The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-15
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

years an average Of fifty-seven fires on
SHIPS occurred which originated in the
spontaneous combustion of cotton During
the year 1885 the number of such fires in
creased TO sixty-six. twelve OF these occur
ring in mid-0cean and fifty-fOur near or in
port. Spontaneous combustion is not vet
satisfactorily explained and il is a com
mon belief that careless handling and bad
packing OF cotton bales are most frequent
ly responsible for the fires. In spite of all
that has 50 far been done to avoid con-
uagraJOns, no method has been found
which would successfully do away with
that danger
The notion that a constant jarriDg or
vibration tends to make metals brittle is
one which is thoroughly imbedded in the
minds of the majority of sO-called "Prac-
ticai men, Notwithstanding the evidence
which has been presented at various times
that no such supposed effect occurs. 1t is
now set forth that cast-iron is actually
made tough by 1arring or shock. instead
OF being crystalized and weakened. The
interest Of this new discovery from a sci
entlhc point OF view is evident, and II prom
lses also to prove of no small practical
importance. If cast-iron can be annealed
without the use of heat by simply sub
lectlng II to light jars, it is entirely posi-
bic that many castings and forgings of
IRON, steel, other metals and even of some
classes of earthenware might be annealed
IN this manner to advantage.
The Rev Grattan Rowland. rector of
Trinity church. Covington, is a man of
NiSoIGuS ana independent InOught. says
the Cincinnati Enquirer. He does not be-
lieve that doctrine is everything or that
spiritual belief may be measured with a
foot rule. His liberality of belief has been
SHOWN in recent series of sermons
which, however, have been no more effec-
tive from this cause then from the I'M
doubted eloquence of the speaker. The
Rev Rowland believes that a church
should possess some human interest and
attractfVeness. To this end he has insti-
tuted a decided innovation in arranging
x4vbf oh rim
out each night from the splendid chimes
OF old Trinity. Nearly every popular song
winch possesses musical merit has been
arranged to the sonorOus notes of the
chimes. Last night for instance the prin-
cipal number on the programme was ''The
Sunshine Of Paradise Alley" and on every
street corner persons could be heard hum
ming the refrain in unison with the chimes
There IS patriotism in the chime concerts
also. Inc last number is invariably
America"
The Paris correspondent of the Lon
don Daily News writes: Louise Michel
called attention after a long period of
Imprisonment to the sociable and other
good qualities of rats She taught her
three cats to live amicably with troops
OF rats that visited her at regular hours
twice a dar The cats began by attack
ing the rats, and killing one and break
ing the leg OF another. Mile. Michel tend
ed the injured rat and thus won the
confidence Of its fellows. One of their
virtues was respect for the aged, another
was family feeling, another compassion
Tor unfortunate brethren. The governor
Of the prison used to send the broken
bread from his table for the prisoners
tour-footed visitors, and often came him
sell to witness the visits. Armand Ley
ritz has been bitten with Louise MichePs
friendship for rats. He agrees from per-
sonal experience with her in thinking
that there is no four-footed creature more
susceptible of education. The Russian.
Durom, took up. a few years ago the
Louise Michel idea of bringing out the
of 10 ra nd ic
making money with a company Of tanned
rats They, sailor-like, climb the ropes
S 81 NH mimic ship and behave in most ways
IKE the industrious rats which We're one
of the shows of London in the reign of
william ~. Duroff had much less trou-
BILE in teaching rats than dogs. He dis
covered in them retentive ear for Ian
guage, and greater adaptabiity than he
had found in any other species.
"A bill has been introduced into the
Massachusetts Legislature which makes
acetylene subject to the same regulations
and restrictions as govern the storage of
such time as it has been fully demonstrate
ed that the gas is thoroughly safe A COM
mission OF three experts will be appointed,
should the bill become a law. to pass upon
the question of the safety of the new IL
lummant Many unauthoritative asser-
lions have been made as to the dangers
attending the use of acetylene gas, owing
both to the fact that under certain condi-
tons IT is known to form explosive mix
lures with air. and that it is capable of
producing death by aSphyXia ton In order
to dispose of the question a series of ex-
periments have been conducted in Ger
many upon dogs by DIR. Rudolf Roseman,
of the archaeological institute, of Greifs-
valid. The experiments were numerous and
extensive, being made with mixtures of va
rlous proportions of acetylene gas and air.
Ihe conclusions reached are that acety-
lene gas is no more poisonous than ordi-
nary illuminating gas: a mixture of at
least 40 to 10 per cent. being necessary to
To- NFNesnf raVNcT
dogs. Besides the large amount of acety-
lene gas necessary to be present to pro-
duce fatal results, this gas fortunately pos
SesSeS peculiar and diSagreeable Odor,
which readily indicates it's presence thus
reducing danger from the eScap ping gas TO
minimum. Definite knowledge as to the
explosive qualities of this gas Is not vet
forthcoming. While it is known that ace
tylene gas does form explosive mixtures
with air, information as to the proportion
of the explosive mixtures and conditions
under which explosions OCCUR is scant and
vague.
Odd habitations are to be found all over
California. Sometimes there is a good rea-
son for them being odd, but often it is the
result of some crank idea says the San
Francisco Call. On the beach near Cvpress
Point, in Monterey county, there is one
that cannot come under the first head and
hardly under the last The residence be
longs to Chinese fisherman and is part
natural and part the work of his own
hands. The natural portion of the house is
small cave in one of the many rocks
that stick up all over the beach The 9th
er part is sort of wooden shed which has
been built in front of this opening The
lumber used is of the toughest kind but
the aesthetic Chinaman overcame this OBJ
lection by covering the whole outside with
abalone shells, the hollow side being turn
ed out. The Chinaman evidently did that
many years ago, when the shells were
plentiful and had scarcely any market val
ue. Every shell used has been DESTROYED
as one or more nails have been driven
through them according to their size Some
of the shells are magnificent in color and
enormous in diameter, and a duplicate in
good condition, could not be bought in San
Francisco for any price. Most of the larg-
er smells, If they were not pune
tured with nailholes, would readily
sell for them So to S. apiece.
But that size cannot be had in the market
now, and would be difficult to find on the
rocks Of any part of the coast. The gen
eral enect OF the house, when the sun
strikes it at the proper angle is dazzling
The polished, peariy surfaces sparkle with
astounding brilliancy and flash with ali
the colors of the rainbow 1t is a pleasing
and surprising sight and the only Ditv Is