davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1897-12-20
Two BIGGEST RAILWAYS THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN.

Two great railroad projects the big
gest the world has ever seen, ana
doubtless the biggest 1t ever will see'
have now passed the point where they
can be considered mere dreams, and are
gradually approaching their compile
ton. In oil human probability people
now living will be able to catch the s:2o
train at Jersey City for Cape Horn, and
can engage a sleeper at the Cape Of
Good Hope for Alexandria.
The route chosen for the railway
which Cecil Rhodes f. advocating from
Cape Town to the shore Of the Mediter-
ranean is $500 miles long. OF that dis
tance 1900 miles is already completed,
leaving 5000 miles to be built. The
route chosen for the railway from the
Rio Grande to Bahia Blanca, near the
southern extremity Of South America,
is 6,s49 miles long, Of which $500 miles
is completed. leaving 4,349 miles to be
built.
The African plan is known as the
"Cape to Cairo" scheme. and Cecil
Rhodes has been it's chief advocate and
promoter. Mr.. Rhodes intends to pio-
neer his railway with the telegraph,
and q wire has already been run to
the center OF Nyassaland. BY next
April 1t will reach the shores Of Lake
Tanganyika, and then one can send
telegram from his office to the heart OF
equatorial Africa If he has occasion.
The railroad, which now stops at
Buluwayo. 1,400 miles north of Cape
Town. will push on to follow up the
telegraph.
AFRICAN LINE EASY TO BUILD.
There are no natural obstacles to be
overcome in building railroad through
Africa, such as are encountered in the
American project, the country being Of
a nature to lend itself to railway con-
struction. There are mountains, to be
sure. but they can readily be scaled
or avoided; they are not like the great
wall of the Andes, along which and
through which the American line must
run.
While Cecil Rhodes is advancing
from the SOUTH the Anglo-Egyptian ex-
pedition against the Mahdi is pushing
it's way from the north toward Khar-
toun, building railway as it advances
From Wady Halfa to Abu Hamid,
distance of 200 miles, the expedition a
ready has cars running, and every da,
sees the end of the line approach near
er to Berber, If, indeed, before this is
in print, it has not - ldy reached tina,
point
When Cecil Rhodes rai.vay reaches
the foot OF Lake Tanganyika, there will
really remain to be built only about
1000 miles Of road to open up a direct
lin, of communication from the Medi-
terranean to the Cape Of Good Hope;
The herald., 1897-12-20
ROAD ENGINE DOES WORK OF FORTY HORSES

London, December 6.-Crowded aside
by the march of progress and fright
encd half to death by the snort of the
his ancient enemy steam, Pegasus is
fleeing to the hills and hiding his
diminished head in any hole or corner
he can find there. Time was when the
morse had the right of way on our pub
lie roads. Now he is becoming scarce
on the highways, and is forced to con-
tent himself with the comparatively
menial work of the farm. But even
there he is not to be left to pursue his
way In peace. A north country farm
er has succeeded in building a traction
engine that is a wonder. 1t does nearly
all the work that the horse used to do,
-thrashes, grinds, cuts straw, and then
proceeds to walk away dragging q
load that would require one of the
longest teams ever put together to
move.
Instead of the farm wagon that has
been a familiar sight on English coun-
try roads for so many centuries. we
are now to be treated to the spectacle
of a wheeling steam engine, dragging
behind it a train of no less than twenty
vehicles loaded with produce for the
market. The wheels of the traction
engine are so constructed as to enable
1t to run smoothly even on rough roads
The herald., 1897-12-20

forlorn procession of horseless wagons
that look as if they had been picked
up along the road while their owners
We're looking the other way. 1t is fact
that in village in the north, when one
of these trains came numbering along
the highway, the local constable COM
manded the engine driver to come to
a halt and hailed him before the squire
of the district, charged with having
stolen the wagons. And indeed, some
of the trains are of enormous length,
as it is rot every farmer who can
can afford to own traction engine.
and many club together to purchase
one.
Only one serious objection has been
found to the traction engines: The
horses that pass it on the road-possi-
bly, recognizing by instinct what e
formidable rival it is-shy at it and
show their adherence in all kinds of
ways unpleasant to the occupants of
the carriage behind them. But on
these occasions it is never the engine
that suffers. The engine proceeds on
its way as calmly and grmly as fate
| leaving the owner of t--e wrecked We
hicle to gather the remains together as
best he may.
How these traction engines would
The herald., 1897-12-20

