
of outstanding gold certificates. These GER
| tifcates have been very tenaciously held
since their Issue was suspended by Sec
rotary Carlisle in 1893, but some of them
have reached the Treasury in payment for the
recent bond issues. The certificates outstand.
ing on Jan. 81, 1896. six days before the OPEN
ing of bids for the last bond issue, were
| S49, SAT, $40 The effect of the payment for the
bonds may be judged by the reduction of these
outstanding certificates to SAB 733,Ol9 on Feb
%. They fell at the rate Of less than 100000
per month during the next four months, aud
stood on June 80 at $40, 800, 759 The recent
payments of gold by the banks into the Treas
| ury have been largely in coin and bullion. but
! the certificates have fallen to $39, 17O,569, or
more than $1,000 600 below the amount before
| the payments were begun.
At the Navy Department is kept an interest
ing record of the ships that have been lost at
sea. OF all of these, six have never been heard
| from, and with that their record closes. There
have been ships that have gone down IN battle
with flags flying defantly. others that have
| battled bravely against the elements until they
| have sunk within sight of land, but the fate
of the six specially mentioned is doubtless for
ever.a mystery. These vessels are the Sara
toga, Insurgent, Pickering. Gunboat No. z,
| Wasp. Epervier The first captured three Eng
| lish prizes and was intercepted on her way to
Philadelphia by British 74-gun ship, and
after long fight escaped. and never reached
port again. This was in 1880.
Twenty years later the Begun frigate In
snrgent, under Capt. Patrick Fletcher, after
her capture by the Constellation, was ordered
to sail from the Chesapeake capes out to sea on
| q cruise. She disappeared completely.
The Pickering was l4-gnn brig, commanded
by Master Commandment B. Hitler. During the
time she was cruising off Guadaloupe when a
heavy storm arose. in which it is supposed she
foundered. This was about the time the In.
surgent left the capes.
Lieut.. Ogelvie commanded Gunboat No. Z.
In June, 1905, she left New York. and no word
was ever received from her. The Wasp was
lost in October, 1914. She had brilliant bat
tie record, and inside of Eve months took IL
/ English vessels valued at more than $75, 900.
She was last seen by the officers and crew of
the Swedish bark Adonis, from which she took
two of the surviving officers Of the Essex after
her destruction in Valparaiso harbor. The
Epervier, commanded by Lieut. John Shu.
brick, started through the Straits Of Gibraltar
in 1916 carrying copy of the treaty forced
by Decatur with the Dey of Aigiers. After
July IL she was not seen or reported.
4
In little group Of politicians at Chamberlin
the other night there was good story told oil
Ben Tillman. 1t was said that whom the fire.
eater was making his TRADE against Cleveland
in the Senate, he noticed an old woman in the
gallery who was apparently convused with
grief. When ho finished his speech, moved by
curiosity, Tillman sought this interesting per
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