The New York Herald Newspaper, July 11, 1873, Page 3

seit, Spiga Ene cat An A DR cae an fay eRe a ABOVE ALL, A Herald Celestial Commissioner Ascends with Professor King in a Balloon. Ten Miles from Lowell to Wilmington, Mass., by the Air Line. TRE APART: La Belle France Mounting Over Two Miles High. The Wonders of the Clouds and Glories of the Heavens. Soience and Literature Dangling Between Earth and Sky. ABOVE THE CLOUDS. SCENERY OF SURPASSING GRANDEUR. Little Men, Gliding Locomotives and Snakelike Streains. Dining One andaHalf Miles from the Ground. SENSATIONS, SCENES AND INCIDENTS. Departare from Lowell at 12:44 P, M.—De- scension at 3 P.M. WILMINGTON, Mass., July 9, 1873, ‘To-day the HERALD soars above all creation!” Rubicund, rich and influential, the City Father of Lowell, who thus addressed me this morning, spoke conscientiously. Lowel! was to be honored; the great national journal was te be represented in the final celebrations of the glorious Fourth, and ‘the balloon ascension by Professor King was to be accomplished, Had not the lofty aspirations of this people been twice dampened? Had not gas been encircling the town ever since? Was not 90,000 cubic feet let loose from the mighty Colos- seus on Friday last, filling the halls of the City Council? and had not the President of the Council been compelled to discharge even up to midnight to prevent suffocation? It was, there- fore, a matter for congratulation that the people were not to be disappointed, notwithstanding the havoc of the elements on the national holiday. “La Belle France” was to rise in her majesty above the smokestacks and patent medicine shops, and at noon, too, when corporations as old as the town and female operatives as numerous as David’s host should meet in common and send off the aeronauts with thundering applause that should make the valleys ring. Neither roaring cannon nor musical medley was to interrupt the harmony of nature. Beautiful economy was to be transparent. Litera- ture and Science, like twin brothers, were to dangle side by side between heaven and earth in a ‘wicker basket. All was to be joyfully successful. ‘The city of Lowell intended all this and 4% little more, THE PREPARATIONS. And so matters stood this morning, when the ‘weatherwise declared for sunshine and north- easterly wind. A soit breeze floated over the North Common, the threatening clouds passed away rapidly towards the south, when, at nine o’clock, the balloon apparatus was brought on the ground preparatory to filling. In one corner of this popular breathing place, shaded by tall and stately trees, the gas company had arranged for the inflation, The city, too, had made some police ar- rangements, such as drawing a cordon around the balloon and keeping the great unwashed from cut- ting out pieces from the air ship as mementoes of the event, rendering scuttling quite easy. But things are not done tn a hurry up here, and, as the men couldn't find the ropes, or the ropes couldn’t find the men, I am not quite certain which, the cordon and blue coats were not to be seen until about eleven o’elock. Hewever, the gas was finally turned on and the Belle France rose upward. THE AIRSHIP AND CAR, This balloon was made and brought to the United States by M. Chevalier, of Paris, some two years ago, who, having made some strange miscalcula- tions as to the cost of living in New York, found it necessary to convert bis airship into money. Hs capacity is 20,000 cubic feet, or rather jess than one-fourth the size of the Collossus, which was rent by the wind just as a party often were about to embark on an unknown voyage beneath it, afew Gaye since, The car, which is attached to the net from all sides and separated from the neck of the balloon by # large wooden hoop of about three feet in diameter, is about three feet deep, two and a hal! feet wide and four feet long, capable of carrying two persons and about turee hundred pounds of ballast. As the city and Mr. King had agreed that your correspondent was to be the only passengers to accompany the aeronaut, Ifelt deeply interested in the atéommodations, and, although haying every confidence in the man- agement and judgment of my fellow voyageur, who has made 107 successful ascents without breaking his neck even, I was some time before I Could mentally allot the limited space in the car Jor the live ahd déad baltast, ‘ ENCOURAGER LES ANTRES. When it became known that the balloon was cer- tainly “going up” 1 was astonished to find myself and the Professor the objects of special sympathy. Mayor Jewell and Messrs. Chase, Lord, Dobbins and Haggett, of the Celebration Committee and mem- Dders oi the Council, had been down to the Common, and cordially expressed their hope for fine weather and fair sailing. But there was a certain air of mel- ancholy about several other gentiemen. Finally the Superintendent of the gas works asked me if I had heard of the awiul death of the Micnigander, « La Mountain, who had just been picked up in small pieces after falling from his ear while at a great height. I had no Sooner discussed the chances in our favor to-day than 4 Boston newspaper was placed in my bands, giving the most harrowing details of the catas- trophe, the latest,-marked for my special benefi ‘witn 4 request that I would read it. I confess had only taken @ fish breakiast; but I read {t* though with the strong determination not to’make zy Will against my will, “I say, young man, ean you tell me how far that Western man fell before he was dead?” asks an- other, “Did the neck of bis balloon tear away, or did he pitch out head foremost Mountains fali on us! I began to think of strange ‘warnings and what I would doif our balioon should Decome disgusted at two miles high and leave us to