The New York Herald Newspaper, December 18, 1876, Page 6

6 BEDLAM BRUTALITIES. Fresh Cases of Inhuman Treatment of the Insane. MEN AND WOMEN BEATEN. Additional Facts About Mrs. Norton's Nurse-Fiend. Thero were those, in ancient times, who looked upon the demented as those who had been touched by the fingers of the goas. They were, consequently, treaied with tenderness and reverence, There are to-day, among the Hindoos, those who treat ina similarly mane fashion people in whom reason bas become Evon making an abstraction of civilization, the world bas, in savage tribes, suflicient evidence of the tender care bestowed upon those in whom the real vital spark has been dimmed, Bernardin de St. Pierre, in an essay which ‘places bim vy the side of the illus- trious Buffon, adverts to the apparently general law, in accordance with which members of nearly every species live and feed upon the weaker scions of the family. He cites the lion, the tiger, the shark, the pike, and even the good-numored, blubbery whale, But it does not seem to have fallen under his pro- digious inductive powers, or to have occurred to his unseated, powerful imagination, that the sane could make a liv- | ing out ot the insane, or that men could form joint stock companies in order to swell their revenues by the greatest misfortune that can fall to the lot of man. Stull less does he seem to have supposed that what the French tenderly term /es aliénés could be handed over yo the care of men and women who behave toward them hike wild beasts, NEW CASES OF ILL-TREAYMENT. From the evidence in the Norton case, recently nade public, It would really seem as though humanity aad fled from those places in whieh she ought to reign supreme. ‘The disclosures made by Mrs. Norton of her ill-treatment at one of the great Innatic asylums of this State were ofa character to elicit a good deal of comment. That comment took one shape in private communications to the Hgratp touching two of the most renowned and conspicuous establishments for the ireatment of the demented tm this and one of the tister States. In response to one of these communica- tions ene of the HgkaLD corps called the other even- ing at the house of "a wealthy and cultured gentloman on Fifth avenue, “I should not have troubled the HeRatp upon this matter,” observed the gentleman, *‘upless I felt two shings:—First, that the insane are subject to mon- itrous ill treatment; and secondly, that the shortest ind surest way to remedy this outrageous state of shings is to have an exposé of thom published in the columns of the Heranp, It has sometimes surprised me that you do not, in some conspicuous portion oy the paper, advertise for the communications of all who feel aggrieved at the treatment received by their insane relatives or friends in institutions founded ostensibly for their gooa keeping and tender treat- ment. “The HeRap ts always open,’ replied the writer, ‘to the just complaints of those who think they are wronged. If you have anything to say against tho tonduct of any of the lunatic asylums, either munici- pai, State or private, the Heranp will willingly make Wiese grievances public,” “What | have to suy,’’ reptied the gentleman, ‘‘re- fers 10 one of the great Janatic asylums of this State. T have names and dates, and my Wile can verily them, Inaeed, 1 think it better that she herself should give ory, inasmuch as she is even more 1uti- ainted with tbe people interested than 1 am mysell.”? The gentleman then introduced his wife, and, with Nttle pretaco, the lady gave the HkRaLD man tbe {ol- lowing story !— A STARTLING STORY, “I have, unfortunately,’ she said, ‘some experience in the matter of those who have been sent to the Bloom- ingdale Asylum. And 1 think it quite time that the ex- cesses there perpetrated by the so-called nurses should be putanendto, The first person to whom I would refer is a gentleman, friend of our family, who was seized with sudden mania on the cars. tie belonged to New Jersey and was on lis way to this ctty, He dis- appeared and was subsequently found by his friends at one of the uptown hotels. His malady arose, according 10 the account of the best medical authorities, from excessive study and overwork. He was taken to the Bloomingdale Atylum, When his frends tirst visited him be complained that he had been frequently and severely beaten, The good natured relatives supposed that this statement It turned out, how- arose from his hallucination: ever, bis friends allege, that fectly trathiul iz his statements, both frequently and severely by endance upon him.” “What became of him subsequently?” said the ten by the nurse in HeraLp man. “Uniortunately for the anthorities ot the asylum,” d the lady “he became perfectly sane. He was removed trom Bloomingdale to Dr. Kirkbride’s asy- lum, near Philadelphia, aud there recovered his reason, The methods adorted with him by the nurses at Bloomingdale were strongly condemned by the Vhiia- delphia physician. He said that, had the patient not “been treated in the severe and unnatural manner adopted toward him, be would probably have re- covered within the second week alter his alepation.’? BEATEN WITHOUT PROVOCATION, “What, specifically,” said the HewaLp man, “was the il treatwwent of which the patient complained?” “He stated that without the least provocation, even attimes When he himgelf was periectly conscious of being sane, they placed him ina strait jacket, aud, 1 he made the slightest resistance, they beat bim cruelly, Further, they confiued him in a padded room upon the shghtest pretext, and, as he himself now , probably to be rid of the trouble of attending and iDg OV , him.’ ything else of which he complained after bis rec “Yes. He stated that ope of the things that an- noyed him worse than anything else was that, although bis inends pata liberally for his board, he Was obliged every day to sit down and take his meais with the keepers, Who were an ordinary, common lot of men, and who made no difficulty about cursing, swearing, and bebaviny generally in such a inanner a: to disgust any gentleman, even supposing him to de insaue.’? “Did he mention anything further as to the way ho was treated while at table f”” “There was oue thing which struck him particu- larly, The nurses helped theinselves first to the best of everything provided and then doled out the re- mainder to the patieats as though they had been gal- ley slaves.”” AN INSANE OLIVER TWIST, “Did he, outside himself personally, speak ot any cment of otber patients at table?” “Yes 1 remember one instance particularly, in which he states that an elderly gentieman asked for something wore to cat, The answer given the yener- able man was & blow upon the head with a soup ladle which bappened to be near at hand.” “Seeing tis state of things, how was it that he did not induce his friends to remove nim ?”