The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-13
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

IT would not be easy to ind ia New York a
more dreary-ooking place than st, Luke's
Episcopal church, graveyard. rectory and
school on Hudson street. The church will be
moved in the fall TO One Hundred and Forty
first street and Cumberland avenue, and the old
lot seems to have been turned out to grass"
Regular services are still held there, and the
place is kept clean, but the buildings look neg
lected, and the grass has almost overgrown the
stones that mark the old vaults. The bodies
were all removed from the graveyard two years
ago, and one of the grave stones has been util-
tied to repair the paved walk which leads to the
rectory. The church was built in 1921. II goes,
after the fashion of New York churches to join
its uptown congregation, and will be rebuilt in
the vicinity OF the new st. Luke's hospital.
Two OF the cannon, which. it is believed,
were at one time mounted on board Christopher
Columbus flagship were received at Chicago re-
Gently. The cannon are OF the ancient and
clumsy pattern of such guns turned out in the
fifteenth century. Nothing but the body OF the
guns remains, the WOODWORK OF course, having
rotted away centuries ago The guns them
selves are almost worn to pieces, add are not
much more than huge chunks OF rust. Indeed,
the cannon are put on the scrap iron" list in
the custom house papers. These historic old
pieces have been secured for exhibition at the
worlds fair. One Of the naval officers who was
detailed for WORK in connection with the Column
bian exposition found the relics at one Of the
West Indian islands. Tradition aad substantial
proof showed that the cannon had been used In
fort erected by Columbus son, and that they
were brought from Spain with Columbus fleet.
The ruins OF the fort are still to be seen.
'SoME animals exhibit a queer lack Of sense, %"
said man who has observed them, to CIV
York Tribune writer PUT q ouzzard in a pen
about feet square and open at the top, and il is
as much prisoner as il it were shut up in a
box. This is because buzzards always begin
their flight by taking a short rum and they
either cannot or will not attempt to fly unless
they can do 80. Again. take a common humble
bee and put IL in a goblet. 1t will remains pris-
oner for hours, trying to escape through the
sides, without ever thinking of esca ping from
the top. So also bat cannot rise from per
fectly level surface Although il is remarkably
nimole in its flight when once on the wing ard
can fly for many hours at a time without taking
the least rest, if placed on the floor or on fiat
ground 1t Is absolutely unable to use its wings.
The only thing it can do is to shuttle heplessly
and painfully along until IL reaches some tri-
fling elevation, from which IL eau throw itself
into the air, when at once 1t is or like fash"
THE blue jay" says bird sharp in the New
York Tribune, lis the most persistent practical
joker In the feathered kingdom He win con-
oeal himself IN a cump of leaves near the spot
where small birds are accustomed to gather,
and when they are enjoy n themselves in their
own fashion, will suddenly Brighten them
almost to death by screaming out like hawk,
or course they scatter in every direction, and
when they do so the mischievous rascal! gives
vent to q cackle that sounds very much like a
laugh II he confined his pFanks to such jokes
as this, however. he would not be such bad
neighbor to birds smaller than himself but
when he amuses himself by breaking the eggs
In their nests and tearing the young to pieces
with his bill, he becomes a pestilent nuisance
and they often combine their forces to drive
him out Of the neighborhood. They do not
always succeed, for he is as full Of fight OF
mischief, but q severe conflict teaches him that
they too have their rights, and this induces him
to mend his manners"
SOME TINE AGO physician Of Brazil, where
elephantiasis is very prevalent. claimed TO have
discovered that this was the identical disease
which the ancient Greeks cured by snake bite
and wrote several elaborate articles on the sub
ject. A gentleman, so years of age who had
been troubled with the disease for six years
made up his mind TO try the cure. A rattle.
snake was procured, and in the presence Of sew
eral physicians be thrust his hand into the cage
containing the reptile. at first the snake
shrunk away from the hand, and when 'stirred
up little though rafting loudly, merely licked
the hand without biting It. At length the i'm
patient invalid pincked the serpent hard and re-
ceived q thrust from his fangs near the base Of
the little finger. few drops of blood oozed
from the wound, and slight swelling appeared
when the hand was withdrawn from the cage;
but no pain was felt. Moments of intense
anxiety followed while it remained TO be seen
what effect this disagreeable medicine would
produce 1t soon became evident that the
disease which had preoccupied the system re.
tarded the natural result: but in twenty hours
the man was dead.
If WE take any moderately large insect, say
a wasp hornet or humble bee, the naked eye
Ooh PlaluIy distinguish u series OF small, SPOT
like marks running along both sides Of the body,
These apparent spots, which are usually
eighteen in number, but may vary from four
teen TO twenty-six, according TO the species Of
insect examined, are, in fact, the apertures
through which the air is admitted into the sys-
TEN. These openings are very deicately and
ingentously formed, and in such a manner as TO |
make the entrance Of extraneous matter an utter
impossibility. Sometimes they are furnished
with horny lips, which open and close at the
insects WILL and in other cases densely fringei
with stiff, interlaeihg bristles which form
filter that allows air and air only |
to pass. But the apparatus, of what !
ever character it may be- is always SO wonder |
fully perfect in its action that it has been found
impossible TO inject the body of a dead insect |
with even so subtle medium as rectifed spirits |
of wine, even though the subject was first i'm |
mersed in the fluid and then placed beneath the |
receiver of an air pump. Surely these fragile |
creatures are "fearfully and wonderfully made" |
Entomologsts cali these little apertures in iu- |
sects' sides "spiracles." They communicate |
with two large breathing tubes, which extend |
the full length of the body. Australia THE |
land Of inverted order, has an insect the par
adise beetle which has two main breathing |
apertures in the top of ITS head. From these |
tubes innumerable branches run in all direc- |
tions pervadng every part of the structure Of |
the creature. penetrating to the vary |