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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 37, 19 June 1891, Page 31

The Connemara fund owes its existence to Mr Phillips. He has a cottage in Connemara, and the last time he was there looked into the condition of the people. He was horrified to find them in great distress — without clothing, food or the means of existence. He wrote letters to newspapers,!, and was well supported by Tories as well as Liberals. About a thousand pounds was collected, and Miss Sturge and Miss Phillips took the distribution on the mu.uy, blankets, and clothing in charge. | Among all tbe wild ideas which have emanated from the fertile brain of man, that of M Aria tide Bergea, a French Engineer, is about tbe wildest {Iron sayß). His invention is to form oae of the attractions of the Chicago Exhibition. He proposes the construction of another Eiffel Tower, from which those asking fot new sensations are to be dropped in a car. He estimates that at the end of a drop of, say, 1.000tt., the velocity is more than double that of the fastest train. Tbe chief point is to receive the passengers safe and sound at the end of their journey through apace. M Barge's gives tbe car the form of a projectile, which he drops Into a sufficiently deep well of water. His car is to be capable of holding fifteen passengers and its interior dimensions are 10 ft. by 13 ft., the floor resting on springs. The lower part consists of a series of cones, in order to prevent the compression of tbe air in the chamber wben the projectile drops into the water. Ita total weight is eleven tons, and its dis* I placement thirty -one tons. For a drop of a little over I,oooft. the depth of the water in tbe well would be 180 ft. Tbe designer of this novel plan proposes to fasten the passengers down in their seats.