MISCELLANEOUS.

A PRINCELY HEBREW.-From Prague, we hear of the death, at the age of 77, of a Hebrew merchant. In his lifetime he devoted the larger part of his immense revenues to the encouragement of science, art and natural industry-and to the relief of the indigent, without distinction of religion or race; and by his will he has bequeathed three millions of florins-300,000/-among the benevolent institutions of all the principal cities of Bohemia.

Water well set at work.-In the village of Hastings, on the east bank of the Hud. son, 20 miles from the city, is a large spring affording water sufficient for two or three small factories. From this spring Mr. B. has laid a pipe of three-quarter inch bore, 2,393 feet long, supplying the houses with water. The fall is 110 feet, being 20 greater than the Croton in Fulton street. It operates to the entire satisfaction of this projector, Mr. Peter Nodine, fulfilling the most sanguine expectations. The price, exclusive of the expense of digging, is 10 cents per foot, which is 33 per cent cheaper than lead pipe. It may be considered indistructible.

We

In

Mr. Ball has laid 800 feet of his pipe of 2 1-2 inches bore in Providence, R. I. understand gives entire satisfaction. other places, and in numerous houses in this city, he has put his pipes of various sizes, and for various purposes. Mr. B. is a persevering and ingenious mechanic, entitled to the patronage of his countrymen."

To the Editors of the Louisville Jourual: GENTLEMEN. I find the following touching incident in the Mobile Advertiser:

"A correspondent of the Charleston Courier, writing from Newport, Rhode Island, relates the following touching incident in connexion with the early history of the Israelites of that city, and the religious devotion manifested in the preservation of their institutions, by one of the denomination who reveres the faith of his fathers:"

"The liberal policy of the founders of Rhode Island had drawn hither (to New. port) a community of wealthy and enterpri sing Israelites, who gave an impulse to its

commerce.

Now there is not a single Jewish family, nor one of their descendants on the Island; but their ancient and venerable synagogue still remains in perfect order, as if prepared for their reception, and their cemetery, with its monuments, walks, and trees, is a model of neatness and ele

gance. Its stately gateway is occasionally opened to receive the remains of an Israelite from some distant place, whose last wish may have been to rest here with his fathers. Even the Jewish street is still kept in perfect repair, through the munificence of a Jewish merchant, whose grandfather was a Rabbi of this place. I notice, too, with pleasure, that the classical building of the Redwood Library' is undergoing a complete renovation at the expense of the same individual, who is a citizen of New Orleans."

The following additional particulars form a portion of the early history of Rhode Island. October 19th, 1667, thirty-five feet of square ground was deeded to Mordecai Campaunal and Moses Packeckoe for a Jewish cemetery.-The first Jewish settlers were of Dutch extract from Curasao. In 1750 and '60, many wealthy Jews from Spain and Portugal settled amongst them. A few most conspicuous were the Lopez, Riveras, Pollocks, Levis, and Hart and Isaac Touro. The latter was at the head of the congregation as clergyman. They erected in 1762 a house of worship, which was dedicated on the 2d of December, 1763, with great pomp and splendor, by a congre. gation of over three hundred Jews. Aaron Lopez was celebrated as a merchant of great enterprise, seeking out new channels for the promotion of commerce, owning some thirty sail of vessels, and about the first to fit out whalemen for the Falkland Islands. An instance is also related which should serve as an example to the present enlightened period. A merchant, an Israelite, of great enterprise, largely embarked in commercial pursuits, was in the end unsuccessful, losing his ALL, and with large debts unpaid. He removed to Boston, where, in a few years, he accumulated wealth, returned to Rhode Island, and settled himself permanently with his family. Soon after, he gave a dinner party, inviting among his guests all to whom he was indebted. Dinner announced, each gentleman was assigned his place at table by cards with the name written on the plates. On turning them over, under each plate was found a check for the principal with interest in full to that day. He thus liquidated every liability, which his creditors, from the length of time that had elapsed, had entirely relinquished. Abraham, the son of Isaac Touro, a native of Rhode Island, made his fortune in Boston, and died in 1822, leaving $10,000 and $5,000 in trust to the Legisla ture for the support of, and to keep in order

the synagogue and burial ground with the streets leading thereto, now called Touro street, which to the present is strictly complied with. Moses, the nephew of Aaron Lopez, was the last resident Jew. He died

in New York, and, at his request, was removed to Newport and buried beside his brother Jacob. Not a resident Jew was left on the island in 1820. The history of Rhode Island lauds them for their integrity and upright course, and refers to them as an example to be followed by all.

