The New York Herald Newspaper, January 6, 1877, Page 3

BLAZING STARS. Conflagrations Among the Heavenly Bodies. QUR PLANET BURNED OUT. Shall the Earth Be Roasted or Shall It Freeze? SOME RECENT SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS, Opinions of Professor Newcomb, of the National Observatory. The recent conflagration in the constellation of the wan, discovered by Professor Schmidt, of Athens, as directed the renewed aticntion of astronomers to the frequent fires in the sun, The subject becomes one of immense importance in view of the effects which a great conflagration in the world’s luminary may have upon the carth itself, AS urdipary mortais are not qualified to speak on a subject of such vast iin- portance a HuRALD reporter was despatched the other day to ascertain the views of a distinguished scientist upon a question so momentcus, Although Professor Proctor has deduced (rom the theory of the burning star a proposition which looked very much as if the gun would be destroyed one of these odd mornings be- fore breakfast, the reporter fannd the scientist at din- ner so utterly oblivious of the danger that he preferred continuing it & discoursing the problem of the eun’s condition, He fixed # time, however, for settling the question, and yesterday the reporter again cailed upon him in bebalfo! mau kind in general to ascertain whether there was auy real risk of the cestruction of the universe by fire. Lest tho reader should imagine that there is no danger at all and that the fires !n the sun are of less conse- quence than a series of fires in the woods, it may be necessary to fortify the fucts in this interview with tio name of the distinguished scholar who furnished them, leaving the deductions, which are the reporter's work, to take care of themselves. FIRES IN THE STARS, The gentleman visited for this purpoge was Mr, Stuy- vesant Rutheriord, of Eleventh street and Second ave- hue, who kindly consented to give the HeraLp any information in his power in relation to the catastrophe, “Have you seen Professor Proctor’s jetter,” asked the reporter, *-on (he burning of a star in the constel- lation of the Swan?”? “1 have not, but 1 saw some reference to the fact of @ recent conflagration among the stars.” ‘Are such conflagrations of frequent occurrence?” “Within a comparatively recent period a number of stars were discovered to be on fire, There 1s nu Gues- tion that contlagrations ure constantly taking place in the heavens, Chango is tho law of the universe, as it is of the earth itself, A star which had been shining with a dim, imefectual ight sometimes suddenly blazes ap with a brilliancy which can be accounted for in no other way than by the theory of steliur contia- gration, Indeed, the fires among the stars aro rather tobe regarded as a fact than asa theory, for in iho two moat recent cases the conflagrutions were caretully gcrutinized by the aid of the spectroscope and ther character is fully established. ’? A dogma 80 startling cannot fail to have a lively of fect upon quiet people accustomed to regard the stars im the sky as bright but inoffensive attractions for poets and uther romantic persons. fn the pust nobody was afraid to say “Twinkle, twinkle, little star,”” but now every twinkle in the heavens will suggest the ques- tion whether or not it 8 on fire, ‘The peaceful stars are peaceful no longer, but burning masses, full of to the universe and terrivle in the eyes of the in itants of the carth and possibly (o those also of ‘Otner Worlds than Ours.” CAUSE OF THE STELLAR FIRES, “What is the cause of a conflagration so remarkable as must be that of a burning start"? “There can be no combustion,” said Me, Rutherford, aniess there 1s something lo consuime—bydrogen, for ingtance.”” ‘This proposition in astronomy is even more startling than the one which preceded it. “Where there's smoke there must be fire”? is tue old maxim; “where there’s hydrogen there must be combustion” wall bee come the new, With the reporte Great object to ascertain the analog gen and combustion, and so be asked, fire come trom ¥"” “IL 1s generated by heat,” was tho laconic answer. Plan people with vid-lastioued novious of heat will find it hara to accommodate th fangled doctrines of astronom Under the old economy heat resulted from lire; now it seems fire re- sults from beat, at least among the stars. Imaginative persons might expect hydrogen to ve ignited by the irietion ofa comet or to be the result of some like cause, but if heat creaies fre in the heavens somo of Ihe stars must of uecessily be uncomtortably hot, dust think of it—a siar bathed in an atmosphere of hyurogen growing 80 hot as to set 118 own atmosphere on fire! ‘That is what must have bappened to the star which Professor Schmidt uw blazing in the sky, wud unless Mr. Rutherford is misinformed something like it Is taking place most of the time in the heavens, 18 THE KARTH SARE? acing these terrible truths the reporter nerved him- self for one more question :— But the eafth—-what is to become of the earths"? dh, 1 is burned out already.” This was a relet, The stars may vi become as invisible as Tatiers, in the “5! but the earch is sate his Tittle planet hag al been known to tts children as a cold world, have Been lamenting its Irigidity unt they grew warn however, It Was a betwee hydro- in thelr expostulations, and now they learn that the old thing is so completely’ birned out that im its absence of heat’ is their surest safety. Mars ix ulso secure, because like tose of tho carth, the fires of the God of Warare out, 143 fortunate, however, thatall the hydrogen in the atmosphere was not consumed when our little con- flagration took place, or that enough was secured to make te world chdurable belore adam undertook to populate it. Out of the tire came yegetution, Iile, the aspirations after the infinite, Secure in our own little world, we can Jook on with comp while other planets are ablaze wih light a “Let them burn,” we say, “aod they may then be come as pretty and habitable as our own lovely sphere. ” NOT TO BK BURNED, BUT ROASTED. It does vot toliow, however, because the earth is sale from fres except such as we kindle lor ourselves, that itis entirely secure as a piace of havitation, When Mr. Rutheriord said that change is the law of the universe Le expressly included tie earth as an integral partot the universe, While man 18 in no danger ol being burned alive by superheated hydrogen, he may be roasted by the power of Lhe sun’s rays. ‘fhe earth is nearly r to the sun,’ said the “anda conflagration in that great luminary would materiaily increase its heat, would make lile off this plavet impossibi So it will be seen that while we have passed the stage when there was dunger of stellar fire t% the action ot the heat of the planet upon its bydrogenic atmosphere, that we stil run the risk Of uw similar disaster in the sun. Itis no wonder, then, that our astronomers are constantly turuing their telescopes toward the foun- tain of Lie and tight tor the earth. Now is tt any wonder that when a new star 18 ween to blaze fresh fears should be excited of a blazing sun in the’heavens? It is @ calamity Lo bo feared as one whi pent, is yet possible, and as awtul in ts way as the mantic of Jame which would euvelop a star, “The quantity of heat emitted by lectures, ‘ts so stupendous (hat all ordinary modes of representing lis action laius, It isa mero form of words, for inst ince, conveying ¥ ideas to the mibd, te say thal 10 each second the sun gives out as much heat as would be given Out in the burning of eleven thousaud six hundred millious of millious of tons of coal.”” from this stupendous heat and a new intensity be given to his rays there woald be such a convulsion of ha ure (ata roasting earth even would be among the minor consequences, A planet or two might be drawn foto the sun's furnace to