Nebraska Newspapers

    THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : SUNPAYftQULY 7 , 1889.-SIXTEEN PAGES. 11
HISTORIC SCENES IN SPAIN ,
Mrs. Shorwcod Wrltca of Oordovo ,
Granada and Sovlllo.
A DREAM OF PERFECT BEAUTY.
Mngnlflarnt Moorlfih Temples nnd the
Chnrina oftlio Kninous Allinmbrix
. llio Infnnt Monarch An
Insplrntlon tor I'nlntors.
Scenes of lilonl Iiovcllncni.
The Mosque of Cordova is the most
beautiful tcmplo which exists , ono of
the most admirable monumonteof man's
genius on the earth , Boys Mrs. M. E.
\V. Sherwood , writing from Sovlllo to
the Now York World. Wo endeavored
to take a drive nround Cordova , hut the
roads have not been paved since the
Moor , so it aa necessarily short. The
once powerful city has dwindled to a
dead nnd allvo town of 60,000 people ,
who still , however , have that nfr of de
cayed gentility which all Spaniards
keep , nnd their houses are pretty
Moorish buildings among most lovely
gardens. Wo wont to see the old bridge ,
dating from the times of Augustus , re
constructed by the Arabs , and the ruined
old wn.l1 ) , the debris of statues and bas-
rollcfs , the inscriptions In honor of the
emperors , the gray old vestibules , the
falry-llko balconies over which the
hnndhomo Andnlusinns lean with flow
ers In tnoir beautiful hair. It was all n ,
, 'lrotun , nnd Tom Moore , with his foolish
ballads of the Guadalquivir ( the river
flowing at our feet ) , came up , with the
eternal rhyme nnd the twnnglng of the
guitar. Such are the confusions in one's
Ttroh.'uology in Cordova
Wo came on to Granada , the next
afternoon. It is appropriate that the
mosque of Cordova and the miracle of
the Alhambra , though twenty-four
bourn from everywhere else , should bo
within live hours of ouch other. The
Bonsuous dream of luxury on earth ,
wjilch the followers of the Prophet were
to continue in heaven , could have no
grander exploitation than the Alham-
bm.
bm.Vo had a delightful journey. The
wild flowers and the orange groves kept
us company , and the old Spanish towns
grow moru quaint and old , the stones
graver , and the Siora Nevada began to
show us the snow ; an outline not unlike
Mount Blano from Geneva rose on the
rosy horizon. It became a vision of un
earthly grandeur and beauty. When
the evening fell n moon , not yet quite
full , helped to prolong the picture.
AB we entered Grenada the beggars
nnd cabdrivers , the Spanish outcries
nnd the groans of the donkojs nearly
deafened us. Soon , however , wo were
driving by moonlight through the beau
tiful elm forest planted by the Duke of
Wellington in 181U , and the nightin
gales were bursting their throats to
give us the most delicate poultice for
out' ' wounded ears. Dr. Holmes says :
And Bllcnco like a poultice came ,
To heal tbo wounds of sound.
It is profanation to compare the ex
quisite and heart-breaking note of the
nightingale to a poultice , but it was In-
flnitolv Boothihg. This forest was a
surprise to me. Why did nobody ever
tell mo that wo drove through a forest
to the Allmmbrn ?
We alighted at this comfortable
house , where wo can breakfast on a
balcony overlooking a garden , where
from ono window we look into the for
est , nnd from another over a bank of
yellow roses , toward the Slorru Nevada.
We never wish to go away. The Al
hambra , approached through magni
ficent horseshoe arches , and opening its
wonderful fountains , gardens and fairylike -
like columns upon' one , is at first n dis
appointment , because it is being re
stored , and there is an air of newness
about the Court of the Lions.
QLOItlUS OV THE ALHAMHHA.
But to go often , to go clone , to read ,
think , meditate there ; to mount its
towers , to dream in its courts , to read
over "Tales of the Alhambra" there ;
it grows and it grows , until it becomes
the Palace of the Heart.
The superb Hall of the Ambassadors ,
where Ferdinand and Isabella received
Columbus , was the first majesty which
overwhelmed mo ; thou the Court of the
Lions ; what a labyrinth of arches ,
enrvod embroideries ; what indefinable
elegance , what inimitable delicacy ,
what a prodigious richness ! and some
thing BO airy , so undulating , like a cur
tain of lace , which a breath could blow
away ; which has stood 700 years , a de
lightful confusion , a graceful disorder ,
"tho majesty of a royal palace and the
gavety of a KIOSK , " itn extravagance , a
delight , n living grnco , u folly , a fancy ,
the dream of an angel , the rosy visions
of first love , something too evanescent
to describe such is the oltect of the
Alhambra.
