Newspaper Page Text
(Paris Letter.)
The
the great
of the
successful trial of the gigantic
Wheel for the
the question of
the Champs
tures of the
The first wheel of (his kind was con
structed for the Chicago exhibition,
but it did not, attain the dimensions of
the one under consideration. The met
al entering into the structure of the
French wheel is steel, furnished by
the Societe des Forges et Acieries da
Haumont (Nord). The weight of the
metal employed is no less than SOO
tons.
The wheel is designed to revolve
around a horizontal axis situated 220
feet above the level of the ground, and
moving in two bearings that, rest,
through the intermedium of a heavy
oak beam, upon two frames. At its
periphery there is a series of cars that
3|
"y.
nine
The foundation is of concrete made
of Portland cement. Two excava
tions,
addition
of the
eighteen feet square and thirty-
feet deep, were made in the earth
and
were filled with a mixture of sand,
pebbles
and pure cement without the
Big Wheel at Paris Exposition
The Mammoth Structure is Practically Fin
ished.—Successfully Tried.
Paris Exposition settles
the practicability
of
scheme that, the newspapers
city
so
the time of
of the
seriously questioned at
its proposal. An emulator
300-raeter tower erected upon
wil be one of
de Mais, the great wheel
the most striking fea
exposition.
It stands on the Avenue de Suffern,
opposite the celebrated gallery of ma
chines of the exposition of 1889. The
idea of such a construction is due to
Mr. Gravdon, an officer oT marines of
the United States navy, who tool out
a patent for it in 18S:J. The present
project emanates from an English so
ciety. The operation of mounting
look place the other day under the di
rection of Mr. Slitkins. an English en
gineer. The general work of construc
tion, the installation of the material
necessary to revolve it and the light
ing of it were confided to W. B. Bas
set.
THE WHEEL AS
are carried along In the rotary motion
of the apparatus.
The diameter of the wheel is exactly
93 meters (305 feet). At the lowest
level to which the cars, can descend
thejr will be ten feet above the ground
and the highest point that they will
reach
will consequently be 315 feet
above the surface. Between the two
external fellies are suspended a cer
tain number of cars designed to be
used fis saloons, parlors, dining sa
loons, reading-rooms, concert halls,
etc.
The total weight of the wheel, inclu
sive of the empty cars and exclusive
of the axis and frames, is 1,430,000
pounds. The axis weighs 79,200 pounds
and the two frames 873,400. The total
weight of this architectural monument
is, therefore, 2,382.600 pounds. Each
car is capable of accommodating thir
ty peruom:, and the number of cars is
forty. Supposing the average weight
of each passenger to be 154 pounds,
the total load upon the foundation will
be 1,167 tons.
IT
of any hydraulic lime. Each
monoliths thus formed has a
weight of 230
tons. It is upon
beds that rest
the wheel.
frames consists
these
the two
that Bupport
steel
frames
Each of
these
of four lattice
connected by heavy
girders
steel
and diagonal
cross /braces
beams.
They were
mounted in detached pieces that were
bolted and riveted together.
The axis, which is of first quality
Martin steel, manufactured in Eng
land, is a heavy hollow piece about
fifty inches in length and of an ex
ternal diameter of thirty-six inches.
The shaft revolves in steel bearings
lined with a metal of peculiar composi
tion—a mixture of lead, £in and vari
ous other substances. This alloy is
designed to prevont the friction of
steel upon steel, the coefficient of
Which is very high. From each side
of the axis radiate 160 flexible cables
of steel wire two inches in diameter,
which are attached to the fellies of the
wheel, and'are provided with stretch
en for stiffening them after being put
in place. The rotary motion of the
wheel
to obtained through a double
cable, which embraces it and winds
around windlasses actuated by a 120
liorse-power steam engine. The se
curity of the operation of the appara
tus is assured by several instantane
ously acting brakes, which also control
its motion. The engine also runs a
dynamo, the current of which will .sup
ply arc and incandescent lamps.