A NEW CITY.-The following animated description of one of the last wonders of our day, the new city now rising at Birkenhead, near Liverpool, is from the pen of a noble diplomatist, and will be read with interest: "I have made a very agreeable trip to Birkenhead, which is a place rising as if by enchantment, out of the desert, and bidding fair to rival, if not eclipse the glories of Liverpool. Seven years ago there were not three houses on that side of the Mersey -there are now above 20,000 inhabitants, and on the spot where Sir W. Stanley's hounds killed a fox in the open field, now stands a square larger than Bellgrave. square. every house of which is occupied

At Liverpool there are now ten acres of docks, the charge for which is enormous; at Birkenhead there will be forty-seven acres, with rates two-thirds lower, which will gradually diminish until (supposing trade to continue prosperous) they will almost disappear and the docks become the property of the public at the end of thirty years. It would have been worth the trouble of the journey to make acquaintance with the projector and soul of this gigantic enterprise, a certain Mr. Jackson. With his desire to create a great commercial emporium proceeds, pari passu, that of improving and elevating the condition of the laboring classes here, and before his docks are even excavated, he is building docks for 300 families of work people, each of which is to have three rooms and necessary conveniencies, to be free of all taxes, and plentifully supplied with water and gas, for 2s 6d a week for each family. These houses adjoin the warehouses and docks, where the people are to be employed, and thence is to run a railroad to the sea, and every man liking to bathe will conveyed there for a penny. There are to be wash-houses,

where a woman will be able to wash the linen of her family for two pence; add 180 acres have been devoted to a park, which Paxton has laid out, and nothing at Chatsworth can be more beautiful.

At least 20,000 people were congregated there last Sunday, all decently dressed, orderly, and enjoying themselves. Chapels and churches, and schools, for every sect and denomination, abound. Jackson says he is sure he shall create as vigorous a-public opinion against the public houses as is to be found in the higher classes. There are now 3000 workmen on the docks and build. ings, and he is about to take on 2000 more. Turn which way you will, you see only the most judicious application of capital, skill, and experience-every thing good adopted, every thing bad eschewed from all other places, and as there is no other country in the world, I am sure, that could exhibit such a sight as this nascent establishment, where the best interests of commerce and philanthropy are so felicitously interwoven.

really felt an additional pride at being an Englishman."-[The writer of this tribute to Birkenhead, "the City of the Future," is Lord Clarendon, formerly our ambassador to Madrid.]-European Times.

From another English paper. BIRKRENHEAD.-The commissioners of this rising town, which is exactly opposite to Liverpool, on the other side the Mersey, have given notice of their intention to apply to Parliament for power to purchase the basin and property adjacent to the south end of George's pier, on the Liverpool side, for purposes suitable to the increasing wants and importance of their town; they also seek to obtain power to purchase property adjacent to the present ferry, for the purpose of greatly extending the ferry accommodation, and for widening the streets and approaches to the same.

A Child Choked to Death by a Chesnut. -An interesting daughter, about eighteen. months old, of Mr. John H. Walker, of Gardner, Mass., while eating chesnuts on Wednesday, was choked to death. As soon as it was discovered to be choked, a messenger was sent for Dr. A. S. Carpenter of South Gardner, but before he arrived the child was dead.-Worcester Spy.

From the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal. On the Diluvial Epoch.-By Professor F. J. Pickett of Geneva,

The examination of a considerable number of fossil bones from the caves of France, and of the bones found in the gravel of the environs of Geneva, as well as a comparison of the different memoirs published on the orga nic remains of the diluvial epoch, have led me to form a different opinion from that generally entertained on this subject.

I think that the diluvial epoch ought to be united with the modern epoch. I believe that there was no new creation, and no interruption of organic life, between the time when the bones of bears were buried in caverns and the present period.

