The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-09
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

fired during the civil war man was killed.
EVERY southern state except Kentucky has
passed pension laws for its ex-confederate SOL
diers.
THE graduating class at Harvard, numbering
276, was classified politically as follows; Re
publlcans, ito; democrats. SO; Independents, 81;
prohlbtlonists. :; mugwumps, 8; uncassed, 65
The following is the religious classification:
Epseopalians, %; Unitarians, 40; Congrega-
tionalists d; Baptists, 10; Roman Catholics
Z; Methodists, 5; Presbyterians, G.; Jewish. A.
Free Thinkers 4; unbiased, rs.
THE recent agitation about divided skirts"
and woman's posture on horseback had brought
to light some historic facts which go to show
that the new fad is but the rehabilitation of the
old style. 1t is said that Queen Anne, wife Of
Richard II, first set English women the fashion
of riding on side saddles. Before her day they
all rode astride. As late as 1772 Queen Mariana
Victoria of Portugal rode astride In Nav
1870, lady, wife of an English baronet, ap-
peared in Rotten Row attended by her groom
and mounted cross-legeed Her riding habit
was not only somewhat longer than the new
FASHION enJolns, but longer than the old one as
We'll and was simply very voluminous divided
skirt. curious side saddle is used by women
IN Iceland. 1t has seat with back like a
common chair, and has instead of a stirrup q
little shelf, on which both Of the feet can rest
THE greatest refracting telescopes yet known
are made by Alvan G. Clark of Cambridgeport
Mass, So fine is the work required on the lenses
OF these instruments that the glaSsmakers COM
menced work on two disks, from which 40
inch lens is to be made, four years ago and
only one has, as yet, been sent to Mr. Clark If
there is the most minute speck of any kind in
the glass it is rejected. A disk 30 inches in
diameter and 10 inches thick costs $4,000. After
Mr.. Clark has determined what curve to give
the glass, an iron casting is made of the size
and shape required. The disk Is revolved upon
this and ground with steel crushings. Next
eight courses of emery and an Adjustable tool
"a tn MAJ
made with an instrument that measures
1-30, 900 Of an inch. The final shaping is made
with beeswax and rouge, and even the bare
thumo does ITS part IN the polishing The lens
must be so exact in its curve that every ray
striking it shall center at a predetermined
mathematical point.
BRITISH PSYCHOLOGISTS are very much inter-
ested in the discovery of ruins of an ancient
church at SiIchester, which experts agree was
built in the fourth century and SO has a right
to be considered the Oldest church In Britain
The building stood east and west and consisted
of q nave 10 feet wide and 20 feet long, ending
IN an apse at the west end, with two aises
feet wide, and rudimentary transepts, each
about feet square. Across the eastern end Of
the building a narrow nartheX about Feet
deep The total external length was ~ feet
The central part retains its floor of coarse
re tessarH, but in front of the aose in the
center OF what was the chancel, is panel
five feet square, of finer mosaic of black and
white checkers with a border of red aud pray
thought stood a wooden altar. Owing to the
destruction of the walls by the plow, very little
is left above the floor level but it is possible to
make out the arrangements with some degree
of certainty. About eleven feet east Of the
church, In the court or atrium in which it stood
is the base of a platform four feet square, built
of tiles. On this probably stood the font ana
small pit lined with fiints Immediately in front
of It seems to have been made to carry off the
water.
"A BULL in a china shop" we have all heard
of, but, like Miss Squeers' Novelty in Orni-
theology" it is thing not commonly seen, says
the London Daily NeJ0s. In Bi mingham, how
ever, this familiar illustration of rIotous de-
struction has been realized, with the result that
a action for the mischief done has been tried
in the county court. The bull, IL appeared
tried first to enter picture deRler's;" then it
attempted to gain su entrance into public
house, but finally, spying the china SHOP the
prospect of fun became irresistible, and the
sportive animal broke in, and for a quarter OF an
pretty much his own way. He smashed,
as witness put it, "pretty we'll
everything he conld lay his feet upon" On
the part OF the bulls master it was urged that
the proprietor Of the china shop brought the
trouble on himself by suddenly moving away
from the door when the bull turned up. But
who would not move away from his door if a
bull turned up? The judge observed that bulls
are uncertain animals-though it is true there
is not much uncertainty about the result when
they get into china shop In this case how
proper control, and accordingly the defendant
has been ordered to pay the full value of the
china dealers wrecked and ruined stock to-
gether with the costs.
THE SUBJECT of long distance ocean towing
has been receiving much consideration at the
hands Of American shipowners. A proposal
has already been made to employ Theoretically
sealed steel barges for ocean transportation
these barges being towed by specially designed
tugs and towing apparatus, 1t is believed by
many shipownerS in this country that we are
nearing the time when the towing steamship
will be largely employed to drag freight
barges across the Atlantic. The posi-
bilities in this direction have been sug-
gestively indicated by some noteworthy
feats of towing done recently by the
United States tug steamer Saturn, which is
about ., 200 tons, and is fitted with very power
full engines. The chief difficulty in ocean tow
ing is the failure of the tow rope or steel
hawser or its fastenings Neither MANILA rope
nor steel wire rope can Withstand the sudden
strain caused by the motion of the towboat and
her consOrt in heavy seaway, the great want
being elasticity. To overcome this difficulty the
Saturn has been fitted with towing apparatus
invented by an American engineer. 1t is a bal.
aucing cable drum. which is so geared up that
the normal pressure Of the engine cylinders
situated on either side of the drum, will bal
ance the normal strain on the cable or hawser:
but il the strain on the hawser is increased the
drum revolves aft and the hawser pays out, run