The New York Herald Newspaper, January 1, 1874, Page 4

a ee 4 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR =—_ ‘Volume XXXIX.. <= Se AMUSEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BOOTH'S THEATRE, Sixth avenue and Twenty-third street—KIT; OR, THE ARKANSAS TRAVELLER, at 7.45 P.M. ; closes at 10:30 PM Mr. iss Bells Pateman, s OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway, between Houston aud Bleecker streets. — FAMILY JARS at 8 P.M; GABRIEL GRUB, at 8:5 P. ‘M.: closes at i P.M. Majilton-Raynor Family. Matinee etik. M. 8, Chantra BROOKLYN PARK THEATRE, | opposite City Hall, Brooklyn.—ENOC EN, al Seen clones at 10:30 BM. Mr. Edwin Adams, ‘Miss ‘Emily Usborne Matinee at2 P.M. BOWERY * TRE, ‘Bowery.—MISQOHIEF MAKING, at745 P.M; MOTHER GOOSE, at 830 P. M.; closes iat L115. Mr. ‘Hernandez a Matinee at2 PL METROPOLITAN THEATRE, 535 Broadway.—VARISTY ENTERTAINMENT, P.M; closes at 10:0 P.M. Matinee at 2 P.M. oster, Mis Polly Boot NIBLO'S GARDEN, tween Prince and Houston streets — Broadway, be! MHELDEEN IN THE W00W. Opens ats P.M. ; closes at 20:45 P.M.” Vokes Family, Ma inee a¢ 1:30 P.M. WOOD'S MUSEUM, . B ray, |, commer Th.rtieth stree.—CHERRY AND ‘AIR STAR, at 2 P. M., closes at4:30 P.M, DAMON ND PYTHIAS, ata P. M.: closes atl P.M. Mr. EL, javeuport, dirs. E. L. avenport. GRAND OPERA HOUSE, 25 fFighth avenue and 1 third street, HUMPTY UMPTY ABKOAD, at 7:5 Po M.: ir. GL, Pox. Macinee at 1:30 FIFTH AV) E Brenty-cighth street and Broa iwa P.M. : cioses at 10: P. Mo Mr, fanny Davenport. Matinee at 1:3) P, M. GERMANIA THEATRE, ‘ourteerth street, near Irving place—LES GEOR. GLENNES, at8 P.M; closes at 10:30 P.M, Mr. Merton, We, Binold. MRS, CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE, AVashington street, Brooklyn.—WiCKED WORLD, at 8 iP. 4: Bit BRIGANDLS, OP.) Air. Frauk Roche, Mrs. onway. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and Thirteenth street—A MAN OF HONOR, ats P. M.. closes at 10:50 P.M. Mr. Lester Wallack, Miss Annie Deland, ; Closes at LLP, My TONY P. No. M1 Bowery MM. ; closes acd] P. ML. Matinee ar 2 P. M. BRYANT'S OPERA HOUSE, ‘Twenty-third street, corner of iae.—CINDER- ELLA IN BLACK, NEGRO MIN SY, &c., at 82, | Di. { closes at lU P.'M, Matinee a . INK, | jourth street.—MENAGERIE, af Mey closes at 4 P.M} ON HALL, L_ ENTERTAINMENT AND closes at 10:30 P. M. BAIN HALL, Great Jones street, corner Latayette place.—THE PIL- GRIM, ats P. M.; closes at 9:30 P.M DR. KAHN No. 688 Broad way.—SULEN Sixteenth street. LAUGHING Gas, MUSEUM, D ART, New York, Thursday, January 1, 1874. THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. 'To-Day’s Contents of the Herald. “RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW! A GLANCE AT WHAT 1873 HAS DUNE FOR Us"—LEADING ARTICLE—Fovurta Pace, THE HAPPY NEW YEAR’S FESTIVAL! A BACKWARD GLANCE THROUGH THE VISTA OF TIME! THE STORE OF GOOD AND GOUD RESOLVES FOR THE FUTURE— THIRD PaGE. RULERS OF THE ROAST IN NEW YORK THIS YEAR OF GRACE! A FULL LIST OF OLD AND NEW ELECTED AND APPOINTED MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS—Turrp Page, 4 “SERIOUS” SPANISH SITUATION! COMPLETE RUPTURE BETWEEN PRESIDENT CASTE- LAR AND SALMEKON! A BATTLE IMMI- NENT IN CORDOVA—FirtH PaGE. THE NEW PHASE OF OUR RELATIONS WITH SPAIN! THE REMUVAL OF CASTELAR FROM THE PRESIDENCY LIABLE TO PKO- DUCE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS—EicuTH Pace, AMERICA AND SPAIN! THE TREATIES THAT HAVE BEEN SECURED AND THE POLICY PURSUED BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS! THE FUTURE! CALEB CUSHING GIVES HIS VIEWS AND FOKESHADOWS HIS COURSE! DISCRETIONARY rOWERS—FirTH Pace, THE HISPANO-CUBAN PRESS ON THE SLAVE N AND THE SINKING OF THE VIR- JOVELLAR’S OPINIONS! THE E PROHIBITED BY PORTU- % MYSTERY—Firta Pace. CUBAN MATTERS I) IS CITY—THE HAVANA DIARIO ON THE DEPOSITIUN OF CES- PEDES—Tare Pace. K, WITH 82 SOULS, BE- NL ON AND HAMBURG —1HE VILLE DU HAVRE INQUIRY—Firru Page. A PANIC FAIRLY INAUGURATED ON THE GER- MAN BOURSE—THE ROYAL ANGLO-RUS- SIAN ALLIANCE—Firtu Paces. SOME AND FORE FINANCES! A GOOD MAR- KEI, BUT LITTLE BUSINESS DONE! THE BERLIN PANIC—THE EMINENTLY UNFIT NOMINEE FOR CHIEF JUSTICE—Sevesta PAGE. PORTUGUESE PRECAUTION AGAINST THE SHIP- PING OF FEVER PATIENTS FROM AFRICA TU MADEIRA—A BRITISH GARRISON FOR NASSAU, N. P.—FUrTH PAGE. @X-SENATOR GRAHAM CONVICTED OF EMBEZ- ZLEMENT! THE PERJURY CHARGE! THE JURY IN MAGGIE JOURDAN’S CASE DISAGREE—JUDICIAL ASSIGNMENTS— Sixra Pac. Srars—A Roprore in THE Repvsrican Panry,—Our news from Madrid this morning is to the effect that the rupture between Presi- dent Castelar and Sefior Salmeron, President | of the Cortes, is complete. This news con- firms the special report which we published on Tuesday, the burden of which was that Serrano was the coming man. There is, we are told, considerable excitement in the Span- ish capital, and 1 special despatch to the Lon- don Daily News reports that the situation is serious. If the republican party cannot agree among themselves they cannot continue to govern Spain. The failure of Castelar is scarcely any longer a matter of doubt, and with his failure the door is thrown wide open for Serrano and the party of reaction. Tired of experiments, Spain seeks rest in reaction, andso in that unhappy land history once again repeats itself. | Tar Srarets.