The electric communications, smart
ing from the ground, are effected
through cables that follow one of the
frames and end at the axis. From this
point the cm-rant, is transmitted to
the periphery by cables, and to the
different posts of electric distribution
by circular plates and contact
brushes. The processes of iluminating
every part of this huge structure fur
nish a means of obtaining all the plays
of light desirable. As the wheel re
volves, the shining of the lamps in
space will give it the aspect of a piece
of fireworks. The wheel makes one
revolution in twenty minutes, inclu
sive of stoppages. Access to the cars
is obtained through a system of stair
ways and landings so arranged that
eight cars can he filled and emptied
simultaneously, without any blockade,
in less than one minute. Each car is
42Vi feet in length.
THE HEAL JACK HORNER.
Tack Horner of the Christmas pie
really existed, '..hough wheiher he de
served the title of "good boy" is ex
ceedingly doubtful. He was, however,
a fortunate rogue. When Henry VIII.
suppressed the monasteries and drove
the monks from their nests the litle-
f\
NOW APPEARS.
deeds of the Abbey of Mells were de
manded by the commissioners. The
Abbot of Glastonbury determined that
he would send them to London, and,
as the documents were very valuable,
and the road infested with thieves, it
was ii.—cult to get them to the me
tropolis safely.
To accomplish this end. he devised
a very ingenious plan. He ordered a
savory pie to be made, and Inside he
put the documents—the finest filling a
pie ever had—and entrusted this
dainty to a lad named Horner to carry
up to London to deliver safely into the
hands for whom it was intended. But
the journey was long and the day cold,
and the boy was hungry, and the pie
was tempting, and the chance of de
tection was smal^
So the boy broke off a piece of the
pie, and beheld a parchment within.
He pulled it forth innocently enough,
wondering how it could have foui^i
its way there tied up in pastry, and
arrived in town. The parcel was de
livered, but the title-deeds of Mells
Abbey estate were missing. The fact
was that Jack had them in his pocket.
These were the juiciest plums in the
pie. (Jtreat was the rage of the com
missioners and heavy the vengeance
they dealt out to the monks. But
Master Jack Horner kept his secret,
when peaceable times were restored he
claimed the estates and received them.
Good Frt«tln{ Compound.
Medicus, Sr.—Well, young man, have
you anything of interest to report?
Medicus,Jr.—I have discovered a freez
ing compound that beats anything yet
discovered. M., Sr.—What is the for
mula? M., Jr.—It is composed oLequal
parts of the expression of Bullion's face
when I asked for the hand of his
daughter, and that of my nearest
friend when I requested a small loan.
:Hls Con«ol»tlon.
"Who wa3 it 6aid I was a back num
ber?" said Li Hung Chang, •indignant
ly. "I said so," answered the em
press dowager, with a stony glare.
"Well," he answered more softly,
"ntaybe I am. But I don't know as I
care much what kind of a number I
am so long as I have a dollar mark
In front of me."—Washington Star.
BONES FROM OMDUHMAN,
F.rsi Consignment of Ucrvlih Skeleton*
Arrlco In E.onloi,
There has just arrived in London
the first consignment of dervish skel
etons from the battlefield of Omdur
man, says the London Daily Mall.
There is no outward and visible sign
in London of a brisk market in ana
tomical human bones, Indeed, public
sentiment might receive a Bhock were
a central depot or building to ho es
tablished for the necessary trafflo and
barter in skeletons. Nevertheless the
metropolitan skeleton market is steady
and lucrative enough, though no sales
ai advertised or auctions announced.
