davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1914-06-06

Restoring The Roof Of West minister Hall

A group of NJ. P.s stood at the foot Of q
long, straight ladder in Westminster Hail
on Thursday morning. The bidder led up to
the scaffolding which now hides the greater
part Of the beautiful Gothic roof. The NJ.
P.s looked at it 1oubtfuily.
They had been glad to accept the sugges-
tion that they should so up and Iook at the
roof. Mr.. Wedgwood Beun had to ask the
House of Commons CAS- spokesman for the
Office Of Works. 10 vote 100000 as an IN
stalment towards the cost Of its repQir. He
had he happy Thought Of inviting members
to see for themselves how badly repair is
needed, and Il number Of them were there
ut noon, eager for The experience. They
went INTO a little room to put on o@yeroIIs,
blue or white, aud caps, shipped like dust
mems hats, to keep the dust from their
heads, Then they gathered round the ladder
aud began to wish 'they had known it was
to be like this at first.
A long, straight soft. ladder is an eerie
thing to climb. Add beyond this there
stretched yet other long, straight ladders.
They looked at one another. Who would 80
frst?.
The question was solved in the most I'M
expected way. Up trotted a little grey
bearded man, Sir Thomas Roe, NJ. 7. for
Derby, eishty.two years old next July. He
did not hesitate. He started up the ladder
at once. That gave all courage. Even if
their heads swan a little, even if their knees
felt unstea Iv, they could not tarn back with
an example like that before them.
aWretched Little Beetle"
As soon as they reached the level of the
roof they could see how the huge oak beams
had been damaged. "Siuce 1897 they have
been here Mr.. Bpines, one Of the principal
Office of Works architects, told them, " and
but for a wretehed little beetle they might
have lasted till 2397.'
Tie name OF this beetle is Xestobjum
tesselatum. 1t is only found in oak and
willow. Wherever it is found decay goes
with it. Mr.. Baines showed how many
beams were hollow. He put his arm into
them. In one, he said, a man could almost
stand NJ.
One point of great interest in Mr.. Bainas's
most useful explanation was that the four
teenth-century builders G" just ordinary
English carpenters, he called them) bad as
much science as our architects have to-
day. eve lay great stress upon theory rs
if it were quite modem. But they had a
good theory, too, as we'll as a good practice
They couldn't have built this without" On
the beans are still the marks of the men who
handled them-their name-signs and guild
sigus-scratched there more than five cen
turies ago.
The restoration Of the roof will take six
years and will cost approximately f60,000-
Nsd.
, 1914-06-06
F~LY-PAPER CLOTHES.

4 novel method for fighting sleeping
sickness in the island of Principe, in Portp-
cuese West Africa, is described IN a White
Paper published on Wednesday on the qoes-
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17
~<<<Se<0ua70
Story Of the Building and
Operation of the Remark.
able Railroad Which
Climbs Over Snow and
Ice Almost To the Sum-
NIT Of the Jungfrau.

- HERE is an infinite and over
whelming grandeur about the
Alps, and few travellers can
~ resist the lure of the great white
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17
tically put an end to smuggling by

