davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1898-10-15
FAMOUS TRIALS,
cases Tint HAVE Consumed Many
Wears In Settlement

From Tit Bits.
The recent death Of Jean I.uie. the fam
Gus witness in the yet more famous Itch
horne trial. has called to mind that great
Jaw case. and led again to the recollection
Of other cases which have left their marks
on our legal lists for the length ~ time
they took before being settled.
The record for long cases in the law
courts is held by the celebrated suit known
as IN" Bishop Demetra Will case" which
arose from the estates left bv that rreIaf,s
in l'6N and went on a long and terribly pro-
tracted career till it ended I'm 1899 At first
there was some I2Ju Goo for dts'rtbutiop
among the heirs, but ere the trial had I'm
lSheu t-2 years after its Start) there We're
50 many claimants to the money aud law
costs had so swallowed II up that il work
ed out at fl each all round,
The next case in point of years was the
famous Parker agt. DaUkins" which was
commenced in 1S23 and struggled on till
lS6t This was suit for the estate OF the
west India planter J. J. Parker. who was
extremely rich. AMI died in 1S23 I'm Port
land place. Commissioner Stouur al Vest
minister heard much Of it in its latest stages
and the reason why=it finished in 1SRg was
that the whole estate had hpen exbaustad
in paying the lawyers costs This ease had
far greater claim to fame than that of
being merely the second longest trial fn our
island of which We have any full account
1t will eyermore be memorable owing 10 its
ems took his renowned case Of 'Jarndyce
agt. Jarndyce." I'm Bleak House" Which
Of US has not laughed at the Vagaries Of
that great case set down 10y the cele-
hratcd novelist?
A strange thing In connection with this
case should also be mentioned. This was
that one of the parties to the suit, Mr.
q. g. Parker, who had been supposed to
have been killed in Paris about 1870 turn
ed up and gave evidence in 1861. Yet his
estate had been administered as that Of a
d. tceaSc1 man twenty years before.
The trial of Warren Hastings for illegali-
lies committed during his Eovernorship of
India, which took place at the end Of the
last century, lasted over seven years. This
is our longest state trial.
All the above cases. however, grew to
such length because they were being con-
stantly adjourned for long periods and so
little Of them was heard AT once Of trials
fairly continuous and reckoning up all the
days actually taken. the Tichhprne trial
holds first place without much difficulty.
It began in 1872 and was not really COM
pletod I'll the claimant WAS SENTENCED to
prison for perjury in 1874. There had been
sitlings of the court for no less q time than
lSS days ere the finish came as described
Mention mist be made also In This li5t
of long trials of the Parnell case. which oc-
cupied the judges Tor a period Of 129 family
full DAYS.
Evening star., 1898-10-15

acted accordingly, but after an Independent
government had been set up and prosperity
seemed assured, the careful management
so necessary to such an enterprise was
withdrawn. The paradox has again come
true, for colonization was abandoned on
account of its success. Recent efforts
should be called emigration or deportation
merely, the essential idea of colonization
being absent Deportation has failed. II
is worse than foolish to expect the mex
perienCed emigrant to take up single-hand-
ed the conquest of the tropical forest in
the face of the difficulties of pioneer life
in Africa. Unusual endurance or some eX-
ceruonai fortune may bring him through,
but the chances are mostly against him.
The battle with the fever and the forest is
too long. Five years of suffering, starva-
ton and homesickness mean 4 deterioration
which subsequent prosperity can scarcely
atone for, even if the colonists family is
spared by death. Colonization means the
partial removal of these difficulties, and
the success which attended early efforts
of the kind is indication of what might
be expected if the resources OF modern civ
ihzauon were brought to bear upon the
problem. 1t is at least certain that Liberia
c"uld offer opportunities consid arably su-
ptriCr to those being eagerly sought by
Europeans in the African colonies of the
various powers. Indeed, Liberia is already
in advance of any of these colonies if W.
nterprer the signs Alright. There is more
coffee under cultivation, and there
are more good farms owned and
managed by negroes than in any
other part of tropical Africa. There
are more good houses more intelligent peo-
pie, more churches and more rchools and
while the aggregate is yet infin:tesimal
compared with Europe or America, it con-
stltutes the most favorable nucleus of civ
lhzatlon to be found in tropical Africa. To
attempt to arouse excitement and stir up
an exodus of American negroes would be
to invite disaster on large scale The
negro can honestly be advised only to stay
where he is until he has far better aSsur-
ance of safety than can now be given him
The important point Is that the supposed
failure of colonization during the last half
century failure is not a demonstration of
the existence of any insurmOuntable OBJ
stacles in the way of furnishing a home in
Africa for those who find themselves un-
comfortable here or relieving the pressure
of southern neighborhoods, where compe-
tlton is croWding the negro to the wall
or at least reducing him to constantly
toWer level of existence
Evening star., 1898-10-15