To secure a constant supply of skele
tons up to the mark of trade stand
ards and technical requirements is not
an easy matter. For no bone, however
tiny, must be missing, slnco an incom
plete bony scaffolding would be value
less to the medical student. A wide
spread belief exists that skeletons are
obtained from the unclain^d bodies of
workhouse and hospital Inmates To
|-«ome extent this is true, for such
bodies, after use in the dissecting
room, furnish further useful object
lessons. But the number of un
claimed bodies is small compared with
the demand for skeletons, so that deal
ers must go further afield in their
search for medical school material. A
big battle offers an obviously large
harvest of skeletons, and already some
of the dervishes killed at Omdurman
have found a market in one of the
London hospitals. It is only right to
state that there is not the slightest
possible chance of a British soldier
having been converted into a market
able skeleton. Due and careful pre
cautions were taken to prevent such a
contingency, so that any surviving
bones from the Soudan victory are
only those of the fighting dervish. One
of the principal dealers in London
states that these fine, athletic dervish
es make the finest skeletons ever put
on the bone market. It is not so easy
to insure a supply of well-developed
skeletons," he says, "for many of these
are obtained from the stunted, half
starved type which ends its days—un
claimed and uneared for—in a" casual
ward or hospital. The dervish offers
a rare opportunity in skeletons, end
though the expense of transport is
very great, the type of skeleton he
makes is sure to command a price
sufficiently high to cover the extra cost
of fieight. Only a small percentage
have come to London—the rest have
been distributed among the other large
European cities, such as Vienna,Berlin,
and Paris. Great care has to be taken
in selecting specimens from a battle
field, for those with shattered or brok
en bones will not furnish an entire
skeleton. Of course there Is always
a sale for skulls and single bones, but
the aim of those who supply anatomic
al dealers Is to obtain entire and per
fect skeletons, for these naturally bring
a higher price. After the Franco
Prussian war the skeleton trade bade
fair to be overstocked* and dealers
'held back' their surplus stock, lest
prices should be too much 'cut.' There
was not a single German skeleton of
fered—it is always the vanquished
who
come to an anatomical end. It's
a
curious thing," continued the connois
seur in bones, "that the skeletons of
Frenchmen should be so much whitei
than British bones."
ARMY AND NAVY.
A Manila correspondent states that
the natives there regard Admiral
Dewey as a supernatural being and
struggle to get scraps of cloth or any
other article he has possessed, think
ing they have peculiar healing vir
tues.
A careful scrutiny falls to reveal
a single pong that possesses any char
acteristic melody or sentiment which
will permanently identify it with the
Spanish-American war. It is reported
that the natives in Manila believe that
the song "There Will Be a Hot Time
in the Old Time Tonight" is our na
tional air, they have heard it so often.
A native Ifland, when asked if they
had heard our national song, respond
ed with pride that they had, and pro
ceeded at once to grind out "The Hot
Town."
Tho German service contemporary
gives some interesting details on the
marching performances of the troops
engaged in various celebrated cam
paigns, says the Army and Navy Jour
nal. Thus the highest average of dis
tances marched by troops during the
campaign of 1796 is to be credited to
the French, who, on the authority of
General Lewal, marched daily on the
average a distance slightly exceeding
fifteen and a half miles. In the war
of 1866 the highest average was that
attained-by the Prussians, marching
thirteen and a half miles, while during
the Franco-German war the highest
averages were for the Germans (dur
ing the march on Sedan), thirteen
miles, and for the French troops, nine
and a half miles. In the case of the
mounted army the record is held by
Murat's cavalry, which marched
497
miles in twenty-four days during the
operations of 1806.
He Know.
Teacher—What is a fossil? Little
WiMie (raising his hand)—I know,
please. Teacher—Well? You may tell
us what a fossil is. Little Willie—
That's what mamma said you were the
day you sent me home for a better ex
cuse when I stayed out because we
heard Johnny Tripp's sister had the
measles.
BUBIiiom.
Goodly—What is grander than a
man- you can trust? Cynicus—One
who wiU trust you.—Jewish Comment
1
CHASED BY WOLVES.
•Before any railroad had been built
along the upper Mississippi all traffic
in the summer was by steamboat,
which carried also the mail. In the
winter everything was carried by
stage. There was a line of mail stage3
between St. Paul and Prairie du Chien
—or the southern terminus may have
been La Crosse at the time of which I
write. These stages followed the river
how much of the distance on the ice
I can not say, but in my neighborhood,
where the river expanded and became
Lake Pepin, the route was all on the
ice. Leading down to the lake, on
both the Minnesota and Wisconsin
sides, are many ravines or coulees,
worn by the water courses and wood
ed. Even now there is much wild
land among the bluffs.
It was in the latter part of January
years ago that 1 found myself at
Hawk's Landing, on the Minnesota
side of the river just below the foot
of the lake, whither 1 had gone with
an uncle. He found that his business
would detain him longer than he ex
pected and he decided to send me back
alone on the stage. It should have
left the landing at 1 o'clock, but it
was delayed somewhere down the river
and did not arrive till nearly 3. It
was a full afternoon's drive to Lake
City, but the driver said he had a good
team and promised to get through on
time, notwithstanding the late start.