add fuel to the ume and the Jaws of attraction work so disustrously that in tue end the whole universe would be drawn to the one centre, ‘his, however, 18 scarcely to be expected, even if there should be a great conflagration in the sun, and for the present the only danger agaiuet which we need tcep @ Sharp outiook is that of being roasted. If NOT ROASTED THEN FROZEN. i There is, however, a still greater danger, though It foes not seem Ww be impending over the present gen sration, The human mind is apt to go from ono cx. ireme to the other, and sume profane people have been jooking forward toa time when even the dominions of | The Henraip reporter belonged to | Piuto shall freeze. this class, for ne dared to ask Mr. Rutheriord whether the fires Of toe sua would not rtop some day—it tho fuel which keeps that luminary alight would not some | time be exhausted. “Oh, certainly,” answered the scientist ‘The pres- ent heat of the sun cupnot be kept up forever, but as ji diministies the earth will grow cold, it will nut much change either way to affect the eurth. » may be 4 conflagration which will roast us or u's lifes may give out and Jet us Ireeze.”” re, indeed, Wis a Lermble prospect starting from ‘fir premises. A blazing starts a watter of indiffer- pice (ous because Our OWN siar Was ablaze long betore Ausin come to tenant (he Garden of Eden, Buta Diading Suu is equally possible with a blazing star and ce causes Which would snbject us to a risk Dot | ss terrible.s This danger escaped we may freeze be- cange the sun's fires give out, Change ts indeed the iw of the universe, and in these immense possibilities we see very clearly that the purposes of Divine Provi- Where does the | F views to ihe new | by it not immi- | the sun in | every second,” says Professor Proctor in ove ot his Should the suo’s atmosphere tke fire | dence are inscrutable and the ways of the Creator past finding out aa te INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR NEWCOMB. Wasnixarox, Jan. 8, 1877. The statement by Professor Schmidt, of Athens University, concerning a conflagration in the constel- lation of Cygnus (the Swan), and subsequent state- ments by Professor Proctor in regard to the gradual consumption of the suv, led to a conversation to-dey with Professor Newcomb, of the National Observatory at Washington, wherein there was disclosed an astro- nomical prospect interesting and dire. “Is it truc, Proiessor,” asked his guest, “that Cyg- nus has lost « star by fire?” ‘All Ubat is known ts that last November a new star, of the third magnitude, suddenly appeared an the con- stellation of tho Swan, and in a week or two alterward suddenly disappeared from the naked eye."? LOUATING THE CONFLAGRATION, “Whereabouts in the constellation did this oceur??” “Near Rho Cygni, right asconsion, 21 hours, 37 minutes; declination plus 42 degrees, 12 minutes,” “Professor Proctor bas latcly called attention, in a rather startling manner, to the unsafe condition of the sun." “Well,” said the young professor, smiling grimty, “the sun has gone ona good many thousand years without doing the earth any particular damage, and is likely to go on go for eeveral thousand years longer. ’? SOLAR RADIATION. “It is a matter of some consequence to the earth.” “Ibis, truly. That the temperature of the earth is dependent entirely on solar radiation, and might rise cr fall to any extent through changes in that radiation, is a proposition which could not at any time havo stood much in peeed of proof, and which all investi- gations into the subject of heat have helped to con- firm, It needs only a small change in the quantity of heat received trom the sun to produce the most im- portant changes in our means of sustenance or to de. stroy thein entirely, ‘Ibis subject hus, however, never given rise to much consideration, because not only uve the causes on which the sun’s heat depends geemed inscrutable, but the possibility of any change in itsamount has never been suggested by any nat ural occurrence, But the wide gel ations of modern astronomy lead to the conclusion that our contideace mutt bave a limit, bowever wide that hinit may be, We have every reason to believe that. the physical constitution of the thousands of stars which stud our sky is ihe saine with that of our sun, and we know thata number of them are subject to variations of light so great that simuar variations in our sun would be productive of the gravest consequences to the well being of man- kind, ”? leave the hypothesis ot chg@se “You don’t, then, out of the question ?”? “Yho hypothesis of change cannot be entirely dis- proved?” WHAT THE SPECTROSCOPE PROVES. “What best medium have we for observing solar physics??? “Lhe most important medium of this research is, of necessity, he spectroscope. The immense distance at which the sun is siiuated renders every feature in- visible with the telescope, unless it extends hundreds of miles both in breadth and beight.”” ; “Are spectroscopic observations considered infal- ible z?? “It can hardly be denied that the sevmingly marvel- lous pertorinances o1 the spectroscope, especially 118 power of detecting chemical elements present in the heavealy bodies, have given rise to very exaggerated ideas of what it is really capable ot efleciing. The en- thusiasm with which it 18 sometimes regarded can hardly fail to be damped by the reflection that 1 can qive wx no definite information respecting the composition or nature of any solid. or liquid body under any circumstances whatever. Its revelations are entirely contined to bodies in the gaseous state, When we say that iron and magnesium aro found in the sun we mean ouly that the vapors of those bodies are fourd around the sun. Even here the problem 18 not aiways the simplo one it was once sup- posed to be. The spectra of the same gas or vapor at various temperatures and pressures differ so widely tuat hardly any resemblance Letween them can be rec- ognized.” ; THE COMPOSITION OF THE SUN. that astronomers are not now so certain of the Composition ol the sun ag 1b Was Supposed they wero??? ure still jar from bemg able to say whut the sun is and what is the nature of the operations we see ving O08 At its sarface on so astonisuing a seale,’? “But what are the results of the most intelligent ob- servations 1’? “All Lelescopic observers, trom Galileo down, have geen that tue visible surince of the sun is a shining phere, into the interior of which it s impossible. tor Sight to penetrate, And wodern research bas been apie to teil us astonishingly little more abbut the con- stituuion of this suriace than that at is a shining phere, At first the spectroscope was supposed to show that 1% was certamiy not gas it gave a continued spectrum; but Unis inference was greatly weakened by the discovery of Frankland that | Ases Might give «continuous spectrum wien & Jvcted to pressure. For wugbt the telescope or ep | troscope can teil us it may be a near.y conunuos | solid crust surrounding the seething iuterior which 13 Uy bursting through it; it may be of the na- ture of an unmense sheet of broken ice floating im a } hot liquid; it may be a mags of clouds floating in a hot almosphere; it may be a gas rendered luminous under the immense pressure of ts higher portions, or it may be something which we have uot yet surmised, It is | not improvably: wecombination of ful these things, | Whatever it may be, it is in a state of constant change, | Were tau unbroken and unchanging crust it would | soon radiate all its heat and leave usin utter dark- ness.”