Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-04-25
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

THE African negro is remarkable for
his length Of arm and leg; the Aymara
Indian, of Peru, for his shortness.
THE microscope shows the hair to be
like coarse, round rasp, but with the
teeth extremely irregular and ragged.
THE traveller who would make the
circuit of the would in eight days would
require nearly twenty-four years to cir
cumnavigate the sun.
THE Greeks held garlic in such alb
horrence that those who partook of il
were regarded as profane. The Romans,
on the contrary, gave it to their soldiers,
with an idea that it excited their cour-
age, and to their laborers to strengthen
them.
The tallest trees in the world are in
Australia. A fallen tree in Gippsland
measured ABS feet from the root to the
| highest point of the branches. Another
standing in the Dundelong district. In
| Victoria, is estimated to be $50 feet
from the ground to the top.
THE Scientific american refers to
observations of the actions OF carp in
the Berlin aquarium to settle the fact
that fish do sleep. In Bermuda, where
fish are abundant, there are places where
fish can be seen asleep any day-for
they sleep during the day as well as at
night - and sometimes they sleep so
sound that long pole tickling their
ribs will not arouse them.
The suns surface is nearly IL. OOc
times, and its volume or bulk more than
1900, 600 times greater than that of the
earth. If the earth Is represented by a
three-inch globe, the sun, on the same
scale, will be more than twenty-seven
feet in diameter, and its distance 3, ZOO
feet. Ii the sun were hollow, and the
earth at its center, there would be room
for the moon 240, 600 miles away, and 70,
another 100, 900 miles beyond her.
A LEARNED Swiss has pointed out that
q poplar, or other tall tree, may, If it,
roots strike into the damp soil, serve as
a lightning conductor to protect house;
and he thinks he has verified the con-
lecture by examination of number o.
individual cases of ligh ming stroke. Ii
the case, however, where the house
stands between the tree and piece O
) water, pond, well or stream, the short
est path for the lightning from the tree
l to the wet conductor may be through
the house.
ONE of the most singular mechanical
operations imaginable is the making O
gold wire for what is known as gold lace
The refner first prepares solid rod o
: silver about an inch in thickness b
beats this rod, applies upon the surfac
] sheet of gold-leaf, Furnishes this down
1 and so on, until the gold is about 100tl
part the thickness of the silver. tn
rod is then subjected to train of pre-
cesses which brings it down to the stat
n of fine wire. when it is passed throug
/ holes in a steel plate lessening step b
step In diameter. The gold never de
serts the silver, but adheres closely to il
and shares all its mutations; it is loot
a part the thickness of the silver at th
or beginning, and it maintains the sam
ratio to the end. As to the thinness I
which the gold-coated rod of silver ca
be brought, the limit depends on th
J. delicacy of human skill. It has bee
=. calculated, however, that the gold act1
ally placed on the very finest silver vii
for gold lace is not more than one-thir
of one-millionth of an inch in thickness
re that is. not above one-tenth the thicl
" ness of ordinary gold-leaf.