The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-23
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

or 1t weighing only 109 ponds While a |
cubic foot of aluminium weias 1915 Z N,nds
and cubic foot of iridiurn1 1896 MINDS |
Magnesium melts at 81 desees E'lbren- |
heit and it's electrical condrtfvftvls Al .
per cent that of copper ri strenttb Of |
the metal ranges from 1900 punds * 20 OCo |
pounds, and its elastic Limits abold 3 770 |
pounds.
"A cargo of anthracite al has been
shipped from this port to Hama where
it will be used by Spanish qIisers who
watch the coast to prevent III landing of
filibustering expeditions, saysAe Philadel- |
phia Record. Though not geneillv known.
the smoke of steamer Observation-Disclosures
coal is seen long time Sefortthe vessel
appears on the horizon, IA it akends high
above the surface of the Waterbe instant |
it passes out of the smok4taa Cruisers |
have thus been located many mis- nv such |
filibusters as Three FrierEs. bermuda. |
Laurada and other like cr4t. Lnthracite |
coal gives out no smoke, AID he Span |
iards have learned point froQ lhe insur- |
gents by doing away with coakhich be- |
trays their movements.
During the construction of h Melan
arch bridge at Topeka, Kan, ths.emains |
of another bridge were encounter in the !
foundation, bridge forgotten bSaearly |
everyone now living in Topeka, thsgh II |
was only built late in ''the fifties hneka |
was then village, and bridge waAuiIt |
across the river, with pile-piers Al a
swing-span for the accommodation of tss-
ing steamboats,. The bridge fell almostn-
mediately after its completion, and Ne
wreck was soon buried in the sand BY.
shift in the channel and forgotten. n |
oak piles in the foundation of the old pivot
pier, which were encountered in founding
the Melan arch, were in an excellent state
of preservation, and they are being with
drawn for use under the new piers.
"A European experimenter has pro-
duced an artificial leg, says the New York
Journal. 1t as nearly resembles a hui
man member as any that can be devised.
This artificial leg is a curious continuance
of hinges, screws and elastic bands Elk
tending downward from about what in
the human leg is the ankle, to a point
midway between the heel and the instep
are two steel rods, placed one in front OF
the other. One rests on a sort of roller
hinge, and allows the foot to give or bend
with each step. The other serves the
purpose of bringing the foot back into
place after the step is taken. Amy lat
eral movement of these rods is prevented
by the sides of the slot through which
they move. screw and a nut at the tor
OF the rod also prevent the rod from turn
ing, and thus giving trouble in walking.
An artificial heel tendon is placed within
the foot, behind the ankle joint, and ex-
tends loosely through hole in the leg
where 1t connects with a nut at about
midway up the limb,
Many years ago Prof. Tyndau proved
that filtration through plug of cotton
wool was a most efficient method of free.
ing air from microbic germs. When at
tempts nave been made to sterilize water
in the same way, but little success has
been attained. Quite recently, however.
M. Henri PoteVin has described a method
of constructing such filters. with which
he claims it is possible to completely ster-
lllze water in large quantities. The fbers
OF the cotton are finely powdered and sift-
ed, and then suspended in water and al
lowed to settle. This they do in a compact
mass, forming paste, which, allowed to
dry slowly, gives filter plates quite imper-
Vlous to germs, etc.sIn practice the plates
should be placed between two plates OF
sandstone or perforated metal and if ar
ranged in battery, like the filter presses
so commonly used for sewage sludge, ETC..
very large quantities of water can be ra.
pidly sterilized. AS in other filters serving
the same end, the microbes seem able to
get through the filtering material al
length by process of growth, so that
periodical cleanings are necessary; this is
easily done by pulping the material afresh
in boiling water.
The dandelion is an old world flower,
not native in America, save far to the
north and on some of the highest of our
western mountains, says St Nicholas. But
somehow it was brought here, perhaps
from England in old colonial times Now
we see its golden heads and feathery balls
at every grassy roadside, the Clocks the
boys and girls blow to tell the hour. A
few years ago farmers in the northwest
found new weed, vile prickly weed.
In their wheat-felds. In a very short
time this weed, the Russian thistle. has
spread over wide acres of the best farm
land in that part of the country. and has
done great injury to the crops. How do
these plants spread so fast and so far?
They are not carried about and planted.
NO one would be so foolish as to SOW Rus
sian thistes. The mother-plant must have
ways of her own for sending her offsprtng,
abroad into the world. Plants propagate
themselves in two ways, from seed or from
buds. Sometimes these buds are borne on
slender runners. A strawberry plant, after
1t has blossomed, begins to send out such
runners with buds, unfolding tufts of
leaves, along them. These tufts are at
first connected with a parent plant. but
later the runners between break AWAY
and each tuft becomes new plant MANY
grasses, like Burmuda grass and the
troublesome quick or couch grass, have
creeping stems, each joint sending out a
bunch of roots below and a bud on the
upper side. If you try to hoe up such
grasses. you only make matters worse. for
each joint when cut Off is ready to form
an independent plant. Such grasses spread
very fast, and soon take possession of the
land they get into.
About five and forty miles below Port
land, on the Oregon side of the Columbia,
the broad expanse of water here flows
without a ripple, and is deep and as still
as death, says the San Francisco Call. The
bank rises high. above the waters level
and stretches away back to the timber line
Just above this point is Coffin Rock. :"
which was the starting place to the happy
hunting ground of the various Oregon
tribes of Indians, but the very high water
OF 1862 swept Coffin Rock of all its de-
posts to the point below. 1t is a lonely
place, without sound, save the call of the
cricket in the grass or the boot of the
screech-owl nestled In the adjacent timber
Here the overlooking waters of nearly hair
a century ago lodged the remains of rnanv