—Our streets are not in the best condition to be desired for New Year's Day; but when the winter is over and the | accumulated filth shall have become sufli- | minority was in power. ciently dry for removal it will, perhaps, be | carted off. Under the reign of city reform we yanat learn to take things as we fiad them. NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1874, Ring Out the Old, Ring Im the New—A Glance at What 1873 Has Done For Us. Innumerable events that occurred in the year 1873 will swell the contents of that famous receptacle into which Time drops alms for Oblivion; but in the most casual retro- spect we see many events that will not readily pass out of popular remembrance, and some }>that will make the year pre-eminent in the chronicles. Distinguished among the number of events that will not be easily forgotten is the financial calamity of the year—that disas- trous disturbance in the world of values which swept the country like a whirlwind, and from the effects of which there will be for many a royal merchant no recovery, while commerce itself, in so far as it gets on its teet again, will for many months move with a crippled gait. It does not appear from the story of our panic that the world is growing greatly wiser as the years run on, for it was just a panic of the same old sort that has racked the brains of the bankers for some ages; and though we knew we had in operation all the elements of which panics are made we wanted sagacity to escape disasters whose coming we definitely foresaw. Will 1874 make us richer in this sort of knowledge than 1873 found and left us? It is scarcely to be hoped for. Time has done wonders in helping the world to knowledge in finance, and may belp us in this particular point eventually, but we fear not yet. Other calami- ties, less general, but even more poignant, came upon us in the year thatis gone. None in the calendar, perhaps, was more fatal on the sea. Beginning with the loss of the Atlantic in a January night and ending with the dreadful loss of the Ville du Havre, the catalogue of marine casualties for the year is an awful record of the recklessness, indiffer- ence and improvidence that become natural to sailors, who constantly on the sea lose altogether the sense of its dangers till the catastrophe comes. Here, again, we may indulge the reflection that Time is helping us, for we cannot but believe that the day will come when improvements in ships and in the modes of sailing them will make these dreadful disasters well nigh impossible. Our glimpse over the year threatens to be- come a catalogue of calamities, for by what | other name can we call the main political facts? In 1873 we saw painfully the progress of reconstruction in the complete demoraliza- tion of political life in the Southern States, the demoralization spreading to the Northern States also, as decay spreads from one apple to another that lies in contact with it, and so on till the whole barrel is gone. Louisiana trampled under the feet of the political gamblers, Crédit Mobilier operations, laws for the increase of official salaries, the gene- ral disappearance from public life of the simple-minded honesty in which the country grew up, the growing and common recog- nition that “the post of honor is a private station,’’ and that for a man to hold office is prima facie an evidence that his honesty is not what it should be; the pro- gressive destruction of the public respect for authority by the appointment to offices of persons unfit to fill them; the strange demon- stration of incapacity in our latest negotiation with a foreign Power ; all these facts—what are they but items in a grand bill of indict- ment which the years as they go by are per- mitting the politicians of the dominant party to frame against themselves? And the drift and tendency and meaning of these facts are as plain now at the beginning of 1874 as we can hope to find them in '76 or ’77. We see that the men in power are squandering the inheritance of a great party in treating the offices they were appointed to administer as if they were owners, not tenants—in assuming that the sove- reignty they exercise is their personal property. They have taught the nation to fear @ party of whose unscrupulous dishonesty its leaders are the types, and have excited a reac- tion from those advanced political notions that seem inconsistent with probity and fair dealing towards principles trom which the abolition of slavery has extracted their one bad point. Itis one of the probabilities of the prospect, comparing the past and the future, that the