CAPTAIN C. D. SIGSBEE, BRAVE AND COOL-HEADED COfiriANDER OP THE HAINE.
UNCLE SAM'S MONITOR FLEET.
DMIRAL JOI UTT’S assertion that the American monitor is the highest and most satisfactory type of marine fight
ing machine, is being generally accepted without question by students in the science of naval warfare. The monitor
is a form of craft little understood or appreciated until lately even by experienced sea-going men. It came into ex
istence in crude shape during the civil war, and, thanks to the genius of John Ericsson, did such good service that the United
States naval authorities decided to improve and perpetuate this peculiar styleof vessel. From the “cheese-box on a raft,” which
destroyed the mighty Merrimac, in 1862, has sprung a fleet of powerful warships, the merit of which has been overlooked in
the more imposing grandeur and overtow'ering size and armament of monster battle-ships like the Indiana and Iowa. The
monitor of 1898 (stirs little resemblance even in exterior design, to its progenitor of 18G2, though both are constructed on the
one vital principle of a low free-board and as small an amount of obstruction on deck us possible. The monitor of 1863 was
APT. CHARLES D. SIGSBEE’S
a shallow-water boat, a craft handy for fighting in rivers and bay*, but of little use on the ocean. The new monitor is an
home—or ruther the home of his
efficient, seaworthy ship of the first class, capable of making long voyages through rough water in safety. It is the testi
family, for a navy officer has no
mony of one of the best officers in the navy, who took one of the new monitors around Cape Hatteras in the teeth of a wild
gale, that he never trod the deck of a stouter, safer, or more comfortable boat.
home but his ship—is in a pleasant little
Uncle Sam is now the possessor of six first-class monitors of the double-turret pattern. They are the Amphitrite, Mian-
house in Riggs place, Washington, D. C.
tononmh. Monadnock, Monterey, Puritan, and Terror. By naval rating these, ns well as the thirteen old-style single-tur
Sigsbee married a daughter of Gen. Lock
ret monitors, still carried on the list, are classed as coast-defense vessels, but this is a matter of nomenclature only. In all
wood shortly after the close of the war,
the requisites of open sea fighting the new monitors are battle-ships of the highest grade. The Puritan, the largest of the
and they have three children. The eldest
fleet, is a ship of 6,060 tons, and 3,700 horse power. Her armament consists of four twelve-inch breech-loading rifles and two
daughter was married a short time ago to
four-inch rapid-fire cannon in the main battery; the secondary battery is made up of six six-pounder, rapid-fire guns, four
Ensign Kittelle of the navy, who is sta
gatlings, and two 37-luillimeter Hotchkiss rifled cannon. The other lioats in the fleet compare favorably with the Puritan iu
tioned on the dispatch boat Dolphin. The
size and fighting force. The monitors are not built for speed, but they make long trips at a uniform log of from eleven
home life of the Sigsbee« alw ays has been
and a half to fourteen knots an hour.
exceedingly pleasant, the captain himself
having had several pleasant assignments
iu Washington, where he has been a fig
A POPULAR HOUSE.
6 inches. Height of storlis: cellar, 7
BISCUITS KILLING INDIANS.
ure of note. Mrs. Sigsbee comes of mili
feet 6 Inches; first story, 0 feet 6 inches;
tary stock and is used to the alarms of
Plans of the One Shown Here Have second story, I) feet; attic, 8 feet. Ex Piute Braves Dying of Indigestion
war. Her house at Washington is the
lteen Used 167 7'itnes.
Through Eating Salemtus Cakes.
rendezvous for naval officers at the cap
terior materials: Foundation, stone;
The villa that is pictured here might first and second stories, chipboards;
ital, by whom she is highly esteemed.
