<3 cts. WEEKLY - NORWALK - GAZETTE. A Fragment of Unwritten History“ In 1862 I was an oflicer en a United States man of war in Southampton, England, I went ashore one day at 11 o’clock and went into the Southampton Club, (our Army any Navy club) to which the officers of the ship had the entree. As I passed through the recep- tion room I saw a group of army any navy officers very much excited, and the moment they saw, my uniform they .stopped talking at once. I knew some of them, as they had visited the ship. I bowed to those I knew and went into the dining room and gave my order and sat down and pretended to read a news. paper, but was too much worried to read, as I knew they had heard some important news ”from the United States. In a few minutes an old Post Captain '(Paty) R. N., came in and putting his hand on my shouldier said, “Mr. Sta- ples, I suppose you have heard the news.” I said, “No“ Captain, I have heard no news.” Well, he said, “they have had an awful fight in Hampton Reads,” “The Confederate Iron Clad Merrimac has come down and sunk two of the wooden frigates with a great loss of life.” I said “I am very sorry, to hear of that Captain.” It struck me at once that he was holding something back. I said, “Captain Paty, is that all tne news ‘3” Well no,” he said, “The little turretted boat that _ Ericson built came into the Roads in the night and attacked the Merrimac the next morning and pierced her armor and drove her back to Norfolk.” Now he says, “Can you, without breaking faith, tell me what the ordinance of the Ericson boat is?” I answered ‘ ‘yes, ” “It is no secret and I have a printed description of her on board, which I will show you, if any of you gentlemen will come on board.” Captain P. says, “what is her battery?” I answered, “two eleven inch guns, throwing 180 pounds solid shot.” Capt. P. says, “do you know the thickness of the Merri- mac’s armor ?” I said, “yes, certainly, I have a full description on board.” Capt. P. says “can you tell me ?” I answered “yes, it is four and one-half inch.” By that time all those officers had gathered around us. He turned to them and said, “Gentlemen what did I tell you three years ago when the plans of the “Warrior” and “Black Prince” were submitted to me. I told you that before they were finished ordinance would he invented that would pierce their armor, and if 180 pounds solid shot irom a 11 inch gun will go through ! four and one-half inches iron in Hamp- ton Roads, it will certainly go through four inches in the Brittish Channel.” I had only a few days before, at the re- quest of Captain Craven, of the “Tus- carora,” been on board of those ships and looked them pretty thoroughly through. They were the finest ships I had ever seen up to that time. 6000 tons could steam sixteen or seventeen knots an hour, but the armor was only four inches thick,and the little “Tusca- rora” had right there, in Southampton water, two Dahlgren eleven :inch guns which could have pierced the armor of either of them at one thousand yards. Those one-half dozen shots from the “Monitor” that day cost England ten million pounds, but also her pres- tige on the seas. When the Monitor foughtthat battle she was not the United States govern- ment property, but-the most of her was owned by two Connecticut men, Bush- nell of New Haven, and T. F. Rouland, I think, of Fairfield. When I reached the Southampton Club that noon they had just taken the news from the wire from Queenstown, we had no Atlantic telegraph cable in those days, England and France had made an agreement to have signed a treaty simultanously, six days thereaf- ter, acknowledging the Confederacy as an independent power. These six shots from the Monitor" stopped the whole thing,and now I will give my authority, which is Mr. Moran, Secretary of the United States Legation, Iiondon,‘ con- firmed three years afterwards by Cap- tain John Rogers, afterward Admiral, and ten years ago by Capt. Frank M. Bunce, U. S. Navy. ~ In the spring or summer of 1865, after Lee’s surrender, I was executive oflicer of a large ship and had just reached New York. I thought we were to'have a good long time there, and as my fam- ily lived in Brooklyn, I naturally was expecting to spend a quiet time home. , On the second