republican party may give us the next President; but if it does that Presi- dent will be elected not because he is the can- didate of the republican party, but because he is an honest man, a man of pure life and patri- otic purpose, with respect for the law and a sense of the obligation of an oath, and with the moderate talent that is necessary to keep down the shallow-witted thieves who writhe and fawn wherever good offices may be had for impudent and persistent asking. It will be a personal, not a party, triumph—for Grant is a personal, not a party, President; and the people, seeing that the responsibility of a party to govern well cannot control the natural instincts of the man it puts in office— seeing they have got to take more notice of the personalty than of party principles or issues—will take care to have a person whose instincts and disposition are apt to be to their taste. There are honest men in the republican party; but if it does not nominate one of them it will not elect the next President. Abroad the year has not been a golden one for political progress. In England the great liberal party seems to have suffered severely in public esteem. It was the victim of its own indiscretion. It had faith in that faction in Irish politics which has been the ruin of every party that ever touched it, and after such o blunder it was but natural the public confidence in its leaders should be less. But we venture to hope the reaction is only a sur- face indication; for we confidently believe that every advancing year must necessarily make England more and more thoroughly liberal. In France the Republie has per- ceptibly lost ground. Thiers, a very late con- vert to republican principles, was for a time adroit enough in his tactics, but made the mistake of committing himself to an extreme party, and thus contrived his own fall and the elevation of Marshal Mac- Mahon, under whom one attempt has already been vainly made to re-establish the monarchy of divine right, and who will scarcely make war on other attempts that are to follow. Spain is well nigh in the agony. There the Repub- lie acquired power by surprise and device, and through it, by strange contradiction to the first of republican principles, a mere Events cannot be forced in that way. Republics that have foisted themselves on peoples incapable of comprehending rewnbliean nrinainles have always fallen and must fall. Spain will go like the rest, and the Republic will be re- placed by a military government, as always happens in Spain, which government will be only a step toward the restoration of the so-called liberal monarchy—that is, a mon- archy without any liberal principles, but qualified by the intrigues of the palace. The great fact in our city history for the year is a manifestation of popular purpose in the punishment of crime and against rogues in office. It is true there are very nearly as many rogues in office now as there were be- fore Tweed was sent to prison and the convict Genet ran away; but their hearts are stirred with terror, and their perception of the pres- ent possible consequences of misconduct is a practical restraint almost as good as iron bars themselves. Our municipal system is one that offers a premium to roguery in office, and roguery consequently gets there as a matter of course; and we shall not have regularly good government till we secure a better system. So, meantime, we must depend upon the occasional spasmodic outburst of popular virtue to clear the air of official life. For the time we have had the outburst, as we have had others of the same nature in former times, and we are heartily glad it has had so much effect; and we hope its ultimate consequence will be a more substantial benefit than a mere change in the party designation of the men who rob us. By the time-honored custom of our people this day is specially given to the charms of social intercourse and the formal cultivation of its civilities and graces in the friendly per- sonal interchange of good wishes. Our simple mannered forefathers performed this agree- able duty in their straightforward, obvious method; but the more artificial life of our time has somewhat frittered away the spirit and form of the good old custom, so that the New Year's calls have become a vague formality with some, an idle parade with others, and there are persons suf- ficiently heretical to regard the whole occasion as a nuisance. But we hope that the recent signs of the revival of the sturdy spirit of honest New Amsterdam may get beyond po- litical lines and furnish us with a revival of our characteristic festival, and that the “Happy New Year” may be more widely wished than recent times have known it. Mr. Cushing’s Views of His Mission. Our correspondent at Washington has had an interview with Mr. Cushing with regard to that gentleman's mission to Spain. The views expressed on that occasion are published in another part of the paper. Mr. Cushing seems