? “He did attempt to do so, He told them what had recurred, and begged them to take him away and to remove him tosome other place, ASa matter of course consulted the nurse, who is always smooth and answer Was, of course, that tho ‘8 iwngination was playing him false. Pho friends wore satisted for the time. They tried to pacify tho gentieman with promises, and left him to the caro of tue man who bad himin charge, and who had go brutally tii-used nim”? vRES WITHOUT EFPKCT. “Yo you know whether in cases ot this description, where patients are liberally paid for, 1 18 usual to tee the nurses in order to secure their good treatment?" “Ef do know it; and I am sure that in the case of which I speak, although they aro forbidden to take anything, the nurses were largely and frequently feed." “Aud still this effected no amelioration in the tre 1 of the paientY” jot the ae “Now, madame,” said the Heranp man, ‘it 1s im- portant ‘that sach matters as these should be very accurately verit Can you give me the name of the geugiowan in question, his address, and ail paruiculars concerning hiur at present.” “1 ben (Hore the lady gave full particulars, which possession of the Hmkaup.) PEMALK PATIENT BRATEN. “You were saying that there were other cases of the somo kind within your knowledge. Would you kindiy give me another?” “L will, although it goes to my heart to talk about any one whom I have known so tuumately as the lady sat whom I speak now. She was removed to mingdale from another asyluo» Her mania was a relig- or qentlen me Violent, but not frequently. jous one. She bad, also, the potion that people were ngto peison her, You will therefore see that her was one for very considerate and delicate treat- Tustead of receiving such she was dreadfully li created. Her nurses beat her upon the slightest provocation, and frequently kept her without food, During the éight or pine months she was at Blooming- ale she Was never once permitted to leave tie louse tu order to take exercise i the open air. Sle was (requently placed 10 @ strait-jacket for the merest trifle. When her sister visited her the pa- A terror of the purses was so great that sno ld bockon to her to be silent, and take ber aside so narses might not hear what she said, The jved her avers that during ber visits, im of summer, thore was a delicate lady whom the nurses placed in tne padded 1 hor there for twenty-iour hours without room, e¥en so intich as a glass of water. “Ls that lady still in the Bloomingd “To the best of my knowlege she is stil) there, 4 wish indeed that your paper may be the means of effecting ber release, You will, Peenans consider r Asylam 1” i! od these statements strange; but fos 6 substantial ac- | for the Oecasion:—Miss Meserau and Messrs. © Sho wes attimes | NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1876.-WITH SUPPLEMENT. : curacy of them I, and those of my people who know the acts, are prepared, if necessary, to make affida- vits, and, further, i! necessary, to give our names to the public.” MRS, NORTON’S STORY. Mrs. J. T, Norton, whose testimony relative to her treatment while in Bloommgdale Asytum, been before the public, has made a sworn statement pre{- aced by the following remarks:— An examination of my case took place vetore Ur. Ordropaux, Commissioner in Lunacy, at the New York Hospital, in Sixteenth street, on the 13th of October. Four of the ten governors were present with the doctors and nurses of the asylum. A stenographer was present, and I have just learned that he was hired by the Bloomingdale officials, instead of by Df Ordronayx, as dronaux tells mo this and also another thin, When ho dismissed us at th tion he told us that he should same place to hi Stenographer's report; Jonathan T, Norton, two of them stating that be should demand that all the ten governors should be present. This meeting was never | called, although 1 had written him meanwhile that, | owing to the iateness of the hour, &e., 1 did not con- tradict Jane Eaton’s testimony in one particular as I wishedtodo. When Dr. Ordronaux was questioned on the failure of the meeting ne said its cause was the rejusal of the use of the hospital by the Bloom- ingdale officials, In the light of the evidence there aro some surprising statements in Dr, Ordronauz’s re- port, whether caused by delinquency in the stenogra- yer, or how caused, has ot yet been made apparent. dr, brown, Medical Superintendent of Bioomingdaie, testified, under oath, that patients, other than my: bad complained to him of the cruelty of Jane Eaton. ‘The report would lewd one to suppose that no complaint of her but my own had ever reached them. Another flagrant deviation irom the facta is this, viz.:—The report speaks of Jane Gordon, as being equally employed with Jane Eaton in attend- ing upon and teeding me. A greater mistake could scarcely be made, ‘To the best of my knowledge and belief Jane Gordon was in my ward not more than two mouths of the time that 1 was there, and during that time she only occasionally assisted Jane Eaton in teed- ing me, During the eight montha that 1 was under the care of Jane Eaton I was almost always fed by ber alone, Her being assisted by any one was an ex- | ceptional thing. She and I were alone together: At the time | leit. the asylum many moot! had passed since id Gordon. Dr, Ordrovaux seems to t how often the Bloomingdale oft corroborated my statement of facts, showing my memory to be per- fect, even in the very words used in many cages; also that Mr. Norton testified, unaer oath, that he never knew my memory at fault in relating any partioular of | his or my son’s visits, He ts reported by a newapaper correspundent to have said this:—**Mrs, Norton’s memory Was remarkably gdod in relation to persons and things about her, bat nil im regaid to herself.” If such a state of memory is recoguized by psycholo- gists I did not know it, and I know that Tremomber that most terrible things happened to m: at Bloomingdale and all the details of them, that | gave few details of the injury done to my thr f I did not give enough, I give as man ax may be desired. Drs, Burrell and Brown botl told mé before the examination that they were con- vinced that | remembered correctly all that happened to ine while in theirasylum, Dr, Ordronaux 18 also reported by a uewspaper correspondent to huve said, “Mrs, Norton, being a powertal woman, prob: ably resisted the nurse,”’ until such and such effects were produces This “powerful woman’'— myself—was so extremely emaciated that my husband has olven said that be did not believe that | could bave Weighod nincty pounds, Many who saw me in the asylum did mos know me after I had recovered and gained flesh. Besides this, I was bound hund and foot, also so Lightly across the chest tbat 1 could not breathe naturally, 1 was mach of the timo so weak that I was expected to die at apy time, mightor day. This, by the doctor's testimony, was the powerful woman.”” 1 asked Dr, Ordronaux myseif whether or not I should have been put into a Strait-jacket, consider- ing that the doctors testitied that I never attempted any violence 10 otbersor myseli? Ho answere: “Ub, that is part of the discipline of the asylum, and I oan- not do anything abontit,’”? It is well tnat it should be Known what the discipline of the asylum im Owing to iny being locked up for much of one, I cannot lestily, to any extent, of other inm f the building, but it was the commonest of things to see people in Strait-jackets, 1 have seen a partly grown girl tied, in a standing posture, to a post iu the dining room, for hours at @ time, On many occasions, She appeared to bo an imbecile child. This cruelty was in- flicted by the nurses, as were all the cruelties which | witnessed in the asylum. The nurses med to manage the institution, I have lately visited Dr. Kirkbride’s Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insan: Dr. Hess, one of the physicians there, told me tha’ they never trusted a nurse to feed mechanically in their institution. They (the doctors) always did such feeding themseives, ‘here never had been in one in- stance an exception to this rule. THR DELAY IN PUBLICITY, Dr. Ordronaux remarked in his report that I did not make kuown my injuries to the public until eleven months had elapsed after my return home. This is true, The reasons for it were these:— First, ny friends had gre my insanity being m: objections to the fact of what all, They, particu- larly my sons, boys their teens, bad taken great pains to conceal it. My husband objected to a dis- closure of the indignities to which I had been sub- jected. Ho thought is hard that he, ‘among all hus- bands in Brooklyn, should be singled out to bear such athing.”’ In consequence of his being much shooked and grieved on account of tho minor sufferings, blows, &e., which 1 had undergone, I concealea from him the injuries to my throat, notwithstanding advice to the contrary from my _ sister, to whom I bad revealed the extent of my affliction within a few days after my arrival home, He—my husband—reproached himself much for put- ting me in the asylum, I thought that he should not reproach himself at all, for he opposed it to thegass, and yielded only when’ overborne by the representa- tions of my physician, Dr. Oriniston, who aseured him that at Bloomingdale there were appliances for ing patients who, irom fear or otherwise, did not eat readily. I would say, Just here, that those ap- pliances were never used in my cage, and that the aoc- tora were not, in one instance, present when I was Furthermore, I rapiuly became worse after my 1 to the institution, I attribute this to uses, The principal one was, doubiless, the contrast between the tenderness with which I was treated at bome and tho cruelty experienced there. ‘The other was the loss of the treatment of Dr, Orm- iston, who bas a pecuiiar comprehension of the o ism of the haman mind, and is more than ordinarily capable ol.underatanding nervous diseases, To return to the reasons for my concealment of my injuries, My sister, although anxious that | sbould tell my busband ol the injuries to my throat, did not wish me to make known 0 the outside world any of tho abuses which 1 had suffered until a consider. able period bad clapsed from the time of my return from the Asylum, on account of the preju- dice — eutertaimed lor recently recovered insune patients. promised her to delay it. It wasat to me to make it public atallen account of th ferent members of my tumily, who were doing every. thing to make me happy by their sympathy and kind. ness, shown to a greater degree, if possivie, than ever betore. But | was surprised and indignant at drst upon my recovery that so little had been made known respecting the treatment in asylums by recovered pa- tients, ana I thought 1 should be as guilty as they if 1 remained silent. LET THERE BE LIGHT. If my friends bad known the true nature of asylums Ishuuid have be pt ai home, saved the inost anuoy- nd, L have no doubt, bad my mental nonths, Although exceedingly melancholy aud having delusions | was, in comparison with what was to come, out of misery til my incar- ceration in Bloomingaule, My babe was born on the 12th of Mareb. Idid not go there till the 22d of the foilowing January. A word more as to tho sensitive. ness of my friends in regard to my injuries One of my sons has pever seen my throat injuries to this day—he docs not 1 as if he could look at it. With = mentic of one instance of Jane Eaton’s falsity in testimony I wil close this part of my paper. She said that I was driven to the bath room witbout clothing, apparently wishing it wu derstood that I was not driven trom it in the sa munner, whereas the fact was that 1 was driven thus quite aw often, if wot oftener, from it than tot. My remembrances of suffering at the indignity are more connected witt times wheu I was driven from it than any other way. Notwithstanding that Mr. Brown has heard of the cruelty of this Jane Eaton to others, as well as to myself, she 18 still, Or was at iatest accounts, in the institutio NEWS IN THE CITY, ‘Tho Rev. J. D, Fulton, of the Borean Baptist church, corner of Bedford snd Downing streets, will deliver a Jocture this evening, in the church, on ‘The Preacher in Brier-Wood Parish.” The lecture, which Mr. Fal- ton delivered some time ago in Boston, 18 said to “sparkle with brilliant illustrations,” novel, witty and sparkling. A grand vocal and instrumental concert will be given, under the auspices of Miss Rebecca Cohen, at the Beekman Hill charch, East Fiftieth street, near Sec- ond avenue, on Thursday evening, iu aid ot the sufter- ers by the Brooklyn calamity, 8 Coben will sisted by the following artists, who bave volunte Torriani, Joseph Loewenverg, Frederick Bergner, Brandies and Sherek. The proceeds of the concert will be sent to Mayor Schroeder, of Brooklyn. Miss Gibbons bas placed some of her finest pictures in the parlor connected with the Gibbona Art Gallery in Fifth avenue, and purposes to charge an admission fee of twonty-live vents, the proceeds to be devoted to tho fund for the roliet of the sufferers irom the Brooklyn fire, Among tho pictar hibited is what believed *to be a al Murillo representing Madonna and infant Christ. The owner of this picture wishes it to be scen by all the art lovers of our city I order that he may bave their opinions uponit, 1 exhibition oj paintings will open this morniug and con tinue open during the entire week. ~ BROOKLYN. The residence of Mr. Jotn Koop, No. 205 Clinton strect, wns entered by a sneak thief on Saturday even- ivg and several coats und a revolver were stolen, Rev. Alvert Ericson reports that his residence, No. 666 Pacific street, Was burgiariously entered on Satur- day and jeweiry valued at $90 was carried off, ‘The dwolling house of Mr. Joseph Loeder, No. 401 McDonough street, was entered through a second story window by some unknown thicl, who stole a gold Watch and chain and several dresses, amounting THE JCE SKIMMERS. The Ball to Fly at Central Park To-Day. SKATING IN THE OLDEN TIME. . _— The cold weather furnishes a theme for Sunday meditation which the pastors of the city churches strangely overlooked in their sermons yesterday. Skating ts a subject especially associated with the ups and downs of poor humanity. ful and satis- factory as the sport in itself! may be, serious falls and backslidings are sure to occur to its devotee: The moral of a fall upon the ice is, to get up. The les- son taught inthe act of rising above the embarrass- ments of one’s situation is full of comfort tor the sad- minded and sorrowful. It suggests the triumph of the apimate over the tnanimate—of soul over solidity, This figure admits of much amplification, and as skat- ing begins to-day im these two great cities, it isto be hoped that much use will be made of the oppor- tunities offered during the coming week, With the intense cold of the last few days, skating in the Centrai Park will soon become so general that maby ot our young people may sing the glories of this amusement with as muth fervor as they were sung by alopstock in his maturer years, The author of the “Messiah’’—a poem which in its time was thought equal to the writings of Tasso and Dante—was the poet of the ice and its sports. Even Goethe, who never skated in bis boyhood, was inspired with a love of the exercise by the lyrics ot Klopstock, and he too became ering and enthusiastic student of the praises Klopstock sang. “It Is with good reason,” Gotho says, “that Klop- stock bas praised this employment of our physical powers, which briugs us in contact with the happy activity ot childhood, which urges youth to exert all its suppleness and agility, and which tends to drive away the inaction of age. We give ourselves up to this pleasure witn happy abandonment. A whole day passed upon the ice does not satisfy us, and we prolong tho amusemont far into the night, While other exercises indu'ged in for an unusual length of time weary the body, this one only seems to increase its suppleness and vigor, The morn coming forth from the