? PHOTOSPHERE AND CHROMOSPIERR. “1s nothing delimite kuown of what may be outsiao the solar photosphere #”” ntil 1865 nothing definite was known, Then thi application of the spectroscope by Lockyer and Jans- | seu opened a new era in solar pliysics. It was found that the sun was completely surrounded by a glowing | atmosphere, of which hydrogen was the principal 1ngro- | dient, and which yenernily rose toa height of two, threo | or four thousand miles above the photosphere. This | was the red envelope, traces of which bad been seen near the beginning and end of total eclipses, and whieh, | at Mr. Lockyer’s suggestion, has been called the | chromosphere, 1t was now found to present phenom | ena so amazing that few have ventured to offer any- thing which tbey would claim to bea complete and | Satisfactory explination of them. An atmosphere sur- | rounding dn attracting glove should, according to the ul iaws of guses, preserve its general level, ispecially should it do so when subjected to 4 gravi- tating lorce so immense us that which reigus at the surtace of thosun, Butinstead of this we dnd itthrown | up into masses and columns of every conceivable shape, which sometimes rise to the height of 50,000 or even | 100,000 miles. These constitute the rosy colored flames | or ‘protuberances’ seen during total eclipses. When | we can tell to what force their elevation 1s due we shall | have solved one of the gieat problems presented by the sun, Ail We can say at present is that the force which raises and sustains the protuberances is still un- Known, and that until it is Known our knowledge of solar physics 1s in a very unsutistactory state"? ‘What of the atmosphere of the corouat” | “We should expect the outline of an atmosphere to | bo round and uniiorm, whereas that of the corona is | extremely irregular ‘and more nearly square than round, ‘The most conclusive proot is, however, al- forded ly the passage, during modern times, of two | great comets directly through the corona without auy sensible effect being produced upon them. The first of these was the comet of 1680, the second and most | remarkablo that of 1843, The iatter at the point of | nearest approach to the sun was less than 100,000 miles above its surface, and passed through at least | 800,000 miles of corona, with a velocity amounting ab its Maximum to 550 wiles a sccond, To judge the ef- | fect of un atmosphere of the rarest kind upon a body moving through it with this velocity we have only to compare the comet with an ordinary shooting star passing through our own atmosphere, At the height | of forty miles the latter becomes so rare as no longer to reflect the light of the sun; yet atthe height of a fewn its density 19 such as lo burn or destroy ma few noments a miteor passing through it at the rate of twenty miles a sccond, All the observations in. the case of the comet passing directly through the sun's becunse | corona do not show the slightest retaraation, nor did | {18 aspect give uny inu.cation of so destructive an {n= fluence a8 the passage through an atmosphere would have been, We are, therelore, torced to the conclu. sion that the coroua must be a cloud of minmte party cles of matter partialiy vaporized by the mtense heat to which they are subj od," MOTION OF MATTER IN THK SUN, “Sul! it ts established by astronomers, is ft not, that | appalling forces are at play about tne surface of the sun “although We cannot explain to our satisfaction what is going On immediately around the sun, it is | clear that certain natural operations are going on’ th | on a scale of which we can form no conception, No ectentific language would fat! to describe tuem, for the roason that they transcend not only every thing Wo seo on the globe, but everything which the Wildest fhighia of puetio fancy ever imagined, ‘Fioods ana whirl winds of tempestuous fire,’ Sakes of fire and brin- stone,’ are perbaps the poetical epithets most applicavle | to the phenomena in question, But notning which can properly ve called fire exisis at (he surface of We gun, lor the simple reason that the tomperaiure is so hich «8 to renuer combustion impossible! ‘The chemical combinations implied — by 6 can only take place at such temperatures as we have in our fires and furnaces; at higher temperatures sub- stances combine and separate with equal facility, ‘The impossibility in question is much like that of boiling Water in 4 region where the temperature is 80 high that water exisis only a8 a vapor, Neither ‘flood’ nor ‘lake’ ner ‘sea’ gives any conception of ® mass of fluid ten thousand tunes the whole suriace ofour earth and deeper than the Atlantis is broad. Neither ‘whirlwind’ nor any other torm expressing movements of air give any adequate conception of a miss of Moandescent gas “which, should iv roll down | upon us from the north, would in twenty seconds after it crossed the St, Lawrence be in the Gull of Mex- Jou, currying with it the whole suriace of the conti- heut 1) & mass not simply of ruin but of glowing vapor, in which the vapor arising irom tho dissocia- tion of the materials composing the cities of Boston, New York and Chicago would be tnixed in a single un- distinguisbable mass, Great as are these movements, they ure probably only taint reflecuons of what ts golbg ON Inside the sun, the masses of hydrogen belching through the photosphere being but the hors de combat irom the war of atoms in the interior, Ac- cording to the theory now best supported—the ouly theory, in fuct, which accounts for the supply of solar hoat—the mass composing tbe imterior ot the sun js ing je of complete ‘dissociation’—that js, owing to the elevated temperature each individual molecule of matter pursues its course without forming any permanent combination with any ober molecules, term | | they can be classified at all. although both oxygen and bydrogen ex- is jo Dot combine permanently to iorm water, because, in the case of a combination of two mo cules, they are instantly separated by she impacts of a thousand other molecuics. To prevent the inte- rior trom solidifying the temperature must be on the same seale with the pressure to which the interior is subjected trom the weight of the outside. ‘The lav ‘ber 15 Constantly cooling by raaiation, and thus con- veclive movements are established on the scale I have described.’” ‘But is it thought that with such convulsions the sun can go on radiating heat torever ?"" “so far asthe maintenance of the solar heat, pot only ut present, but tor several milous of ’ are past, is concerned, the contraction theory fulfils all the requirements of science. As the sun cools it must contract 1a volume, and the heat generated by this coutracuiun, or, rather, by the Jall of the parts of the sun on each other which the contraction involves, will almost entirely replace that which bas Leen lost. The most important consequence of the theory 1s that the total curation of the solar heat is necessarily. limited, because the amount of heat gen- | erated by tbe falling together of the entire muss of the sun trom infinite space is :mited and would only serve to keep up the present supply tor about 20,000,000 ol years”? EPPECTS ON THE KART!. “Suppose a difference in tue umount of the sun’s radiation” “Great changes In radiation are not consistent with life on the globe, for an increase of but a traction of the present amount would cause the entire ocean to boil, while a yet smaller diminution would permit water to exist only in the form of ice. That the radia- tion should remain constant under any considerabie changes of the sun’s density is improvable; it 18 therc- fore improbable that rvuning water and animal life have existed on the earth many millions of years.”