of the field at right ascension IS h 20 m,
declination-50 degrees so minutes.
ITO describe the spectrum with as
little technical detail as possible,
would say that it consists of six bright
lines whose intensity varies in differ
ent portions of the photograph, there
by showing that the light of the meteor
chang d as it's image passed across the
plate.
The approximate wave lengths of
these lines are 1854, 4121, 4195, 4344, 1885,
and 4S57,and their intensities are esti-
mated as 40 100, Q 13, TO- and 10, re-
spectively. The results of a close ex-
animation of the photograph show an
important resemblance between me-
teors and stars having bright lines in
their spectra, and may aid in determin-
ing the conditions OF temperature and
pressure in these bodies"
Encouraged by the success Of this
photograph of a metloric spectrum.
Professor Pickering tried during the re-
cent November shower of meteors to
take photographs of both trails and
spectra; but the fates We're against
him. the heavens being obscured by
such pail of haze during the time the
meteors were falling that 1t was not
possible to obtain a photograph of any
kind. This failure leaves the picture
here represented still the sole photo
graph of it's kind in existence; ana II
seems likely to remain so for a long
time.
Copyright, 1897, by Bachelor Syndicate.
The herald., 1897-12-20
Prof. Pickering of Harvard College Explains
It's Unique Character and Value From
Scientific Standpoint.
OBTAINED BY A LUCKY ACCIDENT.
Its Significance Stated in Plain TermsMay Throw Light
on the Chemical Composition OF
Distant Stars

After many years of patient waiting,
and numerous attempts that have re-
suited only in failure and disappoint-
ment, Professor Edward c. Pickering,
of the Harvard Observatory, has at
last succeeded in taking photograph
of a meteor as it was in the act Of
falling from the heavens. The photo
graph is one of the most remarkable in
existence, as no one had ever succeed
ed in taking one until Professor Pick
ering's long looked for opportunity
came, and the meteor crossed the field
of one of his Photographic prisms with
the result shown in the accompanying
illustration. To scientific men the inter-
est attaching to this absolutely unique
Photographic curiosity is very great, for
although the composition Of the meteor
ties that have fallen to the earth is we'll
known, this spectrum may determine
the precise condition of shooting stars
before the great heat engendered in
passing through the earth's atmos-
phere has had time to consume the
more fusible components.
Professor Pickering describes the in
strument with which he took the photo
graph as follows: "It is what is COM
monty known as Photographic doub-
let, having two achromatic objectives
of eight inches diameter. one behind
the other and separated by about two
feet. The focal length of the whole
combination is forty-five inches. The
spectroscope attachment consists of
a prism placed over the outer objec-
tive
OF the photograph itself he says:
THE photographs of the spectra of
the stars taken at the Harvard College
Observatory differ in two respects from
those ordinarily taken elsewhere. In
stead of using a spectroscope with a
slit, in which but one star is photo
graphed at a time, large prism is
placed over the objective glass of the
telescope, and thus spectra of all bright
stars in the field of view are obtained.
The number of stars photographed sim
ultaneousy is still further increased bv
substituting for the object glass a Dor
trait lens like that used by the nho.
tographer. only larger. The field of
view is in this way increased from two
degrees square to ten degrees square.
The herald., 1897-12-20
Projected.

(the one which runs south from Vera
Cruz and the one which runs north
west from the Guatemalan frontier)
the distance from the City Of Mexico
to the border could be bridged over by
the building of about 100 miles Of road.
THE CONNECTING LINKS.
This will probably be done at first,
the direct line being constructed later.
The line of the road passes across into
Guatemala at Ayutala, not far from
the Pacific coast, and then runs by way
of the city Of Guatemala over into
Salvador, crossing at Sana and taking
in the city of San Salvador on it's way
through the whole length of the repub-
lie. 1t skirts the Bay Of Fonseca in
Honduras and passes through the west
ern part of Nicaragua into Costa Rico.
In Nicaragua seventy-five miles of
road Is already built and In operation.
which will be Of use cs part Of the main
line.
And so the line of the survey goes
on, paralleling the coast to Panama.
Sometimes 1t Is directly on the coast,
and in many places 1t connects with
seaports by short spurs. Once across
the Isthmus of Darien the line is fairly
in South America. At Antigua. an Inn
portant city in the Republic Of Colom-
bia, there will be junction, route
having been surveyed from there for
branch lines to Cartagena, on the Car
The herald., 1897-12-20