bosom of the clouds and shining with mild faaiance over the snow-covered flelds, the night wind that sighs as we quickly cut through it, the cracking of the ice beneath our feet, our flying movemonts— all suggest the savage majesty of the scenes of Ossian. We declaim after such other one of Klop- stock’s odes, and when we meet together at night we make the air resound with our praises of the poet whose genius has lent a grace to the pleasures of the fee. Like the young who, in spito of tho development of their inteliectual faculties, forget everything for the simplo games of youth, as soon as they havg once re- covered tho taste for them, we seem when skating to lose entirely any consciousness of the most serious ob- jects that claim our attention. It was while abandon- ing myself to these aimless movements that the most noble aspirations, which had too long Jain dormant within me, were reawakened, and I owe to these hours which seemed lost tho most rapid and success- tul development of my poetical projects,”” HISTORY OF SKATING. This testimony to the sport which so many young men and women are about to enjoy on the ponds and lakes of Central and Prospect parks though tt may not make poets of them will give them a keener relish for the sport if they will only take the trouble to recall it. Skating, like everything else in which mankind indul- ges, has not only tis poets, but its history and litera- ture, Its origin 1s lost in the myths of the early ages, but the first champion of the sport seoms to have been the god Uller, who ts distinguished im the Edda for his beauty, arrows andskates’ Where the god ob- tained his skates is one of those mysteries which per- aps some antiquarian may be able to solve, but it 13 not improbable that the handsome pair which gavo him so much distinction was made out of the Jawboncs of an animal, fashioned and polished with a nicety suited to the taste of the dandy among the heroes of the Walhalla, A pair of these primitive skates is pre- served in the British Museum, and others have been dug up at Moorfields and Finsbury, where the youth of ola London used to dotheir skating. “When,” says Fitzstephen, in his description of that metropolis, “the great ienne or river (whieh watereth the walls of the citie on the north side) is frozen, many young men play upon tho yce. Some, striding as wide as they may, doe slide swiftly; some tye bones to their feet and under their bootes, and sboving them. selves bya little picked staffe, doe slide as swiftly as a bird flyeth in the air oranarrow out of a cro: bow.’’ The Icelanders in former times used for skates the shankbone of a deer or sheep, about a foot long, which they “greased, because they should not be stopped by drops of water upon them.” In Germany skating bas long been u favorite pastime, and in Hol- land the taste for it iseven more inily developed, In England and Scotland, too, from a period beyond which the memory of man runneth not, there bas always been, in the language of Mr. Weller,a “fine time for them as is well wrapped up, as the Polar said to himself ven ho was practising skating.” Dick- ens gave us 4 capital description of “an hour on the ice’? in bis “Pickwick Papers.’? There is something exquisite in his ac- count of Winkle’s skating, ‘You skate, of curse, Winkle?” said Wendle; aud Winkle could only reply, “Ye—yes; ohy yes.” But to his excuse, '1— 1—am rather out of practice,’’ it was only natural that Arabella, the young lady with the fur round her boots, sboulu implore him, “vh, do skate, Mr. Winklo; I like to see it so mucb.”’ It was only natural, too, that another young lady should say, “Oh, it 1s 80 graceful;”” that a third should declare it to be ‘“eiegant,” and a fourth expreag the opinion that it wag ‘‘swanlike.”” Under all the circumstances Mr. Winkle could only consent and make a fool of himself, as many a young fellow is likely to do in the Park to-day, “SKILL IN SKATING. Tho record of feats of skill in skating is unusually full. The famots Chevalior de St. George, who was arvellously expert in all exercises of tho body, was able to sign his namo upon the ice with the blade of his skate, Acertain young Indy, it is sail, accepted a challenge to a correspondence on the jce, and ina few minutes a question and answer were written down with an elegance unsurpassed by handwriting upon glass with adiamond, There was a Swede who was able with one foot to design portraits on tho ice. Strutt, in bis ‘Sports and Pastimes of the People of England” speaks of four skaters who were able to dance a minaet upon the ice with as much elegance as if they bad been walking on the floor of a ballroom and William Aone, in his ‘‘Evory Day Book,’’ speak: ing of the skating on the Serpentine River, “Phe elegance of skaters on that sheet of water is chiefly exnibited in quadrilles, which some parties go b through with arcely imaginable by those who lave not seen graceful skating.’? Mr. Sum Wel- ler, as we learn irom the veracious history in which Mr. Pickwick figures sv prominently, Was an adept ut the beautiful feat of ancy siding kuown as “knocking ‘at the colbler’s door,” which 1s achieved by skimming over the ive on one igot and occasionally giving a double knock with the other, Tracing the jetters of the habet on the icc has long been a favorite exercise, ut with us, 10 these degenerate days, the exvcution of the figure 8 18 about the severest Lest of skili, Lo Gor- many, particulariy, there ure many gracetul ska Baron do Brincken, Who was page to the King of W. phatia, was able while moving over the ico at a great pace to leap a distance of two yards and clear two or three bats placed one above the other, or even sumo of the little sledges which the ladiesquse, Klopstock not only wrote fiery lyrics tn praise of skating, but be was an export at the exercise even in his oid “What!’’ the jess active among his countrymen would exclaim, “tho author of ‘Messiah’ linger o pleasures no louger to bis age!” Whi e and Goethe met the con’ tion for tne most part was upon skating, and the Jatter is said to have found in the exercise a reliet from the tortures of mind he sul- fered in consequence of the breaking of the loye link which had existed between him and Frederica of ses- senheim, With us it 18 withiv a comparatively recent period that ladies began to skate, but in the countries ot.Northern Europe both sexes practise tne art. In Friesland tmost people skate more than they walk, and skating raves, especially tor women, are tre- quent in all of the t The course 18 always cares fully lai ‘of wood being ranged in line to keep the competitors separate, and as it 1s somo- times more fuvyoravle (0 swilt progress on the one side of this demarcation t on the other, the skaters are required to change sides every timo they turn. ‘The lists are enclosed by ropes which run around by the sides of the canal, along which there is always a multitude of excited spectators. Tne prizes are valu- able, bat to ovtuin therm it is pecessary to win from wn in the aggregate to the value of $260, A valaable package of toys was stolen on Saturday evening from the express wagon of James Reynolds while the Yohicle was standing in front of No, 62 Court street, Sixty to @ighty racer, As a matter of course, the races in Which women alove chgage are more inter- costing than those open only to mon. First, there is the honor of attaching the skates to the feet of the fair con! nts, and second tho reward of a kiss to tho ortunate swain, In these countries, if the women aro not as swift asthe men they are at least more expe. and exeel them in lightness and in beauty of style. “The