The long Arable inscriptions on
the walls are most grace u. I
had a book which pretended
to translate them , and a copy of the
Koran , sold at Granada , but 1 could not
make them out , and fool as Artcmus
Ward did about Chaucer. "Mr. C. , "
btiid ho , "Mr. C. was a binart man , a man
of talent , but ho was the poorest speller
I over mot. "
Somebody was a poor speller either
my book or the Koran , or the sculptor.
I cannot road Arable yet , moro'a the
pity. But why ro rot unything but the
Bhortness of life ana the flight of time
when looking at tliobo floating ribbons ,
the flowery niches , arabesques , stars ,
the delicate in Unity of the over-recur
ring polygonal c hot'ho rod kaleidoscope
patterns , the Btalactitlos and pendulous
graces of the ceilings , the dewdrops in
stone ready to fall , ( , ho stucco lace , em
broidered with a thousand llowersV The
fairy-like columns advance and difaap-
pour. Looking upward ono sees the re
plica of the court below Inn palace high
'ill the air. Hul from behind those
grated windows the dark-eyed liourU
looked and sighed perhaps for freedom.
Wo mounted a high tower to the
dressing room of the Sultana. From
this immense height the unhupp.v
mother of Boabdil let down her little
boy in a scarf , tying all her shawls to-
f gothor , to savu him from the revenge
ful hato.of her rival. The room still If
rich with n bubtlo perfume. Further or
wo see a gloomy perspective. It ii
where a mad woman was incarcerated
They say if you whisper in the oar o
ono of the lions ono can hear what yoi
nay from the mouth of another I Quit *
an oral love letter might thus bo spoken
An old gray lion , yet not Ion
A lion I in tils feebleness
Quo thing Is loft him still to guard.
Ho guards it well by day or night ,
\Vltii these great jiaws of granite gray ;
In the strong shelter of Ills breast.
No luuu shall servo him yet with scorn
Though an old lion thus forlorn ,
For what ho guards Is Beauty's rest.
After the Snllo of the Abencorrage
tto wont to * > ca the baths. Thebo beau
tiful rooms were rebtorcd with last
during Chnrlos V.'s reign and still bca
their sumptuous testimony to the wis
luxury and cleanliness of the Moor , i
vlrtua in which he hus not been fol
lowed by the Spaniard. Wo cmne ou
in the lovely court of myrtles , am
looked In the tranquil clstorn full c
gold fishes. Wo went in to write ou
names in the visitors' book.
TUB THEAhUHKS OK 61iVlTMS.
* The custode showed us first Washing
ton Irving und then General Grunt uu
fnmlly. then Gonornl Shorrann and
Colonel Fred Grant , then the names of
Albert Edward rind his faithful friend
und tutor , General Bruco. Then later
on the evil-freighted autograph of the
recently murdered Prince Rudolph of
Austria ; wo saw thnt of the Countess of
Pierrofond ( the Empress Euconio ) , of
the Into Id rip of Snain nnd of his royal
sisters , and of many of lessor degree.
I suppose I am not the first chronicler
to eay that Seville is a most charming
city. It beams on one who comes from
the rural districts of Spain , as Paris
beams on the curly American before ho
was satisfied with foreign travel. Al
though it haa nothing to compare with
the Alhambra , or the Mosque of Ca ,
dova. Seville , still has Its antiquities-
Koinan remains and Moorish palaces ,
its grandest of cathedrals , the beautiful
modern palnco of the Duo do Montpon-
slor ( now a gray-hnlrcd old veteran ,
and a thorough Spaniard ) and the beau
tiful G Iraki a Tower , enough to come to
Spain to BOO ; the Alcazar , now the only
homo and Spanish palace of Queen Isa
bella , and full of the family portraits ,
and which is , with Its fountains , gardens -
dons and restored Moorish rooms , no
bad copy of the Alhambra , still a copy ,
not the original.
"Wo started oil well for modern ideas
bv hcarlnc our countrywoman , Emma.
Nevada , sing "El Burboro do Scvllla , "
at the opera house. The pretty little
woman , with her lluto-llko voice , is a
tremendous favorite hero. They re
called her sixteen times , and poured out
flowers upon her until she could not
walk across the stage. . She has boon
singing two months at Madrid , whore
she also Is an essential "furor ; " had an
audience with the queen , nnd is a great
friend of Count Murphy , who has given
her an open acasaino to ull the places
hero not usually shown to visitors. I
owe much to her friendship in opening
moro palaces to mo.