tically put an end to smuggling by
water.
1t seemed for a time that q new era
was about to dawn on the island
American capital opened up sugar
plantations and a we'll known Fruit
Company took UP banana and cocoa
culture in the northern part Of the
country. Tobacco and cotton, too,
thrive on the island and the exports
for one year amounted to over S11,
600, 900, the greater part Of these eX-
ports coming to the United States.
But just as Santo Domingo was get
ting on her feet, so to speak, a num-
Der of men took to the bush and
guerilla warfare tactics may be ex
pected for n time. Then Walter Wick,
the American receiver OF customs, re-
signed and now President Wilson has
sent Charles NJ. Johnson, of Indianap-
oils, down to the island as a financial
expert to untangle these complications
which involve European interests and
threaten to bring about American in
tervention.
Mr.. johnson expects to conserve the
finances Of the Republic in a way
which will be sufficient for its needs
American Minister Sullivan was re-
Gently called to Washington to dis
cuss the Dominican finances. and it is
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17
S<o 80
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delight in many languages yet every
body understood exactly what every
body else meant.
Climbing To Winter.
Then we began to climb in earnest
and soon reached the treacherous gla-
ciers which lay glittering in the sun
light The wooded heights and noun
tain pastures dotted with gray rocks
were soon left behind while In front
OF us rose the mighty Jungfrau. the
Eiger and the Monch with their walls
OF Ice. Everywhere on all sides snow
covered pyramids seemed to rise. The
air was chilly and even with the bright
sunshine of an August day the pas
sengers found heavy wraps comfort
able. AS the train climbed the scenery
became grander. Winter seemed to
have suddenly crowded In on mid
summer. Finally. Eiglegetcher sta
ton was reached and a stop Of half
an hour was made. A large number
of travellers who were already feeling
the effect Of the high altitude decided
to go no further and stopped to spend
the day at this point-one Of the
beauty spots of the Alps. The Eiger
glacier Is not difficult to climb IL the
| traveller Is any sort of mountain
climber, and 1t was soon dotted with
people who really enjoyed the sport
| Of slipping and sliding on its CLASSY
slopes. Some decided to take sled
| rides and by the aid of guides were
soon enjoying real old-fashioned win
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17

lie at the base of the mountain before
ally the air grows chill, the flowers
disappear and the traveller finds him
self among the eternal snow through
which the train climbs for seVerai
miles to the Jungfraujoch station. me
new extension of this road was com
pleted in 1912, and the Press or the
different countries fairly dubbed over
with compliments to It's builders ana
descriptions of its wonders; 30, the
writer journeyed to Switzerland In or
der to view this railway and to realize
the ambition of years-to climb the
Jungfrau.
Then came days of waiting, for I'M
fortunately Switzerland has an over
abundance of rain In Summer and
even railway mountain climbing is not
pleasant in these torrential mountain
storms. Finally, there came day
when there was not a cloud IN the
sky. Others had waited for that day
as well. There were all nationalities'
and as the train started there was a
perfect Babel Of tongues-German,
French, English, Dutch. italian and
Russian could be heard above the
hum Of the motor and the click OF the
wheels as the train started. 1t seemed
that all nations had come to view the
beauty of this glorious mountain. Al
Scheidegg we changed to the Jungfrau
railroad. At this point the whole
Bernese Oberland range came into
| view and there were EXPLANATIONS OF
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17
-Al2T7S L1e[E4c0~Ny RID|e~ Ehe Rroe1txeo>S
ASxG~HK| 0Ne LxZLIS NIHzo

1t costs money to put down revolu-
tons, and on each occasion Santo
Domingo has borrowed money from
European countries. and in 1905 1t
was found that they were under such
heavy Indebtedness that they could
not even pay their interest Things
had come to such q pass that unless
some speedy action was taken the
island would be practically owned by
some country across the sea-
Monroe Doctrine Bobs Up.
Then the Monroe Doctrine bobbed
up and the United States took charge
of the Dominican Custom House and
made the country pay off its debts ac-
cording to the convention signed on
the part of the United States and the
Dominican Government An Amer-
can citizen was made receiver of Gus
toms with authority to deposit $780,
600 each month towards the interest
Give per cent? and sinking fund in
trust for all national creditors. In ad-
diton. half the customs receipts in
excess of $4,000 900 Is applied to the
same end. The public debt at that
time was over thirty-three millions,
but the interposition of the United
States and the willingness Of the
| Dominican Government to adopt a
! plan whereby its surplus revenues ad-
| ministered by us should go to its
creditors enabled five per cent. loan
/ of 100000 900 to be floated with the
| proceeds of which the enormous debt
was to be liqudated. This has worked
splendidly and much of the debt has
/ been paid and there have been ample
funds toward the development OF the
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17

