Ontario Community Newspapers

Markdale Standard (Markdale, Ont.1880), 4 Oct 1883, p. 3

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 c 'S%?l A KlHIIiITIC BUG. I -arSab'-e Insect Discovered by a p'^* „ professorâ€" A Llviag honrce I " of Dynamite. i _., ^ij.cs Kutorji(lo^ical society of tl.is '"Vj°\e3" iiiay iu leceipt ot ail impor- ?*,„,,pijiiiciUou iieiailiiig the discovery -pcfifs of bug, posoessu g wouder- l:s ilisouvi rer signed himself com" i-'i Vilt:Ji:"« Cieytir, A. M., and asserted ;t„e io^tct discovered by him might ^1 Ije called "the dynainitebu.tr," pos esse-" extraordinajy exp.osive "j iiieaddrtsoof thescienust wa^j gi\'en i{.^ C4- Uaillord street, Newark, N. J. So '"**' 'itti deriu^ were the propeities ascribed to njff discovery that a committee of three ,jp'ointed to visit th professor and in- 1SI I'.I.M C I.fVer. F,;li ?n'ial in â-  'e'T- SJU.UO '•'atoii. Si.'7.iJ0 •. "A^i" :mem Lever. K;i;i LUd noE oas 1 $jJ.U' ?5S • i 39- 1:1 ti/ate the report. iTjje details of the experiments, as set I in the letter to the society, are briefly '•••ollows:-" the evening of Aug. 27, [!je walking in the gardens surrounding residence tiie attention of the professor ' gradually drawn to a small striped bug ° ujff upon the bark of a willow tree. Cechan°eally he teased the iusect with his Lffs, watching the little fellow's attempts scape. K-jmovint; his cigar from his 'he laz ly tried the effects of heat in t^ing his victim from its path up the tree. %htly touching the bug with the glowing ifoi his cigar, the professor was startled â-  iloud explosion, accompanied by a dis- 2-iiible odor. A sensation of paiu re- Cji.lpait of his thumb-nail blown away and (-ViortEnger severely burned. The entire L,,; wds bU'\ckened as if burned by powder. â- I'-ier bindiug up his injured hand a search Tainstit^-'td tJf other bugs cf the same Irpcies. Au hour's toil was rewarded with capture of two of the striped insects. i.artiu.'ly carrying them to the hou^c, the :a.i:: ituiiiblid as he entered the rear uruppinj,' his captured pets upon the [,r, He ca Ud for a light and the servant jaewiih a lamp. By its ligat the t^-o ,3J3 were seen moving across the room. icaciiing after one of his pets, the professor outed to the domestic to stop tiie other je, Supposing it to be a detested cock- Bch, the maid, raising her skirts, brought |;own a Xe-.v Jersey foot upon the insect and haiiiu3tant found herseli thrown violently â- ithe iloor, while a deafening detonation |i:ook the house. The professor here goes into elaborate de- jai, explaining how the sole of the girl's laoe was torn connpletely off, her stocking ;jrneJ, audth'j floor of the room where the iKC'.Jent occured charred for a space of six laches in circumference. The remaining bug ,e carefully dissected, and found what he .emonstrateil was the explosive form â€"a mall sack just beneath the back filled with ,.'rayish substance reser!:;bling chalk. Fiir.staking fc::pt;rimeats with minute :ant;;ie3 of this matter, which is detailed i: length, demonstrated the substance to ::an entirely new form of nitrocellulose CHissing pro;)erties analogous to the com- â- jund called dynamite, tie estimates if splosive force at twenty three times that of â- .r,ij known txplosive. Its fulminating pro itrties appeared to be especially great, the aatter exploding with greater force when :;raek than ^. hen touched with flame. In conclusion, the discoverer of this new isrce in nature goes on to relate that after pitient search he now possesssea three of â- .:ese insects, which he proposes to examine J the presence of an accredited committee ' the Agassiz society. This much was given as facts, and in a £w concluding sentences the professor gives various theories regarding the part which ;:e insect is expected to play in the ecouo 3y of nature. He ia reluctant to believe ;:at this powerful explosive is placed in an Mmble insect merely lor the purposes of re- â- eDge,as to wreak its anger the bug would Ik compelled itstlf to die an awful death. He readily explains how certain foods might M assimilated into such an explosive, aud istxpeririifcnting with a view to discovering »hat is most voraciously eaten by his cap- aves. It is his bel.ef, though unsupported jj evidence, that the insect possesses the Sians ui discharging small portions of its urge at short range. This he hopes to â- rove by careful microscopic analysis. His clasbitication places the insect in the Blatta lamily, and the name given is B Oj- •Utnialis. A reporter of the World visited Newark yejtercay with a view towards securing ajte iLi.jrniatiou concerning this strange •'tak 01 uaiure. The city directory located "Mlftrd street three miles out in the â- Mntry, across long stretches of salt mea- •JW3, At the corner of Aveuue L, half •'•wdic by ancient trees, the residence ot :aesc'iti,tist stoodâ€" an old, two story frame ^^i.cin-. Moss lined the walks, the gate 'â- 51' liiiappcartd and the quaint, old-fash- â- -Btd kn' cker re-.cunded to no effect. The ?rtic=^otâ-  was cvidi ntly out. Back of the ^owe wa-; a well and on the way. to this re- •^t!htr.