He was a rough and dissipated man,
but he had the reputation of always
keeping sober till after the day's trip
had been completed. But the delay
may have upset him, and I think he
began drinking before we started, al-.
though no one then noticed it. He
certainly had provided himself with a
large bottle of liquor, as 1 soon had
occasion to know. I suppose I could
not have been more than 12 or 13
years old, although a life in a new
country and on a farm had given me
ability to take care of myself beyond
my years.
When we departed from the War
Eagle House on the levee and swung
up the road under the shadow of WTa
basha Bluff, with the horses at a gal
lop, I felt a sort of admiration for the
-Jl
W a\\
THREW OUT THE TRUNKS,
driver, notwithstanding his roughness.
We slackened somewhat when we got
beyond the line of houses along the
single street and soon rounded the
bluff and kept along the edge of a
bank above the frozen river.
We soon came to the lake and turn
ed down Fond du Lac Point, and out
upon the ice, where the road was
marked by little cedars. I found cause
to be alarmed at the state of the
weather. The wind had freshened a
great deal and the snow was drifting
rapidly. It was not sufficient to shut
out from our sight the row of ever
greens, and we could see even the
bluffs at either side of the lake but
the fine snow was sifting along over
the ©rust like streaming hair and rap
idly filling the track. This made our
progress slow, but the condition of the
driver was soon a greater hindrance.
He drove either with the horses on a
run or a slow walk, although they
walked more than they ran.
Wo were not yet half way when the
sun was only a little above the Min
nesota bluffs, with big orange sun
dogs standing up each side of it. Just
as it disappeared below the bluffs the
driver slid out of the seat into a
drunken sleep in the bottom of the
sleigh. I climbed over into the front
seat and took the reins myself.
"You seem to know how to drive
do you think we can get there to
night?" asked the other passenger.
"I can drive four horses," I answer
ed,
very proudly. "We can get through,
I guess, if it doesn't storm so that we
can't follow the trees."
I had for some time been looking
anxiously for the lights of the town,
although there was no hope of seeing
them yet, when my attention was at
tracted by a dark object on the snow
far to the right toward the Wisconsin
shore.
The man saw it and said:
"What's coming over there—some
other teams?"
"They wouldn't be going so fast," "I
answered, picking up the whip from
the bottom of the sleigh.
The
shadow
wag now directly to the right.
"It's some sort of animal," went on
the man. He paused for a moment
and added: "They look like big
dogs."
At that moment there came a cry 1
had so often heard at home, only much
deeper, harsher and louder.
"They're wolves," I said,and I crack
ed the whip at the horses, although
that was hardly necessary, as they
heard the savage howl as well as we
did and knew it meant danger.
The second time I looked back I saw
that the pack was much nearer. I
could make out the leaders and see
that there must be twenty or thirty of
the animals, all told. My fellow pas
senger was clinging to the seat and
crying to me to drive faster, although
the horses were fairly running away,
and I Lad practically no control over
them one way or the other.
"Can't you throw out the trunk and
back seat?" I shouted to him.
I heard the man throwing out the
small sacks and the buffalo robes. The
robes seemed to delay the wolves
longer than anything else. They
stopped and tore them to shreds. We
got a quarter mile start. All of this
time the drunken driver was sleeping
like a log in the bottom of the sleigh.
The horses were becoming exhausted
and I could feel that they were going
slower. I now urged them on with
whip and voice, but it seemed to make
no difference. The howling behind
us began to come plainer the wolves
had left the robes and were again gain
ing on us. Right ahead I could see a
high ridge in the ice where it had
cracked and shoved up. A notch had
been cut in it just wide enough for a
sleigh to pass through. I held the
reins steady and tried to slow up a
little, in the hope of steering safely
through the narrow crack. As we
came upon it I saw a dark streak be
tween the rough cones at either side
the crack had opened two or three feet
during the day aud new Ice had form
ed. We struck the opening in the
ridge squarely the nigh horse reared
up and jumped over the new ice, but
the other stepped ou it and broke
through with one forward leg. He
fell, but the other horse dragged him
and the sleigh beyond the crack, where
we stopped all in a heap.