The first proof I shall give is derived from the study of the arenaceous deposits in the neighborhood of Geneva.

Now in the more ancient alluvial deposits, bones are found which prove that our valley was inhabited at that epoch by species of mammalia perfectly identical with those which now live there.

These ancient alluvial deposits are probably contemporaneous (or nearly so) with those which exist in various other parts of the Swiss plain, and in which there have been found species now living, as well as remains of elephants.

These facts seem to me to show that the mammoth lived along with species identical with those of the present day, and to prove that there was no new creation between the deposits of which I have been speaking and those of our own period.

I find a second proof in the caverns and breccias themselves. Some species are there met with which I believe to be extinct, such as the bears of the caverns, the hyænas, and some others; but there are also found bones of a larger number of species, which cannot be distinguished from those now living in Europe. The bats, the shrews, the moles, the badgers, the hares &c., of the caverns, appear to be identical with our own. Is it probable that they should all have differed from the species now living in their external characters, and that, having been destroyed en masse by diluvial inundations, they should have been replaced, by means of an entirely new creation, by species which we are not able to distinguish from them!

It must be remarked, that it is necessary to distinguish between the creation of man and his establishment in Europe. It is probable that he did not arrive there till after the inundations which destroyed the cavern-bears and the contemporaneous animals. It may even be supposed that the last diluvial deposit and, in particular, the arenaceous formations of Switzerland, were formed before the human species inhabited our regions. There is

nothing, however to prove that man had not been created in Asia at the commencemenof the diluvial epoch. It must be remember

ed that the Sacred Writings, and the traditions of various nations, authorize us to believe that man witnessed some of those great inundations which were entitled to the name of deluges. Subsequently, tribes of the human race became more numerous, and migrated to Europe; and every one knows that philological, historical, and physiological researches all combine to demonstrate that Asia was the cradle of the nations which have successively invaded our continent.

The state of theoretical palæontology is still too uncertain to allow of our attaching ourselves too strongly to this or that hypothesis. It is the study of facts which is essential, and we must engage in that study unbiassed by preconceived ideas or particular systems.

KENAWHA GAS.

By Mr. James A. Lewis, of Kenawha, C. H. Va. From the Charleston Republican.

The existence of large quantities of gas at various points throughout the whole extent of the salt region on the Kenawha river, was known to the first white men that explored this beautiful valley. It appeared escaping through apertures in low grounds and springs of water. As a company of the earliest explorers encamped on the banks of the river, one of their number, in a dark night, took a torch to light his way to the spring near by the encampment, and in waving it over the spring, to his great consternation it took fire, the gas burning upou the surface of the water. It was thence called the "Burning Spring," and is the same that is mentioned by Mr. Jefferson in his Notes on Virginia. It is still there, but, as we saw it last week, a mere mud-puddle. The water agitated by the gas resembles a boiling pot. It readily ignites, and for a short time it burns with a blue blaze on the surface of the water; even when the water is dried up, the gas will burn brilliantly between one rain and another.

When, in process of time, the salt-manuturers, either from a failure of the salt-water above the stratum of rock, some 15 or 20 feet lower than the bed of the river, or the purpose of procuring the water in great abun dance, sunk their wells by boring far below the surface of the rock, the gas, in various quantities, made its appearance in the wells, in some instances jetting the water into the air, when being united, it spread the flame about, to the no small amazement and terror of the workmen. When this happened, they used to say "the well is blowed." The stream of gas, however, soon subsided, or acted only with sufficient power to force the water up into the gum or shaft, which is part of the trunk of a sycamore tree, about four feet in diameter, hollowed out so that the shell is not more than four inches thick. From the gum it was pumped into the cistern or reservoir.

Our salt wells are commenced near the edge of the river at low water. The gum is

sunk down to the rock, a distance of from 15 to 20 feet, the lower end resting tightly on the rock. The other end is usually a few feet above the ground. This excludes the fresh water above the rock, and serves as a reservoir to receive the salt-water, when it is reached by boring through the rock and the various strata of earth.