â- :i,^' ipot a pair of legs were brought ' \i'--\v tianglinrT irora the limb of an old »iliow tr'jc. " The usual courtesies of the day '^wioTit lio rcipiE.-e from the owner of the •ai.'sai.a aloud '-halloa:" was rewarded •;:â- ' a childish "hush." A rcijuest for information concerning the 'Jynaniitc-biig tjually brought a b..ld ueid â- ' view and a pair of greeu goggles gleam- ^j do\va as he said :â€" "Cnni'cup into my laboratory " " ^Vhere is it " " ll-i-e. Corne up here and I will explain ;-e wonderful discovery which is to make "'Rename of (ieysir famous forever. Come There was t,o e?cape, and astri'.le a limb 'ffeaty feet from the ground the details of ?2e sminilar bug's construction were gone "owiih a mixture of technical and com- 'Jn terms that would have driven a Har- ^^ril professor wild. Warming to his sub- ject tiie Queer old fellow threw his arms Wildly al.uut as he described the changes â- "a pet would work over the entire civilized World. "There will be no more slavery, nor will i;'e present; governments continue to exist. ^«se insects will be domesticated and can Dsed to most deadly advantage. They f,« be concealed beneath the pUlow ot a ^^•r, and a few score allowed to burrow '!«aeath the Bank of England's vaults can "'t the millions stored there into the street, "'^ere tbe poor can enjoy their rightful 'aare. "The bugs burrow in a straight line in- 'ably, and by allowing, say, ten to enter "i« same aperture, they can easily be ex- 5""iedat the proper time and place, and ^U shatter any buUding. This bug," ten- derly rolluig a new acqaisition, "is the ffreat oo.amunut and leveier, ani will make the noh poor and the poor rich," and so he continne 1 in an endless strain. with nJ^? "as evidently a harmless schohu- with unbalanced mind. The bus; he held so found to be of a common species known as the potato bag. Placed upon a stone and trod upon. It gave forth a slieht crackling sound as its shell was broken. That appear- ed to be its only explosive qaality. The long tramp across the meadows was taken again, and a resolution formed not to be pre- sent at a battle between bugn which the professor snnounced would occur Fridav â€" New York World. ' CHINA'S DEFENCK. Her Forts, Fleet. Guns, and Arsenals Disadvantages oi France. If France should declare war her actual difficulty, says the Pall Mall Gazette, will be the question of transport. Unlike Eng- land, which has coaliLj stauons ac intervals all over the world, the French possess few points between Toulon and Saigon where they could put in to replenish their bunkers or refit their ships. In case of war between the friendly Powers the ports of neutrals would necess ^rily be closed to the ships of both belligei jnts. To China this would not matter, for she is self-contained, and would merely be fighting a defensive battle. To France it might be serious indeed. The enormous fleet of transports necessary to convey an army of 30,000 men across the world would find the greatest difficulty iu securing coal. No doubt this difficulty might be surmounted, but no small part of the resolution of the Chinese to oppose the aggression of the French arises from the belief that it is practically impossible for any Power but England to land au effective ex- peditiau on the Chinese coast. THE CHINESE FOKTS. The old Taku forts have not only been made twice as effective as they were when they were captured in 1860, with a loss to the allies of 400 men, but new forts have been erected at some distance from the mouth of the river. Forty-three guns of heavy calibre are mounted on the Taku forts, and it is believed they could be rendered almost impregnable without much difficulty. Seven detached forts have been erected round Tien-tain, and altogether the fortresses of the Chinese littoral are so strong that some time ago, when confidential enquiries were made as to the number of troops necessary for a successful invasion of China by two European