Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-18
The LETTER-BOX.

delphia.
THE LETrER-BoX.
"Record- Union" Answers TO Variety OF
Questions by Correspondents
STORM sIGNALS-TIDAL
Daniels, Colusa-U. There are NO
coasts so fully guarded by the display OF
storm signals as the coasts of the United
States. The observers at the stations are
practiced in the Army and Navy Signal
Codes, in the use of semaphores and in the
International Code of Signals, by which
they are prepared to hold communication
with vessels or any nation at sea coming
within signal distance. 1t is so arranged
that any question as to weather changes
anticipated, signaled from any vessel to the
shore station, is Immediately transmitted
by telegraph to tie central office, whence a
prompt reply is returned, and it in turn
signaied to the vessel. To make this clearly
an answer to your question. let US suppose
the case OF ship leaving New York for a
Southern port. Arrived off the capes OF
Delaware, she signals station and asks il
it will be safe to pass Hatterss, and in a
brief time word is signaled back to her that
storm is at that time moving northerly
near Hatteras, and that it would
be best for her to take shelter at
the Delaware breakwater. The signals
are made by flags by day and lanterns
by night. The cautionary signal gives no.
tIce of an approaching storm from any
direction, and is by day square red flag
with square black center, aud by night a
red light. There is a cautionary off-shore
aignal-a white flag with black center
above a red flag with black center by
Gay, or a white light above a red one by
night. These mean that winds of land
velocity of twenty-five miles are expected
to blow from a northern or western direc.
ton, or of.shore, at or near the place at
which it is displayed. ~ Off the south
and southeast coasts of England are two
tidal streams known as the west and east
channel streams, running in opposite direc-
lions at the same time. They are each
about $50 miles long, and are separated by
the Straits of Dover. The old sea Captain
who told you the story you relate about
these currents exposed his ignorance, to
put it mildly.
CREAM COLOR.
best Venetian red and white lead should
give you cream color, while the faun for
trimming will come of burnt sienna and
white lead. The correct thing is to consult
a practical painter as to the mixing of your
colors.
IEDELIBLE INK,
Nj. NJ, Hollister-Yo on can buy it cheaper
than you can make it, if you need but a
small quantity. However, here is receipt
you can rely upon Juice of sloes one pint,
gum half ounce or nitrate of silver one
part, water six parts, gum one part. Sugar
added to ordinary ink will give it copying
qualities.
WAVES.
J. L. P, Vallejo-There is a general
error prevalent regarding the matter. The
hight and length of waves is nearly always
exaggerated. The best authorities place
ocean waves of twenty.four seconds dura.
ton and :, 900 feet in length as the extreme
limit. The highest reliable measurement
of waves gives from "A to IS feet from hol.
low to crest, and such are very rare waves.
Waves having greater hight than 80 feet
are very seldom encountered.
GOLD YIELD.
Miner &C." Nevada City-Accordine
to Mr.. Burchard's report the deposits Of
gold at the minis and assay offices during
the calendar year 1881 amounted to $685.,
763. 426 OS. and, strange as it may seen
to you, and notwithstanding your citation
of authority, not half of it was of domestic
production, for the domestic product wa.
reported at the minis and assay offices to b.
S34 ST., $50 46. He gives the export o.
domestic gold bullion as only Sl60. 100 fol
1881. The amount of undeposited domestic
gold used in the arts, he says, must, il
part, be estimated, and can safely b.
placed at half million dollars. Thert
must have been error in the information
you received.
LIBERTY-STERNE.
Student, Woodland-We presume thai
the sentence to which you refer is that
from Cicero: =" Liberals est potestal
faciundi id quod iuFe iceat," and which
may be read: Liberty is che power O
doing what the law permits.
Sub, Sacramente-Sterne 1oas an Irish,
man. A glance at his life in any fai
library in the city would have given tina
information.
LIFE-CRoss.
Lila, Shasta-The lines,
" Life for DELAYS and doubts no time does give,
None ever yet made haste enough to live"
Are from Cowley, Lib. IL, Ep. LXL
The other line you submit we cannot place
but a remarkably similar one occurs il
William Brownies Britannia Pastorals
book l., song IL.
Whose life is a bubble, aud in length span, +"
the cross-the Latin, Greek, st. Andrews
Egyptian, Maltese and Russian.
REGISTER TONNAGE.
Howard, Sscramento-Registe tonnage
is simply the internal capacity of the hold
of ship in cubic feet, with any additions
spaces built on deck, divided by 100. sTnt
tonnage OF merchant ship is usually
stated both as "gross" and nett" eros!
tonnage expresses lin tons of 100 cubic
feet) the total internal capacity of the ship
with that of any closed.in spaces, such al
deck-houses, ETC., erected on deck fol
storage or accommodation. Nett tonnage
expresses in the units the cubical contents
Of the space actually available for remuner
alive service, the conveyance of passengers
or 'towsge Of cargo. 1t is sometime:
styled the register tonnage.
MATHEMATICAL
S., Brighton-Are there no arithmetics
in Brighton? To find the weight of a
knowA substance of given dimensions,
after having found the volume, if the result
is cubic feet multiply by the weight of a
cubic foot but if it is cubic inches, by
the weight Of cubic inch, and divide The
product SO obtained by l72S.
Area of squsre=square of one side.
Side of square, square root area.
Area of q parallelogram length x per.
pendicular breadth.
Square inches x 007=square feet.
Cable inches x .0005S=cubic feet.
Cubic inches .0036l7= imperial gallon.
Cubic feet x 6.252=imperial gallon
(nearly).
Avoirdupois lbs. y 00045=tons.
BROWN BREAD.
Southern Woman, Colusa-While the
Household department of the. RECORD.
UNION has frequently published accented