Three years ago, William Tompkins, Esq., first obtained a permanent and steady stream of gas, of sufficient power, not only to force the water up from the depth of a thousand feet into the gum, but to carry it into the reservoir elevated many feet above the bank of the river. This saved the expense of a pump, which is worked by a steam-engine. In a short time, it occurred to him, that this gas could be turned to a still more useful purpose. He therefore erected, over the reservoir or cistern, a gasometer, which is simply a hogshead, placed upright, in the lower end of which is inserted the pipe that conveys the water and the gas from the wells, the water running out through a hole in the lower end, and in the top is inserted a pipe that conveys the gas to the mouth of the furnace. When ignited, it produces a dense and intensely heated flame along the whole furnace under the row of kettles, 100 feet long, by 6 deep, and 4 wide. This saves the expense of digging and hauling coal.

Subsequently, Messrs. Warth and English, whose works are on the opposite side of the river, obtained a similar stream of gas, which has been used successfully in the same way; and more recently Mr. Dryden Donnally Mr. Charles Reynolds, and some few others, produced a partial supply of gas to heat their furnaces in the same way.

But the most remarkable phenomenon in the way of natural gas here, and we have no doubt, in the whole world, is that at the works of Messrs. Dickinson and Shrewsbury, which has been exhibited for nearly two months past. In this well the gas was reached at the depth of one thousand feet. What the upward pressure of the gas to the square inch is, through the aperture, which is three inches in diameter, we are unable to tell; and, perhaps, it would be impossible to ascertain. It has never had a free and unobstructed vent. There is now, at the bottom of the well, an iron sinker, a long piece of round iron nearly filling the aperture; on this are 600 pounds of iron, and about 300 feet of auger-pole, used in boring, in pieces of 10 and 20 feet in length, with heavy iron ferules on the ends, screwed into each other. Notwithstanding all this obstruction, a stream of waer and gas issues up through a copper tube, 3 inches in diameter, inserted into the well to the depth of 500 feet, with the noise and force of steam generated by the boilers of the largest class of steamboats. It is computed that a sufficient quantity of gas comes from this well to fill in five minutes, a reservoir large enongh to light the city of New York during twelve hours. When we reflect that

this stream of gas has flowed, unabated, for nearly two months, what must be thought of the quantity and the facility of manufacturing it down below! In the springs hard by, and in the other wells, (with perhaps the exception of that of one or two others,) there appears, as yet, to be no diminution in the quantity at any place where it has heretofore been known to exist.

On the known thickness of the crust of the
Earth.

The Eselchacht at Kuttenbergh, Bohemia, had reached the enormous depth of 3545 feet.

At St. Daniel, and at Geist, on the Rohrerbuhel, the works, in the 16th century, were 2916 feet deep.

The absolute depth of the mines in the Saxon Erzgebirge, are 1824 and 1714 feet; the relative depths of these respectively are only 626 and 260. The absolute depth of the rich workings in Joachimsthal, Bohemia, is 1919 feet; but the sea level has not been attained.

In the Harz, the workings in the Samson pit, at Andreasberg, are carried on at the absolute depth of 2062 feet. In Old Spanish America, I know of no deeper mines than those of Valenciana, near Guanaxuato, Mexico; I found the Planes de San Bernard 1582 feet deep; but this mine does not reach the level of the sea by 5592 feet. If we compare the depth of the old Kuttenberg works (a depth which exceeds the height of the Brocken, and only falls short of that of Eina by 200 feet) with the heights of the loftiest buildings that have been reared by man (the Pyramid of Cheops and the Minster at Strasburgh,) we find that the mines are to these in proportion of 3 to 1.

Basin-shaped, curved strata, which dip down on one hand and rise at a measurable distance, although not penetrated by mines or shafts, still suffice to give accurate information of the constitution of the crust of the earth at great depths from the surface.

The depth of the coal measures at Mont St. Gilles, Liege, which M. Von Oyenhausen has estimated at 3650 feet below the surface, must lie at the depth of 3250 feet below the sea level, inasmuch as Mont St. Gilles is certainly not 400 feet high; and the coal basin at Mons lies fully 1750 feet deeper. These depressions, however, are trifling when compared with that of the coal strata of the SaarRevier.

