The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-01
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

T
propose 10 solve. or assist IN solving, are
those Of temperature 81 this heigth, no<y
Eariously estimate ar from 100 degrees 70
20 degrees below zero, the color OF the
sun, now absolutely unknoWns the pro
cess OF heat radiation. and the extension
Of our knowledge OF electrical Influences
upon temperature
A butterfly supposed to be thousands
Of years old was found dormant under
2. rock in California and removed 10 the
Smithsonian Institute When disoov-
cred its wings were growing shrlveled ana
there were wrinkles in its antenRae,
the great frozen rivers OF Russia The
front part rests on sledgs ana the
driving wheels were studded with spikes
The birthday stone for January IS the
garnet. which means consistency, Febru-
airy, the amethyst. which means con-
tentment and March, the bloodstone,
which means courage
The st. Louis Republic asks rs the
homely crooked letter J. really a mascot
or Is II only a. coincidence that 1t is to be
found in the given or Christian names OF
so many millionaires? The recent death
OF j. g. Fair has suggested the follow
ing compilation of millionaires' names
Th T contain the uGk-oesto~lng lettsss-
J D. Rockefeller, j. Astor, Jay Gould,
John N. Sears, J. s. Morgan, J. P. Morgan.
J. b. Haggin, j. W. Garrett, J. q. Far,
John Wanamaker. J. W. Mackay, J. @.
Flood J. NJ. Constable. John T. Martin
and John Arbuckle. None Of the above
are rated at less than 100000 and sew
There has always been a doubt since
the last hostile opera lions of the English
in South Africa as to what has become
OF that once-powerful and prosperous
tribe known as the Matebele. which for
so long held the British invader in check.
That they have disappeared from the
scene and that Africa is rid of their pres
| ence has repeatedly been stated officially
both in and out of parliament. 1t was re-
1 served for Mr. Rhoades, the autocrat OF
I the southern portion of the Dark conti-
/ nent, to enlighten the world as to the
/ ultimate fate of the unfortunate natives.
/ In speech delivered in London the other
/ as for the aversion felt by civilized ma
/ tons to cannibalism. he deliberately con-
/ fessed, in speaking of the Matabeie:
] We Incorporated them into ourselves.
| Manchester is introducing a new APP
paratus for producing gas direct from
/ oil-bearing seeds, sawdust or. in fact,
from any. solid matter in which pro-
/ portion or oil IS present, which was m
vented by a Manchester genius. The
/ producer Is. 1t seems. a simple cast iron
cylinder, with a fire CRATE at the bottom
! and lined with fire clay. From the top
+ OF this furnace the retort. deep cast iron
vessel, hangs within, being held in position
/ Upon the retort Is placed a double-elbow
! pipe or bonnet. which carries the gas
away as it is generated the joint being
! lying in a small channel in the top
| of the retort. which is filled With
molten lead. Suitable pipes lead from
/ box of the simplest possible constitute
/ ton and from thence to the gas holder.
| When in use the fire is lighted and the
| retort heated to redness, the condition
| of the lead around its top being a good
| indication of the right temperature. The
oil, which may be mineral, fat or veg
] etable, Is then permitted to flow in
| thin continuous stream into the retort,
| and is Immediately converted into fixed
gas, which passes successfully through
I the bonnet pipe and hydraulic box, where
/ II Is cleansed from all tarry deposit, and
/ thence to the gas holder. Between the
hydraulic box and the gas holder a suit
able cock is placed for testing the quality
! of the gas and every provision is made
/ for cleansing al all points where the
deposit might settle. No attention is re-
] quired beyond occasional firing up or
filling the oil tank.
A manuscript, lately discovered, gives
in detail the method employed in MAX
ing the famous Damascus blades, says
the New York Advertiser. The manner
! of tempering is something almost too
horrible to relate: Let the high dignitary
furnish an Bthiop of fair frame" the de-
/ scription runs, and let him be bound
! down, shoulders upward, upon the block
of the god Bal-hal his arms fastened
goatskin over ms back and wound
twice around the block; his feet
close together, dashed to a dowel of
wood, and his head and neck projecting
over and beyond the end of the block.
i Then let the master workman. having
cold hammered the blade to a smooth
cedar wood Goals, in an out, the while
reciting the prayer to the god Bal-hal,
until the steel be of the color of the
| red of the rising sun when he comes
up over the desert toward the east, and
then with a quick motion pass the same
from the heel thereof to the point six
times through the most fieshy portion
4 of the slaves back and thighs when
1t shall have become the color of the pur
! pie OF the king. Then. If with one
swing and one stroke of the right arm of
the master workman it sever the head
of the slave from his body and display
! not nick nor crack along the edge, and
the blade may be bent round about The
| body of the man and break not, it shall
| be accepted as a perfect weapon, sacred
/ to the service to the god Bal-hal, and
the owner thereof may thrust it into
| scabbard of asses skin. brazen with brass.
and hung to girdle of camers wool dyed
| IN the royal purple.
Chauncey NJ. Dutton of Pittsburg is
booming a Lake Erie Hudson river canal.
/ He proposes a canal around Niagara
Falls 10 Lake. Ontario, eight miles long,
| and to cost from SS,000000 to $4,000, 900
| His route would then be laid through the
| lake and down the St, Lawrence river
to Cornwall; across from Cornwall to
| across to the Hudson river. He estimates
| the total cost of his project at 100000 900.
The winter in the North Sea is very
severe and the formation of large ice
| foes occure frequently. The tides carry
! these unWieldy foes up the rivers and
| when the bed of the river Is too narrow
ward with great force and are a stand
I ing menace to navigation. To ward off
| the danger the government Of Hamburg
/ has provided four powerful ice brea kers.
| built of steel and specially constructed
to break up ice of even considerable thick
ness and solidity. If the PROV, which is
| quite sharp, cannot cut through the ice
J the peculiar construction Of the ice break
! er will force it on top of the ice and the
! foe will be rent in twain by the weight
of the vessel, The hull bulkhead and
plates are exceedingly strong and a sys-
! tenn of comps rtments with water ballast
allows to regulate the draught of either
the fore or aft part of the boat The most
powerful Of the four has an engine de-
! veloping more than 1.000-horse power.
| During the severe winter of 1S90-91 an
ocean steamer was crushed in the ice near
| the city of Hamburg and sunk in mid
| stream several ships were pushed high
! I'D on the shore and a large number of
| vessels remained ice-bound for two weeks.
| This winter. which, so far as tempera-
| ture and tides are concerned, has set in
worse than the one just mentioned, there
was no accident of any kind, this is due
10 the ice having been kept broken UP
ali the time by the continuous patroliing
| of the ship canal by these ice breakers.
Awarded