find our way back alone. Leaving the scene, I travelled toward the town, to fetch the wet-ana- «dry bulb thermometers and the aneroid barometer, as well as a basket of provisions I had lett ata friend’s in the morning. Entering the Merrimac House for a second, the proprietor intormed me ne had despatches for myself and Professor King. I @pened the frst ofmy own. Here are its contents, NO. 1 DESPATCH. JULY 9, 1873, Cheerful. Particulars of the death of La Moun- @ain. the wronaut, are continued im she morning NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, JULY ‘ll, 1873—TRIPLE SHEET. Papers, He fell 1,500 fect, and died without groan, A. G. H, NO. 2 DESPATCH. The second despatch was froma perfect stranger, &s the firat:— JULY 9, 1873, La Mountain must have torn off the neck of his penoee Rr Heed Sa gurrest ene Ly rall four arrivi japan, ani gend you $1,000 by mail. ‘ TOG The conversations and despatches above given are genuiue specimens, and I give them to show the encouraging circumstances surrounding us at this time. : SPECTATORS ON THE COMMON. Arriving back on the filling ground I discovered our acrialjcraft iull and dancing in the slight breeze that prevanied tor the moment, The hour of noon had passed, the Lowell factory girls fan? men, came rushing to the Common literally by thou- Sands, and soon a denge crowd was collected out- side the ropes on all hands. Now was the time for beauty unadorned, except by tow and jtar. Some with hats, but no shawls, others without shawls but no hats, and dressed im the prevailing million colors, came on the ground. ‘These were lively moments, The Mayor desired a Postponement for fifteen minutes, that the ascension might be Made at a quarter to one instead of héif-past twelve o'clock. Everybody was willing to do this, for the crowd became ‘denser and denser,” and the excitement was at @ high temperature. Plac- ing the instruments in Order and Icaping into the car the sand bags for ballast were placed beneath my feet, and Mr. King, alter taking his place beside me, ordered us to swing loose until the ballast was adjusted. There we hung for about a minute until everything was in readiness. I armed myseif with the marked newspaper and a few coptes of Mr. King’s paper, determined to be avenged for the cruel tortures of the morning by throwing them at some one’s head, THE MERALD'S GONE UP. ‘The crowd now took possession of us, under the direction of two of the aeronants' sons, and we were dragged several yards into the centre of the com- mon. “The HERALD’s gone up now, sure” yelled a gentleman who was stilt clinging to one of tne ropes; but, before { could carry ont my murderous newspaper project, the ballast had been quietly adjusted, the word “Let go!’ given, and, at six- teen minutes to one olélock, we were shooting straight up into the’air. ‘Searcely had we reached @ perpendicular height of 600 feet when the crowd closed in, giving us chéer ‘after cheer, all of which we could hear distinctly. But the appearance of the people was now the mostremarkable, It seemed ag though there were several thousand persons airectly beneath us, each with the mouth wide open and in the act of gaping after us. Then we threw out some copies of papers we had with us, In an instant the tablean seemed broken, for at our increased height the scrambling of the people for the. papers on the common seemed like the sudden dispersing of flies before the whisk of a butcher, that rise en masse and settle, only to gradually group together again. THE FIRST PEELING of an amateur when the balloon begins to rise from the earth is to squat flat in the bottom of the car; but the motion isso rapid and withal so gentle that confidence 1s quickly restored and you feel as safe as though you were swinging in your ham- mock at home, and that te move or stand up with ordinary caution in no way endangers your life. When first lifted from the earth you cansee the trees fall quickly below you, as it were; but sup- posing a voyageur suMelently timid to keep onthe bottom of the car, and simply look up at the im- mense body of gas above him, until he reached the edge of the clouds, he would be unable to tell whether he were moving or not. PARTING SALUTES, Having risen about a thousand feet we observed the waving of handkerchiefs by ladies among the gazing multitude on the common, and could still hear distinctly whenever @ boy ora man shouted to us. We had adjusted the aneroid barometer and placed the bulb instruments in position, care- fully disposed of our four bags of ballast in the bottom of the car, openad our maps and cared for our provision basket im due form, by put- ing it off the centre of our vehicle to allow for sufficient standing room, when one tremendous shout reached us, Looking down again we observed the peopie were evidently leaving the common in great haste, Now was our time to say goodby, and not knowing how long we might be up we stood up on what I must call the “hold” of our ship and gave our lungs full play, THE FIRST OBSERVATIONS, At seven minutes to one we took our first sclen- tific notes, Professor King calculating. The ane- roid barometer indicated 27 5-20; wet thermome- ter, 60; dry, 71. But the world was now fast receding from us. After the first thousand feet we appeared to hover for a while almost over our starting point, although near the earth there appeared to be a considerable current following the ordinary course of the wind, which was at about E.N. E. Suddenly we caught a slight breeze, making about halfa circuit of a piece of land west of the Common, then ascending in aspiralmanner. We were now swinging in the immensity of space in the shade of the balloon, the sun being straight above us, the sky bright and un- obscured. A most