These Belgian coal measures, therefore, tie as far below the level of the sea as Chimborazo rises above it. From the highest summit of the Himalaya to the bottom of this basin, containing vegetable remains of the primæval world, we have a perpendicular depth of 45,000 feet.

In a chasm, near the Dead sea, into which the Jordan flows, are beds of rock, which, lie 1300 feet in perpendicular depth below the level of the Mediterranean Sea.

POETRY.

WINTER IS COMING.

BY ELIZA COOK.

Winter is coming! who cares? who cares?
Not the wealthy and proud, I trow:
"Let it come," they cry," what matters to us
How chilly the blast may blow ?"

"We'll feast and carouse in our lordly halls,
The goblet of wine we'll drain,
We'll mock at the wind with shouts of mirth
And music's echoing strain.

"Little care we for the biting frost,

While the fire gives forth its blaze; And what to us is the dreary night,

While we dance in the waxlight's rays!"

'Tis thus the rich of the land will talk;
But think, oh ye pompous great,
That the harrowing storm YE laugh at within,
Falls cold on the poor at your gate!

They have blood in their veins as pure as thine,

But naught to quicken its flow;
They have limbs that feel the whistling gale,
And shrink from the driving snow.

Winter is coming! oh, think ye great,
On the rooffless, naked and old;
Deal with them kindly, as man with man,
And spare them a tithe of your gold!

THE MASTODON.- We hoped to be able to present our readers this week, with a print of the skeleton of the Mastodon, now exhibited in this city, a description of which we inserted in our last number. We are, however, obliged to defer the publication of both for the present.

EPIGRAM.

"How much corn may a gentleman eat?" whispered Fip,

While the cobs on his plate lay in tiers; "As to that," answered Q, (and he glanced at the heap,)

"Twill depend on the length of his ears!"

CULTURE OF MUSHROOMS.-"You ask me about the cultivation of mushrooms. I have two houses in which I have raised them, one built expressly for the purpose, 50 feet long, 14 feet wide, 6 feet high, plastered inside, with a flue from a stove running on the ground through the centre.-On the

top of the flue are hollow piles for the purpose of holding water and keeping the room moist. I have two tiers of beds on each side of the house, one over the other, 3 feet apart and 5 feet wide. We first filled ach bed with horse manure, with as lit

tle straw as possible, say one foot deep; we then put on 3 inches of rich black mould; in this earth we plant the spawn of the mushroom broadcast. That from England comes in blocks like brick. This is broken up into pieces the size of a walnut, and planted about three or four inches apart. The best time to make the beds is in October and November. Keep the house warm; about 65 degrees, and damp and dark, and cover the bed with hay 3 inches deep. The mushrooms will be ready to pick in about a month, and will continue until August or longer; but in very warm weather they get covered with bugs. The other house is smaller, and I heat it with a large pile of horse manure, which being kept wet my gardener thinks raises the best mushrooms." ROSWELL L. COLT.

Paterson, 7th May, 1845.-Am. Ag, TREES. This is a season for thinking about transplanting trees. People have for a long time, been talking about that important work. The leaves are falling, and the whole portion of the tree, root and branches, wood and bark, are attaining that quality which is favorable to transplanting, and to new growth. Those who are in haste, and are desirous to sit early under the shade of their own trees, may find it convenient to wait until very cold weather shall freeze the earth around the roots, and then large trees may be removed with safety, if done with skill and care; and in the spring they will go on growing and flourishing just as much as if they were at home; in the emphatic words of one who loves the business, "they will never know they have been removed." The truth is, the tree is asleep, and taking with it so much of its native earth, its roots unbroken, and its branches uninjured, it wakes up in the spring, and goes about its business without having dreamt of the change of position. The trees now in front of the State House are examples.-U. S. Gazette.

The earth is 7,916 miles in diameter, and 24,880 miles around.

THE AMERICAN PENNY MAGAZINE

AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER,
With numerous Engravings.

Edited by Theodore Dwight, Jr.

Is published weekly, at the office of the New York Express, No. 112 Broadway, at 3 cents a number, (16 pages large octavo,) or, to subscribers receiving it by mail, and paying in advance, $1 a year.

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