The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-26
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

in England-namely, the complete building of a
| locomotive engine and tender in a working day
OF ten hours. The locomotive was begun at the
treat Eastern Companys works at Stratford at
| O'Clock. and was turned out complete next
day at 9:l5 O'Clock a. m. The locomotive was a
six wheel coupled engine and tender, weighing
a. s, "orklng order, sixty seven tons. 1t was in
full running order, and had been built In ten
working hours. Four gangs of men were
engaged on the work, consisting IN all OF eighty
nVe men and boys.
GERMAN SCIENTIST has invented a method
whereby petroleum and similar liquid hydro
carbons can be rendered non explosive Th
| is accomplished by adding to the petroleum
small quantities or compound made up as
follows: 92.S per cent. chloride Of sodium n
per cent oi-carbonite of sodium, "a per cent.
sal ammoE1ac, IA per cent. water, 90 per
cent sulphate Of magnesia, 81 per cent sui
phate of lime and per cent. of analine 1t is
SAID that the use of this compound not only
renders the oil non-explosive but makes its
light more agreeable.
THE SWEDISH NAVY has recently had a new
vessel added to it that possesses many novel
features. In addition to being provided with
all the necessary guns and torpedoes for use
IN time or war, it is fitted with water tanks
That enable it to be sunk to any desired depth
and in this form is employed an ice breaker
The vessel is also fitted with heavy gearing for
hauling on stranded vessels, is equipped with
pump capable OF delivering 20 goo cubic feet of
water per hour, for use in case of fires. contains
condensers for furnishing 800 gallonse of water
per hour, and is arranged for torpedo repair
ing. Inc length OF this combined ice breaker,
tug boat, nre engine, water supplier torpedo
repairing shop and man or war is l2Q feet.
The sisaI grass of Yucatan is one of the most
remarkable vegetable products known. 1t
grows in long blades. sometimes to the length
or four or five feet, and when dry the blade
curls up from side to side, making cord which
is stronger than any cotton string OF equal size
that has ever been manufactured 1t is in great
demand among florists and among manufactur-
ers of various kinds Of grass goods but as soon
as Its valuable properties become known it will
nave thousand uses which are now undreamel
Of Ropes cords, lines OF any description and
any size may be manufactured of It, and ships
caole OF sisal grass is one of the possibilities of
the future. II is almost lmpervious to the action
OF salt water, and it is not readily decayed or
dlsiutergated by moisture and heat, and will, in
time, prove one of the most valuable produc-
lions OF Central America.
PHRENoLoGIsTs have long claimed to be able
to ascertain the character of an individual by
observing the conformation of the bumps on
MS skull, but now photography, in conjunction
with the electIic light, has rendered it possible
for man TO know by ocular demonstration
the state OF his own inside. Enclosed in q CYL
indrtcal case provided with two hemispherical
shutters and contained in an India rubber tube
is small cylindrical camera In front of the
tense are two tiny incandescent lamps the
wires to which, as well as a short pipe from the
camera, are carried in an outside casing cube.
Simple pressure on pneumatic ball drives the
camera forward in the incasing cylinder, and at
the same l1stant makes the contact for the
electric lamps and opens the shutters. By re.
moving the pressure on the ball the camera re-
turns TO its place, the lamps go out and the
shutters close.
OSTRICH FAR MING is one Of the important in
dustries of South Africa, which, as yet, fur
nishes the bulk Of the ostrich pumes for the
markets OF the world. There are probably
200, 900 domest Gated ostriches in Cape COLONY
Each bird is supposed to net his owner $40 per
annum. The Enclosures in which they are kept
are usually built OF stone, but where stone is
with equal success. The birds are commonly
plucked once every eight months, yielding one
pound weight of feathers each, but many
farmers only pluck sixty feathers at time,
I SO as not TO cause too much irritation and in
| tammation. which is very injurious to the
| health of the birds and lessons the next crop OF
| feathers. The birds in these large fields find
| plenty of food, rarely having to be fed with
meales. beans, lucerne or other cultivated food
products. The number of eggs laid varies from
eighteen to twenty-four, the male bird usually
eXcavating the nest in some sandy SPOT hut
both birds assisting in the incubation taking
turn about. But it is during this term of incu.
baton that the plumes are at their best and
many are utterly spoiled for commercial pur-
poses. OF late years artificial incubating has
been resorted to and with perfect success for il
has been found that fewer eggs are spoiled bv
this method and that the young thus Matched
are no less vigorous than those brought up bv
the birds themselves. The value of feathers ex-
ported from cape Colony during the last thirty
years is estimated at over $50 O0O. 600 the total
weight being about 100 tons.
The son of Napoleon the Great ended his DAYS
IN exile at Vienne at the age of 81 The Count de
Chamberd, the hope and representative of the
older line OF the Bourbon kings of France died
III foreign country having passed his long life
or half century in exile The handsome and
popular Duke of Orleans, the eldest son of
Louis Philippe, came to an untmely end by
leaplng from his carriage while his horses were
running away, and with him passed the last
chance OF the establishment of the line of Or
leans upon the throne. The Princess Charlotte
daughter of George VI. of England and heir to
the crown, died in early womanhood in child
bed. The two daughters of VILLAIN ~, either
OF whom, had she survived, would have reigned
over England in place of Queen Victoria, each
lived only few months. The death
or the young prince imperial the son
OF Napoleon Ill, by the spear of Ia savage
in Zuuland is not yet forgotten. Neither is the
tragic end Of the Archduke Rudolphe, Prince
Imperial of Austria, nor the regretted demise
of the youthful Prince Baldwin, son of the heir
TO the throne OF Belgium. The two sons of the
King of the Netherlands both died in the prime
OF life leaving only their fragile little sister to
inherit the crown Of Holland. The death by
consumption, at Nice. of the eldest brother of
the present Car of Russia was one of the mel
anchoy royal tragedies of the hour, and the
more SO, as, like the Duke of Clarence, his be-
Lrothal TO fair young princess had Just taken
place. The Princess Dagmar became the wife
OF his younger brother, and is now the Empress
OF Russia. The father of the present King of
Portugal had an elder brother who died before
he came to the throne The only son of the
present King and Queen of Belgium, the direct
nelr to the crown, was taken from them by a
long, wasting malady while he was still child