estimated cost not exceeding $4,000 600
u Will carry an idea Of our presen; need
OF dry docks to mention the fact that with
the addition of all the docks prnposel hv
poses on our entire coast line hu; one more
dock than Great Britain has i'm one OF her
ia w yards--fhat Of Portsmouth.
or the eleven naval docks. such as thcy
OF wood and masonry combined and six ~
wood. To compare this array with the
complete and permanent equipment 81 Soma
OF the other maritime nations Of The earth
VIII be Instructive.
Gr"at Ertjin. besid,s tho many private
docks availabl" for her naval lIsc. has six
ty-siN naval dry docks. or Those twenty
four ar" thirty feet "T NOR in iruth unl
can dock the largest shin suoat nr any shI,,
that il can reasonably bo expected &il1 le
buit. or th"S" docks. forty-rhrer pt Whi-n
are IN tFc un:ted kingdom ana rg,,'liv-ti.r,a
IN its distant possessions, all a." b'iH ~
stone. coUcrot" ar brick. exc pt ttyp ,laa-iua,
docks. on" Of iron. the other or wood
In Other Countries.
France has forty-threr nasrl dry Jocks.
fifteen Of which have a drait Of .hirty feet
or more. All ere Of masonry rN.a1t f,ur
floating docks. three NJ whiea arc for Toy
pelo craft.
Italy has thirteen naval dry loc'ts six Il
which an" thirty feet or more in depth.
Three Of the docks are noaGnr ones. the
others are built Uf stone.
Germany has eleven naval docks. one %
which Is iron, fonr are stone. tnr-e are cf
granite and concrete and tho. arr floating
docks. Two OF these docks have Il draft nf
- feet g inches, the others are smaller
Russia has SIX naval Ho~kS .yn Of which
are at NlaaiyuStock on the Sibof.ln coast.
or these docks three are thirty feet deep
or over. Four arr Of .tple and two are
floating docks.
Spain has six naval docks Of which three
arc NJ t"dlz, one l. ~ car l-g,la. one at
Ferrol and one at Lubic Two ~ these
docks have draft of mnre i,lau thirty
feet, and one a depth II ~ f,st u Iuc.as
Japan has nine naval docks. all - stone
OF th"s" one IS thirty H.et deep.
china has seven naval docks Of tir.il 81 CT
granite. one is thirty feet IN draft
II VIII he seen that in ;h" character or
its existing naval dock construction the
InitHa States approximate NOR nearly 10
emma than any other OF the InwrrS men
toned.
Evening star., 1898-10-15

should be naval stations where vessels of
war could be fitted out and to which they
could resort for refitting and repairs. In
any naval station the main and essential
feature is the dry dock, or docks, into
which vessels are warped to be left high
and dry where they can be overhauled and
needed repairs made.
While in general the great maritime ma
tions of the world have increased their
docking facilities to correspond with the
growth of their navies, signal exception
to this rule has been in the case of the
United States. This country, tardily equip
ped with warships far fewer in number
than would fill the requirements of a first
rate naval power, found itself on the out
break of the recent war with Spain with
available navy in rating not superior to
its antagonist. and with practically such
coast defenses only as could be extern
poriZed after it was seen that the war was
inevitable. These conditions We're gener
ally understood but weakness as serious
which few outside the naval experts could
appreciate the lack of any means for
docking a battle ship armored cruiser
anywhere upon our Atlantic coast. Our
prompt taking of the initiative, in opera
tOns against the Spanish fleets and colo
nies, the excellence of our ships and the
brilliant performance of the American COM
manderS and gunnerS, together with the in
effectiveness of the enemy, kept our ships
intact and held the Spanish SquadrOns from
our shores. But had there been a general
naval battle. with forces evenly matched
in the Caribbean sea or off the Canary
Islands, whatever might have been it's issue
our fleet could scarcely have emerged from
the fight without the necessity of repairs
to most Of the vessels engaged Even with
no injury from battle, storm or accident
had the war been protracted all our war
vessels would have needed docking in or
Evening star., 1898-10-15

