13 Feb 1851
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 11 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Warren Mail
Location
Warren, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Date
Feb 13, 1851
Page
1
A small West Indies schooner the Magpie commanded by Lieut Edward Smith fell to a sudden hurricane. Meldrum clung to oars and with seven others, including Lt Smith, battled in a lifeboat. Sharks attacked as the boat capsized twice more, leaving only Meldrum and some survivors.
The account portrays Captain Meldrum guiding six crew members as a shark attack maims him. He urges Wilson to inform the Admiral of the crew’s duty and asks promotion for Meldrum as gunner before dying at sunset, seeking to spare others further alarm.
The Cleaveland Herald argues that abolishing the death penalty in Michigan six years ago led to more murders and harsher crimes. Citing Detroit Advertiser, it claims equal punishment breeds moral risk, as felons face no deterrent and may resort to theft or murder, while calls for punishment shift to imprisonment.
Residents in St. Paul Minnesota watched a rare solar phenomenon with three suns aligned along the horizon. The ground reflected a bright glow as refracted rays streamed from the central sun and two luminous sun dogs flanked it, creating a dramatic and striking light display.
A reverend guest warns that a certain amount of wine harms after dinner. The host counters that the uncertain quantity causes mischief. A man in Albany plans life insurance to avoid reliance on cold charity after death.
A widow’s illness and a husband who neglected her led to a guilty conscience and eventual suicide by joining his wife in burial. The account portrays a ruinous descent from remorse to insanity, ending with the husband’s death beside his spouse. Also included are two stray anecdotes reflecting social mores and a quip about a coat.
The Panama Railroad progresses slowly with a planned finish in three years and four stations from Navy Bay to Gorgona, including Gatun and Bahia Salado. The line crosses Chagres River, faces limited work on the Pacific side, promises rigorous but fair wages, and notes a dry season with good weather.
Boston papers note astronomers at Cambridge Observatory confirmed a third ring interior to the two known rings of Saturn. The finding places this inner ring close to the planet. Hon Truman Smith is quoted in a witty quip about his wife’s one slave. Rhode Island has a single misdirecting guide board, with dogs reportedly set on anyone asking directions.
Mrs. Swisshelm criticizes young women for wriggling walks and deformed posture likening them to ship rudders and circus curiosities. She urges women to stop wriggling through streets and act as responsible beings.
The piece laments bereavement with somber imagery of winter, snow, and graves. It mourns a child’s death, contrasts winter gloom with the belief in spring and eternal life, and recalls words of comfort from a father figure as the grave is planted beneath the sod.
The Boston Atlas reports a new electro chemical telegraph that transmits handwriting at 250 to 400 words per minute, outperforming the standard electric telegraph. A French committee led by Le Verrier tested it on a Paris Calais line with 1200 letters per minute in experiments witnessed by a London correspondent.
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