magnificent view of all below and on a level with us. The extent of the horizon- tal vision was marvelous, On every side the horizon on a level was speckled with clouds of a dark color, and which seemed to form the half ofa huge globe whose edges were bedecked with mountains, The trees around on the earth for miles had the appearance of dark brushwood, the thick woods almost resembling lichen in irregular spots, Large meadows represented soft, green velvet patches, Dozens of small roads, leading in all directions, but centring in Lowell, might be compared to the tiny, miniature footpaths on a well kept estate, ‘ihe few persons still observed to be watching us were, to us, almost as small as flies, biack movable dots being all we could discern. Well planted, well defined plots of land, each bear- ing a class of vogetation capable of producing a different hne under the rays of the sun, had the aspect of patchwork on a large scale. MUSIC IF THE AIR, Our chronometer registered 12h, 63m. when the corporation bells commenced to ring, some appear- ing to be quite near us, others sounding as though away off in the town of Lawrence, which we saw stretched out in the plain before us, But the tones seemed to mount upto us softiy and sweetly, not the harsh metallic gianging it was in reality, but as harmony, subdued and gentle. It was the notice for the operatives to return to their work, and we cotild distinctly see the long processions entering the various establishments and mills as the last strokes of the ringing reached us. In a few seconds we heard the clocks of the town strike the hour of one almost in unison, The gong and hoarse whistle of @ locomotive told of the ap- proach of a train from Boston, and on looking down we could see the iron horse tugging at his load, the whole train appearing as a great snake gliding gracefully along on the rails, Travelling but slowly beneath the balloon, we had a better opportunity to watch the train; but the loud, harsh whistle vibrated near, then seemed to die away again, like an elephant in pain, with a ho! ho! ‘The aneroid now indicated that we were rising Trapidiy, being 26 15-20ths, and being in the shade of a cloud a light chill Was felt for @ moment, We = had entered an upper carrent going in a southeasterly direction. Still over the tow, with the most gor- geous scenery within visien. The horizon raised with us, all the while tinged with the misty vapor, equi-distant in all directions, To the southward and eastward the outline of the ocean was clearly visible, which, though nearly twenty miles distant, appeared only just in advance of us. From the same point we could trace the course of the crooked Merrimac as it turned and wound 1ts way like a black tortuous monster tothe briny deep beyond. ‘The little Goncord River, bld#ker and more crooked than the sister stream that here swallows it, could be also traced amid plain and valley to the end of ite journey, at she mill race, where its freedom ceased. Away round from the ocean ina southwesterly direction we saw distant clumps of buildings, supported in the background by hills, while on the north and west mountains of consid- erable height loomed ap. At hali-past one o’clock we were still passing southward tough well witbin sight of the town of Lowell. The discord of sounds was not great at this moment, as the dull thud of a hammer in the boiler shops and the loud roaring of the water falling into the racecourses of the factories were all that we heard. Now the mountains on the north, in New Hampshire, rose into grand prominence, extending in an apparent semi-circie as far as the eye could reach, but not inspiring one with much desire to tread their darkened surface. Our aneroid now stood 26 14.20; wet bulb, 60; dry bulb, 71, The shadow of the balloon could be distinctly seen on the earth beneath, Everywhere crowds of people gazed up at us as we sailed along siiently above them. The rays of the sun rested on the balloon, but it suddenly became hot and oppressive. PASSING OVER THE CEMETERY ata quarter past one P. M. we could behold from afar the white marble that marked the last rest- ing place of the dead, the obelisks pointing upward, not looking thicker than a walking cane while the lors enclosed by blocks of gray granite appeared like squares formed of straws. While contem- Plating the possibility of freed spirits floating around and above us, we observed that our aerial ship was descending rapidly, as though about to land on the tops of the trees, just outside the graveyard. Onur trailing rope was at once thrown eut, and Mr. King prepared for the occasion, Down we went at great speed. Presently we could hear some one calling to us—‘Halloa! here, coming down now?” “Not much,” replied King, as he emptied away some sand, We were not more than two hundred feet of the ground, and our rope, dragging over the tree tops, assisted us in having a ground ride, The persistent barking Ol a little cur in the cemetery grounds attracted our attention fora few seconds, We rose again 80 rapidly at this time that we could scarcely hear @ whistling agriculturalist tossing about some mown hay, who was endeavoring to soothe our troubled spirits. Again we behold the ooegn’s margin, the blue water beyond, looking calm, motioniess, ‘Balloon! balloon! balloon!” is re-echoed from below, and we observe some ex- ceedingly small specimens of humanity in a field, to whom we threw some printed matter and de- parted. Haverhill now drew within sight, while the mighty mills. of Lowell were indicated to us only by the dense volumes of smoke emitted from the tall chimneys, A small doat on the Concord was being rowed beneath one of the railroad bridges; but the boat itself looked exactly like a gnat in a bucket of water, with the legs sticking out and creating an eddy, answering in this in- stance to the movement of the oars, AMID THE CLOUDS. 