But it was a great pleasure to see the
"Barber" on his native soil. Around
mo sat the Rower of Andnlushin beauty
and grace , the nobility of Seville.
Every woman's hair was dressed with
flowers nnd the famous great carna
tions , as largo as a double floppy , were
In every hand. This superb flower will
not grow as largo anywhere as hero. A
"Caballero" sent me n bouquet In which
I counted .sixteen varieties.
\Vo have very amusingincidcnts with
these Sovillians. I brought several
letters , and iv haughty Don will arrive
to make a call. Wo can none of us
speak Spanish , and they speak no
French , so the courier has to
bo Invoked , and the high nnd
mighty compliments which follow on
both sides are exchanged. The don
oilers us his house , his opera box , all
that is his. We accept nothing but a
"permission to call" and perhaps ho
"would open some doors. "
AN IDEAL Sl'ANISH TOAVN.
I owe to such a visit from a distin
guished scholar permission to see the
library of Christopher Columbus , now
closed. One thing they do not do , they
do not ask you to dinner. No pno gets
much inside their houses. Sir Clare
Ford , at Madrid , says ho asks them to
dinner , but they never ask him. They
send you a carriage , they are polite ,
but inside their houses , no !
I trust , at Madrid we may have the
entree to some Spanish interiors s > o
jealously guarded. The hotel at Se
ville , 'Hotel do Paris , is excel
lent. The weather is just now
very hot. but we easily fall into
their habits of a siesta at 1 o'clock.
We rise early and see the sights , return
homo and have breakfast and dine late.
Wo are never tired of these pretty
houses built round a garden , at which
we got peeps through the iron lattice
work. The shops are dark , cool cav-
orna , filled with most tempting laces ,
fans and Spanish wools. There is also
a beautiful pottery here. The windows
are shuttorloss , protected by iron grat
ings and an awning. We are here at
the best of seasons , the spring , and wo
enjoy a full moon , by which we dine
lato"hoaring the madolin and guitar.
A moonlit night in Seville is a love
Bong all by itself. Those open square
"courtyards , called patios , are surround
ed by corridors , supported by marble
pillars , with a fountain playing in the
middle , covered in midday by an awn
ing culled toldo , and it is the drawing
room ot the family. I know of nothing
so pretty.
To go back hence to antiquity , Abie
Joson Yukub was the greatest builder
of his ago , and in 1171 he throw a
bridge of boats across the Guadolqulvir.
lie repaired the Roman aqueduct nnd
ruibcd the great mosque ( now the
cjithedrul , and undergoing repairs ) .
To him we owe the beautiful Girnlda
tower , very suggestive of the Campanile
nt Florence. This is the great tower
where in Moorish times the muo/.zin
called the faithful to prayers. Now cer
tain famous bolls perform his office.
They are so powerful that even the
devil is afraid of them , and Murillo was
fond of painting the scene whore the
devil and his winds wore dispersed by
the bolls. Would that wo had an agency
so powerful to dispel a blizzard or a
cyclone. dJ
It would bo ti week's work to describe
this grandest cathedral , its wealth of
beauty , its superb size , its endless
arches. It is the largest thing in the
world , apparently. I did not see it to
udvantuga , therefore have not so pleas
ing a remembrance of It as of its rivals
at Barcelona or Tarragona , much less
than of the Mosque of Cordova , but it
has two beautiful Murilloa in it which I
do praise , " 'The Guardian Angel" and
the "St. Anthony of Padua. " This saint
has been to Now York , It will bo re
membered. Ho was cut out by one of
his own priests , sent to Mr. Schauswho
detected whence and where ho belonged
nnd sent him buck. The restoration Is
skillfully done , and it Is an unrivaled
specimen of the master.
I preferred to go and rest in the
lovely cinquo cento gardens of the Al-
cu/ar , where the beautiful Maria do Pa-
dilla bathed and soothed the bavagc
temper of Pedro the Cruel , until she
was licensed of magic. In this palace
of the Alcazar , Charles V. was married ,
and ut his order arose those labyrinths
of box in the style of the Italian renais
sance , those orungo groves , this thicket
of rosob where
JIUUIU.O AND VAKASQUKLtVB. .
i I have often asked myself how j
i should fool if I were to bo in the home
of Murillo and Velasquez. Hero I air
on the very spot , and I sec whence thoj
t drew their Inspiration. Murillo hac
i but to look around him to oohold th (
splendid black-eyed babies and tin
beautiful Andnlusiun Madonnas
Neither look as if they know anything
For of beggar boys the supply is limit
less. The beggars and the donkeys ii
Spain !
