The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-11-05
Singular Climatic Effects.

Says the Denver (Col.) Great Vest
1t is n 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-pound man loses twenty
hve pounds and becomes a 175-pounder.
This is due to the high altitude of Den
vera mile above the sea to the dry and
hight atmosphere, to the scarcity of yegi-
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 mere. At Lead
vile, for instance, which is two miles
above the sea level, the diminution in
weight does not generally fall short of n
sixth or seventh, and it takes place
much more rapidly than here. In that
high altitude, too, lung Diseases, such Ms
pneumonia, very frequently set in, and
they prove fatal in about 80 per cent. of
the cases attacked. But very few dogs,
except hounds, can live in Leadyille,
and cats survive there. In Denver,
however, we have multitude of both
dogs and cats, and they appear to ex-
perience no special difficulty about liv-
ing and getting fat. Yet il is n
noticeable fact that animals and men lose
n 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 prcstrate man here than ten hours
in Illinois or Wisconsin. And when
worn out and prostrated feeling Of las
situde and drowsiness that it is very diff
ticult to diBpel comes over one. In such
instances many hours of rest are requi-
site to repair and rebuild the wasted en-
ergies. Mental labor is even more ex-
hausting than physical. A healthy man
may do manual labor for eight or ten
hours day and experience therefrom nc
special evil effects but let mental labor
be pursued with like assiduity and th4
nervous system becomes weakened and
irritable. In time the physical powers
become disordered and weakened by
sympathy and by the strain upon them
to supply the brain waste. These facts
are more predicable of newcomers than
of those who have resided for a year ol
more at high attitudes. Persons and an,
imals thoroughly acclimated do not ex-
perience these drawbacks. Indeed, these
could not look better anywhere than
they appear here. The great difficulty
is in getting acclimated.
Rewarded for Sinking His Ship.
A remarkable instance of presence of
mind on the part of the Captain of a
man-of-war is related by the st. Peters
hrrr ln fr1O
Olaf, which had accompanied the yacht
of the Czarowich to Copenhagen, was
lying at anchor among hundreds of other
ships in the hnrbor, 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 ont
the fire before it could reach the maga-
zine, and an explosion Of the large stores
, of cartridges and gunpowder contained
! in it would probably have destroyed not
only the Olaf, and the surrounding ships
but part of Copenhagen itself. Capt
Rehbinder, the commander Of the Olaf
saw at once that the only thing to be
done to prevent catastrophe was tC
sink the ship, After sending away th'
crew with the ships papers, cash boxes
snd valuable instruments in boats, h'
ordered the carpenters and engineers t,
make leak in the vessel. and half al
hour aftcrward she sank in not yer,
deep water. Next day she was raiseC
again, and after some provisional repair
was taken to Cronstadt. The damag,
done is stated to be comparatively tri
fling, and court martial held on tn
officers of the vessel unanimously ex
pressed the highest praise of the conduc
of the Captain and men. The Empero
has appointed him his aide.de-camp
which is one Of the highest honors con
ferred ON Russian naval officers, All,
men under him have received gratuitie
from the Emperor's PRIV purse.