Year: 1873

P"oPOA SA"'O'


The Force of Gunpowder.


From the Charleston News.


Doubtless there are many Charlesto-
mans who still remember the terrific de-
donations caused by the explosions OF
the Confederate iron-clads Charleston
and Chicora, in Cooper river, opposite
Marshall's wharf, at the evacuation OF
Charleston, in February, 1865. It has
always been matter of surprise to the
wrecking fraternity that only a small
portion of the wreck of the first-named
boat could be found in the vicinity OF
the spot at which she was anchored.
Professor Maillefert, whose fame as q
wrecker is so well known to the Charles
ton public, has for a long time occu-
pied himself with the solution of this
riddle.


A few weeks ago he accidently OBJ
served a strange rippling OF the water
surface four hundred and fifty yards,
more than a quarter of mile westward
of the wreck of the vessel, and it at
once occurred to him that the phenome-
non afforded clue to the mystery. He
accordingly anchored one of his der
ricks above the spot marked by the rip
pie, and an examination revealed lying
upon the bottom of the river the iron
sheeting of the bow and one entire
broadside of the vessel, constituting a
mass of iron weighing altogether 212,
750 pounds, or nearly one hundred TONS
The whole broadside of the battery,
with the portfolios, was in tact. That
this immense mass of iron should have
haa,1 I,,rIaA @hra11rrh &ha for
than a quarter of mile affords a start
ling illustration of the force of the ex-
plosion.


This discovery has led Professor
Maillefert to suppose that the other
half of the Charleston is lying about
the same distance on the opposite side
begun to search for it. Professor Mail
United States Government to remove
the wreck of the monitor Keokuk,
which lies at the mouth of the harbor,
near the Wehawken lightship. The
Keokuk is the only remaining obstruc-
ton at the entrance to the harbor, and
its removal will greatly contribute to
the safety of navigation. The Profes-
sor has also received the contract to
remove the wreck of a vessel at the
mouth of Savannah river.


Periodicity of Diseases.


Every returning summer season brings
forward discussions, in medical and
other journals, as to what constitutes
and occasions periodicity of diseases.
It seems to be conceded that all fevers,
of whatever type they may be, whether
endemic, epidemic, or accidental, have
a definite term of action, varying but
slightly from the regular period. Fever
of peculiar class, such, for instance,
as are denominated chills and fevers,
return periodically. They occur gener-
ally every third day but when the sys-
tenn is weakened by repeated attacks,
they appear sometimes every day, and
in extreme cases, twice in the "a hours.
These are the simplest kind of fevers,
and are more under the control of med
cal skill than those of a different ma
ture.


There are variety of fevers which
can take possession of the animal frame
at pleasure some few of a different
character can disturb the system but
once these are measles, whooping-
cough, mumps, smallpox and chicken
pOx. The period of their influence over
the human frame can be ascertained
with singular exactness, owing to their
character being infectious or contagious.


One thing, says a correspondent,
speaking of the invisible animalcules
which indisputably generate diseases,
peculiar to the summer season, " one
fact is forced upon our observation, that
the virus which gives additional malig-
nifty to the energies of minute animal
cules does not always exist in one spot,
is not the result of local combination,
nor when it is imported does it always
show its peculiarly destructive charac
ter" There is no longer the slightest
doubt that this peculiar virus, imported
every year from the hotter climates, is
but the union of the larvae of animal
cules. Heat and moisture, and the
stagnation of air, combine to produce
those terrible diseases which cause i'm
mediate annihilation The term of life
in man varies, of course, according to
circumstances, but the average among
all civilized nations is the same it is
only among barbarous nations, where
there are great extremes of climate,
that man does not live out his term.


This is matter we'll worth carefully
considering. Pestilential animalcules
exist in great abundance at all times in
low, damp, fenny places, and in the
dense effiuvium that arises from the
multifarious deposits of animal and
vegetable matter, which unavoidably
accumulate around wharves and unven-
tilated places. These pestilential ami
malcules lie inert at low temperature,
and are only malignant when thav have
a suitable medium for the fl q ve.np-
ment of their energies. This medium
may not always exist in the neighbor-
hood; but of whatever nature it is, one
thing is very certain, that when it does
make its ppearance-whens someforeign
substance is waited to the spot-bilious,
yellow and other malignant fevers are
the result. These frequent facts are
not unworthy of heed, at the approach
of the summer solstice, which "Old
Pru liabilities has limited may reverse
the rigors of our memorable winter
Just now passing away.


A Cleveland (Ohio) woman whose
son parts his hair in the middle, has
written to the Government to know if
she is not entitled to pension. The
chief of the pension bureau writes back
that she can not receive a pension un-
less he parts his hair down in scollops