Nevada, with Its 43,000 white Inhabi
Of medium height, with broad shoul
well be called a “popular house," for gable«, panels and shingles; roof, slate. tants, is threatened with even a shrink
ders, a spare frame, and hair and mus
the records of the architect« show that Interior finish: lianl white plaster, age among its Indians, all of which
the plans have been purchased and the plaster cornices and centers In parlor, can be traced to the baneful effects of tache just beginning to turn gray, Capt.
house erected from them not fewer dining-room and hall; white flooring the saleratus biscuit. When Lo discov Sigsbee looks like a man capable of coping
with almost every difficulty which might
throughout first and second stories ex ered that he could get a quart of flour
arise in the service. In fact, his experi
ence in almost every branch of the navy
cept In kitchen, where yellow pine Is to puff up and look palata.bh* by toss
has fitted liim for emergencies. Born in
used; spruce flooring in attic; first ing a spoonful of saleratus In the dough
Albany, Oxford County, Me., 52 years
story to have double floor with (taper he at once began operations on those
ago, he moved to New York and was ap
lines,
and
hot
bread
was
served
three
between; trim throughout, white pine;
pointed as a cadet in the naval academy
staircase, ash; panels, under windows times a day ar more, lhstoad of the
from that State in 1859. After being
In parlor and dining-room; wainscot in healthier, but less palatable acorn
graduated in 1863 he- was appointed en
kitchen; interior woodwork finished In cracker. The squaw caught the Idea of
sign and stationed on the Monongahela,
w here he remained a year. Then he was
hard oil. Colors: All clapboards of first her buck’s civilized appetite and stuffed
sent to the old Brooklyn, nnd took a gal
story, seal brown; clapboards of second him full of hot biscuit as he lay In his
lant part in the battle of Mobile Bay un
story and all sawhe«, bright red; trim, tepee and absorbed what he supposed
der Farragut in 1864.
FACSIMILE OF SIGSBEE’S FAMOUS DISPATCH.
was
a
delicacy.
outside doors, blinds and rain conduc
Sigsbee’s work during the war was loticeable for its efficiency, and he did not have to wait long for promotion
The
result
Is
that
nine-ten
ths
of
the
tors, olive; veramla floor. Light brown;
He was made a lieutenant in 1867 and assigned to the steamer Ashuelot in the Asiatic squadron. He was promoted to be
veranda celling, oiled; panels In gables, brave Flutes who are living on Ne
a lieutenant commander in 1868, a commander in 1882, and has been a captain for several years. He has passed several
light brown with olive framing; gable vada soil to-day are In the last stages of
years at the naval academy, and has been connected with the hydrographic department in Washington. From 1875 to
dyspepsia
Incident
to
an
overIndul
shingles, oiled.
187!) he was in charge of the coast survey steamer Blake, which thoroughly explored the Gulf of Mexico. While on the
Accommodations:
The
principal gence In saleratus buns. It is no un
Blake Capt. Sigsbee invented a system of deep sea soundings which has since been adopted by all marine men. He also
invented a gravitation trap which would bring up water from any certain depth required. Capt. Sigsbeehad two years'
rooms and their sizes are shown by the common sight along the railroad lin<-s
experience on the European station in command of the old Kearsarge.
floor pinna; cidlar under whole house, in Nevada to see a buxom squaw with
It was only a short time ago the Maine was on her way back to Tompkinsville front a cruise in Long Island Sound.
pkhspbctivh .
with inside ami outside entrance and a can or two of saleratus in her grip
When about opposite pier 42, East River, she came suddenly into a kind of pocket formed by a Mallory Line steamer, a
than one hundred and sixty-seven concrete floor; three rooms and Jiall taking it home to the campoode to
tug with two railroad floats of freight ears, and two excursion boats—the Isabella and the Chancellor—both crowded
times. The demand for it has come and closets finished In attic, as shown make biscuits for her chief, who eats
to the rails with passengers. The Maine, forced out of her course, was bearing down directly on the Isabella, whose
his
refMist
unconscious
of
the
fact
that
pilot hail either misunderstood or disregarded the signals. At this crisis Capt. Sigsbee took personal command of his ves
from nil parts of the country, and by the plan; set range, stationary
sel, and instantly ordered the engines reversed and the wheel put hard-a-port. The great w arship came about with a
It has also been erected In other lands. wash-hilw, sink and boiler, with hot the case of acute Indigestion which car
celerity that astonished all beholders and headed directly iu shore, while the Isabella, with her load of passengers, passed
One might find Its fax-simile in the and cold water In kitchen; open fire ried off bls brother up the creek a few
by in safety, scarcely four feet clear of the ironclad’s stern. Then the Maine ran bow on Into the pier, sunk two railroad
Uttermost (xii-ts of the earth. It will place In dining-room uml parlor; sliding (lays before was induced by the saler
floats with twenty cars on board, jammed the plates of her bow, and in less than ten minutes had damaged property
be seen that the house Is an attractive doors connect parlor and dining-room atus biscuit. Ten years ago stomach
worth thousands of dollars, but the thousand lives on the excursion boats were saved. The Navy Department was pleased
troubles were unknown among the In
one, but Its success Is not due to this
at this action and the captain was complimented in a personal letter by the Secretary of the Navy.
