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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 29, 1887)
nrcr-in nil * A tt A TiATT.V MT7TP. ! QTTXm A V 1V1 1Rft7 TlVTPT.TrtT ! ABOUT CHAINED LIGHTNING , How the Oity of Mexico is Lighted with Electricity. OPERATED UNDER DIFFICULTIES The finish Plant In Hoston An Im portant Electrical Question Dif ficulties of Underground Wire * An Mloctrlcnl Itoad. W. J. Johnston , editor of the Elcctric.il \Vorld , in writing upon the electrical in dustries of Mexico : Just imagine. if you can the authorities of BUCU a city as Cincinnati , or New Orleans , or Sin Francisco , giving the ex clusive right of running electric light wires through the streets to one com pany , and then stretch your imagination n Jittle further and think of the company enjoying such exclusive privilege saying , in answer to a request for an electric light in front of n business house , that its utmost capacity is only 118 lights , all of which are taken by the city , so thai if you want an electric light in front of your store , you must either put in a pri vate plant , or wait until some arrange ment is made by which the company having the exclusive right of running wires through the city for electric light ing purposes can increase its plant stilli ciently to furnish lights to the public ! That is precisely the condition of af fairs to-day in the City of Mexico , the capital of tin1 republic , and a city with a larger population than either Cincinnati , Now Orleans , or San Francisco. So far as I was able to learn , the elec tric light was introduced into Mexico for the first time in 1877. The pioneer plant was brought from Franco in that your- add was installed in a small cotton fac , tory in the little village of San Angel- about seven miles from the City of Mex , ico. It was put in as an exhibition plant , with the expectation of getting the City of Mexico to adopt the system. Owing , however , to defects either in the manage ment or the system tin ; experiment proved a failure. The dynamo refused to work on the third night of the exhibi tion , and has never , they tell me , run since , it now languishes under a collcc- . lion of old mill iron and cobwebs. The Brush appears to have been the lirst American company that made an at tempt to introduce an electric light system in Mexico. A representative of that company went do\Vn there about 1880 , and two years later made an ar- i ! rrangement with thn .Mexican . Gas Light company for the control of the Brush system throughout the Republic of Mexico. The company that has the exclusive right of rtmninir electric liirht wires in the City of Mexico is an English ono , known by the name of the Mexican Gas N Light company. It has two sixty-light I. . Brush machines , and supplies , as I inti mated above , 118 lights all of them to the city. Mr. S. B. Knight , the manager of the company , has lived in Mexico a long timo.and does not appear to have at much faith in the future of electric light ing in Mexico as have American electri cians who go down there. Mr. Knight says that the company has a contract with the city for a considerably larger number of lights than arc now running ; that the finances of the city are so low that the company has been asked to carry out , for tiio present , only a jiart of the contract , and that to do this taxes the present capacity of the company to its utmost. The plant , says Mr. Knight , is to bo extended to ( iOO lights of 2,000 candle power each , in addition to ten towers of 1(1,000 ( candle power each. "Just as soon , " ho adds , "as the city tells us to go ahead , we will at once put in the nec essary apparatus , not only for the extra lights required by the city , but also for what will probably bo needed by the public. " There are several curious things about the City of Mexico which will interest electricians. The altitude is so higli 7,000 feet that an ore dynamo that is ordinarily intended to run at a speed of a thousand revolutions will furn'ish one- third more current in the City of Mexico than it would , say , at Vera Cruz , with the brushes in the same relative position. The consequence of this lias been that , through carelessness , a largo number of armatures liavo been burned out in the Cily of Mexico. The air in the City of Mexico also ex erts a remarkable cll'cct upon gas. The high altitude seems to make the gas slug gish ; and it requires a much larger pipe and more pressure to force the gas re quired in that city than in any place at the JoVc ! of the sea. In fact , cas that would have an illuminating power of 100 nt Vera Crux , would under the same con ditions have only , an illuminating power of seventy at the City of Mexico. I like to see circumstances of this kind taken advantage of and turned to prac tical account , and it looks to mo as if this is an important point in favor of the incandescent light. Mr. Knight told me that it was the intention of his company to introduce incandescent lights and give outtomcrs the choice of 'cither gas or electric lights , just as they preferred. As I stated in the last article , coal 1 costs (93 a ton in the City of Mexico , and gas is made from wood which costs f 14 a cord. The price of gas to the city is $5.r > 0 a thousand