races on the ice,’ says Palati, “are the carnivals of the Dutch; they are eye eras sheir operas, their dissipations. At this season, during which many fash- jonable people in different parts of the world are ruin- ing themselves by their extrav: the only expense which the Hollanders are put is the cost of a pair of skates and the outlay is calied for only once or twice daring their Hves,’’ SKATING IN ITS PRACTICAL ASPRCTS, “It is mot,” says in his “History of Field Suerte, . is Ralees, Seen, Russia ane Apenien only that skating is used ase great agent of per- sonal communication between distant localitiés and of transmitting the necessaries of life frem place to place. On the contrary, in the py districts of Lincoln, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, &c., when the vast floodings have become frozen and left ouly broad expanse of ive far as the eye can reach, it 1s equally available and almost a usetully emploved ag in the northern climes, At such times, when not only all means of conveying the products of lite from one locality to another, but also those of personal transit, are extremely dificult to command, them it is that tie skate 1s called into re- quuwition and the wearers set off at railway 6] from one towa to another, on business or for pleasure.” It is probable, r, that in this ac- count Mr. Blaine arew upon tion somewhat for his facts or bied bis facts too indiscriminately together, for, apparently, he would have us bel that in England skaters not only accomplish as many as Gity or sixty miles without fatigue and in a short time, but push bofore them small sledges or boot- shaped lockers, filled with wares. This is frequently done in Holland; but then that is a country where peo- pe moke, or evon knit, while they glide over the ice. 0 that country, too, the army goes through all the military evolutions onthe ice; but in this the Dutch are surpassed by the Norwegians, who have copsid- ered it necessary to form a regiment of skaters, It is seldom shat skati would found — useful in military movements, but it is related that an officer charged with bearing an order from Napoleon to Marshal Morier in 1306, commanding him to make bunself master of the Hanseatic towns, saved six hours by skating acfoss the mouth of the Elbe, a distance of seven miles, On the stage leats of dexterity in skating are very common, but in this country these performances .are confined to the “variety”? theatres, although when tbe opera of the “Prophet” produced in Pafis it included a ballet of skaters, which attracted much attention EFFECTS OF SKATING UPON HEALTH. Everybody will recali the wonderful effects of Dr, x's gas upon the Peo { the Flemish town of Quiquendone, in Jules etory, when an opera which previously required foar hours in its renderin; ‘was sung in exactly eighteen minutes. The effects o} skating upon the Dutch ure not less wonderful. In Holland winter, which in other countries benumbs the limbs and ‘makes men sluggish, has exactly the opposite eflect, and enlivens the people and puts them in good humor, “Heavy, massive stif creatures, during the rest of tue y Yi Palati, in his “Letters From Holland,” published nearly’ 100 ‘become suddenly active, ready and agiie canals are frozen.’’ In sammer the with the celerity of snails. . In winter they run, leap and dance upon the ice. The trudging peasant shakes off his heaviness and awkwardness in ‘an instant and puis on elasticity and grace with his skates, Health and enjoyment both come with the ice and the sports of winter, and this is true mot only of Hollana, but of every country whero skating 48 practised, In bringing health and enjoyment the ice 18 indeed a great blessing, and with words al- most as flery as hat poo wr THE GAME OF POLO. To tus Eprror or tar Hepaup: The crowd at Gilmore’s Garden on Thursday night was 60 large and their interest in the polo playing so great that the game, a splendid one if well played, may fairly be considered to have established its place among American sports, But in spite of their interest it was pretty evident that the spectators had very little id what the players were doing, and, within the limits of @ pecessarily circumscribed ring, the players, though some of them rode very well and were mounted on ex- cellent pont were quite unablo to enlighten them, the scrimmages being endless and the free bits few and far between, I have seen something of the game else- where and might be able to say something about it that would interest the uninitiated. Its chiet law I believe to be this:—That a good rider with a good pony must be an utter idiot if he cannot learn to play polo, Even it he wears spectacles bis eyes will goon be able to measure the distance of the ball from bis saddle. The body speedily discovers the proper angle of inclination and h.s arm the right mo- ment to strike, If bis wrist is weak he can wear an elastic band or play with a light stick, Hethen has to acquire a few tricks, such as hitting backwards when running on the right side, and hitting both backward and forward when running on the wrong side, Therest ig merely a question of good horsemanship; the stirrup being, asa rule, taken rather shorter than usual. And .as good horsemen are by no means rare, especially in America, it follows that tne great difficulty in the game .is not to find the man tbat can play, but the pony. That ia the rub, For polo not only demands of the animal an extraor- dipary agility on its legs and great speod over a shor, distance, but a sort of genius for the game and a quite human interest in its proceedings, Odd as this sounds, overy practised player knows it to be a lac You will see ponies following the ball like kittens, swerving With every swerve it makes, stopping dead it thoir rider misses it and carrying him back to the scrimmage at once, and gradually shutting off steam when bo 18 preparing to make a backbanded stroke; and all this without the slightest pressere of the bridle. That is why it is surely very bad advice to recom- mend the game as a substitute for the riding school, Put a lout of aboy on an untrained pony and he will never get near the ball; put him on a trained pony and be will spol! ite mouth to a certainty, and then ft might as well play witha mule. A hard mouthed rute is the béle notre of the polo player, worse evea than one that kicks or rears, and the choice of bit and bridie requires the greatest nicoty of j ent, T notice that the American players ride onaa ordinary snafll hich is wise, Cavalry officers tn England prefer the light Pelhang a lady’s bridle, but thas is too heavy. The hati of * India use the Iightest of all possible reins, a pieoo Of twisted hemp. They aro really wongeriul players, these natives of India, They have not only an astonishing quickness of eye and hand, a suakelike supp! 83 Of body and a very firm seat, buttheir ponies bave much of the sacred frointhem. Heaven only knows where they getit. Some scraggy starveling of an auimal that brings the banker’s presents of vegetables to the col- Jector’s bungalow or transports the wares of the box- wallab or carries a fat Badri Singh into the bosom of his family at nightfall will be detected by a acious eye, bought for twenty or thirty rupees, sent down to the maidén and trained for a week, and then solid to an Eng! for 300 rupees, and turns out to ly fine player. The better sort of ponies, as a rule, won't pis Arabs, for example, are almost useless. They hat plenty of speed but no strength. But on their own beasts the natives of ludia are unrivalled, Some of the Manipuri fellows will never miss a stroke in a week, So it iseasy