I jumped over the dashboard and fell
in the snow beside the horse. He was
struggling to rise, but 1 guessed what
had happened and threw my body
across his neck and felt of his leg. It
was crushed and broken. 1 got out
my knife, cut the breast strap which
held the neckyoke, and called to the
man to unhook tli^-4races, which he
managed to do at last.
The wounded horse was again strug
gling to rise and had sprawled himself
out of the way. 1 shouted at the other
horse he started with a bound and
the man and I threw ourselves into the
sleigh, half knocking out our brains
as our heads struck together. We
looked back and saw the whole hungry
pack fall upon the abandoned horse
and bear him down just as the poor
animal had succeeded in getting upon
his three sound legs.
The horse that was still attached to
the sleigh plunged on bravely for some
distance, with the sleigh tongue al
most plowing in the snow, but he soon
tired out and dragged himself along in
a startled way. But it made no differ
ence, as the wolves never pursued us
again.
We got out and walked beside the
sleigh to keep warm, and, as the crack
was only two miles from town, it was
not long before we reached our des
tination. A party of men went back
to get a shot at the wolves, but, their
hunger being satisfied on the fallen
liorse, they made off before the hunt
ers could reach them. The next morn
ing the passenger took the down stage
back to civilization, vowing that he
had had enough of the northwest. The
drunken driver w*as promptly discharg
ed by the stage company.—Youth's
Compan-ion.
Always the Saiu«.
Somebody has unearthed a book
written by Barthomolew Anglieus,
about 1260, of which one of the most
amusing chapters is on the children of
his day.
They dread no perils more than
beating with a rod (he writes), and
they love an apple more than gold,
and make more sorrow and woe for
the loss of an apple than for the loss
of a heritage.
They desire all that they see, and
pray and ask with voice and with
hand. They keep no counsel, but they
tell all that they hear and see. Sud
denly they laugh, and suddenly they
weep. Always they cry and jangle
that is, unless they be still while they
sleep.
When they be washed, anon they
make themselves unclean again. When
their mother washeth and combeth
them, they kick and sprawl, and put
with feet and hands, and withstand
with all their might.
All of which makes it appear that
those 1260 youngsters were the same
then as now.
Why She Refused the Boom.
A German lady, arriving for the first
time in-England, drove to a first-class
London hotel, asked for a room, and
was shown into a very small, scantily
furnished one. She said, in a deter
mined manner, and in very broken
English: "I will not have this room."
"No, ma'am," said the porter, and
brought in the first box. "Man!" re
peated the lady, emphatically, "I will
not have this room!" "No. ma'am,"
said the porter, and brought in the
second box. The lady thought her
faulty grammatical construction was
the reason for the porter's continued
obstinacy, and repeated, with a stern
distinctness: "Man, I will this room
not have." "No, ma'am," said the
porter and brought in the third box,
whereupon the lady left the room in
dignantly, but the porter drew her
hurriedly back across the threshold,
pulled a rope, and, to her intense as
tonishment, the lift went up.—Tit
Bits.
1IU Principle.
"Are you in favor of an open-door
policy?" "Well," said Aguinaldo, "I
suppose the door will have to be
opened. But
I
now that
want it understood right
I
tickets."
propose to be there taking
A Proud Record.
She—Have you ever climbed an Alp?
He—No but I went up to my office in
the twenty-seventh story one day
when the elevators were out of order
SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT HOLLY
They Are Numerous and Some Are Ter«
if.ilngr.
Many are the legends and supersti
tions connected with the holly. Old
authors write of the tree as the hul
^er and the holm, while in our old
ballads it i3 nearly always the holliu
lul
tfs
includes it among toe trees that grew
in the forest where Una and her gentle
knight sought "covert." Coles, in hla
quaint "Herbal," tells us that the
smaller branches of the holly may be
used in decorating houses and!
churches, and that those of a larger
size are ''very necessary for carters to
make whips aud for riding rods," and,
"which may seem a little strange" to
the reader who knows no better, "one
of his friends had a holly tree growing
in his orchard of that bignesse that,
being cut down, he caused it to be
sawed out in boards, and made him
self therewith a coffin, and," if Mr.