to feel the importance of his appoint- ment, and is eager and ready to start at once to Madrid as soon as the Senate acts upon his nomination. There can be little doubt that his appointment will be promptly confirmed, both out of regard to the wish of the Presi- dent and because every one admits he is a most capable man. It would have been more satisfactory if Mr, Cushing had been more ex- plicit as to the precise object of his mission. He was rather diplomatic in speaking only in generalterms. But we may infer, we think, that the prigcipal object in view is to make a treaty with Spain, more or less of @ commercial character and with speoial reference to the trade with Cuba. He speaks @ great deal of old treaties, their inapplicabil- ity to existing circumstances, and of the neces- sity fora new treaty. The Virginius matter he regards as about settled. Ho avoids, seem- ingly, what is, after all, the paramount ques- tion—the political condition and future of Cuba. He ignores the formidable, long-stand- ing and exhausting insurrection, and does not appear to contemplate the independence of the patriot Cubans. In all this he reflects, no doubt, the sentiments of the administration, or at least of the State Department, though it is said he has a large margin of discretion to act as circumstances may require. That his mis- sion is regarded as anti-Cuban and reaction- ary, as being particularly friendly to Spain and against the Cubans, we have evidence both in the tone of the administration press and in the exulting language of the Span- ish newspapers in this city and Cuba. We cannot let this occasion pass without protesting in advance against the policy fore- shadowed, for it means the abandonment of that generous and liberal course towards Amer- ican populations struggling for freedom and independence which has characterized our government and country throughout the his- tory of the Republic. And we warn the gov- ernment not to enter into any entangling alli- ances with a European Power with regard to American questions, or, in fact, regarding any questions here or abroad. Let us follow the policy of the great statesmen of former times. If in the time of our weakness we proclaimed and adhered to a strictly American policy, surely we should not abandon it in the day of our power. Keeping in view the policy im- plied by what is known as the Monroe doo- trine, let us pursue a course to separate American territory from European rule or in- fluence, rather than to establish the opposite condition. We fear the government ts about to tread on dangerous ground, to act in oppo- sition to public sentiment in this country and to lay the foundation of future complications and trouble. New Year's Day in Washington. In the social festivities of the new year our national capital holds the first position, inas- much as the ladies fora portion of the day are out by hundreds—yea, by thousands—if the skies are favorable, making calls with the lords of creation. From noon till two P. M. it is the custom in Washington with the la- dies to join the rougher sex in their calls upon the President, the members of the Cabi- net and of the Diplomatic Corps who are ‘‘at home,” and, with a ‘fine day,’’ theapproaches to the White House and Pennsylvania avenue are gay as @ summer morning with their flocks of butterflies. After two the ladies are all ‘‘at home,’’ and the services of the day are continued and concluded according to the time-honored usages of New Amsterdam. But it is the official opening of the new year, in the general social meeting of both sexes and of citizens and strangers at the White House, which gives to the day in Washington an ex- hilarating social atmosphere and a general spirit of enjoyment whieh no other city in the world can boast. As an exemplification of the working of our popular institutions we sball lose nothing, but gain much, if these New Year's observances in our national capital are perpetuated for a thou- sand vears. The Drama in New York—How the Theatrical Profession is Disgraced. The history of the New York theatres, if truthfully written, would be intefesting and instructive reading. The Americans are a singular people—acute, energetic, generous, bold in adventure, liberal to a fault, shrewd at detecting impostors, yet submitting good naturedly to imposition, devoted to money making and equally devoted to money spend- ing. Among such a people the drama is cer- tain to be a success, for they are ready to patronize amusements probably too much without regard to their quality. The constant strain and excitement of business among our people make relaxation almost a necessity, and it is not surprising that the lower class of entertainments should find patrons as well as those legitimate performances whose merit entitles them to the favor of an intelligent community. Thus we havo seen in New York ® patronage of genuine dramatic talent such as cannot be found in any other city in