I am inclined to write a book and ral
it "Tho Donkey in Spain. " Nothlni
but the four thnt some wit would nsl
mo if it wore intended for an auto
biography has deterred mo. But Urn
patient little boast does all the work
He is burled under two ptinlers , nnd h
is laden down with everything , No refuge
fugo has ho but his putlent cry and hi
discordant note , Tno voice of protes
in all the world hus boon discordant. I
finishes olT with the donkey. In thi
miserably poor , enormously rich coun
try ho Bceins to bo the emblem of whu
hus ruined Spain oppression und taxn
tion. The countny ,
Wliero every prospect please *
And only man is vilo.
I enjoyed very much the Palace of Si
Tolmo , the beautiful house of the Duo
do Montponsior. Hero I saw two of the
best of Velasquez portraits of Philip
IV. and of Ollvnroz ; also some poor
Murlllos nnd the original of Ary Shof-
for'a St. Monica and St. Augustine ,
splendid examples of Lulbaran nnd
other Spanish painters ; also n curious
series of pictures from "Don Quixote , "
ombroldorod in silk by a man ,
very original , humorous and quaint.
The duke must bo n stu
dent of Cervantes , for ho has statuettes
of tbo Don nnd of Snncho Panza every
where. Sancho was a famous nnmo
among the old kings , so SoncliQ Panza
is as if wo should lay "Washington
Bripgs. " The house Is full of records
of the Orleans family , including a very
fine , full length of Philip Egnllto , the
duke's infamous grnndfathor. The
Queen Isabella II. , his sister-in-law , Is
also portrayed , but wo saw no likeness
of his dear little daughter Mercttos ,
queen of Spain , whoso death , they say ,
broke his heart.
Across the Pnsnr do Crlstina wo came
to the old Moorish tower of the Tomti
del Oro. No ono knows whether this
was a lighthouse or a treasure house ,
perhaps both , as its octagon ahapo nnd
nigh lantern would make It useful as
both. Pedro the Cruel , the Henry VIIt
of Spain , used it for n prison in which
ho punished his false wives.
This is the homo of the bull-fights ,
but , alas for us ! there will bo none until
wo roach Madrid. So our cruel instincts
must wait a week. For us the Plaza do
Toro ? of Seville is a lost delight. Its
capacity to seat 12,000 spectators , its
view of the Goraldi , all Is lost for us
the client is said to bo very grand , as
the last bull dies ! ( I do not know thnt
T am Inconsolable ; ono must miss some
thing in any countryl I rather hope
there will oo no bull-fight in Madrid ,
if it isn't treason to say so. )
I'UIIU hl'AXISll TYPES.
To ono who comes here to welcome
poetical impressions and day dreams ,
Sovlllo is the most satisfactory town in
Spain. It Is still the city of the most
picturesque blackguards in Spain , who
sleep on the stops , wear their shawls
nnd cloaks with atrraco which Is prover
bial , pictures of the bliss of idleness ; a
great argument in favor of being en
tirely worthless. They have no vulgar
prejudices as to duty and honesty , but
arc very good guitar players. No grave ,
solemn , sad Spanish typo is this , but u
mixture of the gypsy , the bull-fighter
and the contrabandist. None of your
jealous , haughty , suspicious and digni
fied cavaliers among oven these bog-
gurs. It is the city of pleasure. The
"Barber" is its true expletive. Ros
sini's music exactly expresses it. The
upper classes , however , are very dis
tinguished looking nnd very handsome.
Tno men , especially , a high tyoo of
Spaniard , well dressed , riding well
groomed horses ; the turnouts at the
fashionable drive are worthy of Rotten
Row. The women wear the beautiful
mantilla in many cases. It is becoming
and local.
But is not to the upper class ( as much
nt homo In Paris as in Seville ) that ono
looks for the true Spanish type.
At the tobacco factory in the streets ,
wo have seen some fine specimens of
Andalusian beauty the deep , largo ,
full black eve , the raven hair in such
magnificent profusion , that indiscriba-
ble charm and naturalness , grace , livll-
ness and repartee , which painters ,
poets and opera writers have sought to
reproduce , are to bo seen on every cor
ner. Byron made Cadi/ rhyme to la
dies. Ho and Tom Moore found some
enchantment here , no doubt.