Coles mistakes not. "left enough to
make his wife one also." "Both the
parties," he adds, "were very corpu
lent. and therefore the reader may im
agine the bignesse of the tree."
In some parts of Yorkshire, curious
ly enough, to this day it is believed
that If more ivy than holly is used in
the Christmas decorations, the wife
will ."wear the breeches" for the ensu
ing year. An old farmer was once seen
pulling down the ivy with which the
kitchon was decorated. "I'll ha' noan
o' this," he whispered to his squire.
In Yorkshire, too, they have the beau
tiful superstition that Christmas is the
one feast of the year in which the
fairies may rejoice they may hear the
Holy Name without having to flee and
hide, and they have been heard to join
in the carols. Once a little elf-child,
we are told, was forgotten by some
mischance, and was heard weeping and
wailing up and down the house, though
none saw him till Whitsuntide. Speak
ing of this to an old woman in Dev
onshire, she assured us that the fairies
had left the child "of purpose." If any
one had had wit to sprinkle (christen)
him, he never would have gone back
to liis people, but would become a
Christian child. The holly used for
decorations, both in church and house,
should be taken down on Candlemas
eve. or misfortune will come on par
ish or people. In taking down holly
in some parts of England it is thought
unlucky to prick the finger if blood
comes, but if a leaf stick to dress or
coat it is a good omen. In old days
a branch of holly picked on Christmas
eve was as efficacious as the rowan, or
mountain ash, in protecting from
witches and warlocks or evil spells. A
twig, brought from church, might b»
kept, like the Eastern palm, for the
same purpose. Your cattle, too, will
thrive, and your sheep and goats bring
forth twins if you fasten up a bit of
holly in stall or manger or fold, that
God's creatures may rejoice with man
on the anniversary of His birth.
ACTIVITY IN CHINA.
There Is news of considerable indus
trial activity in China. Not only are
the Germans in Shantung forging
ahead in the matter of railway con
struction and the matter of coal, but
the Chinese themselves are beginning
to show marked signs of a determina
tion to turn the immense mineraF
wealth of the country to their own
profit. An edict has been issued ap
pointing Chang-Yi director of mines in
the Metropolitan province, with power
to form syndicates to work them. This
shows that the empress dowager has
grasped the situation, and means to
fight Western nations with their own
weapons. These efforts, laudable as
they may be, are, of course, predoom
ed to failure. Without European as
sistance nothing can be achieved even
by the quick-witted Chinaman, as was
amply demonstrated by the complete
failure of the viceroy, Chang Chih
Tung, to construct railways unassist
ed a few years ago. It does not fol*
low, however, that the Chinese are in
capable' of fully acquiring Western
knowledge of mechanics only they
must drop their pride and go to work
in a different spirit. Meanwhile there
is serious news about the emperor's
health and we fear that the event,
so often alluded to in these columns,
is rapidly approaching its cousumma
tion.
Hlg Gingham Aprons.
Perhaps the most unusual presents
ever received by a man were bestowed
this Christmas upon a Brooklyn man
who cooks. They were two big blue
and-white checked gingham aprons,
long and large, and with ample strings
to encircle the masculine waist.
man makes at times a descent
kitchen when
the
demonstrates how a
be broiled or some
merous things
it
The
to tho
maids
are away and
good steak should
other of the nu
of the preparation of
which for the table he considers thai,
he has an expert knowledge. Upon
such occasions
has been his custom
to borrow the first maid's apron con
venient. This good, housewifely ten
dency to use an apron being known,
there came to the man from out of
town the two big aprons, which were
probably the best appreciated of all
his Christmas gifts and were exhibited
with the greatest pride.—New York
Times.
How He Won Her.
"Ah," sighed the rich widow "how
do I know that you do not wish to
marry me simply for my money?"
"Darling!" cried the man, who was
young enough to be her son, "have I
not written poetry for the magazines?
And did you ever hear of a poet who
allowed money matters to enter into
his calculations?"
Why don't poultry raisers feed their
hens on egg plant?