Gulf of Mexico or upon its tributary wa
ters. From commercial and naval consid-
erations a commission appointed November
-, 1889, selected for the site of a dock AL
giers, part of New Orleans, but as yet
the design and dimensions of this struc-
ture have not been definitely determined.
On the Pacific coast, at the Mare Island
navy yard, San Francisco. is a granite
dock 49, feet in Length. 50 feet wide at the
copings, and with 27 feet 6 inches of water
over the sill The present defect Of this
station as a docking station is the fact that
the cham Il from San Francisco bay to the
Mare Island yard has an available depth of
only from 10 30 20 feet. For this reason
that splendid battle ship the Oregon, built
at the Mare Island yard. had 10 go TO the
Puget sound station TO be docked.
AT the Puget sound naval station the dock
of timber and masonry is Cos feet long. 92
feet wide at the copings, and has 20 feet
depth of water over the sill, being capable
of taking our largest ships.
But Few Available.
In the way of commercial docks, al
though there are many on the Atlantic
coast. the only ones available among them
for naval use are the Erie basin at New
York and the dock at Newport News On
the Pacific coast there is ct San Francisco
dry dock, at Hunters Point available for
the protected cruiser class, and hydraulic
lift 440 feet long, at the Union iron works,
capable of lifting 1000 tons. NeitLer can
take an armoI Ell cruiser or battle ship.
In 1897 a board Of naval officers was ap-
pointed by the Secretary Of the Navy to
consider the subject Of dry docks required
by the government. OF this board, wEich
was carefully selected for the fitness OF its
members, Rear Admiral Francis NJ Bunce
was senior member In an exhaustive re-
port submitted in September. 1897, this
board recommended the establishing OF ad-
ditional concrete docks at the Boston. New
York. Norfolk and Mare Island navy wards,
and of building similar docks at Yerba
Buena Island and san Pedro on the Pacific
coast: also three steel floating docks at
Newport News, New Orleans and Tortugas,
respectively, and a dock and fresh water
basin at New London, Conn.
-1- What Might BE Done.
All these proposed new docks would be Of
a capacity to take the largest vessels now
afloat or likely to be built hereafter. They
could all be completed in two years, at an
Evening star., 1898-10-15
SMALLEST IN THE WORLD.
Things aad Places That Excite Iutcr-
est by Reason of Minutcncss.

~ NY w iNhtN
From the Chicago Intor-ocean.
The smallest book ever printed is the
story of Perraults little Hope Ny
Thumb" lately published. Tho book is one
ana onehalf inches long by one inch wide,
and one-quarter inch thick. 1t can toe read
only by the aid Of a microscope, hut Is conn
plete In every way and has four eHgrav-
inrs.
Shears no bigger than pin Is one Of the
exhibits OF the skill of q Sheffield work.
man: 4 dozen Of these shears weigh less
than half a grain. or about the weight Of
postage stamp; they are as perfectly made
as shears Of ordinary size.
Gaust is the smallest republic to area,
which is exactly one mile. The population
numbers 80. II is situated in the Pyrenees.
TaVplara is the smallest republic as 20
population, having only fiftN-three men,
women and children. 1t is twelve miles
from Sardinia.
Tristan d'Acunha, in the South Atlantic,
sends out its mail once year 10 the out
side world; il has a population Of siXty-four
persons-elghteen men. nineteen women, III
teen boys and twelve girls.
King Malietoa, the Samoan monarch, ate
ly dead received a smaller salary than any
royalty. $50 monthly, and il was usually
in arrears.
Chinese streets are the narrowcst in the
world-some of them are only eight feet
wide.
The smallest horse in the world is Shet-
land pony owned by the Marquis Carcano.
Its height does not surDass seventy cent?
meters; it is often harnessed to a liliputian
mail coach
Berlin has the smallest elephant I'm the
world. 1t IS only one meter high and
weighs eighty Kilograms.
The smallest camels belong I'm Persia.
They are not more than fifty centimeters
high.
The smallest COWS in the world are TO be
found I'm the Samoan Islands.
The smallest locomotive ever made can
now be seen at the Omaha exposition. Its
height from the top Of the stack to the rail
is % inches and the gauge is l2i2 inches
The cylinders are by inches; the boiler
is liz horse power, made of steel and tested
to 300 pounds pressure, and will hold twen-
ty-four gallons Of water. The diameter OF
the driving wheel is 10 inches. The weight
Of the little engine is about 800 pounds and
it will run on rail three-quarters OF an
inch square. 1t will draw ten cars each
containing two persons.
Evening star., 1898-10-15
THE STUDY OF COLORS.
Hues That Are Refreshing and Those
That Are Otherwise.