No wonder tbo Moslem loved to lin
ger by the Gundalquiver , to dream
away his life amid the enchantments of
refined taste , with all of nature's pro
fuse and prodigal gifts of climate and
production. Ho lavished Ins gold and
genius to adorn his city. Ho gave
freely of his blood to defend it.
Fair is m-oucl Sovlllo 1 Lot her country ooast
Her strength , her wealth , her site of ancient
days.
Later on Seville became the Court of
Spanish Kings and is linked with
their romantic nnd most cruel records.
The discovery of America by making it
the emporium of the world , revived its
former prosperity. From its port of
Pales sailed Columbus , Pi/.arro and
Cortes. In the fifteenth century it was
the homo of the merchant princes. It
was the Now York of Spain. It became
the prey of the French in 1603. Mar
shal Soult carried oft the Murillos , in
fact , tore one in pieces. The English
nntorod tt in 1813 amid universal acclar
muttons.
HIS YOUTHFUL MAJESTY.
The Spanish proverb says : "Ho who
has seen Seville has B3on wonders ; but
he who has not seen Granada lias been
nothing. " . , . .
It is dilllcult now to know why they
so adored Granada. Beautiful as is the
the Alhambra , splendid as is the view
of the Sierra Nevada , it is not as at
tractive as is this flower-hinged , cheer
ful city. The lightness , the elegance ,
the vivacity , the show , the thousand
things to see here make it the prettiest
and most peaceful picture wo have yet
seen. To-day is the queen's birthday and
the houses are docked with her picture.
She is the Madonna of the day , the
over-present , ever-worshipped Murillo ,
the immortal typo of the most perfect
love. A mother and her baby rule
Spain ; and the baby hand holds the
sceptre' with an invincible strength.
Ono of the editors of the Figaro gave
mo u letter to a high official , so that in
Madrid I should see the queen.
"Yes , " said ho , "but I know you , being
a woman , want to see the baby. "
I acknowledged that the majesty of
"two years and a half" was to mo moro
interesting than any other , and that I
was willing to put my nock under his
darling foot. That sovorolgnlty fresh
from heaven , the great rule of King
Baby , who Uoos not kiss his chubby
handr1 Ho rules the court , the politi
cian and the liberal.
"I cannot war against a woman and a
baby , " said Custelur.
Xho Summer Girl.
Kew I'otlt Mercury.
Such witching eyosl Such dainty feotl
( I admit sbo loves to show 'om ) ,
With winning ways and accents sweet ,
Stio socms a very pooui.
Poesy's incarnation she ;
There's no ono fairer , neater.
Should she but deign to look toward me
I'm not a 1 verse to meter.
In 1870 Carter Anderson , of Hansloy ,
Tex. , married Mies Rebecca Meyers ,
and until a few months ago nothing
ever marred their happiness. The
tempter came in Henry , a brother ol
Mr. Anderson. At last Henry told Car
ter that ho loved his wife , and his wife
was asked if she loved Honry. Slit
said : "Carter , I have tried to bo i
good wife to you and you have been t
good husband. I love my children , too
but 1 give all up for Honry. I love hiii
more. ' The heartbroken husbani
could only say : "Becca , if it is youi
determination to leave mo go , nnd Got
bless you in this wild decision. " II <
gave her money , with the request tha
she keep it for burial. The followiiif
Sunday ho hitched up his best loam am
saw lug wife and oldest child nnd Hour ;
seated in the wagon , and hired a nnii
to drive them to this city , where thoj
took a train for parts unknown. Tin
stricken hiubund remained ut homo ti
bear hie sorrow in silence.
OPENED THE RUfft OF DEATH
How a Swiss Vnllfc Was Devas
tated By ttflUood.
THEIR HEROISM/WAS IN VAIN.
The Sturdy Stroked Mtjf the Dravn
Mountaineers liiircU llio Unsits-
pectins Villager * Jjttotlio Very
Pathway or tbonDlanstcr.
A Fearful Alpine Flood.
The mountain rnngo lying between
Martlgny nnd the vast wooded rldgo of
the Tote Noir , in Southern Switzer
land , still bears , fearful traces of the
most devastating flood recorded in local
history , concerning which I hoard
many a grim legend from the herdsmen
nnd woodcutters of the district while
exploring the scene of the famous
tragedy , writes David Kor in the Now
York Times. Strangely enough , this
great catastrophe was In all its chief
details an almost literal prophecy ot
the Conomaugh disaster , with the addi
tional interest of having been caused
by the bursting of a natural dam , the
formation of which was woll-nigh as
destructive as its collapse.