1:36 P, M.—The sun was now shining brilliantly and the splendors of the alr were about to break upon us. Our barometer stood 26 5-10ths, Ascend- ing with great rapidity the clouds began to disap- pear below the rim of the car, and we were soon In the midst of a dense, chilly vapor that shut out the earth from the north and west. From sudden heat the temperature seemed chilled, and as we still sailed onward and upward we had soon soared 60 far above the murky spots that they appeared be- neath us small and insignificant, and were in re- ality but a thick film intervening between us and and certain objects on the earth, Tewksbury, Bil- lerica, Chelmsford, Lawrence and Andover were now in sight at the same moment as we cleared the cloud beneath, and on still we sailed. HIGH FEEDINGS With our aneroid rapidly falling to twenty-four, Wwe floated aroand in a spiral form as if ascending @ pillar current, the glories of the heaven above becoming more and more apparent every instant, At this—1:40—I drew forth our provision basket. Our menu was not extensive or extravagant, but our appetites had been whetted, and so we pro- ceeded at once to dispose of the meal without the formality of spreading @ table-cover. It was the loftiest dinner your correspondent ever partook of—some mile and a half from the earth. We sat down in the car, leaving our noble La Beile to float along with the current, and ascertained the ex- tent of our supplies, We had— Ham sandwiches, & la Urban. Pickled tongue, 2 la aitto. Cucumbers, after nothing im particular. Ale and porter, @ la Jones, and Water in small quantity. It was what Mrs. Grunay might call an event, so we ate and drank and chatted about high notions and flying machines, and made the most of the feast. I determined, however, to gather up the fragments that remainea for personal purposes, and 1am glad I did, for I had a gentleman visitor this evening who actually honored my trip by gnawing at the end of a saltea cucumber and de- clared it “rarefied,” “excellent,” washing it down with some of the Jones that remained. SUBLIMITY BEYOND THE CLOUDS, We had now reached a highly interesting point of our voyage. Consulting the timepiece we saw that it was two minutes two o’ciock. The aneroid registered twenty-four and three-tenths, Above us was a vast white sheet of mist extending to the horizon, a portion of which cloud soon enveloped us, the car passing up rapidly through it. We had scarcely entered it when the sudden chill before mentioned seemed to strike us, beginning at the lower part of the spine and travelling up the back toward the neck, leaving the most pecullar sensa- tion. We were now between two masses of fleecy cloud, the lower stratum murky and forbidding, hiding the earth altogether from us. Immediately Profossor King threw out a few handfuls of ballast, and in less time that it took to record the fact we were gracefully rising through into a different region far above the threatening blackness, The grandeur, the superb loveliness of a real cloud scene now filled as with wonder and admiration, We nad come up as it were through the apex of a cone in shape similar to our balioon, but once through the core we broke again mto the purest of atmospheres, the spotiess blue beaming over head in indescribable purity. Gradually we rose irom our valley of the inner cone, and on all sides towering above us were immeasurable mountains of clouds representative of the purest snow, the earth and ail but sky and clonds being hidden from us: Away beyond the precipice like masses extended endless plains of fleecy snow— that is, in appearance—beantiful by the azure Above. Not more than a hundred feet distant was what I shall call the Great Colossus—a cloud whose density gave it the character of the real rather than the ‘mistical,” into whose huge sides we hoped to plough before ascending to take a last survey of the sublime spectacle, but the cur- rent prevented our reaching it, For some moments we had been enveloped in the mist, when suddenly we shot up above great Colossus and the neighboring peaks, launching into the blue. Everything seemed to fall with great rapidity as we rose. Here we were on a level with the highest clouds visible in space. ° Now the glorious King of Day broke forth, and amid dazzling brilliancy we gazed upon the white stratum be- neath us, so bright as to affect the vision. Never did the lines of Thomson seem more appropriate. ‘The kindly azure and the mountain's brow Tilumine ith fluid gold, his near approach Betoken glad. He looks on bounaless majesty abroad, And sheds the shining day, that, burnished, plays On rocks and hills and towers and wandering streams. So awfully grand was this scene that myexpe- rienced companion averred he had nev et seen any- thing more lovely and impressive. {he continued chill to the gas now began to te! ind we descended again through the apex of the cone, bidding fare- ‘Well to one of the most glozjous visions within my memory. The clouds s*emed to rise upward, as though subjected tq great pressure. It was four minutes past two,4ne anaroid measured twenty- five. Four minutes later we tooked in the direction of Tewksbury and heard children playing some- where beneath us. Next the rumble of a freight train greeted us, and we then discovered we were hearly over the Lowell and Nashua Railroad, ‘The clouds now seemed as far above us as they had been beneath us but a few minutes before. We were rapidiy approaching a wood in asouth- easterly direction. We shouted to try the effect of the echo, when, to our surprise, we were answered by a farm laborer. Disposing