and tit private customers | 7.f > 0. There are three factories in Mexico lighted by the Brush system two in the City of Mexico and ono on the road to Vera Crux. There are 4fi 1,800 candle power lights in ono of these , 80 1'00 candle power lights in another nnd 10 2,000 candle power Ifghts * In the third. Vera Cruz has a plant of two lit light Brush dynamos and supplies ! i3 lights. Electric Road for the Auntrlan Alps The Austrian government has granted a charter to the firm of Siemens Ac Halske to make a preliminary survey andaloca- tioB of n railroad from Lend to Bad Gaotoiu and Bockstein , in the Austrian Alpg , to bo operated by electricity. The maximum cradn will be 4 per cent , the entire length in 3 English miles , and the coit is reckoned at f355OjO. From the Dtation nt Lend the road will , by a series of extensive cmvcs.avoid the high grades until It reaohca a point above the falls of the rive1 ; then It will bo laid through the Klamm pass , and the bed of the river Ache , until the level of the village of Gastcin is reached. This plan was adopted in preference to * that of two competing firms for its cheapness and practicability. They proposed moro direct lines , which would Rave necessitated the use of the rack rail for some short sections with teep grades which would have been unavoidable. The New Pullman Train. The magnificent now Pullman train of fire palace cars , that has lately been on exhibition in various cities , is now being eqalppcd with incandescent lamps and storage batteries by the Electrical Accu mulator company. The electric light ts the only one that goes well with such taite and beauty , or that it will not spoil the elaborate decorations. The train COM on the Pennsylvania road to run be tween Chicago and New York. Tbo Telephone In China. The syndicate which is now about to develop the telephone in China has , it Is aaid , a backing of 120,000,000. Butter Maklnn by Electricity. At the agricultural nnd dairy show iu the Madison Square gardens , last week , ny > the Electrical World , a "Silver1' ' eJturn was driven by a C. & C. motor eoHoneted up in the regular , lightning , lirouit. The butter made iu this way S pronounced excellent by all who have tried It and It was in brisk demand. A great many of the people who saw the motor running the churn have gone homo to think that matter over seriously. It wns n new Idea to them , Arc hump Kleotrlcity. Boston Herald : "Does It not affect a watch to stand near a dynamo machine whim it is in motion ? " wns asked of the night superintendent of the Brush station on Ferdinand street. "Oh , j'os ; very seriously. " "And " why ? "Because the works become charged with electricity. The steel absorbs a greater quantity of the lluld than the brass , and the resistant inlluenco upon the latter metal by the former becomes KO great that the wheels are held in check and the watch stops. " "is it dangerous business to work about a dvnamoJ" ' 'No ' ; we haven't had an accident here since the station was established. The line mcn.howevor.frcquentlyget a shock , but it is seldom they receive uny serious injury. " "Can you toll when a lamp goes out on a given circuit ? " "No ; but if two or three should fail , those little dials upon that shelf over there would warn us of the fact. " "Arc you troubled much with your lamps failing to burn ? " "No. If tno rods are properly covered and the other mechanism carefully at tended to , we have no dilllculty. A lamp with ordinary care ought to run six months without repair. After that it should bo thoroughly overhauled. " "What power does it take to run a slngli ! lamp ? " "We reckon onc-horso power to each lamp. " "What is this amount of power worth ? " "When wo hired it we paid $100 a year ; but with our machinery it costs about $15. Experts differ on this subject , however - over , some claiming that it costs nearer ? ( ! ( ) to develop a horse-power. " "How many lamps do you run on a circuit ? " "About sixty. " "And how many circuits have you ? " "Thirtv-threo " running from this sta tion. " "Of course the nearer j-our lamps arc together the cheaper it is to run them , as you have so much less wire to look after. " "Yes , that is true. But what do you think of two lamps three miles apart , as is the case on one of our circujts in the outskirts of the oitv ? The prolit on these illuminators can't bo great when the cost of the wire and the attention necessary to keep it in repair are taken into con sideration. " "Why don't you put your wires under ground ? " "That wo will willingly do when some one invents a properly insulated cable. You see the nature ot the electric cur rent is to reach the earth , and if the in sulation is not complete it jumps from the wire and its intensity for service be yond the defect is thereby reduced. Our company has spent $10,000 in cxpnrment- ing with underground cables , but all the results have been uupatisfactory. It would cost an enormous sum to bury our Wires , but it would be a good investment even at that , because we would then es cape the nuisance of continually repair ing thorn , as is now the case , and also avoid the constant complaints of people over whoso buildings the wires are strung. It , is a popular belief that elec tric lighting wires endanger