HIt are otheF"ESS.
From the Philadelphia Record
The study Of coors and their effects is 4
very curious and interesting one. There are
co!ors that are refreshing and broadening.
Others tnat absorb light and give a boxed
up appearance to q room, others that make
a room with Il bleak northern exposure or
with no exposure at all appear bright and
checrfdl; some that make q room appear
warm; some that make it cold.
If a ceiling is to be made higher leave it
light, that it may appear to recede. Deep
enlns the color used on the ceiling would
make 1t lower, an effect desirable if the
room is small and the ceiling very high.
Various tones of yellow are substitutes for
sunlight.
The thermometer seems to fall six de-
greeS when you walk into a blue room.
Yellow is an advancing color; therefore, a
room fitted UP with yellow will appear
smaller than it is On the other hand,
blue of a certain shade introduced gener-
ously into room will give an idea of
space. Red makes no difference in regard
to size. Green makes very little.
Ii a bright, sunny room gets its light
from a space obtruded upon by russell
colored or yellow-painted houses, else
looks out upon a stretch of green grass it
should be decorated in a color very differ
ent from the shade chosen If the light
comes from only an unbroken eXpanse of
sky.
If olive or red brown be used in conjunc-
ton with mahogany furniture the result
VIII be very different from that obtained
by the use of blue. Blue would develop
the tawny orange lurking in the mahogany.
Red brings out in a room whatever tint
of green turks in the composition of the
other colors employed J
Green needs sunlight to develop the yell
low in 1t and makes it seem cheerful
Evening star., 1898-10-15
The Delicate Child.
From the London Mail.

From the London Mail.
A delicate child should not be fed more
frequently than one of robust health In
fact. the robust child would have greater
power of endurance and could digest ana
cast off a greater amount of food. The del
icate child must have time To grow and
while he needs boTh fuel and muscle food
Tor development IL must be given in small
quantities-in fact, just enough for i'm to
digest and assmilate. More than this
would clog the machinery and probably up
set the child. Do not change the food ar
every suggestion. Seek out and consult a
sensible physician and follow carefully his
Instructions.
The child born I'm a weak physical coud.-
tion Is likely to take twice as long 10 walk
and to talk as an ordinary healthy child
So If your child at tive years old does not
walk. do not be discouraged, but give him
long hours of sleep. simple. easily digested
food. and an abundance of fresh air Clothe
him In warm, loose clothing. DO not stand
him on his feet II his ankles and legs are
weak. Nature viii tell the child when to
stand alone and when to walk.
Evening star., 1898-10-15

by rise Of land values. Very little land is
sold. the new arrivals being too poor to
buy. while improved property is seldom
alIenat"d from the family. The govern
ment provides cGngrants with land free of
charge.
But it viii NOS do to continue this recital
Of facts favorable to Liberia without ad-
niji4ne, ana explaining tho popular adverse
opinion on the subject. The well-nfOrmed
reader has noticed before this an entire
discrepancy with the frequently published
reports of returning emigrants. Their mar
ratives are usually exaggerated, and often
Evening star., 1898-10-15

IBERIA has thus completed half century of
self-2OveInment- and as the orderly course
Of events mas been broken by but a single
brief civic disturbance. the record in this
respect Is admittedly good. II is not. how
ever. because Of tHe efficiency 0f the gov
ernment. but rather on acc,un; Of the
peaceful and law-abid:ng tendencies Of the
citizens, th@t life and property are unex-
pecteily secure.
liberia is an agricultural community of
about 10000 colonists from America and
the descendants of such. This meager civ
lzed population is not, however. centered
Evening star., 1898-10-15

T WAS IN THE
reign of King Henry
VIII that the begin
ming of the present
British n avy was
made. and with its
d e We pm ent the
modern naval history
of the world is con-
temporaneous. 1t was
a necessity of the
system of naval de-
fense that he insti-
tuted. which should
hold England against
the world, that there
Evening star., 1898-10-15