to conceive what short work a good straight player like Captain Mowry mukes of the Ting at Gilmore's Garden. The requirements of polo, then, are as simple as the alphabet. First cateb your pony and then train him. Put a good rider on his back, give them an open plain, field or park, and you have one of the most delightful games im the world, Tae rush of @ dozen horsemen alter one who has the ball well under control, is riding ‘with it at fail gallop straight toward the goal, and when it lies at the distance of a yard from the flags, stoops, aims and misses it, 18 worth a year of ordinary exist- ence. Moreover, when properly managed, it is one of the safest o! Hold sports. In Eugland it ts governed by Au unwritten but quite eflective code of laws, contain- img such ttems as That no more ‘than players be allowed on each missible over thirteen haa’ cks be raised jn a scrimmage, and th any such foul play ag riding intoa pony at right angles be severely dis- countenanced, Wobon the American clubs have agreed to recognize a common body of rules they will bo able to get rid of that extraordinary innovation, an umpire, who mast be ubiquitous if he is to be useful, Your obedient servant, M. SUICIDE OF AN EX-MILLIONNAIRE, When tho ferryboat Hudson City left Jorsey City yesterday morning at twenty minutes past eight a man was noticed on the forward deck pacing up and down in am excited manner. Just before the boat reached the slip he stepped over the chain and leaped into the stream. Tho action was s0 sudden that the pilot had no time to give the alarm and stop the boat until it had passed over the suicide, The ory of “Man overboard!" brought the passengers ana employés swarming to cither deck, and the body was seen in the wake of the boat, buoyed up and buffetted about by the swell ofthe paddieda Some of the deck hands immediately towered a launch and succéeded in recovering it At the Twenty-seventh precinet station house, to whither it was¢removed, it was identified ‘ag tho body of Daniel Bowley, of No. 90 Academy eet, Jeracy Vity. Six months’ ago this Daniel Bowley was a man of means, With an immense income, He was supposed to be worth a couple of millions, but 1s was difficait to estimate his actual financial condition, as he wasin- tercsted in 80 ny and so varied entor; io spite of the stagnation of trade Bowley’s busi- ness ventures seemed to prosper until recently when the bubble burst and be became com- paratively a poor man. — Since that his busi+ ‘ness troubles preyed on his mind. He vecame Moody, subject to of melancholy, and spoke its prospects. On Saturday wont to his office in Broad street, where he In the morning he took the ferry- < e & bout tor 3 may ateyiug on board till it made the at tor Jerse: ol Fovurn trip. when committed the fatal a NEWTONS CHANNEL. The Work in Progress at Hell Gate— Honeycombing Flood Rock. MORE MONEY WANTED. Condition of the Broken Gneiss at Hallett’s Point. amon Gimnios The Hell Gate explosion is a thing of the past, and the memory of it is almost crowded out of the public mind by the thousand and one occurrences which have bappened since that notable Sunday wi little Mary Newton, with her tiny finger, fred tho mine and biasted the great rock at Hall: Point. The approaches to the Point are not materially changed. The old, straggling, low-storied structure known as Miller’s saloon presents the same character- istios that it did before New York trembled for its safety and the sound of General Newton's signal gun was taken as awarning that there was prospective damage to window panes and ceilings, and when up- town people were more nervous than usual at the chances of a nitro-glycerine earthquake. The curious looking shooting gallery has disappeared; the crippled Teuton, with the Santa Claus twinkle to his eye, and the gray beard ig no more heard cryi it, “Tree shots for five cents, gentlemen!” and the fence which shut out the curious eyes of the multitude—the fence which was the barrier to all news gathorers, even of the press—lies broken, neglected and scattered over the dreary marsh. At the leit hand of the visitor as he passes the dis- torted outline of the fence is the landing place ior the workmen now employed on Flood Rock, and a rough looking spot itis. There is no clavorate staging, no carefully prepared awning to shield passengers while waiting in wet weather. A few picces of board nailed toa couple of upright posts arethe meaus of ascent and descent from tho little steam launch or the row- boats plying between the point and the rock where the operations are in progress, NO CESSATION OF LABOR, Although the public may have lost sight of the werk at Hell Gate, active operations have not stopped. The work of dredging is still going on, with a view of com- plotely clearing the,channel of all loose rock, As tar as can be ascertained the blasting at Hell Gave was well dong, and the rock 18 coming out, much as was expected, though there may be some larger rocks which will necessitate surface blasting. About 500 tons of rock haye already been hoisted. When the contractors commence work with new dredges, new grapnels, and their machinery is in good working order, it will be possible to determine bow much large rock remains and how much surtace blasting will be neces- sary. BLASTING FLOOD ROCK. The work to which especial attention is directed is the destruction of Flood Rock. Thero are now about eighty men employed, including drillers, blasters, howgters, clerks, ovorseers, carpenters, blacksmiths, evgineers, firemen, pumpmen, helpers, surveyors, draugbtsmen and laborers, When the works are fully organized, there will boat least 300 men employed, Dut the pumber at any timo mast depend entirely on the amoust of the appropriation at the dispesal of the engineers, They are a rough looking set of men, theso workmen, who dotbe drilling, the cuttingand the Diasting, all uncer the water and under the ground. ‘pneir faces are rough from exposure, and their bands are brown and bard, while their costume consists of store woollen clothes, and plenty of them, with lurge, heavy waterproo! boots, and they look like wanderers ina New Mnugland seaport town, or wreckers upon the Je beach aicer a storm. The work in progress is under the control of Captain Mercur, general superintendent, and Barney Boyle, of “Explosion Day” fame, isthe omnipresent fuctotum to the Captain and foreman of the workmen. The Uap- ‘ain iw pleasant faced, genial and communicative, and he strokes his weil trimmed blonde mustache with atmy regulation complacency, even while being inter- viowed. A Hanatp reporter visited the works upon a cold day, when tho Wind was howling about the point and Hell Gate’s waters looked angry, buttbe Captain was snugly ensconsed i his “office” beside a rouring fire, and, in repiy to the question of giving jlory to the Teporter, quiet); “You gentiemen of the press have nearly pumped me dry, but there may be soine new facts, and the public will look for them in the Herat. You see,’’ continued the Captain, “what we are doing now, though certainly very ellective work, could be renuered more effective it jad more money, If Congress next June makes a sufficient appropriation we can make rapid pogreaa, bat if any parsimonious spirit is shown it will ret the work considerably. We are now using the appro- priation for tho present fiscal year which ends next Jane, We ure doing good work with our present meens, and certainly if those means were larger could do bet- ter. There dre at present five headingsin the rock. Two of th headings are, respectively, 150 and 100 feet long; the other turee are about feet