Governments, it was stated that it could not be safely undertaken with less than forty thousand men. THE FLKET. In addition to the fortresses on the coast the Chinese possess a fleet which, althouph in some respects inferior to that of the French, is much stronger in weight of metal. It ia divided into four squadrons, the vessels for the defence of Peiho consisting of two iron-clads of the type of the Inflexible â€" namely, the Yanquei and the (Jkao-yong. Both of these were built in England their horsepower is 2,400 and their tonnage 1.300 they carry each two Armstrong guns of 26 tons and six mitrailleuses their speed over the measured mile was 16^ knots. They are the best vessels in the Chinese fleet, and they are supported by 13 gunboats. The squadron of Foochow consists of two cruisers and 21 smaller boats. At Shanghai there are six frigates and one armoured gunboat. The Canton squadron consists of two cruisers and 22 gunboats. The majority of these gunboats are very small vessels of little im- portance, but eight are very formidable fighting vessels indeed. They are the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, EpsUou, Zeta, and Theta, built in England by Sir William Armstrong. These boats have a displace- ment of from 400 to 450 tons, engines of 310 horsepower, a speed of nine knots, and a draught of only eight feet, the first four car- rying each a 27i-ton gun, and the others a 3S-ton gun, all worked by hydraulic power. With slight differences in construction the length of each of these gunboats is 125 feet, and the breadth between perpendiculars 30 feet. THE GUSS. The guns are fixed irremovably along the centre line of the boat and rest upon trunnion blocks, which work upon a couple of beam slides. The projectiles are brought by steam from the magazines below to the leading positions and thrust home by a mechanical rammer working beneata the glacis plates at the bow. In addition to these there are two gunboats, constructed In England, of 250 tons, each carrying a sixteen-ton gun. The number of cannons in the Chinese fleet is said to b£, 350. It is manned by 8,000 seamen, 2,000 of whom, however, are in the reserve. THE AF.SEXAL.s. The Chinese maratims arsenals stand at Foochow, Shanghai, and Canton. The old arsenal still stands at Canton a new one has b'-en established at Tientsin a third stands at Nankin. The manufactory of arms has been established at the capital of the pro- vince of Kan-tsu, on the Yellow River and artilb-ry and torpedo factories are establish- ed at Foo-chow. The chief weakness of the Chinese navy is iu the scientific, meclical, and commissariat service the dockyard ac- commodation is bad; their skilled officers are iew, and it was stated some time ago that not a sin^le doctor had been appointed on any of the ships. The steamers of the China Merchant Company, forty m number, may be freighted for the transport of troops and materials, and could be of considerable service. The possession of these steamers enables the Chinese to move their troops with considerable rapidity from place to place, thereby materially increasing their capacity either for offence or defence. In I860, when war was expected with Kussia, an army of 20,000 men was shipped on from Hankow to the north without the least dif- ficulty, solely by the Chinese steamers and transports. "Miss Fitzjoyâ€" awâ€" are yon not fond of etchingsâ€" awâ€" yon know they are deuced cleve^S^me of them are " " Ah, yes, in- deed Mr. Featherweight. And do you know there is somethiag abomt you that re- minds me very much of an etchins;?^^ "What, reallyâ€" awâ€" how charmng "Yess There is about you such a foggy suggestion of something Ihat isn't there, you know." NEVfS IN A NUTSHELL nvxiuinnrss sxixct bkadimo. Susmary of Foreliai, DeiMsstf c and War Itcms-Cendse, Pltky. and Petnted. Five townships in Tipperary County have been proclaimed on account of agrarian oat- rages. Anti-Jewish excesses are reported in the Vesprim district of West Hungary. Houses were burned, leading to several arrests be- ing made. The rebellious African chiefs Mampocr and Mapoeh, defeated by the Boers and captured in August, have been found guilty oi treason and sentenced to death. The shah has sent his private secretary to Cabul to sound the Ameer respecting the purchase of Herat by Persia. The secretary also conveys an assurance that England would readily consent to the transfer. Bradlaugh has addressed a letter to Sir Stafford Northcote declaring he will again demand his seat in the Commons. He charges