dians
of
the
Western
States,
owing
to
part alone. Many houses are just ns
That Capt. Sigsbee is a fearless man in the discharge of his duty is shown-by his conduct during the war and his
the fact that they consumed only cold
coolness in averting a collision in the East river. Personally, also, he has the great quality of bravery. During the war
pretty ami as lu>me-llke In design, but
food.
An
Indian
’
s
hatred
for
cooking
he was on duty with the North Atlantic blockading squadron. One day a midshipman fell overboard. The sea was heavy,
have nothing like such a record for du
placed him hi touch with more cold
and the Monongahela was traveling along at a good speed. As the cry of “man overboard” reached his ears Sigsbee seized
plication. Those who have purchased
the end of a piece of rope and plunged into the sea. A few strokes bzrought him to the midshipman, who was hurt by his
food than hot, and indigestion was
the plan give us the reason for their
fall and unable to swim. Sigsbee manfully clung to the rope and held the boy’s head above water until the pair were res
practically unknown, but the easily
choice that It Is an unusually large and
cued by a boat.
prepared and cheap saleratus biscuit
roomy house for Its cost. A careful
Capt. Sigsbee would be a rich man did he not belong to the navy. Inventions made by naval officers are considered
cam«* along like the thief in the night
examination of the plans will show
to be the property of the United States. His scheme, devised in the Gulf of Mexico, for deep sea soundings, and his
and
stole
away
the
diaphragm
of
Ills
gravitation trap for bringing up water from any required depth have proved of great value to mariners all over the world.
that every inch of space has been made
stomach, flooring him for keeps and
Had he been able to take out patents on them in his own name his royalties would have been immense. Take him for all
available. In esju'clal, there are many
shortening the census report several
in all, he is not only a good naval offi.*er, but a cool, shrewd man, and is popular among his fellows.
bed chambers, and all are well located
A
C
for light, ventilation ami comfort.
If a man has plenty of money to ex
pend in the erection of a villa liouse, he
can afford to Indulge his individual
taste. He can make his house reflect
his own personal whims and prefer
ence«. But when his means are limited
he naturally seek« most for Ills money,
and to him It Is the best indorsement
of the accompanying plan that It has
found acceptance as many as one hun
dred and slxty-M>ven times. As long as
it Is different from his neighbor's
house, and Is individual In Its surround
ings. It makes no difference to him If
It has been erected in many other
cities or towns. But think what one
hundred nml slxty-eeven houses mean.
Brought all together, they would make
not a hamlet, blit quite a village. It Is
certainly the banner record for any sot
of plana. It proves that human nature
’s Imitative and eHtaldishea the fact
that wage-corners feel an intenwt in
improved housing.
General dimension«: Width through
dining mom «nd kitchen. 29 feet; <te«>th.
Including veranda and pantry, 87 f«et
hundred on the Winnemucca reserva
tion alone.—New York Journal.
A Destroyer.
second
rues
pi . an .
ami hall; china closet In dining-room
and large pantry ami closet In kitchen.
Cost, $2,000, not including mantel«,
range and heater. The estimate is
based on New York prices for material
ami labor. In many sections of the
country the cost should be less.
Copyright, 1898.
r _
A Dynamo on a Bicycle.
A clever scheme In the way of an elec
tric lamp for bicycles has been de
signed by a Syracuse locksmith named
F. C. Brower. Inside an ordinary bi
cycle lamp he has placed a tiny incan
descent lump of one half candle-power.