der to have their bottoms scraped. Yet at
a time when it was certain that war with
Spain must come. there was but one sta
ton in all our 1000 miles of coast line
where a battle ship or armored cruiser
could be docked-the remote and unavail-
able one, the farthest of all removed from
The scene of operations, the naval station
at Puget sound.
One at Time.
Through the prompt action of the COM
mender at the New York navy yard the
nest capacious of the three docks there
was put into condition to receive our larg-
est warship-and the spectacle is seen to-
day of the squadron of ironclads which
last month returned in triumph from their
glorious achievements in Cuban waters
waiting patiently each its turn at the dock,
where but one ship can be received at a
time.
OF naval and commercial dry docks there
are two types of the best construction.
One of the craving or basin dock of wood
or masonry, into which the vessel to be
overhauled is warped and the entrance
closed with a caisson or gate; then the
water is pumped from the dock, leaving
every part of the ship accessible for in
spection and repair. The other is the float
ing dock formed by the joining of steel or
wooden pontoons. This having been lower
ed to a sufficient depth through the ad-
mission of water to the pontoons, the ship
is hauled above it. Then by pumping the
pCntoons dry the structure is made to rise
until it has lifted the vessel clear above
the waters surface, supporting it there
steadily on the principle of mammoth
raft with strong inclosing sides. The one
or the other of these two forms are pre-
ferable according to the varying condi-
tions at stations where docks are to be
placed. For vessels of less than $500 tons
displacement hydraulic or depositing docks
built the lift principle and marine
railways are found serviceable, and they
are less expensive than the craving and
floating docks.
What is Needed.
Under the present conditions of naval
construction, and in view of the near de-
velopments of its future, there should, in
general be no dry dock built of less di-
mensions than 500 feet In length, 90 feet
breadth at the coping and a depth over the
sill of so feet. Such q dock would accom-
Evening star., 1898-10-15

modate the largest armored cruiser now
ahcat. or battle ship of $1,000 tons dis
placement.
With these requirements in mind let us
see how the eight naval stations which We
possess. with their eleven dry docks, meet
the needs of the situation:
At the navy yard at Portsmouth y. H..
is wooden dock. of obsolete pattern. with
an actual lifting capacity of 1,5oo tons.
unsuitable for the docking of any naval
vessel larger than a dispatch boat. The
yard and dock are on river with strong
tidal currents and tortuouS channel, and
are exposed to attack from sea.
At Boston navy yard are all the Tequi-
sites for the site of a dry dock. Here is 4
stone craving dock, 800 feet long. with
depth of - feet ~ inches at mean high
water. available for docking gunboats and
the very smallest Of our cruisers.
Admiralty Located.
At the New York navy yard are three
docks, one a stone craving dock of 800 feet
available length. G6 feet width. and - feet
inches depth over sill. The other two are
timber docks, one 451 feet in available
length, 81 feet wide at sill and - feet q
inches deep over sill; the other, 6l5 feet IN
az allable length, IL feet as inches wide at
sill ana 2S feet deep over sill 1t Is this
last named dock which today is the soil
dependence Tor getting our battle ships aad
armorad cruisers into shape after the re
cent war. Ihe situation of the New York
iiavy yard complies with every requisite
for navy yard site.
AT the Philadelphia Ueague IslandD navy
yard is a timber dock 451 feet long with Il
depth over sill of - feet q inches. In the
9O-mile reach of Delaware river aud BAY
which connects it with The open but -
feet of water can be carried at high tide
through dredged and tidal channels, and
there is obstruction in the winter from ice
" hile Philadelphia is an admirable size for
the building of naval ships, its approach is
too difficult for prompt repair to injured
vessels. Moreover, in war both approach
and ingress could be readily closed by an
enemy with mines placed below any of ITS
defenses.
Newport News and Norfolk may be con-
sidered together as naval station. At The
first named place is the large commercial
dock of the Newport News Shipping Com
pany, which can take all classes of naval
vessels except armored cruisers and battle
ships. Newport News is in all respects a
good site for naval dry dock. AT the
navy yard at Norfolk, twelve miles away
are two dry docks, one of stone 2g5 feet in
length, with p feet depth of water on sill
the other Of timber 451 feet in length and
- feet inches over sill. The approach to
the navy yard, through Hampton Roads. is
protected by fortifications and mine fields
South and West.
AT the Port Royal. S. c., naval station is
timber dock 449 feet long, with a depth
over sill of 70 feet. From the outer bar to
the dock is distance of fifteen miles, with
a channel which. while p feet deep at low
water, Is too narrow and shallow to allow
battle ship to anchor at the station
There are no naval dry docks or adequar re
docking facilities on the whole coast of the
Evening star., 1898-10-15
LIFE IN LIBERIA
Reasons Why Colonization is Not
Always a Success.
HARDSHIPS THAT BESEF NEWCOMERS
Yet as d General Rule the People
Are Prosperous.
WEALTH IS DISTR1B L T D
WEALTH IS DISTRIBUTED
Written for The Evening Star.

ITH THE INCEP-
ton of a colonial
policy by the United
States the condition
of our only foreign
colony has taken on
new interest. The
republic of Liberia
was founded and
governed by the COL
OniZatiOn societies,
an arran s e m e n I
which might have
continued indefinite
" had not Great