of some more ballast we again left the mundane and rose straight into a dark, angry-looking cioud, ap- parently about five hundred feet thick. If the Egyptian fog could be felt I am sure this could be. The foggy visitations of February in New York were but as a trifle com- pared with it. At nineteen minutes past two, the barometer registering 25 5-20, we were shut up in one of the most murky of aerial dun- geons, neither earth nor sky being visible; nor could we tell whether we were travelling in an easterly or southerly direction, as we discovered considerable , BMOTION IN THE ATMOSPHERE, the car swinging once or twice in an unusual man- ner, causing us to revolve completely. Coming suddenly out of this mist into the broad sunshine the eyes seemed to weaken, and prevented us from seeing clearly how we were sailing. We rose again above some snowy mountain clouds, and with the exe¢ption of the gaunt giant I made special mention of previously, the cone scene might be said to have been repeated. Upward we fly again, until the aneroid barometer registers 213.10, We mo longer hear the screeching of the railroad engine, the rushing sound at the water falls and the sound of the hammer. science and labor are altké silent, the stilluess no less grand than the vasthess of the scene as it breaks upon us. In the uppereurrent we appeared to bave trav- elled very rapidly. Lynn and Salem could be clearly seen,) while Boston harbor and Chelsea beach were also in view, the Nahant penin- sula looking like a crooked piece of rib- bon in the water. We contemplated to cross over Boston Common in tess than an hour. should tne current hold out, Suddenly we dropped again, however, and our hopes of soaring over Bunker Mill Monument and the State House and all the country of the blue laws wavered, The ocean appeared almost directly beneath us, At twelve minutes of three o'clock we expected: toreach the neighborhood of North Reading, and contemplate® for an instant the smaliness of hu- manity and borséanity in the streets. We threw down some papers and were about to watch the result when the LA BELLK FRANCE WAVERED, from her course and began to go down. More bdal- last was thrown out, but we were unable to rise. Dense woods were beneath us. The inevitable being upon us the anchor was swung loose; a back, low current struck us and down we came, making direct for @ small clearing on the south side of Wil- mington, at some distance from the depot. ‘Hold yourself in readiness for the shock,” quickly urges the Professor, and belore it could be repeated the car had struck the ground; but a number of men having been attracted to the spot, we were an- chored finally, after a very slight bumping, at cx- actly 3P. M., naving been up 2 hours 16 minutes, and travelling over 10 miles in a straight line. We had alighted ina field belonging to Joshua Bond, and, aiter resting awhile, answering ques- tions for country maidens who assembled to see the aerial ship, the gas waslet out and the La Bele carefully folded, packed and conveyed to the Wilmington station, where Mr. Goodwin, the ven- erable depotagent, and his laay, entertained us ‘Until late in the evening. Thus ended the adven- tures of the HERALD Celestial Commissioner, after being upwards of two miles frem terra firma. THE OBSERVATIONS taken were as follows:— Wet Bulb Dry Bulb Aneroia Ther- Ther- Barometer. mometer. mometer. 27 5-20 60 a 26 15-20 60 1 26 14-20 68 60 26 5-10 60 69 26 5-10 87 66 24 3-10 51% 65, 2 bh 60 25 5-20 54 63 22 15-20 44 63 21 310 50% 62 soso BL B10 50 63 POLITICAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. At Marion, Iowa, on the Fourth, there was an immense picnic of the Grangers, numbering 25,000 or 30,000 people. A significant fact, The Edgefield (S. ©.) Advertiser (conservative) prophesies that at least two-thirds of the South Carolina bonds will be repudiated by the people en masse, ang adds:—‘‘Such should be the fate of the bogus bonds issued by the Scott-Kimpton-Moses ring of thieves and plunderers. Repudiation will be the watchword, and, in the next campaign, will lead to vief%ry.” “Repudiation” is a very. bad watchword anywhere and under any circum- stances, George E. Deneale, State Senator, of Rocking- ham county, will not decline the republican nomi- nation for Governor of Virginia if offered him. Why should he ? A Southern paper suspended publication the day afcer the Fourth ‘out of respect to the memory of American Independence.” The Utica Observer mentions the following as the “representative republicans” of the day:—Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania; Ben Butler, of Massa- chusetts; Samuel C. Pomeroy, of Kansas; John J. Patterson, of South Carolina; Roscoe Conkling, of New York, and so on, The Grange movement is gaining headway in the South. In Mississippi to the 13th of June 140 Granges had been organized. Richmond papers speak of the spread of the organization in Virginia, Railroad managers control both the old party or. ganizations in California, A fine opening for the Grangers. Congressman Burchard was the orator at Rush, Jo Daviess county, Ill, on the Fourth, and the banner of Stockton Grange, No. 67, planted conspicuously behind the stand, bore this Inscription :—“Grangers will send men to Congress who will not vote them- selves $10,000 back pay.” The farmers of West Tennessee met, July 2, in convention at Humboldt. The resolutions show that the farmers understand the power and scope of the Granges quite as well as their brethren of the Northwest, and are quite as determined to make a right use of them, The Burlington (Iowa) Gazette (republican) says the State of Iowa even can be redeemed from the thraldom of corrupt party despotism. This idea of justifying corruption