in the ag- gregate. These latter headings have been only just Colnmenced. » “Butthe extent of the rock, Captain,’’ queried our reporter, ‘seems much larger than it was a iew months ago, How do you account fortis?” “Eastly enough,’ sax the Captain, “All the rock that 18 blasted 1s hoisted trom the botiom of the sbaf to the suriace und dumped on the eastern extremity. This serves a doublo purpose, The sharp pointed rovks kvown us the “Gridiron”? were a serious danger, and the uébria and large pieces taken from the headings and the work generally are thrown directly on the Gridiron, which is on the easterly puint of Flood Rock, and, as you can see, these ‘heuds’ as they are called are covered toa great oxtent. Soa valuable piece of work 18 elfected. But thero is another reason. we shall have to build engine shops, boiler sheds, machine shops and carpenters’ aud blacksmiths’ shops, with storo sheds and offices, upon the rock If, and we're making ground for this purpose, The ting operations do not interfere with the earf work, and we must hurry up the ‘improvements’ wo want, as the distance from the Astoria and New York shores to the rock is not @ short span, and there’s a fearfal current on the Astoria side. “We are 600 feet irom Astoria, and 2,600 feet, or nearly, from New York, when we are on Flood Rock, aud when we cover up the gridiron heuds and damp the broken stone apon the eastern point of Flood Rock, we ure doing away with one Ganger and making good ground to build the shops upon,” WHEN THE WORK BEGAN. Reterring to the present condition of the rock and what it was when the operations began, Captain Mer- cur said:—"When we ktarted work upon rock there wi riace at bigh tide of about 250 square feet above the water; but, as you may see, recent addi- tions have largely increased this,’? The rumor current that the rock upon which the men are now working {8 Solt enough to be readily re- moved by the pick was mentioned to the captain, and the opinions aiso Seg yom by some of the enginecrs that the work could be compicted in two years, “Why,’? replied the captain, ‘that story is ridicu- lous, The rock at Flood Rock ts of the same character as that at Hallett’s Reef; it is of a gneiss formation, and that is not, as you ware yoursell, noted for it) soitness. We are compelled to use steam di machines to bore the holes into the rock, and alier these have done their duty, to use Vulcan powder and various nitro-glycerine compounds tp blast th rock into pieces suitable for hoisting. Occasionally wi use other explosives, experimentally; but their force must be equal to the first two compounds, or they wodld be useless, Regarding the second point, there are, at least, seven acres of rock to be mined here, and Hallett’s Reet, that took years to complet one-hall the exten nd, with fall appropri Congress, 1t will tuke more than two yi work to honeycomb Fiood Rock, with its seven acres of good, hard stone, and get it ready for the final blagt.”” THR FUTURE OF THE work, We are doing the best wo can at present, and are making rapid progress, too, but our tusure will ail de- pond upon the action of Cougress next June. We need movey, men aud materials, If wo get the first, the lat- ver wil follow. Sivee I have had charge of the operations at Fiood Rock there has been about 2,000 yards of rock re- moved, but this is not all that has been taken irom the mines. A large quaytity was taken out betore | took charge. The actual amount I caunotat present say. Weare now removing the rock at tho rate of 700 yaras per month. 1 calculate twenty-six working days to the month, The men employed at blast! work from four in the afternoon til eight the next morning, The hoisters, who remove the stone by ‘buckets’ from the bottom of the shaits to the surface and ‘dump’ it at the end of the rock work, then tollow and work from eight to four. The drillers work ali the time, in al. rs] gangs, straight through tho twenty-four ours, SLIGHT IMPEDIMENTS. . “T prosume,” said the reporter, ‘that you have not met with avy impediments in the prosecution of this work that are likely to retard you??? “No; in this respect we have been very fortanate, Our shatts (there are two sunk in the rock—one for hosting and the other tor working pur ) have beer kept remarkably tree from wate: De altogether we have been so iar lucky, very lucky, indeed. | Las! Sunday, we met with a slight mishap occasioned by the frecaing of the fresh water Pipe tbat supplies. the boil- ers of the steam engine. The Long Island City water- works sbat upply, it being Sunday, and the cold snap froze the water remaining in the pipes. Be- yond this temporary inconvenience we have had hothing to compiain of.” “How are the dredging operations going on at Hal- lett’s Point?’’ asked tue reporier. “Really, Lcanuot Positively, answer that question, sir, The work of dredg: river bed at the sceno of the late great ‘plow been ares out by con- Ta to a firm named Seward & Co, , of Albany, I believe, understand that they have commenced opera- tions, but have not so tar vory successful As to their vitimate guccess of failure, however, of course | cannot say.” THE QUESTION OF MONSY. ‘The truest economy would be studied by the grant of a safficient appropriation to cover the expenses of @ full staff of men avd the use of the best machinery. To carry on the work efficiently it 1s important that trained and trustworthy men be employed, and the undertaking suffers im consequence, and not only does it suffer in the working department, but the engineers are prevented from making contracts ahead, while their skill is wasted, imasmuch as they fear to make calculations oma broad and liberal ssale. Just cow contracts for machinery, labor and necessaries could be entered into with adva: and the general work planned and carried oat wii Breater success tf there was avy certainty as tothe fands, As itis the engin- eers are doing the best they can with the limited means in hand, Since October about 1,600 cubic yards of stone have been drilied, blasted, hoisted and cleared away. This is not as much as might nave been done bad there been a larger force of men. THE WORK YET TO BB DONE. There is much negded work ready for the engineers, The immediate task before them ts that of biasting and is work is in progress the tlon to clearia: 7 the débris at Hallett’s Point’ When all this 1s don and not before, vessels will have a wide channel of 1,200 feet and an’ almost straight course, and unless during inter the ice floes inthe ri are large Prevent the use of thé boats between the govern- ment works ani Flood Rock active operations will not be suspended, SPREAD THE WORD. The Rev, William J. Tucker gave a lecture last night inthe Madison Square Presbyterian church on the Bible, the occasion being the regular meeting of the New York Bible Society. Ho confined his remarks to the power for good in the Bible and now this power should be used. ‘The lecturer first quoted the words of St, Paul to the Romans, {., 14—16. It was the bonor of Paul that through him God furnished the world with more truth and in a higher degree than through any other inspired writer. It is not so much now the question of estab- lishing this truth as tt is of diffusing it that should oo- cupy ua. It is a peculiarity of the present ago that God is making use of the great centres of thought— the large cities—to diffuse His word. in this regard the New York Bible Society 18 doing a good work. It has distributed 669 copies of the Bible in public institutions ; 67,000 families have been visited duri: tl months and 10,000 Bibles distribute tatistics show that 33,7923 placed