The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-07
STRAY BITS.

In India the government fixes railroad
rates
William wynn, Of Napa, Cal, carries
watch thot Is more than 100 years old. IL
keeps first rate time.
Cousiantinople has a real German turn
verein, which celebrated in November, 1889,
its twentieth birthday
It is supposed that IN the next European
war artillery can enectually stay advancing
infantry at 1900 yards distance.
The French republic now has a well equip
ped army of 100000 men. five times as large
as Napoleon had for his empire in 1870
Goliath, % one Of the famous trees in Cali
fornia, is twonty-three feet in diameter at the
base and estimated 20 weigh 100000 tons.
Mexico is 10 have a magnificent congress
sional palace, the architect 20 be Piacentini,
who built the Palace Of the Fine Arts in
Rome
SO eminent a statistician as Dr. Talmage
estimates that Solomon at one time possessed
s340OOyOO0O i'm gold and s5l45,OOO,OOO in
silver
OF late years the number Of women enter
ing the professions of painting and sculpture
has enormously increased ia France, Germany
and Russia.
Tie deepest bore hole IN the world is in
Schlalcnbacl-5,1 ga feet. j. took dia-
mond drill three years and half 70 reach
the bottom.
The average watch is composed Of l55 diff
feront pieces, comprising upward Of 2,40O
separate and distinct operations in It's manu-
facturc The balance wheel whirls 1854
miles in one year.
The pipe smoked by the Sandwich Islander
is made of virgin cork lined with moer-
schaum. and IS curious by reason Of the pat
tern ON the cork made by the insects which
feed upon the trees.
Fortress Monroe is the largest single fortid-
cation i'm the world 70 has already cost Oh.
American government over $3,O0OOO0 The
water battery is considered one of the finest
military works i'm tine world
James IT, Carson Of Charlotte, y. c., has
ia his possession The granite step on which
jefferson Davis stood ON the 18th day Of
April. 1865. when in that city be received
and read the telegram announcing the death
of President Lincoln.
Four hundred plans have already been re.
ceiged 10y the committee who offered prizes
for the best and second best plans for the
proposed Watkn towcr-the English Eiilel.
II viii be SD high that al that need be done
when fog comes ON viii be % enter the lift
and in a few minutes be up in the clear blue.
Lepers are still numerous in Norway. The
number is upward of one thousand, most Of
whom are found in the seacoast districts
There are four leper hospitals Leprosy,
once common i'm Europe has maintained its
hold in Norway longer than in other coin-
tries, but is gradually being exterminated
there.
During the recent floods in Japan 2, 4i0per-
sons were killed and l55 were wounded. 90
600 were deprived of the necossaries Of life;
$1,000 houses were swept away or rendered
uninhabitable; 10000 acres of agricultural
land with their crops We're laid waste; 6,0W
bridges were carried away, and hundreds OF
miles Of roads were destroyed.
The diamond and pearl necklace worn ON
state occasions oy Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt
has excited the greatest wonder and admlra-
ton. The striking feature OF this necklace Is
that the diamonds are pierced through the
center and are strung alternately with the
pearls. 10 is said that it required many
weeks of patient labor to pierce each stone.
Tho numbers Of cloisters aud monks IN
Spain have increased with astounding ra-
pidity Of late years. Spain now has 29,22O
monks and 25 900 nuns, in 1880 closters and
10 orders. In Barcelona alone there are lO5
cloisters for women I'm the last fourteen
years the number of monks in Spain has been
sextupled, and the number Of nuns has been
doubled
The continued trials Of the British torpedo
boats Of the Rattiesnake class point % fail
nre-too much power for the hnlis 20 stand
They are Of 75j tons displacement, and their
engines are contracted 20 indicate 400 horse
power The last 20 be tested, the Scagul,
nearly shook herself 10 pieces with a develop
ment Of 3,OS3 horse power, and had TO be
sent 10 the dock for repairs