The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-24
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

WE LEARN now that the famous Jubilee shot
fired from the 22-ton gun in Queen Victoria's
jubilee year, to ascertain how far a shot could
De carried, remained in the air 9915 seconds,
ana the highest point reached in its flight of
twelve miles was II, 900 feet.
AN extraordinary attempt at suicide was that
related by the Medical Standard Of an Italian
paranoiac who determined to cruelty himself
Tor the sins OF the world. He deliberately set
about the manufacture of a cross and ali the
adJunctS necessary for crucfiction. Perceiving
that 1t would be difficult to nail himself firmly
TO the cross he made net, which he fastened
TO 1t, securing il at the bottom Of the upright
beam, little below the bracket he had placed
Ior his feet, and at the ends of the two arms
The whole apparatus was tied by two ropes one
from the net and the other from the place
where the beams intersected each other. These
ropes, fastened to the bar above the window,
were just long enough TO permit the cross to lie
horizontally on the floor of the room, These
preparations fms ed, he put on his crown of
thorns. some of which entered his forehead
Stripping himself naked he girded his loins with
a white handkerchief Then he introduced
himself into the net and seating himself on the
cross drove nail into his right palm
point appeared on the other side. He
placed his feet on the bracket and
with mallet drove a nail through them both
entering hole he had previously made to re-
celVe II, and thus fastened them to the wood.
He then tied himself TO the cross by a piece of
cord around his wairt, after which he wounded
himself with his shoemaker's knife in the left
side, but failed TO injure any important organ
tie lad made several scratc hes on his breast to
determine the place OF least resistance the
knife represented the spear of the crucf1xion.
ms was done In his room; In order to show
himself to the people he placed the foot of the
cross upon the window sill, which was very low
and by pressing his fingers against the floor, he
gradually drew himself forward until the foot
OF the cross overbalanced the head and the
whole machine tilted out of the window and
hung by the two ropes fastened to the beam
lie then nailed his right hand to the arm of the
cross, but could not succeed in fixing the left
although the nail by which it was to be fixed
was driven through until half OF it came on the
other size After hanging thus an hour he was
noticed, detached from the cross and put to bed
he recovered from his wounds.
BIOLOGISTS have ascertained that the rate at
which erosion takes place can be measured; by
applying their scale to the sedimertary rocks
they have formed a hypothesis as to the time
which has elapsed since erosion began. The
stratlned rocks attained an average thickness
OF 100000 feet. The material of which thew
consist was all washed down from high planes
deposited and left to stratfy. By the INSPECTION
OF river banks it is found that in places the
surface OF the land which has been carried
down as sediment n rivers has been reduced at
the rate OF foot in 7e0 years, while in other
places where the land was more stubborn or
less henble, It has taken $500 years to
post must be equal TO the denuda-
ton. We ind that while some of tue sedlmen-
tary rocks have grown foot in 7a0 years, 9TH
ers have taken g. 300 years 20 rise that hight
Thus the period OF time that was REQUIRED 10
build up 100000 feet Of sedimentary rock has
varied according to locality from 70 900 900 years
70 oSO,OO0,O 600 years. It follows that the active
work OF creation lasted for a cycle intermediate
between these two figures. The cycle varied
with endless succession of periods of disturb
ance by volcanic force and glacial action and
the frequent Submerslon of dry land, alterpAt-
Ing with the emerging of continents out of the
seas These may have retarded the growth of
sedimentary rocks, but they cannot have ac-
CELEBRATED il. A study of fossils teaches the
steady uniformity with which the work of crea
ton proceeded. Since man began TO observe these
has been no change In the forms of animal and
vegetable life. few species have disappeared
not one species has been evolved. Not only do
we lind the fauna and fora of ancient Egypt "a
depicted on monuments which are probably
S,O0O or 10000 years old identical with those
which are found in that country to-day but
shells which iuhabited our seas before the ice
age and grew in an ocean whose bed overlap the
ROCKY mountains are probably the same species
that are found in the Bay of Monterey and the
waters of the Chesapeake Il is evident that
there has been no essential change IN the con-
ultlons or life since these animals and these
vegetables we're first created, yet how vast the
shortest period which we can assign to the gap
that divides us from that remote epoch.
IT SEEMS strange to speak OF the United
States as Brother Jonathan" and wonder ia
how it ever began; but on inquiring into the
matter we find that the custom arose from an
Oiuluaty IuaQ0 Dy zen. washington
the beginning OF the revolutionary war says
HdrDer's Young People. On going to Massa-
chusetts to organize the army, he found il scapt
OF ammunition and all means of defence; and
no one could suggest any way out of the Diff
Guilty. Something must be done at once for the
public safety; and Gen. Washington, who had
great confidence in the judgment Of Gov. iona.
than Trumbull of Connecticut said in this di
lemma, 1--WE must consult Brother Jonathan on
the subject Brother Jonathan" was equal To
the occasion, aud supplied many of the leading
cesnesities; and during the war it became
the custom in any emergency to say, I'VE must
consult Brother Jonathan" In time the name
became applied to the whole country and it ia
pleasant to know that the great Washington
himself was the originator of it, "Robbin9
Peter to pay Paul" was first used when West
minister abbey was called St. Peters cathedral
Money being needed to settle the accounts Of
st. Paul's cathedral, il was taken by those in
authority from St. Peters, quite to the dissatis-
faction of the people, who asked "Why rob st.
Peter to pay ST. Pauly" Over 200 years
a sarS the saying was again used in
the death of the Earl of Chatham, the CITY of
London declaring that so great a statesman
should be buried in st. Paul's. while parliament
insisted that one 80 noble in every way would
be more properly placed amid the DUST Of kings
in Westminster abbey, ana that not to bury
HIM there would be for the second time rob
bling st. Peter to pay St. Paul" The abbey
very justly carried the day. There's many n
slip 'twixt the cup and the lip" IL a very old
saying, and was first uttered to the King of
OdiuOs, al hslanO IN the GrSClan ArCh1pelapO
This king, Anc@us by name. planted vineyard
and treated the slaves who cultivated il SO
badly that one of them told him he would never
live to taste the wine made from it, When the
wine was ready, and cup OF it poured out for
the king, he sent for the slave who had prophe-
sled his DEATH and asked him what he Thought
OF his prophecy now The slave replied,
There's many slip twixt the cup and the
lp"-and just as he had spoken the words
AncGus received warning that wild boar had
broken Into bis vineyard and was running il.
Putting down trin nj fad ha -