day after our arrival we received telegraphic orders for sea and were ordered to New Orleans with med- ical stores and greenbacks, the largest amount ever carried by one ship at the same time, from any port in the United States—eleven :million dollars. It was contained in twenty-eight large Her- ring safes. We arrived in New Orleans all right and anchored off the centre of the city. About eleven o’clock the officers of the deck reported the flag-ship making signals and I at once went to the sig- nal Quarter-master with the signal book and read the following order: “Prepare for battle, rebel ram coming down the river." .The Captain was on, shore re- porting to the Admiral and I called the rcew to quarters and got the safes, (which I had already got out on the main deck,) into the gangway so as to leave room for the powder- boys and Ihellmen to pass through. - ; About 11:30 the Captain came off from shore and as he came up the 'gangway ladder said, “Why Mr. Staples what, In the world are you trying to do ? I read the signal ‘order and he said. “Oh! the admiral'has got the ram fever, he thinks Reed is trying to get- away-with the “Webb.” - ' 7' He then said I think you had better pass the word quietly to the men as soon as, the cooks have their dinner ready to go to dinner.~ In three min- utes the dinner was ready and we sent the men to dinner. I had notgiven up the trumpet to the regular oflicer of the deck, but stood on the bridge with the Captain and‘as I was looking up the river I saw the Webb coming dewn with the current in her favor andas I had known her in New York by her two walking beams, I never said a word to'the Captain but took the stick be- longing to the Chinese gong with which we call the men to general quar- ters and :hammered away on it. I never saw a crew get to quarters so quick in my life. “Man the Port bat- tery. Pivot guns pivot to port, point blank, and when you load again. use two and one-half second fuse. Officers of divisions report your divisions, Quarter master put that wheel hard a port, and to the Chief Engineer, “run up the fires as quick as you can.” As the Webb came down she ran within thirty or forty feet of us and had a long torpedo boom with a torpedo as large as a barrel on the end of the boom. It struck me at once they knew we had that immense amount of treasure on board and determined to destroy us, but, when within a very short distance she sheered off and passed us very close. The oflicer of marines came up and saluting as cool as if on dress parade, said, “Mr. Staples, please give me per- mission for the guards to pick ofi'those men in sight. They were at that time within say thirty feet of us. I said, “N 0, they cannot get away and it is too much like murder to sheet those men so close.” As she passed down the river Reed saw the “Nightingale” an ordinance ship with 300 tons of powder on board. He thought it was the sloop of war ‘ ‘St, Louis” and thought to blow her up. As he approached her he did not slack speed but lowered his torpedo bcom into the water. She must have been going through the water at the time some twelve knots. The moment the torpedo took the water it buckled the boom so that it broke near the middle and the “Webb" sheered away and went on down the river. Rebel sympathizers had cut the wires communicating with the forts, Jackson and St. Phillip and the Belize. But the “Ricnmond” the sister ship of ’the Hartford .had just come around from Mobile and owing to some dis'arrange- ment of the machinery, had anchored E bout twenty miles below New Orleans while they could repair it. She (the “Richmond”) laid around a bend in the river and Reed had formerly been a midshipman on board of her- and knew of the terrible battery she carried -—twenty nine inch and two eleven inch smooth bore guns, and two fifty pound Parrots. In the meantime we had slipped our cables, (and by the way I think those two anchors and sixty fathom chain are still in the river there) and were right after him. There was the Richmond below and we above, and he (Reed) thinking we did not wish to fight a bat- tle opposite New Orleans had- fixed it for the fight below. So he ran her on shore, broke in the head of a barrel of spirits turpentine, scattered it over the 