? “Or that they will exist many millions of years longer??? **Tnat depends, a8 the French say. If we limit our- solves to what ail investigations permit us to consider crédible from a scientific point of view then we may | pronounce ceria supposed phenomena incredible and deciare their occurrence to border on the miracu- jJous, For instance, (baton telescopes may reveal vo us intelligent beings moving at will turough Lhe celcs- Uni spaces, presents jisell as un extraordinary idea to ali, ab incredible oue to many. : TUE CONSERVATION OP SOLAR ItkaT. “But, in the present state of science, I doubt whether itis any more extraordinary or incredible than the idea that the sun is receiving from any ex ternal source a supply of heat equal to that winch ho radiates, And the phenomenon of the conservation ot the solar heat without a supply from outside, and without a progressive change within leading to a stato in whieh the suppiy must cease, would be yet more miraculous, Of Course, 1f observations showed that the sun possessed the power of thus producing pei ennial heat from nothing we shoula buve to accept 1 aud modily our ideas of certain natural laws, just as 1m the caso of our seving beings flying througly the celestial spaces; but in the present state of our knowl- edge neither of these suppositions can be fairly ad- mitted ito the category of scientific possibilities. OUT OF THE STORM. Fins? AND LAST VOYAGE OF THE BARK LEANDER—RESCUEZ O¥ THE CREW IN MID OCEAN. ‘The story tbat fell from the lips of the captain of tho wrecked bark Leander last evening, as be lay wrapped up by pillows in the cabin of the steamship Switzer- land, was {ull of interest. The bark (Captain O'Kelly; Orst officer, J. O’Doyle; second officer, William Caflery) sailed trom Charlotte. town, Prince Edward’s Island, on the oth of December, bound to Liverpool, with a full cargo of oata in bulk, She was new vosscl, of 376 tons burden, j and it was her first - voyage. Tho crow, including the captain and two mates, numbered ten men, The voyage was a pleasant one, and all went well until the 9th of tho month, when she en, countered the first of a serids of galos that eventually proved too thuch for her, stanch vessel as sho was, ‘The gales increased in violence until the 13th of the montb, 1t was found impossible to scud before the wind and she was hove to, ber head bowing betore the waves that hour alter hour drenched her decks. Tho cold Was inteuse, and as the spray touched the rigging the tackle and blucks became coated with ice. She was put on the starboard tuck, and turned almost on her beam ends, the water pouring over her continu- ally, aud the port tuck was tried. It was no improve- ment, however, and she lay on her beam ends’ again, The water gained on her, aud hier cargo of oats swelled until her very’ sides cracked With the tremendous pressure. ‘The gale con- tpued, and the sea rose higher and Higher, until she seemed butaspeck of gray amid the mountains of tumbled blue and white water, On the 12th the storm had go increased that it was found impossible to get hor around again, All night long she lay help. lessly tossed by the waves. Tho boats, ono alter another, wero carried away, the Dul- works stove’ in und. the deck at umes enurely submerged bencath the waves that threatened every moment to close over her torever. On the morn- ing of the 13th the batches began breaking adrilt, and the Captain decided to cut away the main apd mizzou mists to lighten her i!” possible. The tore- mast was kept tm the hopes that by its ald she would pay off, but although lightened considerably her position was not bettered, and in halfan hour the foremast foliowed the others over the side, Unul this was done the pumps could not be manned for the seas that poured over her decks, ~ After the masts were cut away the pumps were manned and kept steadily at work, ‘The vessel righted, but there Was no cessation in the storm,’ Every now and again the men wero washed trom the’ pumps and bat tor the life lines would have beea lost. Several times men wero washed overbuard, but drawn back, Captain O'Kelly ‘was at one time washed from the deck but bardly had the cry ‘A man overboard!” becn passed along before @ returning wave dushed him again among his com- rades on the vessel, Incredible as this may seem it is vouched tor by those who saw it, The suffering of the men during the days of anxious waiting that jollowed on the dismasted hulk must havo been terrible. Their appearance, even aiter days of reetand kind treatment, suows too plainly tha agony of that week of waiting. Several of the men are severely bruised and in some cases gangrene has set in, ibe captain himself beiag among the latter cases, THE REXCUK. On the night of the 26th a light was seen and every eflort was made to attract attention, The signals were suctessiul and the light came nearer and nearer, eagerly watched by tho balf frantic men, It proved to be the masthead light of the steamship Switzer- land, Captain Jackson. A boat was launched and, under the command of Chiet Officer O'Flaherty, came vounding over the sea toward the Leander, Ina short time they were all nothing but the logbooks, The steamship arrived in this port last night, and to-day the men will be taken care ot, GILMORE'S GARDEN. “Winter Games and Field Sports” is the title of the attraction which keeps Gilmore’s Garden still in repute among people who would have amusements which be- long rather to the circus than to the theatre, so far as ‘The place has changed its name and its functions frequently, but it bas generally contrived to remain popular, Last night there wasatem- | porary waning in this respect chiefly because there were better opportunities for ‘‘winter games and ficid sports” outdoors, Sleighing under favorable conditions is more enticing than polo when the circumstances are adverse, and there was gomething of a falling off in the attendance at the garden last evening, Tho polo match was a large attraction in the general programme, It was between the “Na- Uonais’ under Carlo and the “Calitornians’ under Mowry, whose repute as a rider is beyond cavil, His teaun Was, however, unlortunate last bight with a victoryy but Carilio’s men made tho nd anid third goals, and then, after suffering one deteat from the Culiforbinn team, put the filth, sixth and seventh trinds to its eredit, thus winning five matebes out of seven, ‘The trottiug matches were briskly contested. ‘The first was for a purse of $250, mile aud repeat, and resulted us follows :— W. &, Weeks’ b. x. bay Billy. oe Pe Dan Mace’s b. g. Siippory Joe. i ae 'T. Lyneh’s g. g. Bill Porter. eck Ben Mace’s b. g. Doubtful. 44 ‘Time of winner, ‘The second match, for a purse ot $200, ended in this oraer:— F, Hamilton's bik. g. Harry.. Wilson's s g. P. Lyne Ben Mace’s #. g. Little Dan, John Rogers’ Darkness... mie of winner, A Roman chariot race was won by Miss Ella Grady with a sortel Leu, the otuer contestant being } Mattie Lewis, Atter this followed a surply conte flat race, which wa» won by Miss Agi Kingsion with the mare Black Dolly, anda match noton tue programme fell to Bill Porter 1 a tret of a mile, the time being 2:53, Thero ins steeplechase on tho pro- gramine for to-night, in whieh the Culttornia Polo Chub enters the bay gelding Jou and Harry Blasson his horse Jack Horner, While there 1s aiso to be @ third entry not yet named, FIRE IN BROOME STREET. BRAVERY OF AN OFFICER IN RESCUING A CHILD. Thero was @ fire yosterday morning on the Oirst floor of the three story brick buiiding No. 407 Broome street, occupied by Morris Meleasy, dealer in furs, It did pot appear to amount to much at first, but the damage to stock reached nearly $5,000 and to the buiiding $300. One of Mr. Ixuaa B, Kieinert’s children, @ litte girl about ten years old, was leit be- bind during the exenement attending her family's escape irom their beds on the third floor, Roundsman Byrnes, of the Eighsb precinct, rushed up the burning Blairease, and groping his Way through the flames and smoke found the littie one und brought tt safely to its parents, not Without danger to himself. His bair and Whiskers were singed “olf and be narrowly’ escaped Buflocation, THE BROOKLYN CALAMITY. The Coroner's inquest into the Brooklyn Theatre ‘was resumed last evening in the Kings County Board [of Supervisors’ chamber, Nothing uew was elicited jely on board, having saved | Ttled off | | greatly esteemed by he | NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1877. CORNELIUS VANDERBILT. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE OBSEQUIES TO-MOR- ROW—SEVERE SIMPLICITY IN ALL~-THE FAMILY VAULT ON STATEN ISLAND. The arrangements for Commodore Vanderbilt's funeral baeve been nearly completed, The remains Still he in thg rear chamber on the second story of the heuse, where the Commodore breathed his last, but will be placed ina metailie coffin and removed to the lower main ball early on Sunday morning. Here they willlie in state to be viewed by tho relatives and friends of the family, The only service at the house will be a short prayer offered by Dr. Decms at ten o'clock, A delegaiion of railroud men employed on the roads which the railroad king controlled will attend the funeral! in a body, This deputation will number probably not tewer than 200, ‘They will visit the house aud will proceed thence to the church on Mercer street, ‘The relatives and in- vited friends, among whom are Messrs. Thurlow Weed, Poter Cooper, General Watsou Webb, Augustus Sebel, Daniel Drew, W. E. Dodgo and others, after taking a last look will walk to the church, the body borne on a bier preceding them, Tbe bighway will be entirely cleared of snow. After the family and friends are seated the doors of the church will be thrown open to all whom the edifice can accommodate, Tho coffin is a plain one, And will be draped In black velvet, It bears simply a silver plate on top, with the inseription :—~ Qeocecererecccess. POOLE OLE F0E DE TE LOTTI OEOOIPNOIE® 3 CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, 3 3 Born Say 27, 17a, 3 3 Died January 4, 1877. 3 ©. POOPIE OE LODE IEEE TE EOITEE IEE CELLED EL EOE OE OODS OO OE HE@) The ser within the church will be simple. The music will comprise two or throe of the late Commo: dore’s favorite hymns, It will be rendered by the rogular cboir of the Church of the Strangers, The pastor will make a short address, Dr. Deems bag in- vited the Rev. Dr, M. ti. Mutton, formerly of the Wasb ington place Dutch Reformed church, to assist him at the ceremonies. Dr, Hutton was pastor of the church attended by Commodore Vanderviis first wite, and One hundred carriages have been ordered to convey the trends from the church to the cemetery The remains will be placed in a hearse and conveyed to the Staton Island ferry, Three boats will be in aiting 10 receive the funeral cortége. Arriving at Staten Istand the pro jon will be formed, and pro- coed to the old Moravian Cemetery, neir New orp, where tho body will be committed to the family vault, The cemetery is four imiles from the ferry Janding, dnd |g reached by leaving villago of New Dorp in a northeast direction. Kravoyard ty nearly 160 years old, and near the m of ivisaknol) on which 1s the family vault building ts found in a rectangular plat, forty-two fect long by thirty-six wide, which is enclosed by a plain Ulack iron railing, The vault is capable of containing 100 coffins, and slready includes the remuins of the Commovore’s tather, and a few other reiati The granite monument within the railing 1s thirty-tive feet bigh, and bears the hume “Vanderbilt. A tnistaken impression has gone abroad that when the Commodore presented Dr, Deems with the Church of the Strangers ic was with the proviso that the building should revert so the estate When Dr. Deoms died, The truth 1s that at the death of the reverend gentleman mentioned the property goes to the trus- tees of the church, “to hold for the contiquance of such achureh as Dr. Deems conducted,” It is not generelly known that Dr, Deems declined the princely gilt twice pelore he agreed to accept it, A RAILROAD EULOGY. Atajoint mecting of the Board of Dircetors of the New York Central and Hudson River Ratiroad Com- pany, the New York and Harlem Railroad Company, and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company, held at Grand Central depot, on Friday, the 6th day of January, 1877, Augustus Schell was called to the chair and Edwin D, Worcester was appointed averotury, The object of the meeting was stated to bo an ex- Pression of regard for the mo nory of Cornelius Van- derbilt, the late Prosident of tho respective companies, whereupon Samuel F. Barger, Chauncey M. Depew, William C, Wetmore, William H, Leonard and William L, Scott were appointed. a committee to prepare and presont a suitable expression to be entered upon the minutes of the companies. Mr, Barger, from such committee, presented and read the following, which was adopted ‘The Directors of the New York Ventral and Hudson River Railroad Company, tue New York and Harlem Railroad Company and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company, assembled together by the sorrowlul announcement of the death of their honored President, Cornelius Vanderbilt, direct that the follow- ing expression of their deep and lasting regard for his cherished memory be ontered in full upon the minutes ol their respective companies. ‘Though the lamented dead passes away at an ago be- yond the allotted period of man and at the close ot a Complete and rounded career, with his great work in the full course of suocessiul and enduring operation, yet the sense of persoual and public loss on tho part of ‘All hig associates 18 kone tho less keen and poignant. The entire public will waite in payrng the trivute of sincere respect for one who stood as the foremost representutive of public enterprise and material prog- ress; but to those who were identified with him in these Boards his death comes with a cioser and deeper touch, In their personal relations they lose a kindiy and beloved iriend; in their basiness relations oae whose intrepid, penetrating and sugacious leadership was the inspiration of untailing success, While deploring the great loss thus sustained it source of satisiaction to these Boards to know, ‘was a just solace to our departed friend to reflect, tuat the gigantic work be inaugurated and the souna policy he established find, in two generations of tramed and worthy successors, tho complete assurance that they will be faithfully and ably carricd out by those who follow him in control Itisthe mark of power to leave its impress beyond its own immediate sway ; and the truest monument to Cornelius Vanderbilt is the fact that he so organized bis ereauion that the work will go on, though the master workman His carcer was a dazzling success, In an age and o country distinguished for their marvellous personal triumphs bis achievements rank amoug the most ex- travrdinary and distinctive of all, Thoroughly prac- tical and fatthiully wrought out, their splendor yet gives tiem the tinge of romance, Nor was this glite tering success due to any early adventivuods advan tages. Ho was essentially the creator, not the creature, of the circumstances which he moulded to his pur- poses, He was the architect of his own fortune, Beginning in an humble position, with apparently liutlo scope of action and small promise of opportunity, he rose, by his genius, his indomitable energy and his clour forecast, to the control of vast enterprises involv- ing millions of property and connected with tho interests of millions of people. ‘The diverse and complicated character of bis bust ness was a8 remarkable as its magnitude. Ho created a large morchaut marine, and then turned with equal aptitude and skill to the organization and management of great railroad combinations, And it 18 bo his lust- ing honor that his uniform policy was to protect, de- vevop and improve the interests with which he was connected, instead of seeking a selfigh and dishonor. able prolit through thoir detriment and sacriti he | Tights and the welfare of the smallest slockholuer were a8 well guarded as his own. » In a period of crafiy devices