The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-11-11
Singular Climatic Effects.

Says the Denver (Col.) Great West:
1t is singular fact that almost every
body loses flesh on coming here from
the East. The average loss in weight
sustained is about one-eighth. For in
stance, in the course of two or three
months 200-poumd man loses twenty
five pounds and becomes Il 175-pounder.
This Is due to the high altitude Of Den
ver-a mile above the sen to the dry and
light atmosphere, to the scarcity of vegi-
tatlon and the comparative abundance
OF oxygen, which consumes the tissues
and taxes the vital functions to greater
extent than on lower attitudes. Higher
up 1t Is much worse than here. At Lead
VILE, for instance, which is two miles
above the sea level, the diminution in
weight does not generally fall short Of
sixth or seventh, and it takes place
much more rapidly than here. In that
nigh altitude, too, lung diseases, such as
pneumonia, very frequently set i'll, and
they prove fatal in about 80 per cent. of
the cases attacked. But very few dogs,
except hounds, can live in Leadville,
and no cats survive there. In Denver,
however, we have n multitude of both
dogs and cats, and they appear to ex-
Perlence no special difficulty about liv-
ing and getting fat. Yet It is
noticeable fact that animals and men lose
share of their strength after coming
here. After being here two or three
months their muscular power is not near
so great as in the East. Eight hours of
continuous labor does more to exhaust
and PFC ostrate man here than ten hours
III Illinois or Wisconsin. And when
worn out and prostrated feeling of las
sltude and drowsiness that it is very diff.
icult to dispel comes over one. In such
instances many hours of rest ore requi-
site to repair and rebuild the wasted en-
ergies. Mental labor is even more ex-
haustlng than physical. A healthy man
may do manual labor for eight or ten
hours day and experience therefrom no
special evil effects but let mental labor
be pursued with like assiduity and tha
nervous system becomes weakened and
irritable. In time the physical powers
become disordercd and weakened by
sympathy and by the strain upon them
TO supply the brain waste. These facts
are moro predicable of newcomers than
OF those who have resided for year or
more ct high attitudes. Persons and an
lmals thoroughly acclimated do not ex-
perlence these drawbacks. Indeed, these
could not look better anywhere than
they appear here. The great difficulty
Is in getting acclimnted.
Rewarded for Sinking His Ship.
A remarkable instance of presence of
mind on the part of the Captain of q
man-of-war is related by the st. Peters
burg papers. The Russian war frigate
Olaf, which had accompanied the yacht
OF the Czarowich to Copenhagen, was
lying ut anchor among hundreds of other
ships In the harbor, when fire was dis
covered in the coal bunker below, which
was only few feet from the powder
magazine. There was no time to put out
the fire before it could reach the maga-
znc, and an explosion of the large stores
OF cartridges and gunpowder contained
III 1T would probably have destroyed not
only the Olaf, and tho surrounding ships,
Dut part OF Copenhagen itself. Capt
HehDlnder, the commander of the Olaf,
saw Mt once that the only thing to be
done to prevent catastrophe was to
SINK the ship. After sending away the
crew with the ships papers, cash boxes
END valuable instruments in boats, he
ordered the carpenters and engineers to
make leak in the vessel, and half IN
hour afterward she sank in not very
deep water. Next day she was raised
again, and after some provisional repairs
was taken to Cronstadt. The damage
done is stated to be comparatively tri-
fling, and court martial held on the
officers of the vessel unanimously ex-
pressed the highest praise of the conduct
OF the Captain and men. The Emperor
has appointed him his aide de camp.
which is one Of the highest honors con
terred on Russian naval officers, and
men under him have received gratuities
from the Emperor's privy purse.