property from lire , and the moment one of them is run over a house for the lirst time the owner immediately declares war against us , as he thinks wo are plotting to' cre mate him. The record of lircs caused by electric wires you will lind to be very small. Many claim that the premium of their policies is increased when the wires are attached to their buildings. But it seems to me ridiculously absurd for an insurance company to raise its rates under such circumstances , as mice nib bling at matches cause 100 fires to our one ; yet we never hear of them being taken into consideration when an insur ance rate is given on a building. " "How many men do you employ here ? " "Ono hundred and thirty , divided into three reliefs. " "What is the combined intensity of all your dynamos ? " "Strong enough to instantly kill every person in the city of Boston , were they to stand iu line and take hold of the wires. " An Important Klcotrlcal Question. Philadelphia Telegram : How long is electric Kghtiug to bo supposed to bo "on trial ? " The question has oc curred , no doubt , to every citi'/en , and the current proposition to remove street gas lamps rendered useless by the new lighting , so as to place them in new neighborhoods not soon likely to bo reached by electricity , may bring it to an issue. We believe there will be no dis position to hurry matters , yet naturally the question must be decided al some limo. When shall the marvelous new invention be considered fully installed ? To retain the gas lamps as an alternative after the entire sufficiency of electricity should bo demonstrated , would not be business-like. When gas suporccdeJ the street oil lamps , the early cumbersome apparatus was retained for a while , iu expectation that some time it would be needed through n complete gas tiiilitrn. i . But , in the end , lamps and boxes had to go. The present situation is much the same as that one. There is not an exact parallel , since the gas mains will con- tiniu ) to run everywhere for the use of private consumers , and the street lamp attachments make a simpler system than the old lamps did , which stood for them selves jtlono. All the same , when tno gas lamps arc delinitoly shown to bo useless - loss , should they continue to encumber the streets ? Uiirtcruounil Klcctrlclty. Pittsburg Commercial-Oa/.ctto : before the legislative committee yesterday , S. A. Duncanof the electric light company , gave testimony on the subject of under ground wires. Ho said the electric light company had not experimented in this line very extensively in this city , but pro posed during the present summer to lay a line of underground , cables on Virgin alloy. Owing to the strong current re quired over these wires they became dangerous when placed underground , as had been demonstrated in Philadelphia. The manufactured gas was apt to collect in the trenches or conduits , and in many instances where the wires had come in contact with each other sparks were omitted which caused disastrous ex plosions. Also , where the lines hap ; pened to touch the iron covering of fO sewer are pa , the latter became so charged with electricity as to cause the tenth of animals stepping on them. 10e He did not favor the idea of a large ; conduit in which the wires of the differ- cnt telegraph , telephone and light com panies would be placed , as the induction from the many wires , which even now overhead Is a source of trouble , would bo largely augmented nnd seriously in terfere with the business , especially lilt the telephone companies. lti. Ho suggested that by way of experi i. ment the city place all their own wires under ground and give the system a trial before it undertook to compel the com panies to incur an enormous expense for something which was at best a risk. CADET WHITTAKER. The Late Career of the' Famous C'ol- eruct Fraud. A Washington dispatch to the Minne apolis Journal writes : Five years ago Johnson Chestnut Whittaker , who had then just escaped a sentence of ono year in prison for having , as it was alleged , mutilated himself to escape the result of failure to pass his examination at the ( academy , wa * induced to go to buffalo to tell the people of that olty what he knew of the color line al West Point. A Buffalo newspaper man conceived the Idea of In troducing the "colored cadet from West Point" to the rostrum. The venture was not a great financial success , and Whittaker was dropped. Then another man took hold of him , and by taking him to the smaller towns in western New York succeeded in aiding him to make a very fair living. Finally , however , some enthusiastic col ored minister in South Carolina turned the head of the ex-cadet by offering him $100 for a speech in Columbia on the Fourth of July. Whittaker was certain that this was the tide In his all'airs which was to lead to fortune. He declined to fill any more engagements in New York , and at last inducuilouo of the men who had befriended him to go sou tli with him. Ho declared that Haltimorc , on account of its great colored population , would bo a good ono night stand , and against the judgment of the other a stop was made in the Monumental city. The result was disastrous. Although they stayed a week in the place , and advertised the lec ture extensively , there was only $ ( ! .riO in the house , and the partnership dissolved. Whittakor was v * y angry at the cool ness with which the colored people greeted him , and to vent his temper ho Ditched into President Arthur for Ms ap proval of the findings of the court mar tial of Lieutenant Flipper. This indis- crci't act cost him clearly. It was the only portion of the lecture reported by the Baltimore Sun. A few days later Whit- taker , through the Influence of Cong ressman Smalls , was about to bo appointed - ' pointed to a place in the surgeon gener al's oilice of the war department. His appointment had been made out and was in the hands of Secretary Lincoln for his signature , when the attention of that of ficial was directed to the Baltimore speech of the ex-cadet. That settled it. Ho was not appointed , but instead went on to South Carolina , and was , I am in formed acmitted to practice at the bar. it is said that lie is doing well , MUSICAL AND DUAMATIU' Miss Vernniia Jarbeau will star next sua- sou In a play of her own. It is said among .Mr. Lester Wnllack's inti mates that he has a ilesiie to an la Kn laud to live. A Now York contemporary asserts that Sarah Hcnihanlt Is a "born ruler. " That may be true , but to u.- ) she looks like a yard stick. It Is said that Dlxey will not play ln-ro next season , but will go on the mail. He will produce "Adonis 11 " , nt the Bijou on May 30 Koso CoRhlan , Osmond Tearle , Kyrlo Uel- lew , John ( Jilburt and Mailanic I'onisi will be members of the compary at Wallack's theatre next season. The gossips say that Mr. Frederick ( let- hard Is a partner with Mrs. Lanijtryin her theatrical ventures. Mr. ( .iobharu has the happy faculty of combining business with pleasure. A Kansas City contemporary , evidently with plte , says that a theater will chortly bo erected in that bun ; "that will knock the spots olf'n the measly old Grand opera house of Paris. " Modje.tka will proilueo a new play next season , "The Witch , " an adaptation by (3. M. Itae. an KndUli dramatist , of "Die llcxe. " a six-year-old German drama. It lias been tried in London. Mr. J. M. 11111 has secured an additional lease of live years on tno Union Square tli'-atre. ' Dtirln.-the summer Mr. Hill will maUu several alterations In the house , and redecorate it throughout. Mr. Lawrence Barrett's season will close in this city next week. Mr. Uarrctt will spend the summer at Cohasset , Massachu setts. Xext week he will play in "Hamlet , " "Ulchelleu , " "Yorick's Love , " "Tim Mer chant ot Venice" and "David Oarrick. " Manager llu entiiest ] tias pin bused a new play by Lawrence .Marston. called "Hypo crite , " and will proilueo it at.the Fourteenth Street tlieatre , on Monday uvpnliir , Juno C , with'Osmond Tearlc , Herbert Kclcey , New ton Gottliolit and Annie Kobe iu the leading parts. By the terms of the agreement between Mrs. James Brown Potter and Harry Miner , she will make her lirst appearance in New York on October 10 , remain there for six weeks and then make a tour ot the principal cities. The company , scenery anil ptoper- tie.s are to be subjected to Mrs. Potter's ap proval. Miss Helen Dauvray will travel ( lurinc the whole ot her next season by .special ears , so arranged as to accommodate nil the scenery and properties usvd by her in "Walila Laiunr" anil the comedies In her repertory. This will , to a certain extent , obviate any difficulties which mi.-lit arise through the op erations of the inter-state commerce bill. MiS3 Dauvray will be one ot the few stars who will carry with them n laix-o amount of scenery. She thinks that it is due to her audiences throughout the country to produce her plavs In the same mauner as was done In SAFE FROM CYCLONES. Apartments of a Southerner. Suvunah Times : Perhaps the largest , best I arranged , best furnished and most costly cyclone pit in the country is owned by \ Edward Brown of Eatonton. It is sit uated near the buck door of his residence and is large enough to accommodate his entire family. The walls are of brick , laid 1 in content , the lloor is carpeted , has a fireplace anil u chimney , and the room is i handsomely furnished. The family could spend the night there witli as much comfort as in the dwelling. In repairing it Mr. Urown had an eyu to its perma- nonoy ' and spared no expense in making it pleasant and comfortable. To guard against the contingency of the house blowing over on it and impris oning the inmates , n large sewer pipe leads ofl'from the pit in an opposite di rection of 100 yards , through which the family could escape. The unique under ground dwelling Is thoroughly protected against water rising from below or run ning in from above. The cost was over | 500. Chinese Temples a ml Altars. San Francisco Bulletin : In and near Canton are 125 temples. Every store keeper has n picture ) of Confucius or of some other sago conspicuously placed on the rear wall of his store. To these homo altars inoenso is daily burned. The temples are usually lilthy ; a crowd of fortune-tellers , gamblers , sellers of small warns and beggars infest the popular places. One of the temples has .100 life sisso genii , nil in a sitting posture , and each with a different ex pression or with his hands in a peculiar position. One wise man