fur sinister ends he taught the way of success through leg:timate means, It was a further evidence of his essential and ragged manhood that, with all his brilliant success, his trank Simplicity of character and habits remained w ebanged. In the height ot his rare fortune he was the same direct, provident, unostentatious man as belore he bad mounted to us large opportunities, ‘The ster Jing qualities of his strong and commanding individus ality were deeply appreciated by all who were associa. ted with him, He was firm and true in his friendstips, and the unerring sogacity with which he selected the best agents to udininister his great trusts was ouly equalled by the sincerity of his attachment for those who proved worthy of his confidence. In bis relations With the members of these boards he war unitormly ourteous and genial, and the assuciation will ever bo a fragrant memory. AB a Citizen, he was true to the honor and wolfare of his country, His public spirit was attested by bis lib- eral donation to the government, in the hour of lis nved, of tho steamer beuring his own name—a contri bution which, im a critical emergency, when there was mand forthe protoptest naval eqaipment, was eVen more important than its intringie value, great as that was, If bis patriousm was thus substantial, his ptilantnropy was equatly generous and effective. Without ostentatious profession he wrought practic good, Hs own training had been in the severe expe euce of utairs rather than inthe fue culture of tho schools; but his nature Was great enough to appreciate advantages of the finished education be had nut him. self boon permitted to enjoy, and his munilicent git for the endowment of the University at Nashviile will be gratefully remembered by tue large number who will share its benelts While exacting needed and effective discipline among those intrusied with the care of the property and lives of the people, he always manifested a stroug at- tuchinent for them and a kindly interest in their wel. fare, It was among bis cherished purposes that ad quale provision should be made, upon some compr housive pian, for injured aad needy railroad employ ds; and eveu while suflering under fatal disease his thoughts and utterances Olten recurred to those asso- ciated 1p every variety of capacity with his great en- terprises, and evinced his earnest regard tor their prosperity. He was peculiarly happy in his domostic relations, Passing beyond the golden anniversary with the cher- ished companion of his early manhood, Whose memory was deeply revered by her survivor and by ber chiie dren, he was forvunute In the eholce of his later ite; and his declining years were austained and brightened by the tender acvotion of one whose rare endowments Of heart and mind shone throught their union, who thinistered with unaffected grace vo his comlort and happiness, and towhom, with the other members of his family, We extend our sincere sympathy in their bereavetnent, He endured a protracted and painful Winess ata re- markable ago with heroic foruitude and Christian epirit; and when the sun of his life, unclouded through its long day, peacefully sank below the horizon a truo man, a sincere iricud, adevoted husband aud fathor, the | The | is son George, his first wite | peavon. a liberal employer, an extraordinary genius of affairs and a citizen of bigh publio spirit wont to his Boal rest, AUGUSTUS SCHELL, Chairman, E. D. Worcusrer, Secretar, HONORS TO HIS MEMORY IN NASHVILLE. Nasayiuix, Teon., dan, 5, 1877. A largo meeting of citizeus was he'd to-day, Colonel John C. Burch, editor of the American, presiding. at which resolutions of respect for the memory and regret at the death of Commodore Vandervilt were adopted, Governor Porter sent a special messi to the Ley lature of the same subject, and a committee of thot body was oppointed to drat: appropriate resolutions, An invitation from the facuity of the Vanderbilt Uni- versity to participate in the memorii institution on Sunday next was accepted, Mrs. Charlotte Egbert, née Vanderbilt, died yesterday afternoon at her residence, or Griffin street, Tompkic.s- ville, Staten Island, where she has resided for the list half century. The deceased lady was a sister of the late Cornelius Vanderbilt and his senior vy threo years, | she being at the time of her demise cighty-fve years and one week old. Mrs. Egbert departed this life ata quarter to tour o’clock, surviving by less than a day her distinguished younger brother Cornelius, She breathed her last ma comfortably, though tmodesily Jurnished bedroom on the ground floor of her jute upprecentious residence, During her last moments the dying lady was surrounded by a sorrowing circle of iriends and relatives, represent | ing threo generations, Among these were Charles Vanderbilt Detorest, her son; Mrs. Roswell Haskell, her cuughter; Mra, Georgiana Hitchcock and Abraham Blake, grandchildren; Mrs, Howland aod Mrs. Long, granddaughters; Mrs. Jeremiah Sanderson, a niece by inarrisge; Mrs, Julia Van Duzer, a daughter-in-law, and an infant great-grandehild in the person of htute Ciiford Howland, Like her late brother, Mrs. Egbert was of an active and extremely energetic disposition, A week go, Upon the anniversary of her cighty-(ith birthday, she made a ple, that Mes, Haskell and triends might bo merry with her upon the occasion, Soon after this effort she became sick, and notwithstanding the efforts of the family physician, Dr. Tueodore Walser, aided by the advice of (he port Heaith Ofticer, Dr. Vauder- yoel, she continued to grow worse until the hour ot her death. At the age of sixteen Charlotte Vanderbilt became the wite of Captain Jobu Delorest, the first commander of a steamboat in America. They were wedded on the luth day of October, 1807, Captain Delorest was at one time the partner of | Commodore Vanderbilt in some speculations of the Jaiter, Delorest died on the 2ist of April, 1829. Mrs, Detorest was afterward wedded to Mr, Tunis Egbert, who died in July, 1866, at the ripe age of seventy-three years. There Was no issue by this marriage, The funeral of tho jate Mrs. Egbert will take place at tho Brightou Hoights Reformed chyrch, the Rey. W. T. Enigand, pastor, on Monday aexvat one P.M. WO LIVES, MR. MR, BEECHER ON CORNELIUS VANDERBILT AND BLISS—THE SCALE OF HUMAN EN- Although there is a scale upon which we can measure men, said Mr, Beecher, at the Piymouth | prayer meeting last night, 1 is not altogether clear and distinct, yet, ina general way, we may say that, among useful men, those are lowest who work upon matter, It is honest, it 18 respectavle to be a husbandman, a mechanic, a sealaring man— to bo a merchant, a banker or any cf these higher torms by which moulded matter becomes property, All these are useful, aud directly and in- | directly they contribute to the happiness of men, yet thess stand lowest, Next come thosé who work upon the mind directly. The material ia nobler, tho end sought is grander. Ot these | think they stand lowest who work merely upon ideas—mere thinkers, discoverers of truth, sclentists and the whole school ot philosophers that come out of these. They stand higher than the artificer, but lowest of those who produce impressions on buman mind. “Knowledge paffeth up,’’ suith the apostie, and I think a large view of the process of things in all time would go iar toward ratilying this judgment, To touch a man’s understanding is to touch an important part, but not the most important. The things that are to endure are tuith, hope and love; the others are relative to pass away. ‘The very best Knowledge, the most clear truth that was ever wrought out, judged by the standpoint of God’s truth, is very tmperfectand impure. Next come the men who develop the smagination at all points, and highest come those who develop disposi- tion, who mould the hearts of men to noblor things, THR