the world, while at tho same time those ginger- bread shows which elsewhere would be with- out support have managed to live, and occa- sionally to flourish, despite their indifferent character. We have commanded here the ability of the universe in the dramatic art. No matter what the nationality of a genuine artist, New York is the field in which the richest harvest has been reaped. A Ristori, a Janauschek and @ Salvini have reeeived the proof of American appreciation of real merit as substantially as the most distinguished English artists. On the other hand, sensational dramatists and machine actors who would have starved else- where have found here a living, and sometimes even wealth, It is most creditable to the protession, under these circumstances, that the drama in New York has not lost all character and merit. If we had not had such men as Wallack, Booth, Daly, Stuart, Duff and others of a similar |. standing at the head of our theatres, those places of entertainment might now be of a grade but little above that of the concert saloon, As it is, we have had too many coarse adventurers in the theatrical business; men who have launched out from railroading, ‘rum tinkering’’ and other specu- lative pursuits in which money is easily if not over honestly made, into the glitter, glare and license of theatrical management as they un- derstand it. Under such men the theatre has become simply the haunt of politicians, lonngéts, and even of more discreditable char- acters, and the proprietor or manager has de- lighted to shine forth as the patrén of such questionable associates, Of course the theatri- cal profession has suffered from these un- worthy representatives, and the standard of the drama has been lowered by their action. The unprofessional theatrical showman man- ages his business much asa dishonest internal revenue officer would run his office, As in the case of the latter, there would be a great dis- crepancy between the receipts given to tax- payers and the amounts actually credited to the government on his books, so, in the case of the former, the cash actually received by the house would bear no comparison to the amount called for by the paper which he ‘‘kites’’ among his friends and those from whom he expects favors. A Buchu theatrical proprietor or manager is very friendly with such newspapers as he can in- duce to do him service, but is eager to get up a dispute with any journal that refuses to submit to his insolent blackmailing de- mands. A dishonest revenue officer is ready to ‘ay in’’ with any illicit distillery in which he is allowed an interest, but is vigorous in “suppressing” such concerns as may refuse to admit him to a share of their profits. In- deed, there is frequently a resemblance be- tween the dishonest internal revenue officer and the Buchu showman so close as to render it difficult to distinguish the one from the other. The theatrical interloper is seldom of real benefit to actors or authors, although he loves to make a parade of liberality. He is always ready to take advantage of the necessities of members of the profession, and will grind an actor down unsparingly when he finds him in his power. He makes a bargain with an author so cunningly worded as to be suscep- tible of a strained misconstruction, and then endeavors, on a paltry quibble, to cheat him out of the percentage due to him. An author sells a piece to such @ person, agreeing to receive, say, five per cent on houses of five hundred dollars or under and fifteen per cent on houses over five hundred dollars, The piece is successful, and the receipts run from eight hundred to a thousand dollars a night. The author calls for his pay—for he is too shrewd to trust the Buchu proprietor or manager—and he finds that he is to receive only five per cent up to the amount of five hundred dollars, no matter what the house may be, and fifteen per cont above that amount. By such knavish tricks the unprofessional showman constantly ex- hibits his smartness and endeavors to cheat those who suppose they have made a bargain with an honorable man. Authors, actors and public have, therefore, equal’ cause of com- plaint against these interlopers who scandalize an honorable profession; and when such Buchu showmen insolently presume to dictate to the press as to the manner in which their performances shall be criticised it becomes the duty of all respectable journals to rebuke their impertinence and to expose their true character, Tue Maaore Jourpan case has come to an end for the present in the disagreement of the jury. The sympathy with which a certain class invest women of her class, who defeat justice by something that has an element of self-sacrifice in it, is a very poor kind of sym- pathy. Among all the murderers in the ‘Tombs Sharkey was, perhaps, the meanest and vilest. A thief and gambler’s runner by pro- fession, he became a murderer in as cowardly a manaer as he possibly could. That any one should