The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-06
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The eight sisters and sisters-in-law Of
a condemned wife murderer in Cleveland
have issued invitations for a leap year
party this month for the purpose OF raising
money with which TO fight for new trial
An almost complete skeleton OF mas
todOn was found in a bed of clay near
The Dales. Ore. last week. Most OF the
bones crumbled on being exposed 10 the
ar. but a large tooth was preserved IN
good condition.
Not many years ago the Fiji Islanders
were considered incapable of civilization.
but last year these same men gave nearly
$500 10 the cause of foreign missions. Or
ders have just been sent to London for
900 Bibles, 500 hymn books and 500
catechisms, TO be sold in the Fiji Islands.
After King Prempeh of Ashanti. was
arrested by the British all the contents
of the palace were inventCried and such
articles IS could not be sent to the coast
with the king were auctiOneered of to the
soldiers, who paid good prices for war
drums, brazen vessels and other objects
of native art which they desired as me
mentoes Of the blOOdless campaign.
British jewelers. have cleverly con-
trived not only to overcome in large part
the ancient superstition as TO the bad luck
attending the opal, but even to give it
some reputation as lucky stone. The
result is that Opals are more popular now
than ever before and their price has risen,
especially in the case of those which are
distinguished for brilliant flame tints.
The New York Sun calls attention to
the fact that the popularity of carnations
for several years past has resulted in
higher grade of these flowers being placed
on the market. Its fragrance and lasting
quality recommend the carnatiOn to men
who wish to wear a lapel flower, and deal
ers say that the supply is usually behind
the demand. The poorest carnations offer
ed in the New York market now are about
as good as the best that were offered
few years ago. One man estimated that
from 100000 to 15,OC0.000 ofthe cut flow
ers had been sold here.
Mr.. Augustus Birrell is one of the most
untidy men in the House of Commons He
has a thorough contempt for purple and
fine linen, and even for the black frOck
coat and immaculate trousers of the or
binary member of parliament. He pre-
fers a well-Worn and ill-brushed tail coat
Wrinkled waistcoat, and a wandering
necktie. Nevertheless, the house would
rather listen to, If not look at, him than
even such a fashionable exquisite as Mr.
Spencer He is careful not to endanger
his reputation as delicate humorist by
speaking too often, and he never talks
merely for the sake of being funny. At
times, indeed, he is an uncommonly seri-
Gus person, particularly when he is adj
dressing a non-cOnfOrmst audience on the
iniquities of the Established church.
&C. D. Vaughn. manager of the Western
Union Telegraph Company's station al
the foot of West Fifty-fifth street, New
York city, says he has about completed
an invention by the use of which it will
be possible to telephone across the ocean.
He says that with the use of his invention
he has distinctly heard over a wire the
ticking of watch l 800 miles away. ''The
reason IL is impossible to telephone more
than 1000 miles by the Bell method" said
Mr.. Vaughn, lis because the induction
coil and transmitters now in use will no.
stand a greater electric power than six
We rS
of experiment L have succeeded in per-
fecting an improved combination of in
duction coil and transmitter that will per-
init the use Of forty to fifty volts and
about thirty-five to forty cells" Mr.
Vaughn said he would apply to the West
ern Union Company soon for permission
10 experiment over its wires.
In recent meeting of teachers and
other experts on educational matters, in
Russia. at Moscow, DIR. Noishewski DEM
onstrated an instrument invented by him
several years ago, but considerably i'm
proved recently, which he calls the "Elec-
trophthalm,' or Electric Eye" This very
sensitive instrument is intended to enable
| the blind by the sense of feeling to observe
objects which we see with our eyes. Nois-
hewsh uses in the construction of his in
SuumentS the two metallOids, selenium
and tellurium, both of which will change
tnelr qualty as conductors of electricity
with different conditions of light. The in
strument constructed by Noishewski de-
notes these changes, and, while it does
the various effects of changing light by
means or this apparatus. The Wjedomosti
reports in recent number that DIR. MOI
SheWski has succeeded in having totally
blind man find the windows in a room and
after a little practice, to distinguish an
preaching men from approaching animals
Ine inventor is still at work upon improve
ments to the "Electrophthalm," and hopes
to perfect 1t to such an extent that the
blind will be able to tell almost with GER
talnty when approaching Opaque or trans
parent objects, which would be a great
stride toward lettering the condition of
| the blind.
The French Institute of Science has
had under discussion the chemistry Of
banks possessing an industrial value. 1t
| is shown that the gums and cements
| which hold together the fflaments of
fiber are composed essentially of pectose
cutose, and vasculose, while the fiber
itself is composed of fibrouse cellulose
! and its charlottesville theory there
| fore, of degumming or retting being to
dissolve and wash out the gums without
| attacking the celulose; while, in order
| to eliminate the vasculose and cutose
| alkaline oleateS or caustic alkalies under
pressure are found to be necessary, and
even bisulphites and hydrochlorites The
| gums being thus dissolved, the epider-
mis- is detached and can be separated
mechanically from the layer of fiber by
| that upon the degree of cleanness of the
fiber must depend the expense of this de-
cumming operation. In the construction
| OF machines for this purpose ii has been
assumed that there Is but little differ
| ence whether the ribbon to be operated
! upon is simply striped bark or wen
| decorticated product, as the revolving
| agency, followed by a volume of water
| may be depended upon to render the sep
| aration complete and to wash out all
| extraneous matters, giving the pure fiber
the quantity that may be turned out
| in a given time, rather than quantity
with quality, has been the main consid-
! GRAFTON. The waste matters in the bark
| of ramie stalks must be wholly elimina-
ted before the fiber is fit for the spinner,
and, If the machine does not accomplish
| any part of this work, the degummine
bath must do it all, but at a cost in d.
| rect ratio to the percentage of waste
| matters remaining in the ribbons after
| leaving the machine.
There is on exhibition in this city, says
the Pittsburg Dispatch, model of a cell
| for prisons from which a criminal would
| find it practically impossible to attempt
| an escape without giving an alarm that
| would bring guard rushing up to his
! door before either the lock on the door
or the steel tubes of which the coll ~