The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-05
STONES OF SIZE.

Some of the BLOCKS of granite used ID
the construction of the Treasury build
ing at Washington are the largest ever
moved in this country, and they were
all carried from the eastern part Of
Maine. They were transported TO
Washington by water, and, after their
arrival thsses moved by ox-power upon
sort of double pulley system, dis-
tance Of two miles, to the spot where
they were wanted for use. The work
OF moving thsms was performed with
comparative ease, not more than eight
OF ten yokes of oxen being employed to
move block weighing more thanssevz
enty tons. The fintea pillars, great
building, are forty feet long, and weigh
fifty tons at least. The largest blocks,
thirty to forty feet thick, we ghed up
ward of seventy tons. The facility with
which these large blocks wereamoved
and fixed in their places was source
of wonderment, and seemed to adrniring
spectators to be the perfection of me-
chanical skill and ingenuity. And yet
how insignificant the achievement when
compared with the triumphs of ancient
art. In the foundation of the great
Temple of the Sun at Baalbec may still
be seen, even in the second course,
stones which are 81 feet long and 9 feet
thick; and under these, about 20 feet
from the ground, three,z stones which
alone occupy 1872 feet in length by
12 high. These three stones are esti-
mated to weigh 900 tons each b. But we
read of an Egyptian idol temple, Buris,
far surPassing this, in which there was
sanctuary composed of a single block
of granite sixty feet square. This is
the largest and heaYiest stone mem
toned in the history of nations. : -
SCORPION SUICIDE.
A scientist writes 'sOne morning
a servant brought to me a large speci-
men of this scorpion, which, having
staid out too long in its nocturnal RAM
bles, had apparently got bewildered at
daybreak, and been unable to find it's
way home. To keep it safe, the Great
ure was at oneput into glazedientomol-
ogical case. Having flew leisure minutes
in the course of the forenoon, I thought
Iswould see how my prisoner was get
ting on, and to nave better. view of it
the case was placed in window, in the
rays of hot sun. The light and heat
seemed to irritate it very, much. and
this recalled to my mind a story which
I had read somewhere, that scorpion,
on being surrounded with fire, had com.
mitted suicide. I hesitated about SUBJ
jecting my pet to such a terrible ordeal,
but, taking a common botanical lens,
I focused the rays of the sun on its
back. The moment this was done it
began to run hurriedly about the case,
kissing and splitting in very fierce way,
This experiment was repeated some four
or five times with like results, but en-
trying once again, the scorpion turned
up its its tail and plunged the sting,
quick as lightning, into its own back
The inf1iction of the wound was fol-
lowed by sudden escape of fluid, and
a friend standing by me called out !;
See, it has stung itself; it is dead :
and sure enough, in less than half o
minute life was quite extinct. have
written this notice to show CD that
animals may commit suicide I; (2) that
the poison of certain animals may be
destructive to themselves