understood that after hearing his story
Of conditions President Wilson has de-
terrnined that the United States shall
approve all the expenditures of Santo
Domingo as we'll as collect her GUS
toms. Just whether this will entirely
crush the revolutionary spirit of the
people is n mooted question. How
ever, from present indications 1t would
seem that unless they speedily set
their house in order American inter-
vention Will be the result.
Beautiful And Fertile.
Probably no spot on earth. take 1t
all in all, and looking at it in its nat
ural aspects, can be found more lovely
than the Dominican Republic; prob
ably no extent of territory the world
over 1t Is safe to say, contains within
itself if governed under proper
auspices so many elements of pros
perity, for the land Is exceedingly
fertile, the climate superb, and the
scenery indescribably beautiful. Ma
ture has done her part, but man has
so far failed for fire and sword. cruelty,
persecution and bloodshed have swept
over the island ever since the sixth
day Of December, 1892. when Christie
pher Columbus landed on It's shores.
The island has long been known as
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17

are full of gullies, yet an American
made automobile is used as a sort OF
street car and there Is something hu-
morous in the way the natives enjoy
being bumped over the streets. The
roads outside the town are hardly
more than paths, yet little time and
money might work wonders The
mountains of the Republic are pic
turesque and one range rises to the
height of seven thousand feet The
mountains are covered with forests of
ngnum vitae and other hard woods.
The soil Of the valleys Is rich and
banana cultivation is being largely un-
dertaken in the northern part Of the
island. Cocoa and sugar cane are
grown along the Maooris River,
beautiful stream which runs through
fertile district. Birds of various kinds,
particularly the egret, live in compare
tive peace for few gunners ever come
to this part Of the world. Pelicans
/ stalk about in the shallow waters, wild
/ oranges and cocoanuts grow In
/ abundance, and wild flowers cover the
sorng banks. The entire country is
well watered and there are several fine
i
have been found in considerable guam
titles, and petroleum was recently dis
covered.
Inhabitants Good Looking.
The temperature ranges from sixty
to ninety degrees during the year and
the air is dry. The natives are kind
and hospitable, but sadly lacking in
education. In the cities, however.
/ there is considerable culture and re-
finement, many Of the residents having
received their education in the United
States The women are rather pretty
with their dark eyes, jet black hair
and clear olive skins; the men are
not unlike the Cubans and Porto
Ricans in their makeup and manners.
They are for the most part devout
Catholics.
II the Dominicans will cooperate
with the United States in settling their
financial difficulties and are able to
keep down revolutions to such an ex-
tent as to protect life and property so
that foreign capital may be assured Of
a safe and sane government new era
of prosperity is sure to dawn for the
inhabitants Of the little island Repub-
lie of the tropics.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17

country.
II has been no easv task to bring
about these co,dit,ons
r.o ,ou,,. -, -,, .
~,
o"e "a me SCI loua piopie'iis'
uu'ies leVleu IN Haitl are much srnailer
IMAM those imposed by the dominican
Government, and 1t was not unusual
for great quantities Of goods to be
sent to Haiti and afterward smuegled
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17
ne EISCtw1C LoCOW0LIS
LI5ea 70 NcLIL5e Z|zx0I
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cog wheel roads were constructed lag
several of It's mountains. The pres
ent Jungfrau railway was first talked
Of in 1890, but 1t was not until 1898
that the project took shape. The
whole scheme was a gigantic one
from an engineering standpoint, for
never before has a tunnel been con-
structed at such an altitude and grade,
never before has a work been accom-
plished in climatic conditions such as
prevail in these regions Of eternal
snow. The engineers of the Jungfrau
railway could not profit by the eX-
perience acquired in the construction
Of other railways owing 10 the differ
ent conditions, consequently they had
to invent and construct devices and
appliances TO meet their needs. In
boring tunnels electric drills were used
exclusively. Unfortunately, the large
hvdrauliG drills could not be used on
account CT the lack OF water and the
steep grade, one foot In four. IT was
necessary to use machines which
could be easily dismounted and car
ried. Feeding the workmen. too, was
no small item, for during the winter
canned food entirely had 70 be used.
Water, also, was difficult to procure.
From November until May fresh wa
ter could only be obtained by melting
snow. This was done by electricity
and every drop used in drinking.
washing and for the drills was OBJ
tanned in this manner. Heavy snow
falls and avalanches, too, retarded the
work TO such an extent that II re-
CURED four years and six months to
complete the last section. The work
is still going on and the last section
when completed will land the traveller
at the Jungfrau station, an altitude OF
l8,482 feet, where a lift 240 feet in
height will carry him to the summit
1872. 1t will take several years
even under the most favorable condi-
lions to carry out these plans.
Operated BY Electricity.
The cars used are operated by cleo.
trio locomotives which are said to be
the finest in the world. They ars
fitted with all the necessary safety
devices and whether ascending or de.
sending they cannot exceed the speed
of FIVE and one-quarter miles per hour.
The trains, which consist of one loco
motive and two passenger coached
each seating forty persons, glide alonS
the tracks with remarkable smooth
ness, the traveller experiencing none
of the disagreeable jerking and JoltinS
so common In mov>ssin railway
travelling.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17

