The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-25
How Judiciary of the U.
S. is Constituted.
Facts About the Catastrophe
at the Tay Bridge.
Reason for So Many Gas Asphyx-
iati0ns OF Late Water Gas.

The judiciary system of the United
States is. not ss complicated as he News
correspondent who signs himself "Jus-
tice." seems TO think. The system as
esta blished by the Constitution consists
of a supreme court and circuit and dis
trict, but the constitutional provisions
relating to them were drawn with an eye
to the extension of the country and ex-
pansion of the business likely to be
brought before those tribunals. AS a re-
suit the number OF judges on the supreme
court bench and on the benches of the
circuit and district courts was left to be
determined by Congress "a circumstances
seaped 10 warrant. The supreme court
at first consisted of chief justice and
five associate justices, but the number
has since. been incressedito eight. There
are nine circuit courts, the first circuit
including Maine, massachusetts,, New
hampshire, and Rhode Islsno, and has
two judges; the second, Connecticut,
New York. and Vermont, with three judges
third, Delaware, New Jersey and Penn
sylvsnia. two judges; fourth. Maryland,
North and South Carolina, Virginia and
westVirginia, two judges; fifth. Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi
and Texas, two judges; sixth. kentucky,
Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. two
judges; seventh. Illinois, indiana and
Wisconsin, three judges; eighth, Arkansas,
Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska and Wyoming, three
judges, and ninth, California, Idaho,
Nevada, and Oregon, with three judges.
Every stateiand territory has at least one
district court and several have raore.
New York, Texas and the Indian Terri
tory have three each. The salary OF the
chief justice of the United States is
S10,500 and of the associate Justices
fl0. 900. The circuit court judges receive
%, 900 and district court judges IS, 600.
Congress may at any time when it so de-
sires increase the numb Der of circuits or
districts or may rearrange their bound
aries. All United States judges are ap-
pointed by the President and the term is
during "good behavior"
That the speed of 2s.72 knots en- hour
made by the torpedo boat No. 6 on her
trial the other day down Narragan-
sett bay was a really remarkable per-
farmance is shown by a comparison with
the best records made by the ocean grey
hounds, According TO the official record
he fastest passage ever made by any
vessel between Queenstown and New
York. distance OF 2779 knots. was by the
Lucanis, which sailed October 20, 1894, at
1855 pm. and arrived In New York, Octo-
Der 26. The actual time of the trip was
lve.dsys, seven hours and twenty-three |
minutes or an average OF 21.S1.
Although 1t Is not eighteen years since
'hst is known as the Fay bridge disaster
ccurred that terrible cstsstro phe has
sssed almost completely from the pub
c mind. 1t stands, however, as one of
he most terrible rsilway accidents that
as happened since steam has been used
or the transportation of human beings
n land. The accident occurred on
,ecem Der 2s, 1879 and the bridge through
Ihich the ill-fated train and its load
passengers was precipitated was re-
srded as one OF the most solid, SUBJ
tantial and safest structures in the world. |
'orx upon II was begun in 1871 and IL
'as not completed for more than seven
ears, being opened In 1878. This delay in
nishing the structure is accounted for
} part by the fact that part OF it was
sffied away by high gale i'm 4ssTT77 the
rcident leading to considerable criti-
ism OF the engineers engaged upon the
ork.
A year after the bridge had been thrown
pen TO traffic passenger train started !
cross 1t during the prevalence OF a ter
nc storm. Whether the weight OF the
ain coupled with the vibration OF the
ridge from the wind caused the acc dent,
: whether the bridge had already fallen
I'd the train went through the chasm,
as never been determined. The. bridge
as 1882 feet or little more than two
lies long, and consisted OF eighty-hve
'ans. When the accident was discovered
'ere was a gap Of about 800 feet near
10 center OF the bridge. Exactly how
any persons perishei in the catastrophe,
ke other fmportspt facts. will never be
nown, but from 75 to 100 are believed to
I'VE gone so~n with the brioge. Forty
K bodies were afterward recovered
= divers. A new bridge at the same
pint was opened to traffic shout ten
ssrs ago.
Cheaper gss has been the cry Of people In G
any cities, Boston among the mum Der 4
nd one OF the results seems to have been | |