for the lake Is navigable, and north OF
it ..e Lakes Albert and Alber. Edward
Nyanza, also navigable. The plan is
to connect these lakes by short lines
and place steamboats, on them at first.
"a railroad to skirt them later.
From the northern end of this system
of navigation to Berber is about 1000
miles. For two months in the year even
this 1000 miles of railway will not be
necessary for the maintaining of
through route from Cairo to the
Cane" since during those two months
the Nile, of which the Nyanza lakes are
the sources, is navigable as far south
as the Equator But for steady traffic
the railway is necessary. and that is
what Cecil Rhodes expects to live tc
see.
Although the projectors of the Afri-
can railway have no giant mountain
range to overcome, as the Americans
have. there is one obstacle Of a very
formidable character which must be re-
moved before their road can be built
and that is the Mahdi.
SQUARING THE MAHDI.
Cecil Rhodes in one Of his speeches
said: "I do not propose to fight the
Mahdi, I propose to deal with the
Mahdi, and it Is not an impossible
thing at ALL" He proposed to get
through the Mahdi's country by "squar.
| ing" that potentate. The British Gov
orr ment. however, has gone about 1t
in another way, and is "squaring the
Mahdi" with powder and shot. The
Mahdi is an obstacle, but he is being
removed.
| An estimate Of the cost of the rail-
way has not been given out, but it will
not be anything like as much as the
cost per mile Of the American Intercon-
/ tinental railway, on account of the ma
ture of country through which 1t will
pass.
The survey for this latter line was
the most extended and difficult ever un-
dertaken. Four thousand seven hun
dred and forty-nine miles of country,
almost all of it covered with mountains.
had to be surveyed, and a pathway
feasible for railway picked out amid
the great crags and peaks of "the back
bone Of the continent" Besides that,
many hundreds Of miles were sur
yeyed amid the mountain Businesses for
branch lines to connect with already
existing railways or with the ocean.
FIRST STAGE ACCOMPLISHED.
The survey was begun in 1891, and
the final report of the Executive Com
mittee of the Commission having the
matter in charge will be out in q few
months, the work being about finished,
Everything will then be ready for the
actual building of the railway. It Is
not, of course, probable that the entire
line will be built at one swoop, but
that sections will be built here and
there on the line of the survey in places
The herald., 1897-12-20

where they will pay best. to be con-
nected later into the greatest railway
line ever built, or ever likely to be
built in the world.
A part of the country visited by the
expeditions sent out had not only to
be surveyed, but to be explored for the
first time in history; new mountains
and streams were discovered and given
to the maps. This immense work has
been done by officers Of the army de-
tailed for the service, and by civilian
engineers in the government employ.
AS every one knows, you can go now
by rail as far south as the City of
Mexie travelling either by way Of
Eagle Pass or El Paso. From the City
of Mexico to the Guatemala line Is q
distance Of about 500 miles. over which
the building of railway would COM
plete the Mexican section. BY using
existing Mexican roads in operation
The herald., 1897-12-20

and photograph is obtained Of the
spectra of all the brighter stars II. this
large region. Many thousand plates,
covering the entire sky, have been
taken in this way at the Can bridge
and Arequipa Stations of the Obser-
vatory.
1T was during the examination of
one of these plates that the discovery
was made that the spectrum of me-
teor had at last been photographed.
Since it is impossible to foresee when
these bright objects will appear, or
what path they will follow, photo.
The herald., 1897-12-20