RAILROAD MAN. Cornelius Vanderbilt died yesterday, ove of the most remarkab.o men that New York ever prod uced—one of the clearest beads, one who had the art of turning thoughts into things, @ man who took tew backward steps. He began early and went on step by step uli he reached an extraordinary age of activity, with his understanding clear to the last, He isa mun who has done a great deal of good, a man who in his rank deserves tho honor of that rank, Look- ing at bis commercial life, few bave equalled, nono have surpassed him, but there it stops. itis true ho gave achurch; it 8 true thatin bis laver yeais he cn- dowed a university. THE HYMN WRITER. { . Within a few days another man wed, not surrounded by friends and physicians and nurses; not with his name mentioned from day to day im the papers, and the thermometer of his life recoraed as in tho weather department; he died a death of most unutterable horror, for in that plunge through the broken bridge at Ashtabula tt seems os thongu ail the gorgons came together. Whatever could be done by bruising and burning and drowning was done, and there Mr. Biissdied, a man whose whole lite was devoted to softening and ennobling the hearts of = men. 1 don’t) think bis bymos will last liko Watts’ and Wesiey’s, and = yet they have been a power in this laud. The hymns written by Mr. Biss have been a silent influence, gentle as the rain of summer, and they have moved thousands and tens of thousands of tender rovis to spring up in the hearts of men, Hero is a man almost unknown, except asa “sweet singer in Isracl.”” Ho held no’ such place as Vanderbilt, and it 16 uot Tight to compare the two, except to. say that it seems to mo Mr, Bliss has done a far granaer work, he has opened the door tor souls, he has caused love to blossom, Le has brought something of the sptrit of heaven down to earth, he has been a tongue of the Lord. Itisanoble lite. ‘t is all folly for us to say we can do nothing, because we cannot follow the exact plan of some such life, It 18 given to us ali to do some of that work, A noble work in life Is Open to every one, in some direction. ‘Atter Mr. Beecher finished speaking he gave an op- portunity, as usual, for any one who wished to ma remarks and Brother Lyman Abbott rose and said no had aconversation last evening (Thursday) with Dr, Deems, in wich Dr, Deems told bim of Vanderbilt’ liking for the Pilgrim's Progress and for several pai Ucular hymns, as also for tho singing of several more by bis wife, and Brother Abbott seemed to think Mr, Beecher did not do Vanderbilt justice as regards spir- things. es,” said Mr. Beecher, “I am glad he liked the hymns, butif he had sung thom thirty years ago it would have made a great difference. He did not sing hyuins as long as be could get about, We don't want to give God the fagend of our lives lt our God de- sorves anything He desorves everything. Life is not long enough nor strong enuugh to give honor to Him who died Jor us.” | “ART MATTERS, “pra Di TOLOMEI” GALLERY. Newly added to Mr, Avery's choico collection of paintings 18 one destined to excite aeep interest in all who love art in its highest efforts. It aims to tell the story of the sorrow of a woman, high-spirited and nobly born, unjustly suspected and punished fora crime of which she is guiltless Readers conversant with Italian literature will remember the sad bietory ot Pia di Tolomei told by Danto in his “Divina Co- media,’ and introduced im tragedy by Carlo Marenco, Pia belonged to the noble family of the Tolomets, of Sicana, and married Neilo della l’retanos, Her husband, led by suspicion and jealousy, sent her to his castle in the Maremma, where she remained uli her death, Considerable doubts exists as to whether she died by violence or was lelt in the castle uit the malignant fevers of tho Maremma did their work. Tho artist has chosen to represent ber in a mo- ment of abstraction. She is standing on one of the turrets of Ler husband's castle, Jeaning against the battiements, her mind filled’ with sad thoughts, and her Justo eyes are turned heedlessiy over the sombre and pestilence — stricken land with an expression of resigned saduoss, but with- | yout any tinge of Weakness or regret. The expression, though sad and with au impress of lassitude, is one of high resolve, as Of w soul that places its trust in the hereattor. Tho pailor of the tace telis how weil the deadly exhalations of the swainp aro doing their work of executioner, The eflect te heightened by the Jurid flames seen afar off, where the peasants are lighting huge fires in the vain hope of driving away the deadly vapors, The composition ia a noble and striking one, woll calculated to arrest attention as @ sincerd effort to iliustrate in a worthy manner a great human rrow, It isarelet to turn to a work of this class from the trivialities to which most modern canvases are dedicated, Cabanel deserves the support and CABANEL'S AT AVERY'S cognition of ull true art patrons tor de. voting his talents to tho illustration of sub. jects that appeal to the highest and noblest feelings of toe human breust, In presence of tne noble iady he has depicted it 18 impossible not to be moved to generous pity for her sufferings, Instinct. ively we go back eight conturies to associate ourselves with ber griefs and sympathize with ber sorrows, How much better this is than to waste ono’s talent painting costumes which may raise emotion in the breast of fashionable dressmakers but touch no chord iu the great heart of humanity, HEATING “THE CARS, Tho Raliroad Commitioe of the Roard of Aldermen will not be selected tor some days to come by Prost. dent Purroy. Alderman Cole's resolution concerning the heating of tho street railroad cure in the moan- time remains on Hie, | year trains are run on Sundays. THE STORM LESSON. Rapid Transit the Great Want of New York. ———- STEAM VS. HORSE TEAMS, A Day’s Travel on the Elevated Railroad and the Horse Cars, The unusual! quantity of snow that bas fallen ip this city during the present winter bas done more than anything else to awaken the public to the necessity of rapid transit, Long and comfortiess journeys to and from business in cold, crowded and unwholegome street cars have made it apparent to the thogsands who are daily compelled to endure them that the present means of transportation are entirely inadequate, and that a great city like New York should be able to boast of “modern improvements”? in this respect, as well ag in everything else. The ordinary snail pace of the strect cars is mado still slower by the presence of so mach snow, and the fruitiess efforts to maintain schedule time by the use of four instead of two horses: only serve as an argument in favor of steam asa means of locomotion, THE RIGHTM AVENUE, Thecars on this line were uncomfortably crowded during the entire day yesterday, and even with the aid of four horses made slow and irregular time, The necessity of ‘doubling up,” as it is called, reduces tho number of cars in use from 108 to 60, and in conse- quence doubles the time of ‘headway’ or intervals between the running. The road carries, on an aver- age, about 30,000 passengers a day, yielding the sum of $1,500, THE SIXTH AVENUR. ‘This lino has in use about the same number of cara as the Eighth avenue road, and thoy make about the same time, The cars were packed at hours in the day when there is usually but little railroad travel, bat the fact is of course due to the limited number fn use, TH BROADWAY AND SEVENTH AVENUE, Theso two roads are virtually one, and the com- bined number of cars in use is ordinarily 132, divided as follows:--35 on the Seventh avenues road, 20 on the Broadway line to Broome street and 77 on the Broad- way line to Burclay street, The Seventh avenue and Broome sircet cars were fa as usual yesterday, but the ‘doubling up”? process reduced the number trom Barclay