because a thorough exposure might injure a particular party must be frowned down and trampled under the foot of reform, or our liberty will go with our public morals, ‘Tt Butler is elected Governor of Massachusetts,” says the Detroit Post (administration), “it is quite probabie that he will prove the best Governor that State has had since Governor Andrew’s time. For, however men may condemn Butler's opinions and course im various matters, it cannot be denied by any fair man that, as a ruler, wherever he has been tried, he has proved himself vigorous, bold, faith: fal and exceedingly able and efficient,” “The pleasure we have enjoyed," says the Jack- son (Minn.) Clarion, “in announcing that Sen- ator Alcorn has returned his part of the back pay into the Treasury voted by the members of Con- gress is short-lived. He has informed the Fri: Point Della that he has not disgorged, and does not intend to dg 80,”” The New York election this year comprises an entire State Senate to serve for two years, an en- tire Assembly for the term of one year, and seven State oMicers for the term of two years, All but two of the State officers whose terms expire are repaplicaus. A back-pay Congressman having asserted that a member of Congress must have ten thousand @ year to enable him to live decently in Washifigton, the Louisville Courier-Journad remarks that ‘“‘Sea- ator Chandler has several times ten thousand, and he doesn't live decentiy.” Speaking of Generai Beauregard and his anifica- tion platiorm, the Louisville Courter-Journal says that no just person who reads the address of Gen- eral Beauregard to the people of Louistana will deny that the step he has taken to liberate his State from Kellogg and his divan of pirates has been prompted by the purest and most elevated motives. The address is undoubtedly an open and manly declaration of convictions, which, whether worthy of adoption or not, e:nanates from a virtu- ous and patriotic man.” THE HOME FOR SOLDIBRS AND SAILORS’ ORPHANS, Ground was broken yesterday for 4 new addition to the Home for Soldiers and Sailors’ Orphans, cor- ner of 126th street and the Boulevard. One addition 1s to be 40x60 feet, and, besides increasing the dor- maitory, Will also enlarge the chapel. There are at resent 100 Inmates in the inttitution, of whom 34 are boys, the remainder girls. They are re- ceived as young a seven, but are not allowed to remain alter sixteen, ‘those wanting to em- ploy boys and girls cannot do better than take from this institution. Six recent inmates are in the Money Order Department of the Post Office, one is @ cadet at West Point, and of the some three thousand who have been taken care of here nearly all are Gilling good positions. SHAH’D. ———— Mark Twain Hooks the Persian Out of the English Channel. THE OF-FIS AL RECEPTION, He Commences the Contract on a Gravel Train. The Pilgarlic Pilgrim’s Progress to Portsmouth. STORIES BY THE WAY. Exciting Boating Adventures at the Great Naval Review. BASE TR ER MARK’S LINES IN PLEASANT PLACES, How London Fogs Are Generated in a Thirty-five Ton Bang. HE SENDS THE SHAH TO A CONCERT. Architectural Reasons for Mr. Absence Therefrom. Twain's LONDON, June 2, 1873, Isuppose I am the only member of the Shah's family who is not wholly broken down and worn out; and, to tell the truth, there is not much of me left. If you have ever been limited to four days in Paris or Rome or Jerusalem and been ‘‘rushed” by & guide you can form a vague, far-away sort of conception of what the Shah and the rest of us have endured during these late momentous days. If this goes on we may as well get réady for the imperial inquest. FOR THAT NAVAL REVIEW. When I was called at five o'clock the other morn- ing to go to Portsmouth, and remembered that the Shah’s incessant movements had left me only three hours’ sleep that night, nothing but a sense of duty drove me forth. Acab could not be found, nor @ carriage in all London. I lost an hour and a half waiting and trying, then started on foot and lost my way; consequently I missed one trainby a good while, another one by three minutes, and then had more than half an hour to spare before another would go. Most people had had a similar experience, and there was comfort in that, WE STARTED AT LAST, and were more than three hours going seventy- two miles. We stopped at no stations hardly, but We halted every fifteen minntes ont in the woods and flelds jor no purpose that we could discover. Never was such an opportunity to look at scenery. There were five strangers in our car, or carriage, as the English call it, and by degrees their English reserve thawed out and they passed around their sherry and sandwiches and grew sociable. HOW THE WAXWORKS GOT A WINDFALL. One of them had met the Russian General of Po- lice in St, Petersburg, and found him a queer qid simple-hearted soldier, proud of his past and de- voted to his master, the present Czar, and to the memory of his predecessor, Nicholas, The English gentleman gave an instance of the old man’s sim- plicity which one would not expect in a Chief of Police. The General had been visiting London and been greatly impressed by two things there—the admirable police discipline and the Museum. It transpired that the Museum he referred to was not that mighty collection of marvels known to all the world as the British Museum, but Mme. Toussaud’s WAXWORK SHOW; and in this waxwork show he had seen a figure of the Emperor Nicholas. And did it please him? Yes, as to the likeness; for it was a good likeness and a commanding figure; but—‘‘AMon Dieu! try to fancy it, M’sieu—dressed in the uniiorm of a simple colonel of infantry !