The lens in the lamp magnifies this to
five camlle-power, giving a light of In
tense brilliancy.
The current for the lamp Is furnished
by a small dynamo, which la fastened
to the roar forks by means of a clamp.
The power for the dynamo Is generated
by a small rubl»er whe«4 fastened at
the bottom of the dynamo, and which
plays against the rear tire. The wires
conveying the current to the lamp are
strung through the tubing. A current
of four volts can I m » generated when the
wheel is fairly In motion. In the day
time the power generated for the lamp
is switched off and used to ring a small
bell. Simply ivrvaslng a button Ln the
handle bar sots up a great whir and
wills. Mr. Brower has several Im
provements In view, and when these
an* carried out th« lamp will be placed
on the marked.
Emperor William is claiming credit
for the Invention of a new war machine
called a “battle-line destroyer.” It Is
a sort of motor car of thick steel, with
portholes for machine guns, and in it
are a dozen soldiers, who are thus pro
tected from the eneouy. The machine
Is to charge right down into the ene
my's line, tiring volley after volley as
it goes, and. of cours«-, rendering cav
alry unnecessary. It will mow down
the foe as it charges them, and a few
dozen ought to be suffielent to anni
hilate au entire army, If not blown up
or stopped by a fallen tree or diitch,
and If the enemy provides easy roads
for their approach. It Is hardly neces
sary to add that the Emperor’s Inven
tion Is merely the war cliarlot of the
anciemts in a modern dress, and that It
lias been talked of and condomited by
practical military men for years.—New
York Tribune.
Chase Homestead.
Mrs. Kate Chase Sprague, who wgnt
to Ohio to present to friends a plan by
which the Salmon 1’. Chase homestead,
near Washington, might lx* laved from
foreclosure sale, writes that she has
sucet-edt-d In refunding the debt upon
the place. The pmperty Is valued by
conservative real estate judges at $150,-
(MK). Tin* mortgage on It Is for $80.000.
SI m - lias practically disposed of $80.000
of ¡ong-tlme certificates of indebted
ness, M>cured by mortgage on the place,
and will lift the matured mortgage.—
New York Sun.
The Influx to Jerusalem.
During th«* last few years nearly
150,000 Hebrew« have entered J«*rusa-
lem, and the arrival of another host Is
said to be Imminent. Already the rail
ways are opening th«» coun-try betweeu
the coast and J«*rusalem and Damas
cus. and a Hebrew migration on a large
scale may cause Syria to tweome mn-e
Cuspidor« for railroad and street car more of vast Importance in the East.
ns«- are mounted on sliding frames and
No man can know what It is to feel
placed In compartments under the
seats, to tie pushed into ;>osttlon for use either old or Indignant until a young
fellow comes to tee bls daughter.
by touching a lever with the foot.
WINTER IN
HOLLAND,
Cold Winter Fun in a Country Where
Skaters Abound.
In Holland the fun of winter life
takes many forms, and winter facili
tates locomotion as the highways of
summer available for boats become the
beat thoroughfares for those who skate.
In this way, directly the lee bears,
visits are made and distances traveled
which cannot be done In summer; and.
Instead of going round and round as
we do here on a small confined space,
the Dutch make up a party and pay a
visit to some neighboring town or vil
lage. A bright winter’s morning Is al
ways exhilarating; how much more so
when cheerful company, free exercise,
variety of character, and constant
change of seem* all tend to make the
day as a red letter one. Should the
frost be sufficiently severe, a river Is
most Interesting, being on a large scale
and partaking more of the character
of a fair, which is the case, for In
stance, on the Maas, at Rotterdam.
The Maas runs very strongly, and
the difficulty Is for the first coating of
Ice to form. When a severe frost catch
es the still water during the night, then
“once begun, soon done,” and the crews
who turn into their berths at night,
wake up in the morning to find them
selves frozen In. The canals naturally
soon freeze over, ami the boat traffic
Is supplanted by baggage sledges, large
and small. Near dwelling houses are
seen little box-sledges for the children.