board 2,735 out-going veasels, These things were only mentioned to show what afield there is for the society, The great question is, whe there isa spirit in man ready to take the Bible and carry it on its work, to 8ei20 this great power and carry it to where ft will do the most good. Tne truths of the Bible should be id, and spread with that living, glowing mm that comes out of conviction. Take pirit of the men of science as au example of this enthusiasm. I know of no men, said tue lecturer, 3 who bave such an enthusiasm as the men who believe that they have unlocked the secrets of the universe, id endeavor to propagate the truth, we need ess. Weare to estimate tnis indebtedness by the ‘worth to other men of what we possess ourselves, If there is any mau to whom the Bibie is of no use we are not indebted to him. The great argument for the Bible 18 that no man can take it to himself with- out feeling that it has an inwara worth to the world. Another law of indebtedness is that if you touch a man to his harm you sbould make recom- pense for it. How many strangers are there wno enter thig city and are led to their ruin! Let us strive to counteract this influence. A consequence of this indebtedness is that wherever there is a man te be reached he should be reached. A HEAVENLY FLOATER, Ploating on the clouds of paradise’ will be the subject of my discourse this evening,” said Dr, §. Mf. Landis, formerly of Philadelphia, and now, unfor- tunately, of thiscity, at the Cooper Institute lasg evening. ‘Oxygen, the vivifying principle of lite,” he continued, ‘is of medium weight, and, therefore, 1 found inthe centreot the room, Other gases are lighter or heavier, Wo should load such natural, physiological lives that we could hold the same position that the beautiful clouds, with silver Hoings do, undulating and glorious in every particular. Whatever way we float upon there beauti- ful clouds we find joy and bliss. If we float where saints are, we are intuitively happy; if we float where bigots are, we rejoice that we are there to teaob them; if we float where criminals are, we are glad to be there to roform them; and 40 throughout the multitudinous conditions of society. Paradise is evo: the happy condition, and not necessarily @ place. For our authorities we will take jacksto! the king of scientific lawyers, and Jesus Ubrist, tho king of scientitic naturalists, Blackstone teaches that all made by men mast be founded upon the law of nature, first; and, second, upon the law of revelation, The law of nature is the multiplication table, or key tv the law of revela- tion, and by referrmg to the second chapter o{ Genesis, sixteenth and seventeenth verges, we find that the Lord God commanded the mai ying, ‘Ol tree of the garden thou may' the ee. wt the kuowledge of good and evil, thou whall nr at of it, For in the day that thou eates( thereof thou shait surely die.”” This passage is strictly im barmony with the jaws of our own natures, which I would entitle a sound physiology, and which makes us frugiverous beings. Vhysiology, likewis teaches that in oily, mealy and acid fruits we fin all the component parts to make verve, flesh and bone ip proper proportion, besides furnishing us with the er proportion of pure water. Two-thirds of a by human person are pure water. This river of ris colored bright red by air and nourishment, making arterial blood, and tinted bluish by taking up tho water made by breathing and locomotion called veinuus blood. sy referring to the first Sermon Mount, by Christ, you ny “‘Let your light shine before men that thoy may s our good works ani glorify your father, who is iv jeuven.”” Now, the question is, What are good works? The man that manufactures rum, tobace gross and medicated food docs bad works, while ‘good works only consist in learning to comprehend the science of human life, which if as iu- faliable as tbe multiplication table, living it out himself and teaching it to the world, It we wish to float upon the beautiful clouds of Para- dise we must learn to minister to a body and mind diseased, We mest remodel, regenerate and rebuild the human temple, as houses are rebuilt, How 1s this tobe done? By going back to truth and pristine nature and learning to comprehend that the law oj cure and the luw of growth are oncand the same thing, by learning to fast practically, by living more upon the fruits of theearth ana less upon flesh and medicated diet. THE BROOKLYN FIRE RELIEF AS- SOCIATION. Tho Executive Commitieo of the Citizens’ Organiza- tion have adopted the title of *‘The Brooklyn [heatre Fire Relief Association.’’ The Finance Committce will consist of the Sheriff ot Kings county, the Mayor o/ Brooklyn, and the chairman of the associa: tion, who ig to be elected annually. There will also be three volunteers of tho association elected each yoar—one to be chosen from the dramatic profession. The Finance Committee will have power to fill vacancies occurring during the interven- ing meetings of tne association. The committee will elect ite own officers, ana shall have full con- trol over the management of the money col. lected, All moneys not immediately — ro- wired are’ to be invested in the ‘bonds of the United States or the Stato of New York,” or may be loaned for short periods on collateral se- curity, The money collected is to be applied and dis- bursed for the benefit of the sufferers by the tire ‘4m such manuer and in such amounts as the Finance Committee shall deem best.” Reports will be regu- Jarly published oa the condition of the fund. No per- son will receive any salary, all work to be done by volunteers. or by such assistance as the Mayor or Sheriff shall be willing to furnish.” All meetings aro to be called by the Mayor apon requisition of five mem- bers of the association. It was originally intended to hold a mass meeting at the Brookiyn Academy of Music im aid of the sufferers on next Tuesday night, but, as tho Academy is engaged ot her- wise for that evening, the meeting will not be beld ull Thursday, Decemver 21, Rey. Henry Ward Beecher will then be nt and address the audienee upon the subject of the late calamity. Other prominent speakers are also expected to participate in tho meet- ing. Collections were taken up in many of tho churches of various denominations in Brooklyn yesterday fore- noon in aid of the theatro sufferors, and it 18 believed generous response was made by the congrega- ns appealed to, At the German Catholic Ghuren of the Holy Triatty, Montrose nue, upward of $200 was collected. At St. Leonard’s church, Rev. J. J Raber, pastor, Bushwiek, the receipts were $40, 2 3 ¢ ONB OF THE INJURED RECOVERING. A reporter saw Charles Vine at the City Hospital yesterday afternoon and learned from the physician in attendance that he was. improving slowly and ina fair way toward ultimate recovery. Mr, Vino, who ts a fine looking Englishman, will be remembered as individual who jumped from the gallery of the burn- ing theatre’'to the parquet, on the night of 'rucsday, December 5, and, though terribly injured, was rescued, A BARROOM ENCOUNTER. Yesterday afternoon John Chappel, of No. 126 Henry / street, played a game of billiards in the saloon at No. 118 Centre street with the bartender, William Mangin, Alias Bill the Bruiser. A diepute arose between them, when Mangin strack Chappel across the head with the cue, knocking him down, and continuing the Diows till he became senseless, ngin fled and Chap- pol was taken to the Franklin Street Police Station, and thence to Chambers Street ital, where he now lies ina critical condition, Ward detectives quest of tho assailant, have eon vent la