the cradle of the New World"
1t was here that Columbus suffered
the humiliation at the hands Of
Bobadilla and was sent back to Spain
in chains; 1t was here that slavery In
It's most horrible forms existed for
more than a century; 1t was here that
such buccaneers as Henry Morgan
committed every crime known and he
finally ended by stealing the booty
of his comrades and running away to
Jamaica. Here revolutions of every
kind have fiourished; revolutions of
the whites, revolutions Of the mulat-
toes and revolutions of the negroes.
The cry for freedom has been raised
by the different races, and each time
it has been followed by the most
frightful atrocities.
Finally, in 1904, the negro Emperor
Dessalines ordered a wholesale mas
sacre of the whites, which was carried
out with shocking brutality. The
white people with their wealth were
driven from the land. In 1914 the
island was divided as the people call
ing themselves DominiCans revolted
and obtained their freedom from the
negro rule of the Haitian side of the
island. The day, February 27th, 1874,
has ever since been kept sacred as the
birthday OF the Dominican Republic.
But this did not stop revolutions, for
there were not enough officers to go
around, and from time to time there
have been uprisings.
Santo Domingo fairly teens with
ruins whose historic associations can
not fail to interest Americans. HIS
tory tells us that Columbus landed on
the spot now known as Santo Domingo
City and named the city for the saint
of that day. Tradition has IT that he
tied his boat to a tree on the edge OF
the Ozama River and this old tree
gnarled and bent. is looked upon with
almost superstitious veneration by the
natives. The ruins Of an old buldina
on the opposite side Of the river are
pointed out os the place of the humili-
alton of the discoverer. A splendid
monument has been set up in the
cathedral to his memory, and some
historians declares that the monument
contains his bones.
Bad Roads.
To be sure, the streets Of the city
are not we'll kept and many Of then
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17

ter coasting In August. Others en-
gagged in snow balling. while still an
other crowd settled themselves on the
veranda of the hotel and ordered
steaming hot tea. While 1t was being
prepared few of them began to look
through the huge telescopes which
have been set up In different parts of
the Alps where the views are particu-
larly fine. A number of persons, In
Guiding the writer, set off to explore
the grotto Of the glacier--a tunnel
cut into the Ice river by some of the
enterprising guides who are on duty
there. A number of these grottos
exist In the Alps, and they are all
very pretty-and very cold Then,
too, their color Is a much more ac-
curate weather prognosticator than
the average weather bureau. and
everybody was anxious to learn the
weather conditions for the next day
If the Ice of these grottos Is Of clear
turquoise blue or a dark sapphire
shade the weather is sure to be fair.
but II it becomes a dull green color
! snow may be expected, which means
rain In the valley. To our great de-
light the ice was as blue as the sky
above IT. This grotto or tunnel Is
about eighty-ive feet in length and
perhaps four feet wide. The top Is
arched and about seven or eight feet
high in the centre. Its walls and roof
! look as II they were covered with
enamel as they glisten and reflect the
candles used to light up the tunnel
The glacier at this point Is said to be
a solid mass of Ice one hundred and
fifty feet thick.
Tunnel Under Glacier.
Leaving the station the train en-
| tered the great tunnel cut through
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17

