Appalling Shipwrecks

A Manna correspondent of the .London paily News fnrnishes the following particuiars of the terrible disaster in the Bay of Biscay, brief meutioa of which hna been hefetoforc tnade : "It was holy week. nml kt severnl days the flshing boata had tiot left thelr potts. The nets had beefl hüng o.it to dry, an'l the m'en loitered itbout to look on at the quaint proöessions of Qood Friday. The weather had been vefy fine during the earlier part of the week, and ou Saturday the sun rose gloriously on a quiet sea. Accordingly, before 8 o'cloek, the sails of the fishermen of Biscay studded the horizon. By midday the bree&e shifted to the northeast, and a hile of clouds appeafcl far away in the horizon. The sea rose tefy f ast, and the waves inc-eased on the sands. Galls nnd other W xls began to sweep along the surface of the water with their peculiar cry. The sky grew overcast rapidly, and theu the iierce 'noroeste,' the noithwester of Basque ballads, began to howl and rage in a inanncr whioh made the bravest heorts quake. People gathered on the piers and on the rock to gaze at the approacbing squall, which eame on with rain, hail and sleet, hidino; tho sea from view and driving all to their homes. " When tho sqnall was over, crowds of women and children flocked around the disniayed authorities, and despairitjgly complained of the post Captain having allowed the boats to leave. In vain did the officials protest that they had no reaaon to snppose that the beantiful morning would end in a squall. In vain did they say that they had no power to prevent the men going on their expedition. Heart-rending cries were heard, and stil 1 no news carne, until it was reported that, on somo beach, threc shipwrecked boys had been found. Then planks and baskots washed in, and larger vessels who had weathered the storm brought in the dismal tale. The eveniDg wuned, and some boats more fortúnate carne in, only to inerease the agony of the bereaved with certain details of the destruction of their comrades. Santander had lost seven large boats and five smaller ones, with sixfcy-seven men and lade. Other places in the same province had, during tbc night, reported about twenty five boats lost, with crews varyiog from four to eleven hands. Biscay, however, had suffered most, and the excitement in Bilbao was intense on Sunday, ap telegram after telegram came in from tüe Alcaldes on the coast. Off Cape Machichaco, well known to all vessels entering the Bilbao river, the squall had boen most violent. Elanchovi, with 300 inhabitants, lost fifty-idne men and eight boats ; Lequietio, Deva, Ondorroa and Piendia each lost three smacks. At the head of the casualty list stands Bermeo, the picturesque and loyely little town situated near the cape; 106 of its fiobermen perished in fifteen boats. The Alcalde of the place telegraphs that the misery and grief of the wretched families are terrible. More than forty widows and 200 children, in a town of 1,800 inbabitants, are mourniug this geat calamity. Details have not yet been received from Asturias and the Galician coast. The official telegrams report a total loss, up to yesterday, of 320 men and boys in about ninety boats of different sizes." Got What He Called For. Len Smith's tavern at Waltham used to be, in days gone by, a favorite stopping-place for the farmers who, from f urther up the road, were accustomed to bring their truck to Boston for a market. Some of the knowing ones who were a "little near" would manage to get around just abont time breakfastor dinner was nearly over, and, calling for a " cold bite," would be seated at the table, and for half the price of a dinner would get as " square" a meal as those who came early and paid f uil price. One old ehap who had got his dinners in this manner for several months, and who was never known to "spend an unneeessary cent in the house, was marked by the jolly landlord for a victim. On a certain day ia winter, when he was known to be coming, a boiled dinner was prepared and set out the night before to cool. Punctually the next day " Barkis"put in an appearance and called for a "cold bite." A goodly píate full of f rozen beef, potatoes, etc. , was set before him. The first dab at a potato with his fork sent that artielo flying across tho table, and a turnip shiecl from under his knife quite as rapidly. Feeling that he had been caught, he worried through, thoughtfully and silently. Having finished his meal, he walked up to the bar (behind which was the smiling landlord) to settle, and thus unbosomed himself : " Looka-here, Len, I've been stopping at your tavern to fodder for the last three months, and I'll be hanged if to-day ain't the first time I've ever got what I called for." - Boston Transcript. Different Ways of Different Climes. Edmund About say s: ' At the age of 25 an American has tried a dozen ways of life, made four fortunes, a bankruptcy, nnd two campaigas; ploaded a cause, preached a religión, killed six men with a revolver, onfranchised , negress and conquered an island. An Englishman has passed two examinations, has been attached to an embassy, foiuuled a counting-house, converted a Cathohc, made a tour of the world and read the complete woiks of Sir Walter Scott. A Frerchruan has rhymed a tragedy, writton intwo journals, received threesword wounds, attempted two suicida, troubled the peaoe of fourteen husbands and changed his political opinions nineteen times over. A Germán has scarred the faces of fonrteen of his intímate friendo, swallowed sixty tons of beer and the philosophy of Hegel, suDg 11,000 couplets, compromised a maid-servant, smoked a million of pipes and been concerned in two revolutions. A Roman Prince has done nothiug, learned nothing, seen nothing, loved nothing, suffered nothing. The gate of acloister is thrown open, a young girl with no more experienco than hiinself isled forth, and these two innocents proceed to knee'. before a priest, who licenses them to begin a fresiu stock of muoeents." Perpetual Motiun. A magnetic clock, invented by Daniel Drawbaugh, of Milltown, Cumborland coanty, l'a., is sulliciently remarkable to be worth description. Tho magnetism oí tlie earth, an inexhausüblo source of power, is made to oscillate the pendnlum, and the simplicity of all the works gives an assuranre of the loast possiblo friction. At a certain point tho movements of the pendulnm itself shut off magnetic conneotion witb the earth, and at anotlior poiot restore the connectioD, thus securiug the conditions necessary to produce its oscillations, The works are go iDgenions and simple that it ia no wild assertiou to make that, were it uot for the uuavoidable wearing out caused byeven the small amount of frintion, the clock would run as long as the solid earth endures. This clock is hucg against a board partition, witli all the works exposed, subject to the j irriugs of mchincry and obstructions from dust settling on it, yet fcince March 1, 1877, it has boen ïuuuiug coutinuously and uniformly, with only sbght reported variations, as tested by transit observations at uoon. - Harrisburg ( Pa. ) 'J teraph. Texas Cattlc Plague. The United States Supreme Court recontly ilooided, virtnully, that the State laws to prevent the introdnetion of Texas, Mexican or Indian cnttlo within their borders are nnconstitutional. Roproeenhitive Morgan, of Missouri, to obvíate auy diffioulty that the decisión of the Supreme Court raight oréate in certain sections of the country, hae introduccd in the lower house of Congress a bilí declaring the introduction of Texas, Mexitfiín or Indian oattle into Missouri, Kansas of Illinois, from March to Nov. 1 of each year, an offense punishable with fine or impiïsoument. The design of the bill is to protect domestic oattle froïü what is known as the Texas fever.