—the great Nicholas of Russia, my august late master, dressed in a colonel’s uniform 1? The old General could not abide that. He went to the proprietor and remonstrated against this wanton indignity, The proprietor was grieved; but it was the only Russian uniform he could get, and— “Say no more!’’ said the General. you one f”” The proprietor would be most happy. The Gene- ral lost not a moment; he wrote at once to the Emperor Alexander, describing with anguish the degradation which the late great Nicholas was suffering day by day through his INFAMOUSLY CLOTHED WAXEN REPRESENTATIVE, and imploring His Majesty to send suitable raiment for the imperial dummy, and also a letter to au- “May I get thenticate the raiment. And out of regard for the old servant and respect for his outraged feelings the Emperor of all the Russias descended from Is Alpine altitude to send to the Tonssaud waxwork the general's uniform worn last by his father, and to write with | his own hand an authenticating letter to go with it, So the simple-hearted police chief was happy once more, and never once thought of charging the “museum” $10,000 for these valuable additions te the show, which he might easily have done, and collected the money, too. How like our own chiefs of police this good old soul is! SATAN AND ST. PETER, Another of these English genttemen told an anecdote, which, he said, was old, but which I had not heard before. He said that one day St. Peter and the devil chanced to be thrown together, and found it pretty dull trying to pass the time. Fi nally they got to throwing dice fora lawyer. The devil threw sixes, Then St. Peter threw sixes, The devil threw sixes again, St. Peter threw sixes again. The devil threw sixes once more, Then St, Peter threw sevens, and the devil sala, “Oh, come now, Your Houor, cheat fair, None of your playing miracles here!” 1 thought there was a nice bit of humor in that suggestion to “cheat fair,”? A SMALL PRIVATE NAUTICAL RACE. Tam getting to Portsmouth about as fast in this letter as I did in that train. The Right Honorable the Mayor of Portsmouth had had a steamer placed at his disposal by the Admiralty, and he had in- vited the Lord Mayor of London and other guests to go in her. This was the ship I was to sail in, and she was to leave her pier at nine A. M. sharp, larrived at that pier at ten minutes to eleven ex- actly. There was one chance left, however. The ship had stopped for something and was floating at ease about a mile away. Arusty, decayed, little two-oared kif, the size of a bathwb, came floating by, with # fisherman and his wife and child in it. I entreated the man to come in and take me to the ship. Presently he consented and started toward me, Istood impa- tient and all ready to jump the moment he should get within thirty yards of me; he halted at the dis- tance of thirty-five and said it would be a long pull; did I think I could pay him two shillings for it, seeing it was a holiday and everything was high? All this palaver and Iin such @ state of mind! I jumped aboard and TOLD HIM TO RUSH, which he did; at least he threw his whole heart into his little, useless oars, and we moved off at the rate of @ mile @ week. This was solid misery. When we had gone a hundred and nine feet and were gaining on the tenth a long, trim, gracefnl man-of-war’s boat came flying by, bound for the flagship, Without expecting 3 OF even the courtesy of a response, I halled and asked the coxswain to take me to the Mayor's vessel. He said, “Certainly, sir!—ease her, boys!” 1 could not have been more astonished at anything in the world. I quickly gave my man his two shil- lings, and he started to pull me to the boat. Then there was a movement of discontent among the sailors, and they seemed about to move on, [ thought—well, you are not such generous fellows after all, as I took you to be, or so polite either; but just then the coxswain hailed and satd:— “The boys don’t mind the pull, and they ’re per- fectly willing to take you, sir, but they say they ain’t willing to TAKE THE FISHERMAN’S JOB AWAY PROM HIM.” Now that was genuine manliness and right cone duct, I shall always remember that honorable act. 1 told them the fisherman was already paid, and I was in their boat the next moment. Then ensued the real fun of the day, as far as I was personally concerned. The boys glanced over their shoulders to measure the distance, and then at the order to “Give way!” they bent to it and the boat sped through the water like an arrow. We passed all kind of craft and steadily shortened the distance that lay between usand the ship. Presentiy the coxswain said :— “No use! Her wheels have begun to turn over, Lively now, lively !”? Then we flew. We watched the ship's move- ments with @ sharp interest and calculated our chances, “Can you steer?” sald the coxswain. “Can a duck swim ?” said I, “Good—we'll make her yet!” I took the heim and he the stroke oar, and that’ one oar did appear to add a deal to that boat's speed, The ship was turning around to go out sea, and she did seem to turn unnecessarily fast, too; but just as she was pointed right and both her wheels began to go ahead our boat’s bow touched her companionway and I was aboard, It was & handsome race, and very exciting. If I could have bad that dainty boat ang those eight white- shirted, blue-trousered sailors for the day I would not have gone in any ship, but would have gone about in vast naval style and experienced the feel- ings of an admiral. OLD HISTORICAL MBN-OF Waly Our ship sailed out through a narrow way, bore dered by piers that swarmed with people, and like- wise by prodigious men-of-war of the Jashion of @ hundred years ago. ‘There were, perhaps, a dozen’ of the stately veterans, these relics of an historic’ past; and not jooking aged and seedy, either, but as bright and fresh as if they had been launched) and painted