The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-10
More Privileges For the
Women Of France.
Building of Big Rifles at
Watervleit Arsenal.
Fish That Attacks and Sometimes
Destroys Human Beings.

There has lust been passed in France a
law permitting women to testify in cases
involving civil law, as for instance, In
marriage contracts, birth certificates and
the like. It is one of the eccontricities of
the French code that although until re-
Gently such privileges were withheld from
women, they were nevertheless permitted
10 testify before the court of assizes, in
other words until quite lately they were
adjudged incompetent TO testify that
John Smith was the son OF James ana
Maria Smith, but they could swear away
the life or honor of "a man. But whlle
tho laudable and long awaited reform
inst made has met with the instant APP
proyal of everyone. that is, tho govern
mont, the press and tho public, so that IL
was voted through without discussion,
a rare enough thing In France, there Is
moro flagrant injustice TO woman stili
waiting To be righted. This Is tho inabil-
ity OF "A married woman TO enjoy tho free
disposal OF the fruits of her own labor.
Az things now stand, workingwnmnn
or a servant may toll all day, only to have
her gains taken from her and squlndered
by a drunken husband. The French APP
pear to have horror OF the supremacy
OF woman, even in her own household.
The Salic law Is with them in full force
among private individuals, as it was In
the government at the time of tho mon
arcby. But the cause Of feminine liberty
has recently made great strides In france
ns 10 has In Germany, aud IT. Is probable
that when the law touching this condition
of affairs, which was voted by the chamber
"A year ago. but has not yet teeD taken
up.again comes up, 1t will meet with
favorable response.
The rifled gun OF today as finished at
the Watervleit arsenal is constructed al
most wholly of steel. This is OF the best
quality that can he produced on large
scale In America. IL is-made by the open
hearth protess, Tor the most part at Mid
vale and Bethlo .em, Pa. The fOrgings
after undergoing thorough official inspec-
tion and careful testing, arc sent to the
great gun shops at Watervleit. There the
various parts composing gun are worked
ur, assembled tcg lther and finished. Be-
fores assignment for governre ent service,
each gun is subjected to a searching test
more severe than should bo expected in
actual use. The largest gun thus far de-
signed at wntervtuit Is n rifio of twelve
inch bore, forty feet in length and fifty
seven tons IA weight From such a gun
an elongated steel pointed projectile,
weighing 1900 pounds or as much AS an
ordinary horse, Is shot with "a charge OF
eco pounds of powder.
1t receives an initial velocity of 1000 feet
per second. ana would penetrate through
rather more than two feet of steel armor
plate put in front of the mu2zle III shot
into tho air at the proper elevation il
would pnas over n range of nearly nine
miles. Such missile thus fired from the
lower end of New York city would pass
over Central Park into the district beyond
the Harlem river. This range would be
covered so quickly that the shot would
reach Its dc stir alton ralIseconds before
the sound of the explosion is heard NJ 10
same poirt. Tho initial energy OF tho
projectile would bo sufficient To lift u
weight Of 27. 0c0 tons To "A height of one
foot. The cost OF such gun is about
So, Zoo.
Can't Hinde. who fas spent some time
among tio Co lgo Arabs gives somo
vui.1.s inforl,ation regarding the ror-
verted tastes OF these savagos Their
fp ,cial liking for roasted humanity, Lo
rays, is an acquired taste and does not
arise from any intense degree of native
savagcry. Besides these refined mon OF
Congo, and women tDo. object TO eating
tissh raw, they invariably either boil,
roast or smoke it. f" Capt. Hinde found
the traffic in human flesh so common
that he never could buy smoked meat in
tho market, IL being impossible to be
sure that IL was not human flesh. Hor-
rible TO relate, parents are eaten by their
children on tho first sign of approaching
decrepitude, consequently the triDes man
uge To keep up the appearance OF splen.
did race.
Mrs Grace Burridge who was born on
My y 1897, resides in an ainshouse In
the city Of Exeter, England. and like most
very old people, whilst her recollection Of
recent events Is somewhat poor. her
memory is siDGularly active regarding
events eighty years ago. she remember
when, on MAY ~ the trades people hung
branches OF oak trees outside their shops,
ana at night illuminated them In mem
ory OF tho Merry Monarch, Charles III.
When she was child. nurses used TO
frigbten children by calling out "Boney
Is coming for Bonaparte hung as
black cloud over the nation when she was
a child. The old lady has never entered
q railway train but once in her life, and
when she saw the great suspension bridge
nt Clifton she refused to 60 on.
A gentleman who has just returned
after an extended tour Of Venezuela gives
an interesting description of tho Orinoco
country. ho says his party several times
cane In contact with the carib fish which
are tho most ferocious known Inhabitants
of the water The fish ara not over four-