250 bales of cotton and set her on fire. We got alongside of her and got out of her cabin and ward room her log- book and some correspondence; ‘ We ‘ took all the officers pris- oners and brought them back to New York with us. On the way to New York Captain Reed used to get in- to my room a goOd deal, and gave me his word of honor not to look-at the signal book , or any correspondence. One day he said to me in his droll way “do you know,Staples,how narrow an escape you had ?” I answered no. He said when that marine guard was drawn up on your upper deck I saw they were preparing to fire on the men I had exposed, but I had 75 men he- hind those cotton bales, all south-west- ern men, who could knock out a squir- rel’s eye at seventy-five yards with their rifles. If your men had fired on our men, my orders were to pick off every officer and man in sight. As the Captain and myself were upon the bridge, you can imagine how much chance we would have stood. Reed was sent to Fort Warren, Bos- ton harbor, and when released went to Chili, where I think he now is in their Navy, as admiral. CAPT. Happy Hoosiers. Wm. Timmons, postmaster of Ida- ville, Ind., writes: “Electric Bitters has done more for me than all other medicines combined, for bad feeling arising from kidney'and liver trouble.” John Leslie, farmer and stockman of same place : “Find Electric Bitters to be thebest kidney and liver medicine ; made me feel like a new man.” ~' J. W. Gardner, hardware merchant,§;.- same ;town,' says: Electric Bitt'érs; is. just ‘the thing for a man all run down and den’t care whether he lives or dies; he found new strength, good appetite and felt just like he had a new lease of life. Only 500. a bottle at Hale’s drug store. More cases of sick headache, bilious- ness, constipation, can be cured in less time, with less medicine, and for less money, by using Carter’s Little Liver. Pills than by any other means. ' la grippe. WEST NOR WALK. MISS Annie Hanley has 'returned to ,West Norwalk. Mrs. Howell Reed is quite sick with Mr. James Bates’ youngest son died on Wednesday of bronchitis. The Rev. Mr. Tucker preached at the Union chapel last Sunday. Rev. Mr. Kidd will preach for the Methodist society on Easter afternoon. The Union Chapel society will give an Easter concert on March 29th. and also will hold 'a sociable at Mrs. Le Grand Johnston’s on Tuesday, March 31st. A novel entertainment was held at our village grocery store, at which the attendance was large. It was to see, a 'man eat five soda crackers in five min- utes without taking a drink. ——-4~o—>— ,_____, 177:4.3'1' NOR WALK. There was a pigeon shot here yester- day. Bent Grandeson is moving from Sel- leck’s house. The Volunteer hose company is in receipt of 255 feet of hose. a * * There is lots of moving going on in this section of the town. La Grippe Again. During the epidemic of La. Grippe last season Dr. Kin ’s New Discovery for Consumption, oughs and Colds, proved the best remedy. Reports from the many who used it confirm this statement. They were not only quick- ly relieved, but the disease left _no bad after results. We ask you to give this remedy a trial and we guarantee that you will be satisfied With results, or the purchase price will be. refunded. It has no equal in La Grippe or any Throat, Chest or Lun Trouble. Trial bottles free at H. R. ale’s drug store. Large bottles, 50c. and $1. 0 GOLD WATCH VOTE. Following is the score, to date, of the balloting in the contest for the Gold Watch, to be presented bylth'e DAILY GAZETTE to the most popular working girl in the town of Norwalk. Ma ie Cavanaugh R. (is G. shop, 6,812 Maggie McCauley It. at. G. shop, 6.635 Rose Flynn, Volks hat. shop, ' 6.601 Maud Nisbett, T. Cousms’ factory, 6,033 Mav Brotherton, Union-Mtg. 00.. .567 Lilly Hendricks, Hutchinson, Cole (it Go. 1,549 Hannah F Clune. . “ _ " ‘ 39 Mary J. Clarity, Union Mfg. Co. 480 Maud Hyatt nIon Mfg. Co., 616 Florence DeForest. Tele hone office. 524 Nellie Platt. Dennis &. B anchard, 65 Minnie Rosenaw. _ “ 133 Lizzie Kelley, Dunning &: Stevens, 506 Jennie Bates, Nickerson & ts. . ‘ 135 J orgina Peterson, Georg WardSelle'ck s 5% Clara Graham. Dr. W. .Baldwm's, 552 Lulu Hammer, Co-o erative hat shop, 201 Sarah Dibble, C, S. robrIdge. 