Early in that fatal summer the river
Drnnso ( which runs down into the
Rhone through that steep , narrow ,
rocky valley at the lower end of which
stands the town of Martigny ) suddenly
dried up so completely that not a drop
of water was left'ln the deep , zig-zng
channel which had echoed with the roar
of looping torrents only a few days be
fore. The whole valley was in dismay ,
and many of the peasants fled from
their homes , remembering that a simi
lar phenomenon had immediately preceded -
coded the three most terrific landslips
over known in Switzerland. A few of
the bolder spirits , however , volunteered
to ascend the gorge and find out the
causa of this wiord prodigy , and they
discovered it only too soon.
A mighty mass of ice , upon which a
good-sized village might have stood
with ease , had broken away from the
great glacier overhead and slipped
right down into the bed ol the Dranse ,
which it blocked fo completely that not
'
a drop could pass. Behind th'ts natural
dam the checked waters of the river
wore forming a kind of vast reservoir ,
rising ever higher and higher , nnd en
gulfing ono by ono the tiny upland
hamlets that clung to the slopes on
cither side. Thus , by a hideous gro-
tesquencss of horror , men were being
drowned on a mountain top while their
comrades in in the vulloy below were
TORTURED AV1TII THIRST.
Few men could have faced unmoved
the eight of this tremendous mass of
pent-up waters ( sufllcioht to drown the
whole vulloy at 0110 rush ) hanging right
over their heads and threatening to
burst upon them at ) 'any moment. But
the dreadful crisis , wliich would have
utterly unstrung any weaker spirit ,
only nerved those bold hearts to re
doubled energy. It was ut once de
cided to cut a tunnel through the Ice ,
in order to lot of ! th'o water ore it could
overflow. All the men who could bo
collected were brought together in a
wonderfully short gpnco of time , and
to work they wont ; hewing tnoir way
through the ice barrier as manfully as
the bravo follows whouro now toiling
amid the ruins of Johnstown.
Seldom has a moro doporato task boon
attempted ; never has it been moro he
roically carried out. The cutting of
the tunnel begun from both ends at
once in order to save time wont on day
und night for moro than two weeks , the
gangs relieving each other every few
hours. During the whole of this time
the gallant men worked with death star
ing them in the face , for ut any instant
the imprisoned waters that gurgled and
growled beneath their feet might break
loose and sweep thorn headlong to de
struction. But not a man wavered.
ThO ghostly darkness , the deadly chill
of the icy walls that shut them in , the
hollow roar , the unseen waters beneath ,
the crashing and splintering of the
hugo blocks of ice that kept
falling around them on every
side , the trembling and groaning
of the whole mass as the flood pressed
upon it harder and harder , the over-
present and hourly-deepening shadow
of a surldon and horrible death might
well have appalled the stoutest heart.
But , oven when the pickaxes actually
dropped from their benumbed flngora ,
the little band of heroes
NEVER FLINCHED FOR A 3I03IENT.
And now the work was well nigh
done , and the daring miners who had
boon pent so long in this living grave
were looking joyfully forward to the
speedy end of their dreadful task , when ,
almost nt the last moment , it was sud
denly discovered that by bomo fatal
error the two cuttings which wore approaching
preaching each other from opposite
sides of the ice dam were proceeding on
different levels , and could never moot
unless n slanting passage were cut from
ono to the other. Thifl fresh labor oc
cupied two whole days , during which
the devoted men fairly gave themselves
up for lost , dooming it impossible to
complete the additional work before the
flood rose to the mouth of the tunnel
and drowned them all where they stood.
But at length the last stroke was given ,
the workmen retired , the water began
to pour freely through the tunnel , nnd
the hiss nnd splash of its first lonp into
the dry channel below was answered by
a deep and heurtfolt/j'thunk God"from !
every man in that li'proic band.
Then there camo" , in the very moment
of triumph , the blackest horror of the
whole tragedy. Already the mass of
water above the rljim was visibly re
ducedand the gallanVminers rejoicing
in the thought that th'tir valor and por-
Bovoranco had redeemed from death
the lives of allii thnt breathed
In the valley wpref just staring
'
to return to thoir' homos , when ,
unexpected as ligmning from a cloud
less sky , the long Iddlayod destruction
caino. The constantrtiummoring of the
escaping waters , as rthoy foil in ono
great cataract right 'upon the base of
the ice dam , inflleteOjupon the latter n
shock which , weakened us it already
was by the tromen'dous pressure from
above , It was quito unablp to sustain.
