The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-27
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Joseph Hoffman. the phenomenal boy
pianist. is fulfilling his early promise.
Although he is only II. he is a great
pianist. anu even painfully familiar music
becomes fascinating beneath his fingers.
The boy Is young. but his mind Is old
Uucannily old where il is applied TO music,
whatever ii NAV be when brought into
contact with other subjects A full-grown
soul seems 10 have been arbitrarily
case of Mozart" Such is the opinion of
an admirer.
Do fish sleep? L asked the question when
IN conversation with noted authority on
the piscatorial science, says a writer in
the ST Louis Republic. and his reply was.
i am not exactly prepared TO answer that
question 10 the point. but am OF the Opin-
ion that they, as we'll as all other organ
lied beings, 90 through periods OF
coma-very brief in some cases-which
is analogous TO the slumber of higher ami
mails. Fish consume but little oxygen.
and their waste of tissue IS very small.
hence they have been known TO do without
either food or sleep for a surprising length
Of time. Some of my cOlaborers ia this
branch OF science are Of the opinion that
their periods of coma are the same as
sleep only in q general sense-they simply
relieve the functions of the body for brief
intervals
We always speak of the coal supply Of
the United States as being practically
ineXhaustible," SAYS the St. Louis Repub-
lie, but that this fallacy of the most mis-
leading character can be proved by SIM
pie arithmetical calculation: The last
Nlotlj CENSUS OF the IllLEu STATES ElullHS
Tor the carbOniferous deposits total
area of 2l90S0 square miles in the various
states and territories, not including Alas
ka. I say claims" simply because the
last geological authorities in the United
States do not believe that the carbonifer-
Gus area Of the whole of the North Ameri-
can continent covers over 10000 square
miles. But, taking the census figures IS
basis of calculation, what do we findB
simply that every ton of coal on the con-
tnent Will have to be consumed by tie
end OF the 2Nll. within lllf wears
from this datel' This is a startling as
sertion to make, but the figures of Gen.
Wister before the Philadelphia Acade-
my of ScienCe), furnish abundant proof
Here they are: Two hundred and nine
teen thousand and eighty square miles
equal 1921. 200 acres, which multiplied by
six feet (Which is given as the average
thickness of the coal seams), and by 500
being the available tonnage per foot OF
thickness from each acre, would give the
total. which is 673013 600 The census re-
port states the production and consrmp-
ton during 1886 10 have been l4l %, 5lS
short tons OF 1000 pounds each, when
/ is equivalent to 126,097. 779 long" tons Of
2.40 pounds each 1t is also further
shown that the rate of increase of con
/ sumption is in round numbers, at the uni
/ form rate OF 100 per cent. per each decade
This known rate of actual increase APP
| piled to the present annual consumption
I for 30 years, and then reduced 10 30 per
/ cent per decade for another ~ years jand
/ it is altogether probable that it Will in
/ crease rather than decrease would indi-
n
diamond" product of America will be con-
sumed by the end of the year mentioned.
which is 112 years from time of taking of
/ the census upon which the figures in this
/ article are based.
All birds of prey have a popularity of
] eye structure that enables them to see
near or distant objects equally well. An
eagle viii ascend more than mile in
/ perpendicular hight and from that eleva-
/ ton can see its unsuspecting prey and
/ pounce upon il with unerring certainty.
] % I -t1izxrflla Com arpia1
/ same bird can scrU tinize with almost
/ miscrOpic nicely an object close at hand
| thus possessing a power Of accommodate
/ ing its sight to distance in manner to
| which the human eye is untitled and of
which it is totally incapable. In looking
at a printed page We find that there
is some particular distance, probably
/ ten inches, at which we can read
the words and see each letter with perfect
distinctness, but Il the page be moved
! to a distance of forty inches or brought
| within distance of five inches we find it
| impossible to read il at all. A scientific
man would therefore call ten inches the
| focus, or focal distance, of our eyes. This
| distance cannot be altered except by the
/ aid of spectacles. But an eagle has the
power of altering the focus of its eye just
/ as 1t pleases. 1t has only to look at an
/ object at the distance of two feet or two
! miles in order to see it with perfect dis
| tinctness. OF course, the eagle knows
| nothing of the wonderful cOntriVance
| that the Creator has supplied for its ac-
/ commodatiOn. 1t employs it instinCtiVely
and because ii cannot help it. The ball
| of its eye Is surrounded by fifteen little
! plates called sclerotic bones. They form
| a complete ring and their edges slightly
overlap each other. When it looks at a
distant object this little circle of bones
| expands and the ball of the eye, being re-
| lieVed from the pressure, becomes flatter;
when 1t looks at a very near object the
! little bones press together and the ball
| of the eye is thus squeezed into a rounder
| or more convex form. The effect is very
familiar to every one. A person with
rn11nh "a ~ icrfY rod nd q
! person with fiat eyes. as in old age, can
see nothing except at a distance. The
eagle, by the mere will, make its
eyes round or fist and see with equal
clearness at any distance.
Flies are not usually accredited with
/ great intelligence, but an illustration OBJ
idea that they are entirely bereft OF
| thought. 1t was near midnight and a
writer for the Philadelphia Call laid
aside his pen for the day but was con-
strained to remain at the desk by the
| strange actions of quartette of flies One
/ unfortunate buzzer had flown too near
! the gaslight and had been so badly singed
That he could not fly. Quite helpless he
! lay on his back trying to oVerturn him
! self. He almost succeeded. but so pain
/ full was his efforts that mercy suggested
! the speedy killing of the insect. But the
manifest agitation of four unusually large
! flies prevented hasty execution In great
! excitement the quartette cirCled round the
unfortunate, remaining within a radius
! of twelve inches. One pair seemed to
/ touch heads, and in an instant one of the
two went savagely for the injured broth
/ er. After contending with him for a brief
time the first helper left. when without
! lapse of many seconds. the second pair
went through the same performance Here
was puzzle that required close study 10
solve. Were the flies striving to aid the
sufferer, or did they want to kill aim,
either because of his uselessness or to
relieve him from pain? Seventeen times
were combats-for such thy soon an
! peared to- be-had. The fly. lying on his
! back, fought and apparently sought to
! keep off the big insects. As near as the
! eye could determine. they seemed to
strive to reach the neck of the sufferer
/ There was a short, sharp fight each time
/ \ few grains of sugar were placed on the
! desk, but the fighters were too greatly alb
1 sorbed to notice them More powwoWs
/ ensued, and three attacks followed Then
/ the four were frightened by an ATTEMPT
| to catch them. One fly, not of the GUAR
| tette, was captured and placed under a
! glass with the wingless member. Five
! minutes the stranger flew around wildly
/ not going near the burned fellow The
/ glass was removed, and in the course of
! ten minutes four flies were again on the
/ scene, trying to kill the small insect 1t
| was then nearly / o'clock a. m, and the
| observer, failing to inveigle any into a
| trap, retired. Early in the morning the
! fly that had caused all the trouble No .