had whiskers and a decidedly European cast of counte nance. Upon asking what Gcd he was I was told that it was Marco Polo. It was my lirst interview with Mark , and he seemed to be pleased at meeting mo. At least n benign smile rested on his wooden face. Patience has its re ward. Marco was accused of lying be cause ho tola the customs of the Orient , but now ho is enrolled among the Bud- dims and sits composedly among those 500 gilded idols. The god who holds up the moon was shown to me. The left arm is much longer than the other. There is also a temple , a Tartar temple 1 think , devoted to the live genh who come to the city on rams licariug gifts of grain to the city. The rams were turned tostono and are there to convince the obstinate rive rough-looking stones , about &s largo as a man's head showing that the rains wore condemned when transformed. Thorn Is also a largo boll here with a piece knocked out of the bet tom. It was a tradition that whenever the bell should sound calamity would fall upon the city ; and when the English and French besieged the city in 1857 , ono of their cannon balls struck thn bell , broke oil'a piece and caused U to sound. In sight of this temple is a tower built by the Mohammedans in the llth century. The next object of interest was the Flowrey Pagoda , the stories high , about twenty feet in diameter and with a great amount .of carving on it. IDE ROCK OF' GIBRALTAR , The Present Condition of the Famous Fortress , ADDITIONS TO THE DEFENCES. Adequate Wntnr Supply Visitors and How Thry nro KognlntcJ A Jolly Place for Jack Tar * , A correspondent of the San Francisco Chronicle , writing from Gibraltar , says ; There is no port on the European station hailed with more delight by the crew of an American man-of-war than is Gib raltar. Let a hundred tars go over the side on liberty with a month's pay in their monk bags , and depend on it the Scotcli Highlanders will soon be singing "Yankee Doodle" to the tuuo set by the jolllest crowd of tars that ever stepped ashore. There is something connected with the "rock" that Is just to Jack's taste.though the merry fellow will admit that the lassies are not equal to those in Monaco and Naples. The good-natured Highlanders get along famously well with our blue jackets , and thus save the ship's marines no end of trouble. To the ollicers of the vessel there is al ways much of interest to bo seen at Gib raltar , and especially to one who has onlv recently comu on the station. Our vessels always touch at the "rock" when going ui ) the "straits , " and it is often the lirst port made after leaving homo. Gibraltar has so often been written up that 1 doubt not that many readers of the Chronicle have more than a general idea of the famous fortress , for it is by no means apart from the highway of the traveler ' and pleasure seeker. The ex pression "as strong as Gibraltar" lias be come well nigh trite , but the simile is well chosen it one nan but conceive of the immense strength of the place. Though Gibraltar has not been sub jected to the attacks of vessels of war o ! the present ( lav , still it has withstood a siege before which no otiier fortress in the world could have held out. Since that famous sii'go of the last century everything has been done to make the place , humanly speaking , impreg nable. That this lias been accomplished even a cursory glance sulllces to show , and Jack ! will tell his messmates on some foroicn station that "the bloody 'lime juicers' at the. 'rock' add a gun for every new year , and now tliey have l,8S7 , guns in position. " The "rock" itself is not more than seven miles in circumference , and its ele vation above the-sea , at the highest point , does not exceed 1,400 feet. The town is situated on the western slope , for on all other sides the ascent is very pre cipitous. Tiio isthmus which connects Gibraltar with the main land is a little more than a milo wide , and. it is on this isthmus that the famous neutral ground is marked oil'by the two parallel rows of English ami Spanish sentry boxes. Apart from the position of the "rock , " it is greatly strengthened by the presence of remarkable natural caverns with which it is perforated. These caverns are all dillictilt of acces . The largest , St. Michael's , lias a hall hung with stalac tites reaching from roof to lloor. Its en trance is 1,000 feet above the level of the sea , and is connected with other caverns beneath of unknown depth. No doubt the presence of these natural caverns suggested the idea of the British of excavating and tunnelling the "rock. " A system of gal leries have been cut facing the harbor and neutral ground at an enormous ex- peusc. Much of this work was carried on by prisoners. At intervals of twelve yard's ports have been cut for guns , and some of the ordnance mounted is of very heavy caliber. The galleries arc tunnel ed in tiers , and several extend to a dis tance of two or three miles , being wide enough to admit of the ox-carts of the fort. On the western slope there are many level spots , but the "Hats" of Gib raltar are near the top of the "rock. " It is here that the infantry is drilled and exercised. The garrison consists of nearly 5,000 men , and it has always been the custom of the "Horse Guards , " in London , to