have a heart-interest in such a despic- able wretch would pass all belief if humanity had no history. It is right that those aiding or abetting in Sharkey's escape should be punished, but is this woman the only person who should be tried? Orrice-Serxers aNd Orrice-Hotprrs will be particularly interested in the new city and county officials who, in New York ana Brook- lyn, will be installed to-day. . The appointed will be happy, and even the disappointed may console themselves with the hope that they will have better luck next time, Fluctuations In the Death Rate end the Weather. A novel and interesting plan has recently been proposed by a distinguished sanitarian to collate the mortuary and meteorological re- ports and compare them, with the view to deduce the influence of weather on the death rate. The proposition includes the legisla tion necessary to secure exact municipal data of the burial, time of sickness, age, disease and residence of every person dying, and to utilize these with the Signal Service observa- tions, The potent agency of thermometric and atmospheric fluctuations in the human body has always been a matter of historic as well as of medical observation. In the tem- perate zones the majority of deaths that occur are occasioned or hastened by thermometric depressions, The mortality reports published by the Registrars General of England and Scotland, when laid alongside of the tempera- ture tables, attest the truth of this, especially in the cold months. In the celebrated ‘(great frost” of December, 1860, the intense cold in the British‘islands made the death rate leap up to fearful figures. Indeed, in the metropolitan centres more deaths, fol- lowed upon this cold wave than have ever been known in the fiercest cholera or other epidemics when pestilence stalked ‘the streets and byways. The utility of weather telegrams, if extended over a wide field of observation, might be immensely en- larged if thereby notification of the approach and continuance of these frigorific spells could be communicated. The invalid would be warned and the sagacious physician would quickly avail himself of the information to provide against or assuage the disastrous con- sequences of the evil threatening his patients. The importance of such a system of com- parisons would be equally felt in the heated term, when the extremes of midsummer tell so feartully on our city. population. The pro- gress of all practical sanitary science, it would seem, is wrapped up in the determination of the influence of weather and locality upon human health, and until some advance is made in the direction indicated our sanitari- ans must grope in the dark. The State legis- lation necessary to secure the full birth rate and death returns from the physicians attend- ing might be easily obtained. But the scien- tific work of comparing these with the meteor- ological reports ought, by municipal enact- ment, to be required of the Health authorities in each city. ya A New Pissovery in the “Law of “~., Storms”? One of the most important contributions recently made to science is o1i6 on the form of cyclones, by the eminent cyclonologist, Charles Meldrum, Director of the Government Obser- vatory at Mauritius. This able treatise pres- ents new discoveries in this field of meteor- ology, which not only must revolution- ize old theories, but will greatly enhance the safety of the seaman and the seagoer. The old theory, that the oceanic cyclones are circu- lar has prevailed in nautical minds for many years, despite many disastrous results arising from following it out. If these terrible storms are of a circular form it is very easy to deter- mine the storm vortex, and the ordinary rules laid down for its avoidance are ex- tremely simple. But if they are not circular the present rule is not only inapplicable, but, when most carefully applied, will often plunge the mariner into the worst of the tempest. The discovery which Mr. Meldrum now es- tablishes is that cyclones have a helical or elliptical shape, formed between two opposing streams of air. He goes back to the storm registers of early date to make good this view and unquestionably sustains his conclusion from the East Indian data. On+the morning of the 25th of February, 1860, forty-one ves- sels left the roadstead of Reunion with a southeasterly wind, which, according to the old ‘Law of Storms,” placed the vortex to the northeast, and these vessels ran to the northwest to avoid it, The result demonstrated that the central vortex was really north-northwest, so that they ran directly in its fiery front, and only four of them—one a steamer—succeeded in crossing the storm path. As for the remaining thirty- seven, only seven escaped total loss or very great injury, the latter costing the insurers over half a mullion dollars. Mr. Meldram conclusively shows, from the largest mass of cyclonological data ever collected, that the rotary gales of the South Indian Ocean are of an elliptical form; that they are generated be- tween an easterly and westerly air current, and cease between a northerly and southerly current, ‘‘so that they are flattened on their northern and southern sides at their com- mencement and on their western and eastern sides at their close.”’ He also concludes that the progress of investigation proves that the truth of nature lies in this matter in a com- promise between the Espy and Redfield the- ories, which have been so long and warmly discussed by scientists. This investigation, so deeply practical, might be, and ought to be, pushed in our own seas, where, no doubt, as in the Southern Ocean, the discovery of Mr. Meldrum will be verified. The correct prediction of storms on land has advanced so rapidly within a few years that, with sufficient research, there is little doubt the “Law of Storms” might be greatly perfected, and the navigator enabled to make sure calculations for their avoidance. Briaanpacz oN Staten Istanp.—Our thieves are acquiring a taste for the ro- mantic. It is to this fact we owe the pic- turesque robbery committed last Tuesday night at Staten Island. A masked band plundering o dwelling house is something novel in the local history of crime. It lifts the robbery out of the commonplace and places it on a level with the outrages of the picturesque vagabonds which have hitherto been confined to Italy and Spain. The rob- bers seem to have laid their plans carefully and to have taken every precaution to guard against alarm or surprise. Having bound the servants and reduced them to silence by threats, the robbers proceeded coolly to ran- sack the premises, The safe was blown open after three hours’ endeavor to force it with burglar tools, the thieves carrying on their operations during that time without attracting notice, and departing without leaving any traces by which they can be followed. En- couraged by their success the band will proba- bly endeavor to make new raids. A little additional vigilance on the part of the police would be advisable and might lead to the cap- ture of the gang. Pzacz anp Wan.—The opening of the new ~ Year finds us at peace “with all the world and the rest of mankind” except some scattered bands of bad Indians, and yet the Temple of Janus is not shut, There are wars in pro- gress in Cuba, in Central America, South America, Spain, Africa, Asia and in some of the isles of the Indian Ocean. Still there is no great war prevailing in either hemisphere. The leading Powers of the earth are at peace with each other and have peace within their borders. Best of all, no doubt, in the estima- tion of Mr. Secretary Fish, we have escaped the dangers of annihilation in escaping the perils of a conflict with the terrible fleets and armies of Spain, such as they are, and in get- ting rid of the Virginius by a lucky accident. The loss of the Virgins was the crowning victory for Mr. Fish for 1873, and a wide, un- bounded prospect spreads before him for 1874. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. A General George W. McCook, of Ohio, is again at & the Hotel Brunswick, Judge Benjamin R. Curtis, of Boston, has apart- ments at the Brevoort House. General Benham, United States Army, 1s regis- tered at the Grand Centra! Hotel. Major M. R. Morgan, United States Army, has quarters at the Sturtevant House. Baron De Smirnoff, of Russia, is among the late arrivals at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Congressman Thomas ©. Platt, of Owego, N. Y., is staying at the St. Nicholas Hotel. Chief Engineer John 8. Abbott, United States navy, is staying at the Hoffman House. Governor Ezekiel A. Straw, of New Hampshire, has arrived at the Fith Avenue Hotel. President Andrew D. White, of Cornell Unt- versity, yesterday arrived at the Hofman House. General Thomas Rosser, chief of the Northern Pacific Railroad surveying expecition, arrived at the St. Nicholas Hotel yesterday irom Minnesota, NAVAL INIELLIGENCE. Rumored Loss of the Franklin, with All on Board. Boston, Dec. 31, 1873. A rumor was current here last night that the United States steamship Franklin had been lost at sea with all on board, and it is aiffued to by the tas Papers, but can be traced to no founda- tion. Naval Mishaps. WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 1873. The steamship Reltef, which is to tow the mont- to Montauk to New York ran aground of the Arsenal Point, and at one time yesterday her bow was five ‘ect Out of water. The United States steamer [riana went to her assistance, but could not succeed in hauling her off the mud bank in which sive 18 stuck fast. Andther attempt will be made by the Gettysburg and Triana together, which will, no doubt, be successful. ‘The wen engaged in raising the yacht Americus off the piles near the yard, were unable to move her on Monday and during the night, the weather being very rough. One of the piles was forced through her bold and penetrated her deck, Arrival of the