With a crash moro terrific than the
t loudest thunder , the whole of the
mighty mass guvo way , nnd u volume of
water to which Niagara itself would
have Boomed email , foil like a thunder
bolt right upon the doomed valley.
What followed even those who saw it
could never tell , und in truth the
strongest words would bo too weak te
convoy the full horror of a catastrophe
which compressed the iiuvoo of yuan
Into a few torrlblo moments. So tremendous -
mondous was the rush of the great wave
from that vast height down the narrow
defile that it Boomed to leap with out
bound from the higher end of the vul
loy to the lower. In the forcible wordi
of an eye witness , "It came like i
mountain fired from a cannon. " Ant
as if to heighten this droudful drama t (
the utmost , the inhabitants of the val
loy. seeing the bed of the river fllllnp
again , concluded that the tunneling huu
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Fifty-Eight Vaults , ; :
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Seventeenth and Farnam , offers attractions for Professional
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.Ml
For particulars apply at the Counting Room , New Bee Build-
been successful , and were just returning
to their various occupations in the joy
ful persuasion that all was now snfo ,
when , in the very moment of their full-
ist confidence
THE DEATH-BLOW TELL.
Thus by a strange und ghastly irony
f fortune the heroism of the bravo
miners served only to make the havoc
moro deadly. Their succcbs in running
flf a part 01 the accumulated waters
: iad spread throughout the whole vul-
ov , right down to Martlgny itself , the
tjohof that all danger was now past , nnd
ho entire population lay right in the
rack of the destruction when it camo.
ts coming was so swift and sudden that
llight was impossible , and indeed no
place of refuge could be accounted sufo
from the swoop of thnt great harvest of
death. A solid stone bridge that
panned the gorge fully sixty feet above
ho highest point over known to have
been reached by the river was cut
iway as if by the slash of u knife , nnd
not a man of the ill-fated travelers who
ivero crossing it nt the time were ever
een ugain. The town of Martigny it-
elf , far away at the northern end of the
valley , was" literally swept from the
KU'th , und only the massive gray turrets
if an ancient tower on the hill high
nbovo it rose like a rocky islet amid
hut roaring sea of destruction.
When the surveyors of the fearful
day ventured back , after the flood had
mcnt its fury , to the spot where their
ionics had once stood , the keenest eye
among them failed to recognize
ONE KAMILIAU T.ANDMAKK
amid the ghastly , formless chaos of
drifted mud and gravel , shattered rocks ,
uptorn trees und masbos of broken tim-
'jor standing gauntly up from vast
iiools of miry water , beneath which lay
buried fathoms deep the once bright
ind beautiful valley of the Dranbo. The
whole mountain side had been torn
iwoy as if with a hugo rake , and the
manning little villages that had clung
. ,0 it were gene as if they had never
beon. The very shape of the valley was
utterly changed , and the population of
the entire district well nigh extermi
nated ut ono blow ; und long before the
news of the disaster could reach the
ivostorn lowlands , the bruised und
.mangled corpses , which the rushing
Rhone whirled down by hundreds into
the calm , bright waters of the Lake of
Geneva , told to the shuddering villagers
along its shores the futo of distant
Martigny.
A funny story of a unique but unsatis
factory trade for n husband comes from
the picturesque town of Eastford , among
the hills of Windham county , Connecti
cut. Mro. Adah Ann Sharp , a lady of
wealth , about eighty-five years old , de
cided ubout five years ago to marry.
Her eye fell upon Timothy J , Backus , u
successful farmer , aged seventy-five. It
id said that she made fourteen proposals
of marriage to him , to ull of which ho
turned his deaf our. At length. Mr.
Backus , according to the published ac
counts , was summoned before the widow ,
where ho found himself confronted by
Justice of the Pouco Keith. The widow
then made Mr. Backus the offer of a
salary ot 812-5 per your , with a horFO
and carriage thrown In , if ho would
nmrry hor. Timothy did not hcsltato
long. Ho concluded thut the fifteenth
offer was worth taking , and wont to
the town clerk and got n murrlago
license.
When ho goi bade ho found that his
blushing bride had changed her mind ,
and thnt the justice of the pence was
slowly driving out of the yard. Ho haf
not gene far before the would-bo and
wouldn't-bo brldo reversed her decision
and hustled Timothy after the justice.