level Of the sea. The station there is
set up on a saddle of glaciers between
the Jungfrau and the Monch. Sur
rounding these two mighty giants of
the Alps all the panoramas of the
other stations are happily combined,
The eye Is captivated by the fields of
eternal snow as one looks out on the
silent. majestic glory of an ice-clad
world. Directly in front lies the
Aletsch glacier. the largest one In Eu-
rope It's entire length Of fifteen miles
being visible. Turning toward the
southwest one is surprised by the I'M
posing mass of the Jungfrau summit
apparently not more than a stones
throw away.
Those who wish to climb farther
NAV do so by the aid of the careful
guides who are in attendance, as no
one is allowed to attempt It alone.
BY advancing to the extreme edge OF
the ice plateau outside the building
one looks down on the terrifying
depths of the glacier clad Guggi
gorge. along the immense oVerhang-
ing ice masses of the JungfrauJoch
smoothed into green ice tracks by the
tumbling avalanches. This great and
striking contrast between the ice
glaciers and the green Of the woods
and meadows lying far beneath, COM
bined with the beautiful vistas in the
remote distance gives the view from
the Jungfrautoch an extraordinary
character, assuring Its everlasting re-
nown as one of the most beautiful
spots In the Alps,
First Cog Road Built In L. 8.
Mountain railways of the cog wheel
type have been In existence since 1866,
when Sylvester March astonished the
world by building a cog-wheel rail-
way to the summit of Mount Wash
ington in New Hampshire. Switzer-
land soon followed in this Line and
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17
TIE S21o~@ S20 ICS
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the rocks under the Eiger glacier. |,
one foot in four. 1t is. however,
lighted and the twenty min
utes spent in travelling to Eigerwand,
the next station, passes quickly.
stop is made at that point to give the
passengers a view Of the valley. There
the tunnel expands into a great stone
hall, which has been blasted out of
the solid rock. The ceiling Is sup
ported by columns OF solid stone which
were left standing when the rooms
were blasted out. On the north side
are three large windows wide enough
10 afford a magnificent view of the
lower peaks beyond which the distant
ranges of the Jura and Black Forest
and Vosges become visible, while far
below CLEANS the lovely village of
Grindelwald. Between this point and
the next station, Eismeer, reached
eleven minutes later, the tunnel makes
sharp curve for Eigerwand which
Is on the north side of the Eiger while
Fismeer Is on the southern slope. The
Eismeer station, too, is followed out
of solid rock. The floor, ceiling and
walls are covered with wood and the
windows are fitted with double panes
of crystal glass. The big hail serves
as a restaurant in which two hundred
persons may be served at one sitting.
It Is the highest restaurant" in alti-
tude in the world and so comfortably
appointed that 1t compares favorably
with the restaurants of an American
city. 1t is heated and lighted by
electricity and the cooking Is done by
this power as well. Besides the big
dining room there Is an apartmen for
the station master and a post office
the highest one In Europe. A few feet
below reached by a tunneled stairway
Is a vast glacier and from this point
some of the most venturesome climb
ers take u try on the ice.
The view from Eismeer Is one OF
incompatible beauty and is ever
changing, especially in Summer when
the hot sun loosens the snow and
causes avalanches OF ice to go thun-
dering down the mountain side. All
about are immense masses of snow OF
dazzling Wilderness covering the slopes
Of the Monch. These ice mountains,
for such they are, are furrowed with
crevces in several places and giant
blocks of ice are piled one upon the
other as II some mighty upheaval had
rent asunder the nearby glaciers.
superb View.
Only eighteen minutes of travel
from this point on the electric train
Is required to reach the end of the
Iipo nlpua, tbOueop6 ana HIM l.