49 MamIeGuamerl, Norwalk mill, 59 Eugenia Wakeman Weed‘s shoe shop, 49 The Reciprocity Question. OTTAWA, March 28.—The proposed visit of Canadian commissioners to Washing- ton has been considered by the cabinet. The date of the commissioners’ departure was not fixed. Important preliminaries which Mr. Blaine insists upon before he receives the Canadian commissioners have been the subject of a voluminous correspondence betwen Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British ministes at Washington, and the Canadian government. These preliminaries, Mr. Blaine says, must be agreed to before he can consent to any conforence. The Canadian commissioners are only awaiting the settlement of these prelimi- naries before starting on their miss'sion. Officials in prominent places openly ex- press their doubt of anything in the way of reciprocity with the United States being accomplished, and assert that Canada would gain more by avoiding any com- mercial alliance with the states. a. A World’s Fair Project Abandoned. DENVER, March 28.—-Colonel Brown, 0] Aspen, has decided to abandon his pro- posed subterranean mine in Chicago dur- in g the “’orld’s fair, owing to the chang- ing of the site from the lake front to Jack. son park. Mr. Gillespie gives these rea- sons for the sudden change: “\Ve intended to make the investment yield at least suffi- cient revenue to reimburse those who were interested in it. If the site had been the lake front, we would have had an almost permanent exhibit. It would be so situat- ed that after the fair was over we could still depend on a certain income daily from people who desired to view what to them was a novelty. But Jackson park is so far removed from the center of popula- tion that it was not feasible to depend upon this. Therefore I wrote to Colonel Brown at Aspen that the whole thing was abandoned.” Alliance Treasurer Dowell Buncoed. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., March 28.—Captain W. D. Dowell, a well to do farmer and state treasurer of the Farmers’ Alliance, of Arkansas, was buncoed. out of $3,000 by three sharpers. It was the same old game. Captain Dowell loaned one of the men the money with which to cover a- wager on a game of cards made by an apparent stran- ger. The stranger did not finish the game, but put the money in a valise, drew a pis- tol as though he was going to shoot and departed. His whereabouts are unknown. The other two men were captured, and gave their names as: Dr. Howard and J udge Baker, of Springfield, Mo. _ Insane Asylum Cruelty. PROVIDENCE, March 28.—John Lee Gal- lagher, _a discharged inmate of the state insane asylum at Cranston, brings charges of cruelty against a watchman at 'the in- stitution. Superintendent Eastman is in vestigating, and Gallagher has been asked to identify hisal'leged assailant. He says he will do this on Saturday. ‘Gallagher shows bruises .on his body, .and says he saw the watchman who assaulted him and another attendant treat other patients cruelly. "IlII-ee Persons Burned to Death. AUSTIN, Pa., March 28.—A $5,000 fire Fri- day morning in the Commercial hotel and boarding house of R. Henry destroyed the building and caused the loss of three lives ———Lizzie McGav‘isk, a domestic; Jack Mc- Carty, a boarder, and an unknown man. The adjoining property was badly dam- aged. The origin of the fire is unknown. Good Friday Closing. NEW YORK, March 28.—All the business exchanges were closed Friday. Many of the offices in the big buildings down town were also closed. The custom house was open, but business generally was su pended. ' ALBANY mama 1101". Proceedings in the Senate and in the Assembly. ALBANY, March 28.