send out a great many High landers to Gibraltar , though they do not compose the full force. The garrison is one of the hardest drilled in the British service , and the men are usually the pick of the army. The feeling of pride will allow only the llower of the British troops to hold Gibraltar. Report has it that General Grant considered this garrison risen the linest body of men of any he saw during Ins tour around the world. There are a great number of Moors and Jews hero beside English , and not a few Spaniards. All foreigners visiting the town are required to take out a per- mis do scjour , and must lind bondsmen to go security for their good behavior during the ten , fifteen or twenty days for 'which the permit is made out. However , his stay may bo renewed alter the expira tion of the time limit. The authorities prevent as much as possible any acquisi tion in the way of new residents. This is to the town only. Inside the limits of the barracks no strangers are admitted after nightfall. The ollicers. however , may introduce a friend for a period of a month , but arc held in strict account for all his actions. Justice is adminis tered according to the laws of England , but there is a prevailing spirit of the military court martial in all the proceed ings of the court. The air militairo is inculcated in all pertaining to the "rock , " and is more than an apparent Beaming. The majority of the houses in the town are built with Hat tops , which enable the inhabitant ! ) to secure a considerable amount of rain water. Tanks are built under the buildings and arc lilted with drains leading from the roofs. It is the writer supply which has always proved of vital importance to Gibraltar , but the authorities have finally mastered the question , and the "rock'1 ' is now well provided with good water. Two largo tanks , ono containing 0,000 and the other 11.000 gallons , are kept constantly full With which to supply naval vessels. Gibraltar stands to-day the key to the Mediterranean , and is the center of that linn of fortresses which connects Greaf Britain with those enormous fields of wealth in the East Indies. The strategetic importance of this position was observed by the Saracens as far back as 711 A. I ) . , and under a loader named Lorik fen Loyad landed and fortitieil the place in that year. During a period of 700 years from "its lirst .acquisition by the Saracens , Gibraltar was held either by the Moors or Saracens , nnd was a constant cause of war between these two races. In 14(12 ( a Spanish foroo under the Duke of Medina Sidonia wrestled the fortress from the Moors , and so strength ened it as to be considorcil impregnable. But in 1701 the combined English ant ! Dutch fleets , under Sir George Uooko am the prince of Hesse-Darmstadt , took thn "rock" from the Spaniards and held it until 1713 , when it was confirmed to Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht The Spaniards would not let Gibraltar eo without another struggle , nnd attacker the irarrison in 1727 ; but a cessation o hostilities soon came about on thn sign ing of preliminaries of peace between Spain and England. The noted siege , which lasted from 1779 to 1783 , marks one of the greatest annul in British military history , nnd never dli troops win greater renown than the fa mous garrison that held Gibraltar ngains the combined forces of France and Spam Ml the implements of modern warfare vcro used by the bcslcgers.btit the "rock" > rovcd Impregnable. Captain Drink- vnter of the British army Is authority for fating that 1,000 guns wore brought to > ear by the allies , nnd that in the outer mrbor were anchored forty-seven ships ) f thn line , carrying the ensigns of Franco mu Spain , The stubbornness of the defenders wag voii'lerful , lighting , as they were , against uch odds ; but in the end il brought vie- ory to the British standards and humor- alf/.cd Eliot and his men. British troops mav never again bo called ipon to hold Gibraltar as they did in 1780. jut the garrison of to-day is over prepared o defend the famous "rock" against the runes and llects of the world. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. 'en ' Picture of Homo ashlonnlilo Wanton. New York Sun : It was the last Patti ight , and la diva smiled her farewell. Waves of song surged through the rrand opera house , the scent of roses lied the air , the light Hashed on the iamond-decked brow of a woman whoso ace betrayed weariness of her world , she had led her set through so many sea- ons. The haughty face rarely reflected motion , but that night she sighed at the ml of an act , nud said to a man by her ido : ' It is so long since 1 heard that won- lerful voice. I feel old to see the look of youth yet in its possessor's face and i's lastielty in her step , and to think that re lonjr she must lay aside the sceptre 'f ' song. The world is leaving us be- liiul , inon ami , but the songstress yonder s part of its history still. " Like a cameo it looked , with white , liiselled features and black velvet aught to the women's breast by great hams of gems. Patti sang in the olden days to this voman young and fair , with a song of oy in her heart , light as the singer's awn. It was silenced long ago , and lamoiuls shine now where the rose of