Sir Stafford with causing all the mischief that has grown out of the continued viola- tion of Bradlaugh's rights. It is reported that Russia will issue a note to the European Powers taking exception to the recent changes in the Government of Bulgaria, by which Prince Alexander re- moved the Russian Ministers, Generals Sabeloff aad Kaulhars, and placed Zankoff,a Liberal at the head of his Cibinet. Catewayo has sent a messenger to Mr, Osborne, the British Commissioner in Zulu- laud, to negotiate his surrender to the British authorities. The messenger states that Cetewayo's followers will deliver them- selves to the British oflisials on the latter promising to guarantee their safety. It is reported that negotiations between the Vatican and France have reached a sat- isfactory conclusion. The French Govern- ment has restored the suppressed stipends to the Citholic clergy and given formal assurance of her most pacific intentions towards the Holy See. The Black Flags have abandoned Sontay, Pkung, Lugne, and Day, and retreated to the left bank of the Red River. " Several mandarins have given in their submission to the French. The French forces will un- dertake no offensive operations until after the arrival of reinforcements. The general feeling throughout Europe is one of great UQea.sines3. It ia felt that the relations of the Great Powers are daily growing more uncertain and dangerous. All the diplomatists look with anxiety to the Balkan peninsula and the growing probabil- ities of a rupture between Russia and Aus- tria. The Khedive has taken kindly to Clifford Lloyd, the former residental magistrate in County Clare, Ireland, during the conspiracy trials, and who was recently appointed Under Secretary in the Home Department in Egypt. The Khedive has given him carteblanche power in his work of organizing the Egyptian constabulary. The majority of the Paris newspapers de- preciate any exhibition on the part of the people of anything resembling open resent- ment upon the occasion of King Alfonso's arrival there. Taj Temps expresses the opinion that Bismarck intended by the ap- pointment of Alfonso to the Colonelcy of the Uhlans to prepare a cold reception for the King upon his arrival in France, and urges Parisians by their conduct when the King enters the city to upset these calculations. The report that the Czar and the Emperor of Germany will hold a conference at Kiel is of doubtful origin. Neverthe'eiS reports that the Emperor William will shortly have a meeting with the Czar continue to be pub- lished in Berlin. Some of the German papers are of the opinion that the date of the interview depends on the return of Prince Bismarck, who will certainly be present. Prince Bismarck will make a trip to Friedrichsruhe on Saturday. His health has much improved. The Paris Clarion publishes an interview of its Geneva correspondent with an emi- nent Russian general, who, under a semi-' transparent disguise, is easily recognized as (Jeneral Gourko, governor of Poland. Gour ko declares that war between Russia and Germany is imminent. He has not the slightest doubt that the day will soon come when the Russians' bitter antipathy to Ger- mans, especially Polish Germans, will develop into a general anti Teutonic feeling which will involve bloodshed A trusty messenger from Cape Town has brought Mr. Sullivan, M, P., chief counsel for O'Donnel, a number of documents of great importance to the defence. Among these papers are affidavits of several reput- able residents of C tpe Town, to the effect that Carey, while there, was drunk aud dis- orderly, and very quarrelsome. There are also included in tne documents statements made upon oath, tending to show that the shooting was unpremeditated and the result a quarrel provoked by Carey. O'Donnel complains bitterly of his treatment at the hands of officials since his arrival here, and accuses them of hampering the defence in every possible way. Faults of our Scbool System. We school the children too much. That is to say,' we keep them at school all the year round we continually force their per- ceptive and memorizing faculties, and give no time for the play of their reflective facul- ties. In other words, they don't reflect upon what they have learned or attempt to apply it in their own minds. We cram them with too many studies. How else in the fact to be accounted for that a child sn the country, having bat four months' school- ing in the year, will come to Boston more matured in his education than one who has had nine months' sohooling in the year In our city schools there is too much teaching and too little learning. By that I mean to say that the great press of studies placed upon the young mind by oral teaching for a few minutes at a time, and a different study most every hour in the day, tend to break up the continuity of the pupil's thought, and the oral addresses and lectures receive but little attention from the tired minds of the pupils.