The love Of fun is not unknown
among the serious looking Celestials,
who during the last decade have been
collecting in the Australian colonies. A
storekeeper, wishing to advertise his
articles in the Chinese language, en-
gagged Chinaman to paint sign, ex-
pecting of course that 1t would be Q
very enticing one. It did not answer
his expectations, however, for the only
perceptible effect 1t had on "the rela-
tions of the sun and moon," as the
Chinese term themselves, was to excite
q grin of the broadcast dimensions. At
length the storekeeper by q considera-
BILE bribe, obtained a translation in
English of the advertisement, and
found it read as follows: Don't buy
anything here; storekeeper q rogue
The herald., 1897-12-20
ENGINE AND ITS IMMENSE TRAIN OF WAGONS

suit in America it is hard to say. The
fact that here in England the roads
from one end Of the country to the
other are in splendid condition is
great advantage. In some sections OF
America they would probably be USE
full; but where the roads are bottom
less morasses of mud the farmers had
better stick to their horses for a while
yet, as an engine would probably sink
beyond the reach Of anything but
derrick.
The herald., 1897-12-20

winter is left to spoil on his hands.
Now, on market days 1 positively gloat
over the sight of the road engine
hitched to q long train of heaped-up
wagons, travelling away with them as
though the tremendous load were
feather weight. The steam horse has
come to stay on my farm, and the best
is not too good for him.
These trains, however are not an in
spring sight, however useful they may
be- They travel with the grace and
agility Of steam roller, dragging a
The herald., 1897-12-20

able trail has heretofore been photo~
graphed on the many thousand plates
examined.
THE photograph shown was taken
at about eleven p. m. on June 18th,
1887. The eight-inch Bache telescope
was on duty that night at Arequipa
Station and was directed towards the
The herald., 1897-12-20

constellation Telescopium. At the time
mentioned a bright meteor appeared IN
right ascension Is h ls m, declination-
AZ degrees 10 minutes, and passed out
The herald., 1897-12-20

graph can only be obtained when one
happens to cross the field of the tele-
scope. y number of trails of meteors
have been obtained, both here and else
where, when charts Of the stars were
photographed, no prism being used.
But when the prism was in place no
meteor bright enough to leave a notice
The herald., 1897-12-20

horses would require Farmer New
biggen adds to these conditions the
fact that the engine never gets sick,
requires no watching to see that It
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-02-26
NEW INTERN TIONAL BANK.

The last meeting of the House COM
mittec on banking and currency was
held Wednesday and the committee
decided to report to the House the bill
for the incorporation of the Interna-
tional American Bank The incorpo-
rators named in the bill include Cor
nelius y. Bliss, T. Jefferson Coolidge,
Andrew Carnegie, John f. Hansen, of
Georgia; Charles II. Flint, of New
York; Enoch Pratt, of Maryland; II.
G. Davis, of West Virginia.: p. d. Ar
mour, of Illinois; NJ. NJ. Estee, of Cal
ifornia; James S. Clarkson. of Iowa,
and Charles II. Turner, of Missouri.
The capital stock of the bank provided
for in the bill is five millions, its COZ
porate existence is to he twenty years,
it is authorized to do Il general hank
ing business to maintain not more than
eight branches in the United State s
and others in Central and South Amer
lea and the West Indies.
This is gigantic combination of
capitalists, and does not bo,le any good
for the tOiling masses who already be-
lieve that the monied interests of this
country are getting too arbitrary in
their demands. This movement will
add new zeal to the Bryan followers.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-02-26
GENERAL LEES POSITION.

There may not be any truth in the
statements that General Lee has ac-
tually resigned his position, but there
cannot be any doubt as to the fact that
he is very uncomfortable i'm it. He
wishes to see his country respected;
and in fultillment of his duty endeavors
to demand such consideration from the
Spanish authorities as this country has
a right to exspect. But he does not
receive the proper support from his
government at home, and naturally he
feels Disguised and threatens to resign
his commission. AS practical and
experienced soldier he can judge of the
situation at the seat Of war, and his
reports and recommendations ought
to be treated with great respect. If
his home government fails to recognize
and support him then he is useless at
his post. 1t were far better that he
should not be in Havana, for so long
as he remains, he only excites the con-
tempt of the Spaniards, and exposes
himself to ridcule. General Lee very
justly complains of his treatment, and
his manhood will compel him to resign
unless the administration shall sustain
him in his demand for the proper treat
ment of American citizens in Cuba.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-02-26
NEWS ITEMS.