yesterday. They were the noblest creatures to look upon; bulls of huge proportion and great length; four long tiers of cannon grin- ning from their tall sides; vast sterns that towered into the air like the gableend of a church; grace- ful bows and figure-heads; masts as trim and lofty, as spires—surely no spectacle could be so imposing, as @ sea fight in the old times, when such beautiful; | and such lordly ships as these ruled the seas, And how it must have stirred the heart of England when a fleet of them used to come sailing in,from victory, with ruined sides and tattered spare and Sails, while bells and cannon pealed a welcome! One of the grandest of these veterans was the very one upon whose deck NELSON HIMSELF FELL in the moment of triumph. I suppose England would rather part with ten colonies than with thaw iilustrious old ship. We passed along within thirty: Steps ofr her, and I was just trying to picture inmy. mind the tremendous scenes that had transpired} upon her deck upon that day, the proudest in England’s naval history, when the venerable craft,: stirred by the boom of saluting cannon, perhaps, , woke up out of her long sleep and began to vomit smoke and thunder herself, and then she looked’ her own natural self again, and no doubt the spirit of Nelson was near. Still 1t would have been pleasanter to be on her decks than in front of her! guns; for, as the white volumes of smoke burst ia our faces, oue could not help feeling that a ball might by accident have got mixed up with a blank: cartridge, and might chip just enough OFF THE UPPRR END OF A MAN to disdgure him for lite; and, besides, the powder’ they use in cannon ts tn grains as large as billiard chalks, and it does not all explode—suppose a few should enter one’s system? The crash and roar of these great guns was as unsettling a sound as I have ever heard at short range. Itook of my hat and ACKNOWLEDGED THE SALUTE, of course, tiough itseemed to me that it would have been better manners if they had saluted the Lord Mayor, inasmuch as he was on board, THR WORLD'S GREATEST NAVY ON VIEW. We went out to the Spithead and sailed up and down there for four hours through four long ranks of stately men-of-war— formidable iron-clads they were—the most’ insignificant of which would make a break- fast of a whole fleet of Nelson's prodigious ships: and stillbe hungry. The show was very fine, for there were forty-nine of the finest iron-clads the world can show, and many gunbosts besides, Indeed, here in its full strength was the finest navy in the world, and this the only time in history that just such a spectacle has been seen, and none who saw ft that day is likely to live long enough to see its like again. The vessels were all dressed out with flags, and all about them frolicked a bewilder- ing host of bannered yachts, steamers andevery imaginable sort of craft, It would be hard to con- trive a gayer scene. One of the royal yachts came flying along presently and pat the Shab on board one of the iron-clads, and then the yards of the whole fleet were manned simultaneously, and such another booming and bellowing of great guns ensued as I cannot possibly describe. Wituin two miuutes the huge fleet was SWALLOWED UP IN SMOKE, with angry red tongues of fire darting through it here and there. It was wonderful to look upon. | Every time the Devastation let off one of her thirty-flve-ton guns it seemed as if an entire Lon- don fog issued trom her side, and the report was 80 long coming that if she were to shoot a man he would be dead belore he heard it, and would proba- bly go around WONDERING THROUGH ALL RTERNITY what it was that happened to him. I returnedto London in a great hurry by a train that was in no way excited by it, but fatled in the end and object 1 had in view after all, which was to go to the GRAND CONCERT AT ALBERT HALL in honor of the Shab. [had a strong desire to see that building fillea with people once. Albert Hall is one of the many monuments erected to the memory of the late Prince Albert. It is a huge and costly edifice, but the architectural design is old, not to say in some sense a plagiarism; for there is but little originality in putting a dome on &gasometer. It said to seat 13,000 people, and surely that is @ thing worth seeing—at least to a man who was not at the Boston Jubilee. But no tickets were to be had—every seat was full, they said, It was no particular matter, but what made me mad was to come 80 extremely close and then miss. In- deed, I was madder than I can express to think that IF THE ARCHITECT TAD ONLY PLANNED the place to hold 13,0011 could have got in. But, after all, | was not the only person who had occa- sion to feel vexed. Colonel X——, a noted man in America, bought a seat some days ago for $10 and @ littie afterward MET A KNOWING PERSON, who sald the Shah would be physically worn out before that concert might and would not be there, and consequently nobody else; so the seat wag im- mediately sold for §5. Then came another kngwing one, who said the Shah would unquestionably be at the cencert, so the Colonel went straight and bought his ticket back again. The temporary holder of it only charged him $250 for carrying it around for him during tne interval! The Colonel was at the concert, and took the Shah’s head clerk for the Shah all tue evening. Vexation could go no further than that. MARK TWAIN, ANOTHER BIGAMY OASE IN JERSEY. Aman named Thomas Lynch, residing in Jersey City, was taken before Justice Seymour yesterday, charged by his wile Eliza, whom he married in Ire- jand twelve years ago, with having « second wife in Jersey City. The accused admitted the second marriage, but said he thought No. 1 to be dead, He was held in default of $5,000 bal to await trial,