These are th«» same as the seven
teenth century contrivances—the child,
sits with just room for its feet, and.
with stick in each hand, pushes astern
and propels Itself ahead. The adult
sledges are In some cases simply gor
geous. as the opportunity affords gr«-at
body, the driver perched at the back, as ■
on the tall, the swe«*plng-lrons follow
ing the curve of the swan's neck; over
tli esc run the rd ns. One horse gener
ally constitutes the team.
i
A Lock of Napoleon's Hair.
A unique souvenir of the great Napo- I
leou is kept in the family of his old
nurse and attendant being now in the
possession of Prof. Bagley, of Abilene,
Kan. He Is a native of the Island of
St Helena, and bis mother was one of
the intimates of the guardians of Na
poleon. When the Emperor lay dying
his old nurse stole to his side and
clipped from his head a lock of hair.
I'art of the lock she gave to Mr. Bag-
ley’s mother and she gave it to her sou.
It is kept in a bottle and is black and
gray, with a trace of brown. For forty
years the bottle has l>een kept In a dark
room, that the hair may not be injured
by the light. There are about forty
strands in all. The relic is held at a
great value by the possessor. He has
also some cloth from the coffin, a medal
given by Napoleon and some other
minor souvenirs from the island of St.
Helena.
The only other portion of the body of
Na[H>l«*on known to ta> on this continent
Is a single hair that Richard Watson
Gilder once owned. He kept it In his
watch case. When the watch was re
paired he forgot to tell the jeweler of
th«» precious contents. When he went
to get It he asked: “Did you find any
thing in the case?’’
“Y’es,” repll<*«1 the workman, "there
was a hair In there, but it is all right
now—I blew it out.”
“Y'ou blew out n piece of Napoleon
Bonaparte,” said the editor of the Cen
tury.
WILES OF THE GUIDE.
Somehow the Best Fishing Ground«
Are Always on the Other Side.
Being a scientific fisherman, he Is an
oracle on all matters pertaining to pis
catorial pastimes. He carries three
tackle-boxes ami every tray is full. He
has the tint'st rods, reels, fltes, spoons,
trolley lines, and hooks. He Is pre
part'd to take anything from muskel-
lunge to minnows.
“One thing I want to tell you,” he
said to the comparative novice: “At all
rh«*se Island lak«*s toe fishing Is on the
other side. Stop off at tiny resort, hire
a guide, tell him you want the best
there is, and it’s 99 to 1 he’ll pull for
the otuer shore, no matter how many
miles have to be traversed. He will
take you to the favorite haunts of the
gamy black bass. Incidentally he will
see that you get a few big fish weigh
ing from fifteen to twenty pounds each,
that you may take tL m home and
astonish your friends.
"What you really get 1? some pickerel
and perch, possibly a couple of wall-
eyed pike, a few rock bass, and some
sun fish. There Is always an explana
tion for this vast discrepancy between
hope and realization. They day Is too
bright; it’s too windy; the lake’s too
rough, or the appetite of the fish has
! been taken in their desire to get further
up-stream. Y’ou have the same experi
ence every day, for these guides are
wiser than serpents and keep you in a
flutter of joyful anticipation »hrough
an entire season. Figure It up and
you’ll find that most of your money Is
spent In going to and fro from the other
side of the lake.
“Last season I dissected some bass
that I bought, found that they were
feeding on crawfish, hunted out the
rock bottom In the lake, and took 15 of
the gamy beauties In one afternoon.
The guides acted Just as though I had
jumped a gold claim of theirs, but I
kept quiet and caught bass while the
guides kept taking the other fellows
across the lake in the morning and back
at night. Just to make the whole thing
plain. prospect till you find out where
the fish are and then go after them.”—
Detroit Free Press.
A Day's Variance In Weight.
Have you ever tried this experiment
of weighing yourself In the morning and
again in the evening? It is one of the
lx*st ways, so doctors say, of finding
whether your health is good or not. If
you an» thoroughly well there should
not be a difference of more than two or
thn»e ounces either way In the twelve
hours. If you lose or gain as much as
eight ounces you should immediately
consult a doctor, while the gain or lost
of a pound indicate»« you are on th«
verge of serious illness. This, of course
■lo«* not apply to one just recovering
from illness, for convalescents wh«
; have been much reduced may som*
, time« gala la to 20 ounces a day