The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-12
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Il
never spoiled plate, and though she has had
several hundred pictures taken at diff
ferent times, she rarely disapproves OF any Of
| them.
| II is evidently a veteran sailor who makes
| the suggestion that, as q vessel goes ashore
to leeward and the life line shot from the
shore must therefore be fred against the
wind and with all the difficulties which this
implies, every vessel should carry a supply Of
! rockets, which, attached to deep-sea fog-line
and signal-hayards, would connect them
much more speedily with the shore.
In answer to correspondent newspaper
| says: THE deluge mentioned in the Bible
was threatened in the year 1756 B. c., and be-
gan on Dec. 7, 1856, B. c., and continued 377
| days. The ark rested on Mount Ararat on
May g. 1855. but Noah did not leave 1t until
Dec Is following" Any reader who imagines
that IL would be an easy task to figure these
details from the biblical account can find a
basis for his calculations in the 18th and Sth
chapters of Genesis.
There is no more effective sanitary agent
than fire. The ancient who made his napkin
Of asbestos had but to throw it into the fire
when soied, and It could not be made clean
| er. And If we could but build our houses of
incombustible materials the spring cleaning
might be efficiently accomplished by incen-
d1ar1sm. London, indeed was purified from
plague by general confagration. And al
most the one thing which that nearly indie
| structible disease germ, the bacillus, cannot
| stand. is heat.
Florida beans, which, when highly polished
| are used as charms, are the seeds of the
| Eutada s3andens, a rank-growing, climbing
| shrub, common on the shores Of the West
| Indies. The pods are frequently from six to
| eight feet in length, fiat and woody, divided
| into numerous joints, each containing one of,
| these nuts. When ripe these pods burst with
| great force, throwing the nuts an almost in
credible distance. When thrown into the sea
| they are carried by the strong oceanic cur
| rents, not only to the F'loridas, but occasion
| ally to the coast OF Finland.
A newspaper item announcing the arrival
OF the United States fishery steamer Alba
tross at Victoria, B. c., says that vessel
| claims to have made the deepest sea sound
| ing ever known of the coast of Alaska The
| depth reached wass 800 fathoms There is a
mistake somewhere. Either the Albatross
| is reported wrongly or those giving the in
| ords are concerned A depth OF 4,500
| fathoms is less by 81 fathoms than at one
place north Of Porto Rico and 155 fathoms
short of another, lying on the northeast coast
| OF Japan.
In lands like China, Japan or Siam the
United States minister or consul general. as
well as the representatives of the other great
powers, exercises what is called in the trea-
ties extra territorial jurisdiction" For
instance, all violations OF law by residents
who claim the protection of the American
flag, whether 1t be between themselves or
with a native, must be adjusted by the consul.
At such posts as Reben, Hankow Yokohama
or Bangkok the United States minister or
consul sits almost daily as a court. His power
is supreme even to the point of ordering cap
ital punishment, and the findings of the con
Sular court are free Of any reversion or in
reference whatsoever of the native authori-
ties.
Electricians have long been exercised as to
the hest mnthO6 Of IQUiOpy THAR Avfraz
ground, and now that there has been such
pronounced feeling in many cities against
overhead wires, the call for strong and ser
Ytceable conduit for underground mains be-
comes imperative A new. English type Of
such conduit is made of highly vitr1hed
stoEeware Of rectangular and circular form.
1t is made in lengths Of three feet, with two
or more separate ducts or ways. There are
several methods of joining the lengths. For
instance, the ends of the casing after being
| brought together are Tapped around with a
| band OF prepared canvas and inclosed in a
| Stoneware trough open at the top. Before be-
| ing placed in position, the lower interior sur
| face of the trough receives layer OF Port
| land cement, which cannot enter between the
castings owing to the canvas band. The next
| operation Is to I'LL the trough up to its upper
! edge with cement, and by this means ft is
possible to make a reliable joint. Some
! times light cast-iron collar or trough is sub
| stttuted for the StoneYare trough. or the
| trough is simply filled with bituminOus Or
| other cement, the canvas band being also
used. 1t is claimed that this type Of conduit
| affords perfect mechanical protection to in
| sula ted cables, that the material is imperish-
| able and that it is cheap.
Startling are the Official statistics that have
! just been published in Germany concerning
| the number Of suicides in various armies OF
| the old world, and they constitute striking
| Illustration of the unpopularity OF obligatory
military service, says the New York Tribune.
| It seems that in Austria the average rate for
| the years is 1871 per 100000 men. The French
| come next, with ninety-two suicides per an
| mum for each 100000 men. The German gov
| eminent gives its rate at siXty-etght, but
| these figures are generally believed TO be be-
| low the actual number, as the impression
| prevails In military circles throughout
| Europe that the suicides in the German army
| are more frequent even than in sthat of Aus
tria. Italys quota is given at forGv-tive while
! that OF Russia does not exceed twenty a fig
/ ure that is obviously far below the truth.
| belgium gives its rate at twenty-four,
| Spain at fourteen and England at twenty
| three, most of the suicides in the British
| army occurring out in India. A remarkable
: fact IS that, Notwithstanding the majority of
suicides are popularity believed to be attrib-
utable to tyranny on the part of the officers
| yet 1t is precisely among the officers that the
largest number OF selfinfiicted victims is to
be fOunu. The favorte method OF suicide is
by shooting, either with rife or with a re-
volver. Next comes drowning, and after
that hanging, while Of late large number of
ohcers and men have taken their lives by
throwing themselves in front of railway
trains. It has also been noted that whereas
the smallest number Of suicides takes place
in winter, the largest number occurs In the
broiling hot months Of July and August.
OF applications Of electricity, like the max
ing Of books, there is no end, and electricity
is turning modern life into one succession of
luxurious experiences, says the Pittsburg
Dispatch A switchboard at which all the
lights in the house can be instantly turned
on and special switches placed close to the
door lamb in every living room and bedroom
are Injuries which are appreciated by SER
want and master alike, as is the ability to
throw throughout the house a gentle even
warmth, and to dispense with the dirt and
trouble OF furnace Electric laundering
has become comparatively common and the
luxury OF electric cooking is Just beginning
to be appreciated in this country. Quite in
line with these devices is a new electric door
opener by which man is saved the trouble
OF ringing the bell or of opening his own
street door, and Of shutting it behind him
The idea is not new, but door OPENERS in
the past have been more or less generallv
more, disappointing, from the capriciousneSs
OF their operation. The new device not OnIv
does all that the ordinary door checks accom-
plish, but 1t has the additional advantage Of
opening the door before the person passing
through it, and closing ii silently behind him
all without requiring touch of the finger
The door is hung on spring hinges and the
tendency OF the springs Is always to swing
the doors open. To the top OF the door is AT.
tached a cord which runs over a set of pullevs
to little electric motor the function ~
which is to wind UP the cord to mil the door