Northern republicans have lost interest
and Southern democrats have no sympathy
for the claimants.
There is very little chance that South
ern war claims will receive favorable
attention by Congress.
Democratic Senators discredit the re-
port that Senator Kyle, of South Dakota,
will act with the republicans in the Senate.
The republican members of the ways
and means committee do not expect to
complete the new tariff bill before March
18th.
The winter evolutions of the North
Atlantic squadron, now at Charleston,
S. c., have ended and the squadron is
Dispensing
The court of inquiry eXonerated the
officers and crew of the cruiser Brooklyn
which grounded on Schooner Ledge on
January 30.
The President, is vetoing several pension
bills, called the attention of the Senate
to the increasing latitude in special
pension legation"
Gov. Asa s. Bushcll announced Sunday
that he had decided to appoint Mark A.
Hanna United States Senator from Ohio,
to succeed John Sherman.
The items for new battle-ship and a
composite sailing vessel for the Naval
Academy cadets were stricken from the
naval appropriation bill.
Permission was granted by Secretary
ines at San Dicg>, Cal, to take part in
Washin gton's Birthday celebration.
The National Business League presented
statement to Chairman Dingley, of the
House ways and means committee, urgin g
a conservative revision of the tariff.
Secretary Lamont has written a letter
to Chairman Hill, of the House military
committee, stating that he was in favor
of permitting the West Point cadets to
participate in the inaugural parade.
The President has nominated James L..
W olcott to be United States judge for the
district of Delaware. The republican
leaders in the Senate will make a strong
effort to prevent confirmation and ex-
Senator Higgins will 60 to Washington
to oppose it,
The united squadrons of the great
powers at the Island of Crete bombarded
the insurgent camp outside of Canea
Sunday, the insurgents having kept up a
fusllade all day despite the warnings of
the admirals.
In reporting the Loud bill in relation to
secondclass mail, matter, Senator Chand-
Ter said that the committee was of opinion
it could not pass this session. The appoint
ment of a commission to investigate alleg-
ed abuses in connection with second class
matter was recommended.
DR.. Richard Ruiz, naturalized Ameri-
can citizen, died recently in prison in
Cuba. Some of his friends claim that he
was murdered by Spanish jailors. The
Spanish official reports allege that he
committed suicide. Consul Lee
is investigating the case. Reports that
General Lee had called for warships at
Havana are denied at Washin gton
Peruvian GuanO at $3.50 per sack.
Campbell & Son, Washington and Ana
costa, ID. G.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-02-26
MARYLAND MATTERS.

Governor LownGes was fifty-two years
of age Sunday.
A church in Williamsport was stoned
during service.
A new hotel will be built at Braddock's
Catoctn mountain.
Mrs. Mary A. Roberts died suddenly in
Easton Sunday aged eighty-four years.
John NJ Willis died at Church Creek,
Dorchester county, aged siXtythree
years.
Rev T. Freeman Dixon, of Towson,
has been called to the PRESBYTERIAN church
in Frederick.
The physicians of Westminster have
been examining a man who can complete
ly unjoint himself.
Representatives of scventys six councils
of the Junior Order of American
Mechanics met in Cambridge Monday.
Captain Reuben Philips, the well known
Chesapeake bay steamboat piolt, died of
paralysis Sunday at Denton Bridge. Caro-
line county.
-hiSS <-1io w ittNi, tSSN t"ShtF = Vol .,
shot herself in the breast with pistol in
Frederick county and is seriously, if not
fatally wounded.
The Young Mems Christian Association
convention at Frederick elected DR.. Ber-
nard c. Steiner, of the Enoch Pratt Free
Library, president.
Levi Carroll, colored, sixty years OF
age. was killed at Marion, Somerset county
Monday by H. Frank Comet who is a
storekeepcr and a constable
In Washington county Monday Judge
State admonishcd prisoners that those who
were convicted after Il trial would receive
the highest penalty allowed.
A jury at Westminster awarded $4,000
DANA ges to Miss Maud Medairy, of Balti-
more county, for personal injuries on
the Northern Central Railroad.
Several members of colored family
have been arrested in Montgomery county
for completely in the robbery and burning
of the Braid residence at Woodside.