Wachusett at Key West. ‘ Key West, Fia., Dec. 31, 1873. ‘The Wachtisett has just urrived here, She lett Gibraltar with the Alaska 324 Congress on Novem- Safied on the fol- ber gl. The Wabash was to have Sate oe Omas lowing day. The Wachasett touche! on the astit She made the GA in 31 days, and bad pleasant weather, with all well. Naval Orders. Wasuincron, Dec. 31, 1873, Captain George H. Cooper is detached from the Norfolk Navy Yard, and ts ordered to command the 1ron-clad Roanoke. Commander Bunce has reported his return to the United States, naving been re- Neved trom the command of the Ashuelot and Placed on sick leave. Hawalian Compliments to United States Officers. A special HeRaLp correspondence from the Sandwich Islands, dated at Honolulu on the 6th of December, supplies the following report:—The United States ship Saranac, flagship of Admiral Pennock, is still in port. The Admiral and Mrs. Pennock reside with the American Minister on Nunann avenue, A number of the officers of the ship Dave their wives with them whiie on tuis sta- tion this winter, and the ladies make a very wel- come addition to our society. Tne Minister Resl- dent gave @ bali on the evening of the 4th inst., affording an opporiunity to our residents of meet- ing the officers and their ladies. The entertain- ment Was @ decided success. MUSIOAL AND DRAMATIO NOTES. New Year's Day matinées prevail this afternoon, Signor Sangiorgi, the chief of the National Guards of Rome, has produced @ new opera, “Guiseppe Balsamo,” at the Dal Verme, Milan, with marked success, Nieis Gade, the Danish composer, so highly thought of by Mendelssohn, has been paying ao artistic visit to Holland, and has met with trl umphant receptions. Messrs. Whitney, Lubeck and Lockwood are on the programme for Theodore Thomus’ Saturday matinée concert at Steinway Hall, Mr. Dion Boucicault has taken his way to Califor- nia, He has not lefton record his opinion of the chances for a successful comedy reputation of modern date, The “Phormio” of Terence was the Latin play at the Westminster (England) school this year. Mod- ern dramatists, both French and English, have laid the “Phormio” largely under contribution for some of their most amusing productions, Moliére bor- rowed from it not a few of the “Fourberies de Sca pin: Ravenscroit, In his “Scaramouch a Philoso- pher;"? Otway, In his “Cheats of Scapin,”’ and Col- man, in bis “Man of Business,’ were all more or leas indebted to the same amusing drama, ELISE HOLT'S FUNERAL The Last Sad Rites Attended by Num- bers of the Theatrical Protession—Her Fatal Iiness. PrTTsBURG, Dec. 30, 1873, The funeral of Elise Holt, the actress, who ated on Sunaay last, of typhoid pneumonia, took place this afternoon, from the Kobinson House, Duquesne way and Seventh street. The ceremonies incident tothe sad occasion were performed by the Rev. Mr. Stevenson, of Trinity Episcopal church, after which the body was conveyed to the hearse in waiting, and the mournful cortéze moved to the Allegheny Cemetery. There was quite a number of professional ladies and gentlemen present, em- bracing members of KELLOGG’S ENGLISH OPRRA TROUPE, Joseph Emmet’s combination, the company of the Pittsburg Opera House and & number irom the American Theatre. Tne floral tributes were many and beautiul, THE FATAL ILLNESS, Elise Holt arrived here avout three weeks ago, under engagement to appear at the Opera House, The day she was to have commenced her a ment she was taken suddenly il, and Lucilie Wes- tern was secured in her stead, The best of physicians were called tn, who pronounced her {ll- ness to be that of typhoid pneumonia, The attack was not considered a very serious one ai first, but the disease gradually developed, and finally the symptoms were alarming. In the early days of the past week she re ro nvervals, f ined in an , excepting at rare intervals, remai ameonsclous “tate until death relieved her. Her husband, Mr. Harry Wall, was constantly with her and at her bedside when she drew her last breach, She was in her twenty-sixth year, and had no rela- tivesin this country. She firet attracted pubite attention as a burlesque actress at the Strand ‘Theatre, London. SINGULAR OASE OF HYDROPHOBIA, Ayoung man named James Raymond, residing at 181 Gold street, Brooklyn, was reported last night to be dying from hydrophobia, which waa caused by the bite of a cat. The unfortunate young man was suffering’ the most intense agony, and during his convulsions it required six men to hola him. A few weeks ago, while playing with @ cat in @ store in New York, in which he was employed, the animal bit him in the nand. The wound heaic Up, and no further notice was taken of It until a day or two sinee, When he manifested ayinptoms of the terrible disease. A physician Was peel but he grew yepialy worse, and in his present condition can survive but a short time. A German tn Kast Brooklyn also died from hydro. phobia trom the bite of p cat a lew WOCkS @il0, ‘