The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-14
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

In hoLonNA. a town near Hoscow under the
church Of Michael the Archangel," is a cave
exactly like the one which is shown in Bethle-
hem as the place where Christ was born. That
cave was built at the instance of Alexander l.,
who appointed special commission of archi-
tects and sculptors TO make an exact copy of
the original place at Bethlehem. Since it was
built the ground has sunk several feet, aud the
visitor has to descend small flight of stairs to
reach 1t. But the interior is not impaired. The
walls leading to the central point are lined with
statues OF various saints and lighted with nu-
merous lamps. In the center is a semicircle of
white marble with a silver star above i bearing
the inscription: "hic de Virgine Maria Jesus
Christus natus est" An altar is placed on that
semiclrcle with marble statues of tue apostles
around it. In the rear is cavity in the rock in
dicating the place where the nanger stood, and
10 bold relief around it are the images OF the
wise men from the east who came to do
homage to the newborn Savior.
THOMAS A. EDISON, according to friend Of
his is vegetarian, esche wing fesh fowl and
fish He enjoys fruits Of all kinds grains of
every variety and likewise vegetables espe-
claly those that ripen in the sunshine. He is
very careful about his diet, holding that it has
powerful influences upon the mind and its
action as well as upon the health and vigor of
the body. He has studied the matter under
the beams OF the solar orb. under the flash of
electricity, under the laws of science, and in the
light of reason. II seems that he is unaware of
anything like self-dsnial in the practice of
vegetarianism, and that he finds plenty of de.
liclous. invigorating, aud exhilarating esculents
outside Of flesh, fowl, and fish. In Chicago, of
course, there is a vegetarian society, and 1t has
roll of members who are said TO be Learned
people. Its president says that photography
shows the evil influence of meat eating upon
the human body, that half the prevalent dis
eases are durable by abstinence from animal
food, that religion is helpless against flesh
diet, that many great philosophers have been
vegetarians, and that the Chicago slaughter
houses are disgusting. long time ago there
was vegetarian society here in New York, but
there in
recent times.
WHEN the Senate opens in the morning
while the page boys are drawn up in the semi
circle, one at each desk in front of the Vice
President table. and the chaplain is pouring
| forth his appeal for divine blessing to which
ingalls, listens with folded arms and devouty
| Bonded head, and to which Mr.. Hoar responds
| with an earnest Amen" German sometimes
| stands with his shoulder against the cloak room
| door, one foot crossed over the other. that
habitual frozen, cynical smile on his mouth, and
| looks over the Senate chamber as if he could
read the thoughts of each man and the plans
| for the day each might be thinking Of during
his devotionS. During the session ne is some-
/ times in his seat, listening and watching in
| tenty, or is moving among his colleagues
| quickly from one to another, but with cool
ness and an air of elaboration. Anxiety is never
Indicated on his face, and he preserves an even
| manner throughout the DAY and from day to
| day. He is perpetlally sought by newspaper
| men who want inside information" and he
ally without giving them any information.
| Sometimes one who is radically wrong In his in
depreciation of move will receive hint to that
effect, but he is left to his own wits to work out
| the truth. German takes few people into his
| confidence, and many who take commands from
| him do so on faith, not knowing Just the reason
| for them.
ONE Of the most remarkable cases ever known
| in Mitchell. Ind, is that Of John Bond, negro
about so years old, who has been in bed about
l.
he, with his mother and two sisters lived on a
| farm near Paoi, Ind. The mother determined
| to sell the farm and move to Mitchell This
| raised the ire of the son John, and he then
| threatened to go to bed and never get up No
attention, however, was paid to his threats, and
| the farm was sold and the family moved here
| On the night of their arrival John retired as
| usual, but in the morning he refused to get up,
and no amount of entreaty could persuade
| him. and FOR twenty seven years he has stub
bornly carried out his purpose not to get up,
Mother one dsd f feat 9sag when his
the middle of the night as the neighbor
women were watching with the corpse they
were startled out Of their wits by ghostly
| figure appearing and silently kneeling by the
| coffin side Some of them. not being aware of
| Johns existence, supposed it was real spook
| When he first took TO his bed it caused great
deal of comment. Physicians examined him
| and pronounced him in perfect health. Every
| means was tried to get him up but all failed
| A cry of burglars did not move him, and an
4
| the years have passed the people have lost in
terest in the case, and only reminded of his
| existence by seeing him carried on a stretcher
| to the polls on the occasion of some important
| election. His health has been gradually failing
| him for the last few years, and he lies in his
| bed, speaking to no one unless spoken to, when
/ he will give intelligent answers to all questions
| addressed him.
| THE following question was put to Thomas
| A. Edison by John S. Wise in a recent lawsuit
| in Mr.
| swer by Mr.. Edison gives pretty clear defni-
| ton o tie words ''ampere" and "volt," which
| are much used about this time: Q.-Explain
what is meant by the number of volts in an
| electric current. Al will have to use the
analogy of a waterfall to explain Say we have
a current of water and a turbine wheel # 1
| have turbine wheel and allow a thousand gal
| Ions per second to fall from height of one foot
| on the turbine get a certain power, we will
| say one horse power. Now the one foot of fan
| will represent one volt of pressure in electricity
| ampere or the amount of current; We will call
| that one ampere. Thus we have a thousand
| gallons OF water or one ampere, falling one
foot or one volt or under one volt of pressure.
| and the water working the turbine gives one
| horse power. II, now, we 90 q thousand feet
high, and take one gallon of water and let il
| fall on the turbine wheel, we will get the same
| power as we had before, namely, horse
| power We have got thousand times less cur
| rent or less water, and we will have A thous-
| sandth OF an ampere in place of one ampere
| and we Will have thousand volts in place of
| one volt, and we will have q fall of water
| thousand feet as against one foot, Now the fan
of the water or the hight from which it falls is
the pressure or volts In electricity, and the
| amount of water is the amperes. It viii be seen
that thousand gallons a minute falling on a
man from hight of only one foot would be
| danger to the man, and that if we took one
gallon aud took 1t up thousand feet and LET ir
1ail down 1t would crush him. So it is not the
quantity or current of water that does fine
damage, but it is the velocity or the pressure
| that produces the effect"