—In the senate—The finance committee reported: Mr. Sloan’s board of claims reappropriation bill, Mr. Stewart’s World’s fair appropriation bill, with an amendment making it $200,000 in- stead of $250,000. There were but fourteen senators present and no bills could be passed. The senate went into general orders and progressed a few bills. ' Adjourned until 8:30 p. m. Monday. . In the Assembly. In the assembly bills passed: Mr. Hust~ ed’s, relating to the duties and enlarging the powers of the superintendent of public buildings; Mr. Endres’, for the proper con- struction of scaffolding, etc.; Mr. McClel-, land’s,appropriating $17,000 for the comple- tion of the work of the statutory revision. When Mr. Byrnes’ measure, which pro- vides for the proper lighting and ventilat- ing of tunnels, came up on its third read ing, Mr. Sulzer announced that he had be. fore the railroad committee a similar bill, which was to be reported favorably next Tuesday. In conversation with Mr. Byrnes the latter had agreed to allow the farmer’s measure to be substituted, but with the latter’s name. Mr. Sulzer therefore moved that the bill be substituted, but objection was made. A motion was then made to refer the bill back to the railroad commit- tee, to amend and report forthwith. The motion was lost—46 to 4.3-aud the bill thereafter laid aside. THEY DEFIED THE COURT. Millionaire Bowen’s Heirs Gather up His Money and Steal. Quietly Away. DELPHI, Ind, March 28.—The palatial residence of the late Abner H. Bowen in this city is now deserted. -Wednesday the residence was occupied by the heirs of the dead millionaire banker, but Wednesday night they left quietly, taking with them personal property in the shape of notes, bonds, mortgages, etc., aggregating sev~ eral millions of dollars. About one year ago Abner H. Bowen died, leaving an estate valued at $5,000,000 to be divided among a. widow and five children. Immediately after his death the county official took steps to rake in taxes due on his property back to 1881. Defying the court, the heirs refused to 'turn the personal property over to him and decided to leave, taking their bonds and notes with them. Hughes “’111 Be Extradited. HARRISBURG, March 28.—Governor Pat- tison has decided to issue writs for the ex- tradition of James Hughes, national mas- ter workmen of the assembly of garment cutters, who is wanted at Rochester, N. Y., on charges of extortion and conspiracy made by L. Adler Bros. & Co., of that city. The governor says that the papers from Governor Hill asking for the extra- dition of Hughes were in proper form, and there remained no other course for him to pursue than to issue the writs. The ap- plication for extradition on the charge of conspiracy was received by the governor after the hearing on the first application of extortion. The writs Will be issued to- ‘ morrow. Must Read and Write to Vote. AUGUSTA, Me., March 28.—A bill was passed by the house Friday providing that no person shall be allowed to vote who cannot' read and write his name. The house'aud senate in joint session today considered the question of sending an ad- dress to the governor requesting the re- moval from office of Judge Charles S. Hamilton, of Biddeford. He is charged with several serious offenses, among them intemperance and unprofessional conduct. His counsel denied the charges, pleaded lack of time in which to prepare a defense and asked for a. bill of particulars. A Shocking Accident. OTTAWA, March 28.—A shocking acci- dent occurred in Loomer’s phosphate mine in Ottawa county. After the explosion of two blasts three men went down into one of the holes to remove the rock when a slide occurred and the men were buried under about five tons of rock. Two of them were killed. Their names are Ca- mille Tombeau, of East Templeton, and Alfred Bradley, foreman, of Prescott. The third, Joseph Prudhomme, of East Tem~ pleton, was badly injured, but will prob ably recover. Senator McPherson Still Ill. TRENTON, March 28.——Senator McPher- son has returned to Washington after an absence of two weeks, spent in this state and in New York city. He is preparing to leave for the south some time next week, as he is still suffering from the illness he had during the session of congress. He will go direct to Florida, where he will take it easy for several weeks. Mr. Hinton, of Newark, will accompany the senator. Notified of :1. Reduction. READING, Pa, March 28,—The employes of the Reading Iron company have been notified that owing to the slackness of trade a reduction of wages will be inau- gurated on the first of the month. The re duction will be a slight one. Two thou- sand men will be afiected. The company promises to restore wages to the old figures when business improves. The men will acquiesce in-the reduction. Fearful Destltution in Kansas. KANSAS CITY, March 28. —A committee has reached here from Wallace county, Ram, in search of aid for the starving and freezing farmers of that region. The 2,400 peOple of Wallace county are hovering about fires-made of bufialo and cow chips, and their daily fare is not enough to suf- fice a child for one meal. Last year was the fourth successive crop failure in west- ern Kansas. . General Bragg Says He’s Not Dying Yet. Los Axcsms, Cal, March 23.