- 5. F. Butler. A FxmDBH mujkd; snttfU CMH stabbed Twaaty-alz T:m«a by a â- yatertona Murderer. WaattalbdmaaT Oxford, Ind. â€" Mounted men are scour- ing the country in every direction for traces of the murderer of Miss Ada Atkinson, aged 18 years. She had been left alone in the house in the afternoon, and her sister found her mutilated body on the floor. There were twenty-six wounds on her person. She had not been outraged. The wounds are e'vidently made with a penknife in the hands of some nervous person »nd for re- venge. The victim was rich and accom- plished. FowLKR. Ind. â€" The excitement over the murder of Miss Ada Atkinson has increased considerably. The faot that the young lady, who was handsome, rich, and popular, was terribly mutilated by her murdeier, her body being stabbed again and acrain evi- dently after life was extinct, adds to the in- tense feeling in the commuhity. As no prop- erty was taken from the house, the deed could not have b3en committed for the pur- pose of robbery, and the physicians have asserted that the girl was not violated. The general theory of the crime has been that the murderer was inspired by revengeful feelings. She had been left alone in the house, and her body was found late in the afternoon. There are few clues as to who did the deed. Mrs. Hugh, a neighbor of the Atkinson's, was examined by the Coroner. It was al- leged that she had made threats against Miss Atkinson. She proved by her children that she remained at home the entire day, sick with chills. Her house was searched twice, but nothing was discovered to excite suspicion. A young man named Adsit, who had blood upon his sleeve and shire front, when asked how the blood came there, said he did not know. He was taken before the Coroner. He then said THE BLOOD OX HI.S SHIRT FRONT was caused by being struck in the mouth during a fight in Oxford Saturday night. He said he was pressing hay on the after- noon of the murder. The people believe him innocent. The most important information received since the murder has come to light. Two brothers named Jefferson, residing near the Atkinson place, started to Oxford with a load ot wood. In passing the Atkinson resid- ence, which stands back about twenty yards from the main road, they saw no one in the yard. After going a short distance one of the boys, ou looking bacK, saw a man leav- ing the gate of the yard. He was mounted on a gray horse. He started toward them on a gallop, but upon nearing them checked his horse, drew his hat over his eyes, and rode past. There was blooi on his right hand and on tne side of hi? face. He was apparently about 20 years of age. They did not know him. After passing the wag- gon he started off at a breakneck speed, taking a road leading eastward, evidently to avoid going near Oxford. It was about 2 30 o'clock when he passed them. The mysterious man was also seen by Jerome Wattles, a farmer, who was going west on the road mentioned, but was not close enough to recognise him. The two Jefferson brothers have been closeted with detectives and startling information is promised. A farm laborer in the employ of Mr. Atkinson, and the only person who was near the house during the afternoon, is shown up in a very bad light. Two days before the murdw, Lucy, sister of the murdered girl, made known her in- tention of going to Oxford that evening. In going to her room an hour afterwards, and upon entering the door, she DISCOVliJlED A man's FOOT protruding from under the bed. She asked twice, •' Who's there?" but received no re- ply. She called her father, but he had left the houe in the mean time. Soon after the farm hand cime out of the room exclaiming, " Don't get t Tightened it is only me. When asked what he was doing under the bed, he said " I dropped some money and was looking for it." A good deal of suspicion is directed to- ward this man. On Friday night last the murdered girl, in company with a young man named Glasscock, attended a dance given at this place. The day after the mur- der a handkerchief belonging to him was found in the yard at Atkinson's house. It was tied in a knot. When