The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-10
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

OF camels in Australia. larger in frame,
sounder in wind ami limb. and possessed
or grea ter Welght-carrylug capacity than
lne original stock Inelr power 10 resist
thirst IS shown by there having been
forced marches in Australia where the
camels were without drop or water
from tWenty-one 10 twenty-three days
For the past week Stanley Russey,
Amsie Burk and Albert Johnson three
young clerks at Muncie, lnd-, have par
taken OF no food or other nOurishmeut
except milk The young men Uade
very peculiar wager on New Years Eve.
to the effect that none Of them shall
eat or drink any nouriShment except
milk during the year 1880. This they can
drink only once every hour and then
not over a pint at a time. Al this rate,
II all remain true TO their pledge, u VIII
require about twelve barrels of milk 20
supply them, at a cost of about Sie0. which
would be very cheap living.
The proposed replacement by can
tiever structure of the famous Niagara
SUSPENSION bridge. built by the late John
a. ROebiing in 100, viii remove land
mark in The history Of railway bridge
construction i'm this country. While not
the longest suspended span of its day,
for the Fribourg bridge. built i'm 1887 had
a span Of $50 feet. as compared with the
81 feet OF Mir. kOebllng = bridge. II was
the first suspension bridge designed 10 sus-
tain without undue detection the heavy
strains upon such structures by the NOV
Ing load of railway trains
II is d singular fact that the sun. earth
and all the other planets have their aerial
and revolutionary motion in the same
direction, viz: from west to east, and,
with few slight exceptions, the satel-
lites also. In face Of this fact the
thought must necessarily obtrude itself
even upon persons who are not in the
habit OF seeking for the connection be-
tween cause and effect that this Uniform
ity Of two kinds of motion cannot be
matter OF mere chance, but must arise
from some fundamental cause which ac-
counts for this otherwise strange COinCi-
dence one Of the protoundest thinkers
in the science of mathematics and its two
nnesl Applications. mechanics and dsuOn-
omy, the Frenchman Laplace. made the
first great, and on the whole. not Un-
successful attempt of building up salts
factory COsmical theory. This. for rea-
sons that will appear presently, has been
called the nebular hypothesis. According
to this theory the space which the solar
system occupies was originally filled with
nebulous matter in an incandescent state,
and this mass was rotating from west to
east. BY means Of gravity and centrifugal
force, this rotating mass assumed a spher-
ical, or rather spherOidal, shape. In cOnSe-
Quence of the radiation of heat, she ueb-
ular mass suffers a contraction which ac-
celebrates the rate OF rotation until at last
q ring rs thrown off which after countless
ages assumes the glObular shape Ac
cOTding TO this extremely ingenious and
plausible theory therefore, the planets
and their satellites were all each rings
once, the former. when yet in their gas
eous condition. throwing of such rings
The rings OF Saturn form strong cor
robOration of the nebulGr hypothesis.
Among the interesting exhibits at the
Antwerp exhibition We're examples Of the
rolling stock for the Congo railway. an
undertaking Of much Importance. con-
corning which but little has been pub
lShed that conveys actual information.
IL may be recalled that Stanley once said
that tine immense resources OF the entire
Congo state would not be worth two shil-
ings If the road was not built, or words
TO that effect The Congo river IS navig-
able for steamers of large tonnage from
the seacoast to Matadi. a distance of ever
eighty miles. but from this point to stan
ley pool go miles up the river. navigation
is impracticable. owing to the cataracts.
The railway begins at Matadi. and up TO
the present time about twenty-five miles
have been constructed at the enormous
cost of Sli30O1 mile. due TO the unUsual
difficulty OF the work From kenge, the
present terminus of the completed road.
the construction Will probably be much
lighter and the total expenditure is esti-
mated TO be 5000. 600 Upon compile
ton to Stanley Pool it is proposed to di-
vide the line into five sections, each sub
divided INTO posts or about twelve ana
one half miles in length. Each subdiv-
sion has hating place, provided with
sidings for trains, and with water tanks.
Two trains a week each way VIII be run,
according to the proposed schedule. but
the road is laid out to accommodate
service of eight trains day each way.
The rolling stock is peculiar in appear
ance which is very squatty, the cars be
ing mounted low down near the rails, and
provided with strong box below the
floor which can be filled with rocks when
a tornado approaches to prevent the
whole affair being blown off the tracks
At present the trade carried to the coast
is almost entirely i'm ivory, of which the
annual product is valued at Sl25O00 but
the opening of the railway is expected to
develop the rubber trade, and lead to the
opening Of copper mines OF exceptional
richness.
Whoever visits the London Tower may
enjoy a veritable feast of swords. says
the London Standard. But amid the
numberless array of weapons there are
one or two that are specially worthy OF
notice. There IS the sword of state
which is grit on the mOndrch's side after
his amounting. at the imposing ceremony
of coronation, which girdllng is more
honored in the breach, one would sup
pose, when the monarch IS lady. The
sword is first COnsecrated by the primate,
and by him handed to the lord chamber
lain. who completes the function. 1t is
a twO-handed weapon, with rich decOra-
lions on hilt ana pommel and scabbard
OF scarcely less Importance is the sword
of mercy" borne before the sovereign
in the coronation procession Ihls sword
is named Curtana, but, though undOubt-
eddy very ancient. il can hardly claim TO
be the original Curtana. forged by the
famous Muni1ican. This original Cur
tGna was the magic weapon of Ogler, the
Dane, bold knight Of Thar einlSna.s
most warlike days. Our own Curlana is
in any case many centuries old. 1t IS
square-pointed, with the look as though
the point had been broken short. hence
possibly its name A fine gold wire COW
ers it's handle, and the scabbard is re-
markedly ornate. TWO other swords are
carried, at the coronation ceremOrp'-
swords symbOlical of spiritual and tenn
poral justice, the first with an Ohtuse
point the later sharp. Curtana and those
two Justice swords are not often called
upon 10 make public appearance; it is
happily more than half a century since
they were last required at a coronation.
But whenever the sovereign opens par
lament in person the sword of state first
mentioned is called from its repose The
lord mayors sword is even more familiar
to the general public; and not only Lon
don but most other corpora tions have
their sword and sword bearer. 1t is
picturesque survival of the Middle Ages
which one would regret TO see abolished,
part of the ritual of state customs, which
ritual is by no means meaningless. Pub
lie actions must often be OF a fgurativ
character Such is the mode by which
the city of London sometimes does honor
to those who have rendered the nation
good service. presenting TO them swords
of honor. These civic swords have been
given to men like Lord Napier. Lord
Clyde, Lord Wolseley. Wellington re-
ceived one in his day. and so did the
Prussian Butcher.
Awarded
Hs~LacR Ao-owe VNa-edB~ ES-s-N