—There is no truth in the reports telegraphed from the east last night that General Bragg wms lying serioust ill in a hotel here. AUnited Press reporter met General Bragg at his hotel Friday. The general appeared to be in the best of health and spirits. He de- clared that he was at a loss- to know how the “130m concerning his health were sta . _ ' _ Koch's Treatment Failed. PITTSBURG, March 28.——Annie Flinn, who has been at Mercy hospital for some time undergoing Koch’s treatment, has been sent home to die. It is an accepted fact that in Miss Flinn’s case, which has at tracted a great deal of attention, the Koch treatment has been a. failure. Hon. Rnfus Prince Dead. LEWISTON, Me., March 28.—The Hon. Rufus Prince, of South Turner, worthy master of the Maine State grunge and president of the Maine State Agricultural society, died at 6 a. m. Friday, aged nearly sixty-six years. The Weather. Rain or snow; no change in temperature; east winds .l I: > r'i 3, ,> r. .F Sick Headache and relieve all the troubles incl- den-t to a bilious state of the system. such as Dizziness, Nausea, DrOwsiness, Distress after eating. Pain in the Side, kc. While their most remarkable success has been shown insuring SICK Headache, yet Carter‘s Little Liver Pills are equally valuable in Constipation, curing and pre- venting this annoying complaintwhile they also correctalldisorders ofthestomach,stimulato the liver and regulate the bowels. Even if they only ..... HEAD Ache they would be almost pricelessto those who suffer from this distressing complaint; but fortu- nately their goodness does not end here,and those who once try them-will find these little pills valu- able in so many ways that they will not be wil— ling to do without them. But after all sick head ACHE Is the bane of so many lives that here Is where we make our great boast. Our pills cure it while others do not. Carter's Little Liver Pills are very small and very easy to take. One or two pills make a dose. They are strictly vegetable and do not gripe or purge. but by their gentle action please all who use them. In vials at 25 cents ; five for $1. Sold by druggists everywhere. or sent by mail. CARTER MEDICINE 00.. New York. Smallil. Smiles. Sallie. SPECIAL slu —OF-— LAMPS. NEXT WEEK .. —AT— F. J.Gurtis&Go’s W.B.HALL&00. ling Dress Goods. Jackets, Gloves, Dress TrImmings and Hosiery Now Ready. SPECIAL OFFERINGS ARE BEING MADE IN hadies’ Cotton Underwear and Corsets. #:ALSO IN:————- Lace and chenille curtains. The Bargains Continue. Additional Lots LACE CURTAINS. 120 pairs Nottingham. Curtains at $2, $2.50 and $3 a pair; positively worth $2.75, $3 and $5. Every housekeeper should see them. CHENILLE CURTAINS. One lot Spring Colors at $4.47 a pair. less than $6.00. Not sold elsewhere for One lot $4.87, fully worth $6.50. One lot $5.25, very handsome, worth $7. 24" .. One lot, every new shade, $6, worth $8. One lot, elegant styles, $6.50. fully worth $8.50. - @ABOVE FIVE LOTS ARE GREAT BARGAINS and are the Leading styles for this spring. Each lot has all the new colorings, includ ing Sea Green, Light Blue, Copper, Pink, Rose and Yellow. BUGS. HUGS. RUGS. We are the headquarters for Bugs, and our new collection of .Moquette, Wilton, Smyrnas, Bysantine and Mecca Rugs is very comprehensive. Silk Furniture Plush. One lot 24 inches at 75' cents; usually sold at $1.50. Crushed Plush. an shades $1.25, usually $1.75. Silkine Curtains. With handsome fringe, $1.69, worth $2.25. , Lace Striped Scrim. 100 pieces at 4 cents a yard, advertis 2d usually as bargains at 61 cents. Window Shades. Full sized Window Shades 25 cents. Window Shades with fringe 27 cents. Both lots with spring rollers. Pure Silk Crash. . Something new for polishing, 15 cents a yard. Ask for it at the Linen Counter. , -. B.H all Co. ' Cor. Main and Cannon St., Bridgeport.
Norwalk Chronicler