The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-25
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


Frederick the Great OF Prussia formed
a regiment Of the tallest men he could
procure. and insisted on their marrying
the tallest women they could find, with a
view Of producing giant race Of guards.
but in this he was unsuccessful NOltaire
says that these men were his greatest de-
light. Those who stood in the front rank
We're none Of them less than seven feet
high; and he ransacked Europe and Asia
to add 10 their number.
The motormen on the trolley cars run
ming between Jamaica, L. l., and East
New York have a new way Of forcing stub
born truckmen TO pull out of the track.
Beside a current in the overhead wires,
the tracks are also charged. and the mo
tormen, taking advantage of this, get even
with the farmers by giving their horses
a shock Of electricity. This is done by run
ming up close behind the wagon, leaving
the power on and using the brake TO keep
the speed down. As soon as horse touches
one of the tracks he receives a shock
which makes him jump. At first the far
mers We're puzzled. but they begin to I'M
derstand now, and pull out as soon as they
hear the gong.
The interesting medical fact, stated
on credible authority, namely, that secre-
tons of the mucous membranes, especial
ly saliva, possess antiseptic properties IN
der certain circumstances, has been
thought to explain the principle by which
the germs that enter daily and hourly
through the mouth do not reach a harm
full development says an exchange. But
Edinger has now found it is stated, the
active principle in potassium rhodonate,
which is present in saliva-a compound of
sulphur cymogen and pOtaSsium-and is,
In H-wa
blooded animals; it is, like other rhodon-
ates, fatal to bacilli A quinOlin rhodon-
ate lately produced is said in a solution
of three parts to the thousand to kill the
cholera bacillus in minute, and in a so
luton of three times this strength to kill
the diphtheria bacillus in the same time. 1t
was found, too. by further researches that
thi rhodonate has the effect of carbolc
acid and of corrosive sublimate, and at the
same time is harmless to man.
The Chinese have some extraordinary
superstitions in regard to music. says the
Chicago Record. According to their be-
lief the Creator hid eight sounds in the
earth for the express purpose of COMPEL
ing man to find them out. According to
the celestial idea the eight primitive
sounds are hidden in stones, silks woods
of various kinds, the bamboo plant pump
kins. in the skins of animals, in certain
|. earths and in the air itself. Any one who
has ever seen or listened to a Chinese or
chestra will remember that their musical
Instruments are made of all these mate
rails except the last and that the COM
bined efforts of the other seven seemed
better calculated to drive the ethereal
sound away than to coax it from the air
which is really the object of all Chinese
musical efforts. When the band plays the
naive credulity of the people, old and
in he of he
and the whistling of the pipes the tones
of the eternal sounds of nature that were
originally deposited in the various ami
mate and inanimate objects by the all
wise Father.
"A monster clam from the sound. weigh
ing some six or eight pounds. was dis
played in front of a fish market yester.
day. and attracted much attention, says
the Portland Oregonian. The neck is
about foot long and as thick as man
wrist, and the body looks like a mallard
duck placed between the two clam shells
not big enough for it. Such CLANS arc
seen here occasionally, but never in guam
titles. dozen or so is the largest number
ever here at one time. They are not bad
eating, the neck being no longer than that
of the ordinary clam. They are only to
be obtained on occasion of very high
| tides, which run very far out and then
are only to be secured with difficulty by
digging a trench like a sewer. 1t is said
that they climb down into the mud or sand
with as much agility as a Clatsop razor
clam, and they go so far down that they
may be said, like truth, to live at the
bottom Of a well, but not every well The
clam on exhibition is to form one of the
| attractions of the Elks clambake, and the
man who wallows it whole is to have a.
medal and pain in the stomach
Great interest is being taken both in
England and France in NJ Bazin's roller
steamboat, which was launched in the
Seine on Wednesday, says the New York
Suns London cable. The peculiar craft
is, roughly speaking, a steamboat on
wheels or rollers. The inventors oiect
has been to increase speed by suppressine,
! the friction of the water against the yes
sci as it is forced forward This he con-
tends has been accomplished by substitu-
ting for the ordinary hull of a vessel a
sort of platform supported over the water
by revolving lenticular shaped wheels
These wheels are made to turn in cadence
or correlation with the forward impulsfon
given to the vessel by the screw. The boat
Is therefore not to be forced through the
water, but to roll upon the surface Theo-
retically almost all the motive power re-
CURED to overcome the enormous resist
ance of the water should be economical
but experience alone will demostrate
whether that advantage will be obtained
The new vessel is a steamship of $50 tons
burden, measuring 125 feet long by SO feet
broad. The platform or deck is supported
by three pairs of wheels, each having a.
diameter of 80 feet. Being hollow. thew
act as buoys and will. when laden with the
superstructure, engines, coal, etc, be i'm
mersed about eleven feet. The motive
power is $50 horse power. Each pair of
wheels will be driven by a separate en-
CINE, as is also the screw. One boiler win
furnish steam for four engines An ordi-
nary vessel of the same tonnage, with
the same motive power, would steam AT
about ten knots an hour. whereas the roll
ing boat is expected to attain between
eighteen and twenty knots. About so
horse power will be employed to propeI
the screw, and the remaining 200 horse
power for the rotation wheels. The boat
will be finished in October, when it is ex~
pected to make trial trip from Havre to
London
Awarded
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