street to 39 cars, The ordinary time taken on the trip from Barciay street to Fifty-ninth street is 45 minutes; but since the heavy tail of snow it varies several minutes and very irreguive between. points along the route, This 1s not, bowever, the fault of the company, assome of the streets throagh which the line goes are narrow and the clean tracks are monopolized by trucks and wagons. The com- bined roads carry daily between 60,000 wad 70,000 pas. sengers. Mr. Foshay, the President of these roads, Says tho law prohibiting the use of salt on the tracks is tho cause of greater crucity to the horses than ita use would be. The road as it he says, is #0 ship pery that tho horses suiler great fatigue tn pulling and are frequently strained in their efforts to regain u {ote hold when they slip. ‘THB RAST BIDE ROADS, The east sido railroads appear, usa rule, to be nete ting a very comfortable per cent to thelr stockholders, and their disposition to accommodate the public is probably as great as is consistent with their own in- terest. Most of the lines have made this year, a¥ slight increase in the number of cars, and, on ‘econd avenue, the proportion of horses been materially ‘increased, This obviate: joubling up,” and, for that reason, neral public, but it has to cars bi the necessity of * is a deciaed advantage to tne not been Jearned that this step in the right direction beon imitated by other lines. All of them, at ogr- times in the day, continue to turn:sh a miserably detict supply of cars for the accommodation of patrons; ana the alteration of running time, in order to furnish greater number of cars passing stated points at shorter intervals, is & poor substitute for the natural method of meeting this want, This theory of adjustment of “headway,” as the intervals between tho succession of cars is technically called, has been brought down to a fine point op some of tho hnes, and ts regarded as o panacea tor all the complaints with which they are beset, Ifthere is an unusual press ab one point lessen the rate of “headway” at this point by a correlative rise at others on the line, and tho demand is met. consequence is that the cars on most of tho lines aro spread out like water in @ tat half pool halt. bog. The argument in favor of this plan is that a greater relative number of passengers can be accom- modated at less cost in this Way than in apy ether, but it does notappear to have occurred to the managers hat minorities have any rights, or that the comlors of © public should be attended to as well as dividends, ‘Tho statement of the condition ot the various roads lying cast of Broadway, which has been carefuily guihered*trom the best sources attainabie, suflicienuly shows that the companies in general need more Lorsea and care, and ean aiford a reduction in their rate of profits, if the increased cost of operating the roads should make it necessury, THE YOURTH AVENUR. The Fourth avenue has about 116 cars, of which 90, on an average, are run daily, Of these the Madison avonue line has from 40 to 45, the ferry lin and the Forty-second street depot lino ¢ The Madison avenue cars make six trips datly aud who Others eight’ The number of horses owned by this line are from 850 to 900, and it has about 100 conduc. tors and as many drivers. The number of cars has not been tucreased for the last five years, und eb «their = uncomfortably crowded condition ‘fat morning and night is a notorious tact, This failure on the part of the roud to keep pace with the growth of travet over the line cannot certainly be atiributed to its poverty, for the Madison avenue branch at least is well known to be the best paying one In the city. Tb official running time between the termini of ¢bo Madi. son avenue lne—Kighty-eighth street and the City Hail—is 59 minutes, but this apportionment makes very slight allowance for tho inevitable stoppag The gross earnings of this line for the last financial year were $600,000, speaking tomewhat roughly, and div dends of ten per cout on the capital stock were ree coived by the stockhoiders, THIRD AVENUE, This line owns 276 cars, ail toid, of which about 250 are kept on the road. About 300 conductors and the same number of drivers are employed, The sotat number of horses tn service ts stated to Le about 2,000, ‘The official running time to Hariem 1s 1 hour aud 20 Minutes; to Sixty-ffth street, 60 minutes, but owing to blockages, in the Bowery principally, this time can oniy be acctrately made when It aflects tho interest of tha smallest number of passeagers—that 18, daring tno day, The gross earnings of this road are about $1,500,000 yearly, and it pays a dividend of ten per cont. SECOND AVENUR. This road has, in ail, 166 care, of which about 120 are rundaily. It employs 150 conductors and as many drivers, and works 1,140 horses, The grows earnings of the road for the last fiscal year were $755,000, ana it pays a dividend of eight per cent The official run- ning time between Feck slip amd Hariem is 1 hour and 20 miffuios; but, like the other tines, the allowance for biockages is undetermined. THE BELT ROAD. This road owns 150 cars and koeps from 100 to 130 on the road. 1t has about 1,150 horses and employs 140 conductors and as many drivers, The running time between Fifty-ninth street and South ferry is—on the eust side, 90 Minutes, and op the west side 64 minutes, The east side cars are often blocked fora tong um however, in Front street, especiaily, Tho west side run very Close to the sebedgie time. Tho profits of this road wi reported on good wuthority to be run down toa very low margip, On all the roads yesterday frequent biockages were n and the schedule timo was not made in the morning aud evening by any car whose time was taken, THK RLUVATED KOAD, The Elevated Railroad bas at present 35 care and 16 engines. Two of the latter were placed on the road in December, and two others are now under contract and will be ready by February next. The cars oe ruo in trains of twos and threes all day, from six in the morning uni eight in the evening. The average daily number of passengers for the present month boon 8,814, rey resentibg ab average daily recep! $951 40, us tio fare is ten cent& The largest number of passeuyers since the opening of the road was coaveyed over tio road on Wednesday-—namely, 14,600, The jargest day previous was Tuesday, whon 13,300 passengors woro records Daring ihe past ‘year the nuinvers ngers ranged between 140,000 and 170,000 ver is your they will probably range between 000 and 400,000 per month, this large difference being caused toa great extent by the fact that Wiis ‘he increase vf travel pparent upon comparing number of passengers im December of 1875 wad De- cember 1876. In December, 1876, 144,105; in Decem- ber, 1876, 219,213—a gain of 75,108. The expewses of the road amountto trom fifty-six to ifty-emght per on the road becom | cent of the earnings, which itis expected, however, will be lessened wuen the new track will bave bon completed, A COMPARATIVE TABLE The running time between the following streets or corresponding ones on Third and Fourth avenues noted by the Her. reporter yesterday, who various lives for the purpose of investigating tue con- dition of the roads, It will be noticea that the time taken was taken between those streets on which tho ated road has stations, with the view of makiug the comparison ag correct a8 possibie:— Fourth Third Bighth Elevated Aveiine, Avenue Avenue, — Rowii. Street, Min, Min Mim Me OS. From Fifty-nintn To Forty-second... 8 ™% 9 21 To Thirty-toarth... 6 6 4 27 To Thirticcb 1 2 is 2% To Twenty-first 4 4 8 2 2% To Fourtecoths. 4 4 3 1% To Eleventh. 2 1 3 2 To Houston 6 6 6 t ah To Canal 7 6 4 11 To Franklin, 6 6 8 27 To Warren, 2 2 6 1a — aly — Total... oe MONG day 20 2 i - 5 Fy § ‘This time Was caretully takon at @ po in whieh there Was little to obstruct the coarse