questioned re- garding it, Glasscock said that the murder- ed girl's brother had taken it from him dur- ing a scuffle they had at school. Young At- kinson does not remember keeping the handkerchief, and denies having thrown it in the yard. The funeral of the murdered girl took place to-day. Fifteen hundred per- sons attended The cries of the bereaved mother and sister moved many to tears. Nothing whatever is missing from the house. There were many valuables of all kinds, but nothing was molested. The house of Mr, Atkinson is about half a mile from any neigubor. An old man at work in a neighboring field heard no sounds of a struggle. The fact that no outrage was committed is accounted for by some on the theory that the girl rapidly bled to death and the villain fled. Others thinK the na- ture of the wounds and their number and the places selected for their infliction indi- cate that it was the work of a madman, who delighted in inflicting as many wounds as possible upon the body. The physicians think the murderer could not have left the house without getting much blood on his clothing. Some have hopes that this may point him out. AIiL SOTS. A Eure sign â€" No trust. A fast color â€" Cyclone blew. Egotism is the I-dear of most everybody. Waggon tracks v royal road, for are they not prints Look out tha' your stove-pipe is not "full." Its ow 18 of ten crooked. To speak of the thread of an argument would imply that the whole thing is a "yarn." It doesn't follov because a surveyor gets the lay of t-'ic Uud thai he has monopolized the egg business, The man who was reconciled to his lot mu-t have haa tho mortgage on it lifted, or something. The point of a swell's existence ia his shoes but a woman's existence is sometimes even more point-lace. The boy who bit into a green apple, re- marked, wit^l a wry fics, " Twis over thu3 in childhood â€" sour " The late Mr. Yale, of New Haven, left a fortune of 83,000,000 Liiie Samson, his strength was in his locks. WHO IS UNACQUAINTED WITH THE «EOCRAPHY OF THIS COUNTRY, WILL SEE BY EXAMINING THIS MAP, THAT THE Greenbnrg, Pa., men shot a tramp for stealing potatoes from their field. Such conduct b tuber-rootal for anythinf^. Chicago, Rock Island Pacifgc R% Being the Great Central Line, affords to travelers, r^y reason of Its unrivaled geo- graphical position, the shortest and best route between the East, Northeast and Southeast, and the West, Northwest and Southwest. It is literally ^nd strictly true, that its connections are all of the principal lines of road between the Atlantic and the Pacific. By Its main line and branches it reaches Chicago, tiollet, Peoria, Ottawa, La Salle, Geneseo, Mollne and Rock Island, in Illinois; Davenport, Muscatine, Washington, Keokuk, Knoxville, Oskaloosa, Fairfield, Den Moines, West Liberty, Iowa City, Atlantic, Avoca, Audubon, harlan, Guthrie Center and Council BlufTe, in Iowa; Gallatin, Trenton, Cameron and Kansas City, In Missouri, and Leaven- worth and Atchison '.n Kansas, and the hundreds of cities, villages and towns intermediate. The "GREAT ROCK ISLAND ROUTE," As It isVfamiliarly called, offers to travelers all the advantages and comforts Incident to a smooth track, safe bridges. Union Depots at all connecting points. Fast Express Trains, composed of COMMODIOUS, WELL VENTILATED, WELL HEATED, FINELY UPHOLSTERED and ELEGANT DAY COACHES j a line Of the MOST MAGNIFICENT NORTON RECLINING CHAIR CARS ever built PULLMAN'S latest designed and handsomest PALACE SLEEPING CARS, and DINING CARS that are acknowledged by press and people to be the FINEST RUN UPON ANY ROAD IN THE COUNTRY, and In which superior meals are served to travelers at the low rate of SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH. THREE TRAINS each way between CHICAGO and the MISSOURI RIVER. TWO TRAINS each way between CHICAGO and MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, via the famous ALBERT LEA ROUTE. A New and Direct Line, via Seneca and Kankakee, has recently been opened, 'between Newport News, Richmond, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and La Fayette, and Council BlufFs, St. Paul, Minneapolis and intermediate points. All Through Passengers carried on Fast Express Trains. For more detailed information, see Maps and Folders, which may be obtained, as well as Tickets, at all principal Ticket OITIces in the United States and Canada, or of E. ST. JOHN, Oen'l T'k't A Pass'r As't* R. R. CABLE, VIce-Pres't A CenM Manas«r, CHICAGO.

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