The dignified justice returned. Mrs
Sharp thereupon reversed judgtnon
again und declined to stand up witl
Timothy. Then Timothy grabbed his
lint in despair nnd prepared to louvo
Mrs. Sharp ut this again reversed hot
decision , nnd the marriage ceremony
was performed ,
Murrlugo with them seems to have
boon a fulluro. For the past five year
Timothy Buys ho has handled $27,00
worth of her property faithfully , and
never got a cent for it. Hia wife put
no sugar in his dried apple pies , finally
she became impressed with the idea
that ho had swindled her out of $100.
lo then persuaded her to sign a docu-
nont hiring him to louvo her for 81.
[ 'imothy ' is now on his own farm nnd
lis wife has posted him , forbidding nil
lorsons to trust him on her account.
Three Dollars
CALIFORNIA
JAS. MORTON & SON
1511 Dodge Street.
mmm GENERAL
i now open. I'nrtlri dcslrlnitcooit nccommortmlon
ou the DOW Inrt'c ezprum ( teamen of llio I'ntuoui
FRENCH MAIL LINE ,
Which arn notcft for tlielr reiHilnrlly. eoiml 10 rull-
road trulnr , In milking tUo trip to Hnvre-rarl * la ono
wviik , lire nilTUeil to
Make Early Application for llortlis.
Til In U nl o ncrctinrx on iicconnt of the bcnrjr
travel during the spring * ud inmmer muntUa.
McCAGUE BROS. , 105 Smith 16th St. ,
riAKUY E. MOORES , 1502 Parnnm dt. ,
H. J , . HALL , 122. ' } Favnam St. ,
, T. H. GREEN , 1501 I'urnnm St. ,
Auoiiltf , Oniulm , Neb.
JIAUIUCF W. KOXMIN8X1 ,
If inUCYwn
M UN L I ly ixml safely cured byUOUTUH Cap-
sulea. Boveral c.xnoa cured in noveu Uuyi. Sold
uttlJM jior box , all drugulntx , or by mall from
Doctuj&M't'gCo. II i WUlttj a N. Y. rulldlreo-
lena
Health is Wealth I
ln. K. C. WEST'S N'Kttvt : ANH nii.us '
MKNT , n RUiumitoul specific tor llybterln. .Dizzi
ness. Convulsions , I'lts. Nervous Neuralgia ,
Headache , Nervoug Prostration caused by ihe-
use of alcohol or tobncco , AViikofulncsj , Mental
noprebslon. SottcnltiK of the llra.n , resultine in
Insanity nnil lenaiiiKtomlhcry. decay nnd death.
Prcmntnrp Old ARO. llairennoss , Loss of Power"
In t'ltl-.or BOX , Involuntary I4osae > > nnrt Spcnnnt-
orrlui' canned by over-exertion of tliebraln.Be.lf-
ohtif-o or ovuitnilulKonci * . I'nch box contain *
ano mouth's treatment. H.MI uliox , or six boxes ,
for ( O.Od.Hentby mail prepaid onrecolptofprlceij ; _
WE GUARANTEE SIX BOXES
To cuifl any case. With each orrtor recnlyoi by
us for blx boxei , accompanied } 5 00 , we wll i
sand the purchiisoi- uiltUn Ruurautee to refund /
fund the money it the treatment does not oITecf
niuro. . Uimranteus ihsned only by Oooilmarf'V
Drug Co. . DriiKulsts , Solo AguntB , 1110 Karuan
street , Orauli.-x , Nob.
finosticxlurc. cuulwluri ,
on-thefooMheSHOE must
Seta
BEST TRADE TIIROOOUTTHE
UNITED
TOHINGS , [ EMERSON ,
HAI/C.BT &DA.VI9 ,
ARTIST SUPPLIES , HOSPE KIMBALI , ,
MOULDINGS , StHOSPE JPIANOS AND ORQA.NS
FRAMES , SHEET MUSIC.
1513 Douglas St Omaha , Nclirasia ,
Omalia Stove Repair Works
808-810 NORTH SIXTEENTH STREET.
KOItT. VIII IG , Prop. C. M. JRATOAI , niitunor. | ; Telephone 00 % , i
Keiialis forn'llHiovesand Ilanges mado. Ilrllllaut Onaollno Stove * . Bto\e tnVenln exchangeV1 *
pait payment , Uusollao Iliirnera muclo to order iind thoiotiKhly Jej ) lre < l. ' ; ( i
t3Tolf nluniH to us or send card and we ill call and estimate work of any kind. rj y
DEWEY &lTONl"
Furniture Company "V w
"
J * " ft- !
A tHoani/lconl display of everi/thliiy meful and ornamental In the furl ArA
lure matter's art at reasonable prices , , ' - ffffn