illcction once rested. Like the song of the bird , the voice of he sweet singer rang on the car of the i&tcning throng. A woman heard It with bitter smile itul jealous glanco. It recalled the lights when she stood in her flower- vreathcd beauty and sang to eager jrowds , when lovers sued and the puulic encored. Gone together , both changeful is the sunshine of an April day. A lethroned queen , stout , fade and for gotten. Many singers have come and gone inco Patti lirst warbled to us , while she still wields the sensuous spell of the . orici , but lurs us lo pleasure alone. The voice went to the heart of a voman with burning eyes and hectic check. Her brief reign bad almost ended n the kingdom of tashion. Her rare gift of song had no utterance now , and she had come to take with her the sound of la diva's voice into the realm of the riiat unknown. Snatching the flowers by her side she .iirow them at the singer's feet , a compli- nent which seemed irreater from the lying girl than the jewels that bla/.ed on . 'attrs breast. Many eyes followed a tall , lissome iguru in a shining satin bodice resplend ent with gems as it moved in and out of i box. .Hie prominence of the man who md bought this loveliness made it more noticed still. She had the beauty ot Gretchcn , with the gi ts ol thn tempter about her white throat In the hush of the music our fancy Iriftcd back to the time when the woman ivas a child playing in the sand on the shore. With eyes like wet violets and hair .ike spun gold , she Hashed among the jreakers. Her joyous laughter ringing like a silvery chime amid the ocean s roar. We saw her dancing like a sprite to the music of the baud , in the muslin and , auo of her ballroom attire. She grew up like a lily , tall and fair , and girlish coyness merged into maidenly coquetry. Next her beauty Hashed upon us amid the whirl of a Saratoga season. She wore white muslin still , with crimson roses at her waist , and the freshness of lier complexion attracted every eye. The lovely hair formed au aureole about her Grecian brow. The laughter sounds less often on her rosy lips , nnd within the pansy eyes a strange seriousness seems to rest. Studying her among the jostling throng , we fancied that the shadow of a doom seemed gathering over the pale , smooth brow , an.1 that the litfulness of life already touched the depths of her eyes , which had the innocent look of a child ' We likened her to Vera in "Moths. " and her blonde mamma to the Lady Dolly. The prince came. He was old nnd hardened by distrust nnd caro. Ho had known Dolly these many years , but the child he had scarcely noticed until , like a great white pearl , she gleamed before him ami caught the fancy of his wearied eye. " restful " ho said. "I "She is , can trust her , 1 think , because her eyes do not lie , nor has she yet learned the tricks of her world of womankind. Dolly's daugh ter seems odd to trust , but I will chance it , " the old millionaire said , and into his crusty heart a new emotion crept. " "Sue is unlike her kind ; 1 will wed her , " he decided. "These dudes and swells bring flowers to you. This man oilers jewels , " clover Do'llv whispered in her daughter's ear. "He will give you the power that rules thn world gold. Listen to his wooing , " heartless Dolly said. . Decked in costly stufls and strung with gems , the llowor-faced girl became the old man's bridn. Her carriage Hashes through the park , her luces Heat along the corridors of the watering place ho tels. Jewels burn like lire upon her icy heart , and the shadows of a loveless youth have chased its brightness from her ' ' C'i'will go to hear Patti to-night : it niay give me pleasure , " she said to a Inend as they drove through the park in the fading sunlight of the late afternoon. Yet women envied her in her box with her gems , and youth , ana gold to make life fikoadream. Dolly looked on with a fiinilo like that of an auctioneer who makes a good sale. She wore diamonds , too , and the world said "a pretty woman is Dollywho looks as young as tno daughter at her side.1 A battered face , all patched with cos metics and crowned with a wig of pale gold , caught the eye. The shade of the hair brought out the lines of the face , which once may have worn the Hush of beauty. It was the same that was crowned with snowy hair but a few nights before. Was it a woman or a hair dresser's model , with it curly wigs of varied hues and the pink and white face of a doll ? The model serves a purpose the wo man makes us pity more than jeer. Outward the music rang on the air of the still , starry night. La diva made her final bow behind a bank of ( lowers. I ho women of high fashion smiled their sweetest , and thn curtain rang down on Patti's last night in America. WIIKS thn stomach lacks vigor anil regularity there will bo flatulence , heart burn , nausea sick-headache , nervousness , use Dr. J. H. McLean's Strengthening Cordial and Blood Purifier , to glvo tone an4 regularity to the stomach. Mrs. Hannah Buxton , widow of Aaron lUixton , died at her homo nor r Pleasant Hiilgo , Hamilton county , O , , last Satur day afternoon in the eighty-seventh year of her ago. Her husband was buriet about three years ago and was about the same age. " " "HEADQUARTERS , Tl , A , Ul'TOX. Z. TlWMASO'y ' M , A , UPTON & CO Business Property , Residence Sites , Trackage Locations , Vacant Lots , Business Property 77 feet on Farnam street cast of Twentieth , on grade , well improved , $ 10,000 ; iI.r.,000 cash. 44 fent on corner Nineteenth and Farnam , improvements will rent for $250 per month , $118,000 ; $10,000 cash. CO feet on Farnam east of Twenty-fourth street , ! ) room house , all modern improvements , rents $75 per moirth , $10.500 , one-half cash 00x132 , corner Twenty-fourth and Farnani , elegantly improved , $3\000 , only $5,000 cash. 77 feet on Farnam just west of Twenty-eighth street , $200 per front foot. Good business property. Stores adjoining. CGxl.2 ! on Dodge street between Eleventh and Twelfth , $27,000. This la $3,000 cheap , for nothing between Eleventh and Sixteenth streets on Dodge street can bo had for less than $300 n foot and upwards. This is to be taken at once or the price will bo $33,000 in a few days. 109 feet on southwest corner Eighteenth and Hartley. Gilt-edge busi ness property , $11,500 ; $15,000 cash. 44x00 corner on Tenth and Douglas , improved , $21,000 ; ? fl,000 , cash. 25x150 near Williams street on Thirteenth street , paved. First-class busi ness lot , two notices on it , stores all around and a line block to bo built nearly opposite , $5,000 ; one-half cash. This a bargain and no mistake. This prop erty will bring $300 a foot before the year closes. 00x132 corner lot Sixteenth and Jones , $10.000 ; $17,500 cash. Tills is 133 feet on Sixteenth street. 132 feet square , corner Davenport and Sixteenth streets , $00,000 ; one- third cash. 08x185 , corner Eighteenth and Lcavcnworth , 185 feet on honvcnworth , $ -10,000 ; $10,000 cash , balance on long time. 75x132 , corner Eighteenth and St. Mary's avenue , improvements , rents for $110 per month , $30,000 ; one-third cash. 22x132 , between Douglas and Dodge , tiirce story biick building , will rent for $2,500 , a year , $22,000 , one-half cash. This is good for permanent invest ment. Choice lots of Sixteenth property , south of viaduct , at $103 front foot. All about on grade not the low stuff on west side of street. The time will soon be here when this will be line business property for retail purposes , then you will buy it for $300 or f-100 per foot. RESIDENCES. Lot 7 , block 0. Dcnisc's addition , 43x150. Good 5-room house , furnacebarn etc. Everything in nice repair , $4,500 ; $2,500 cash. 132 feet square on Ninth street , just south of Bancroft , fiva-room house and barn. Now hold your breath while we quote a price on this half aero. You guess it will bo about $0,000 , , don't you ? Well , $3,200 , will buy it for a few days ; one-half cash. Breatlo. : A line lot on South Eleventh strcet.north of Bancroft.in . Bowery Hill ; house 20x28 , in good repair , $4,150 ; $415 cash. Lot 11 , block 1 , Kountze's 4th addition , on Eleventh street , just south of Centre , lot 60x138 , house rents for $13 per month , $4,500. Lot 13 , block 7 , ShulPs second addition.six room house , cistern , city water cellar , etc. , lot 03x108 , south front on Popplcton avenue , house will acnt for $27.50 per month , $4,050 ; $2,000 cash , balance to suit. 100x150 on Georgia avenue , ono block from street cars , twelve room , two story house , city water in house and yard , cistern , cemented cellar , small fruits , largo barn for six horses and four carriages. An elegant and com plete homo , $12.000 ; $8,000 cash , balance to suit. 132x140 , cast front , corner Fifteenth and Dorcas streets , good Inuso ; an elegant half acre , only a little over a mile from Farnam street , and half block from Sixteenth street. $10.000 cash. We have other residences in ShulTi ad in Hanscom PlaceShinn's.Idlowild . and most other additions. Remember that we can fit you out with any kind of property. TRACKAGE , Lot 5 , block 225 , corner Sixteenth and Mason , 132 feet on Sixteenth street U. P. railway has bought up everything around this corncr.two stores on this lot that are bringing good rent , only $19,500. Money in this and no mistake. The trackage lot we advertised last week on Marcy street is gone. The owner is $5,000 ahead on it. 69x132 , just north of Nicholas on Eleventh street , will bo worth $5,030 before the year is out. $3'000 will buy it this month. 60x182 , south front on Izard street , track in alley , $0,030 , , ono-thiril cash. This is between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets. VACANT LOTS. Vacant lots ! It is useless to enumerate them. Wo have them anywhere and everywhere , inside the city limits of Omaha and South Omaha , nnd wo have good purchases that cannot help but make the buyers money. Wo will not guarantee that you will double your money in sixty days or any such nonsense. But let us tell you ono thing , Omaha is a growing city. There is no boom hero , no excitement , but rapid , substantial growth , which indi cates permanency. Keep in Omaha or South Omaha and you arc all right. You will get good interest on your investment. Wo are now in our now oflice , 1519 Farnam street , where wo have plenty of room and are fully prepared - pared to accommodate and show property. Call and talk matters over with us. Our door always opens easy. M. A. UPTON & CO. 1519Farnam St. ' ' HEADQUARTERS.