Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-06
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
Fans we're first used in China

The greatest depth Oh tno Atlantic
Ocean is about five miles.
There will be standing room for 81, 600
people beside l0O, 900 seats at the Worid'sFair.
The linen manufactured yearly in Eng
land could be wrapped around the earth
seven times.
The works of Alfred de Musset still
produce an annual royalty of from 1000 to
25,O0O francs.
Mushrooms grow wild in all parts Of
the earth and are as plentiful in siberia as
in the tropics.
The deepest mining shaft in Africa has
recently been opened at Kimberly. 1t goes
down LOCO ieet.
AT the death of Queen Elizabeth 1904
dresses were in her wardrobe of which two
only were ofsilk.
A French chemist has succeeded in
making imitation diamonds that cost more
than the genuine.
One small dose of alcohol shortens the
time that food remains In the stomach by
more than half an hour.
Electric roads exceed 50 per cent of the
mileage and of the number of street rail-
ways in this country and in Canada
"A thimble is really etymologically con-
sidered only a thumb bell,'' the original
thimble having been worn on the thumb.
The Canadian Government has decided
to follow the example of the United States
and make the postal cards OF various Sizes
The first French newspaper, the Gazstts
de Franc. was started in 1851 by Theophraste
Renaudot. He also established the nrst Mont
de Pfete.
The first "Stars and Stripes" or "OAd
Glory" was made by Betsey Ross, in Phpa
brin on
street above Second street.
Upward of 100, 600 pounds of snails r
eaten every day by the residents of the g 4,
French capital, the snail market being ti y
busiest industrial mart i'll Paris.
Life insurance made immense gains
1891. The payment in death claims alone
American companies cannot have falle
much, If any, short of $1,000, 900. .O0O
The most powerful naphtha spring on
record was recently opened in BalNu on the
Taggiell grant. fit continues at its origina'
force it will be the richest naphtha fountai
in the world.
"A watermelon was on exhibition in the
Santa Fe Railroad Office in Chicago recentl!
which measured 20 inches in length ant
weighed l32 pounds. 1t was grown in Sal
Bernadino county, Cal.
Perth, Ont, is engaged in making
L
Will be seven feet high and nine feet in d.
ameter, and will require for its making the
milk OF 600 cows for three days.
-Keyless watches, now so popular, have
long been known, but have not been in gen.
eral use more than dozen years. Napoleon
!. was the owner of q wonderful specimen OF
the species OF keyless timepieces.
Officers and soldiers of the French army
will hencefor ward have numbered metal
lie plate, fastened on their collars, for iden
tification. A similar scheme is being cor
sidered lor the benefit of miners.
1t is likely that Tampico, Mexico, will
become one of the deep water ports of tn.
world. The soundings now measure more
than 20 feet over the bar the greatest depsL
ever attained. the bar is wearing away.
Complete statistics of the great fire
st. Johns, n. F., have just been issued. The
number of houses destroyed was l550 the
number OF families burned out lS74, and the
total number of persons burned out l0,2A.
"A German doctor of reputation pre-
scribes aluminium as cure for rheumatism
A finger ring made of this metal Joined will
another, generates i gentle current OF cleo
tricity, which is said to make perDaneL
cure.
The total work performed by the hums
body during i've hours OF mountain clint
ing is equal TO l326, 900 foot pounds. not
counting other forces exerted, whicn DR.
Bucheister says will run the grand total III
to $50, 200 foot-pounds.
The greatest meat eaters in the work
are the people of America, whose averasg
consumption Is 175 pounds per annum. Ith
English come next, with an average ofa
tie over ll0 pounds. The French eat OF
half as much meat as the English.
The Nile has a fall of but six inches
the LOCO miles. The overflow commences
June every year and continues until AuSL
attaining an elevation of from q to 26 fe
above low water mark, and flowing throug
the 'valley OF Egypt" in turbulent body L
miles wide.
The hill near Jerusalem where the
crucifx xion of Jesus occurred is formed o
limestone. The shores of the Dead Sea ar,
lined with punice stone showered out o
some volcano that destroyed Sodom anC
Gomorrah, which cities finally sank beneatl
the waters of the Dead Sea.
king Kalakaua's coffin was made OF ko;
and kou wood of about 600 pieces; even th'
handles were made of wood. No metal
any kind was to be seen. except the inscrip
ton plate, upon which the crown and the
Hawaiian coat of arms were engraved will
other suitable Inscriptions.
The lace bark tree grows in the Wes
Indies. 1t is lofty tree, with ovate, entir
smooth leaves and white flowers. 1t IS re
markable for the tenacity of its inner bark
and the readiness with which the inne
bark may be separated after maceration il
water into layers resembling lace.
The Chapter of st. Peters Cathedra
has submitted to His Holiness the Pope tn
designs for the golden throne which th'
Chapter, in cooperation with all the othe
Roman Cath olic cathedTals of the world, will
present to His Holiness. The throne is de
signed in Gothic form and will cost 5000
francs
One of the most remarkable production
of the Isles of Chileo is the celebrate
Barometer trees" which grow in great pre-
fusion in all of the salt marshes In DIR
weather the bark of this natur al baromete
is as smooth and white as that of u sycf
more but with the near approach of storm
these characteristics vanish like magic an
the bark turns black.