The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-04
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

When the late DR.. Airey was made
professor of astronomy in the University
of Cambridge and given the observatory
to live In, but provided with no salary,
some one quoted happily: They gave TO
Alrey nothing, local habitat ton and a
name"
When the Californian tells you that he
has seen the wind blow so hard that it
blew the grass out of the ground, you will
smile in spite of yourself, it is so perfect
~ ridiculous, says Lippincotts. And yet
it is true. | once planted lawn in March,
sowing kentucky blue grass. 1t came up
beautifully, and hourished until May,
which is the month in which the norther
is prevalent l think it was the middle
of the month. and the grass was about
three inches high when the norther came
along. In two days l had no more lawn;
the grass had been blown out of the
ground. AS previously mentioned the
norther is a disiccating wind, and it dried
the loose soil about the grass roots until
IL was reduced to a powder and thus I'M
able to resist the wind, which dispersed it.
The roots, having no further hold in the
ground, gave way, and the wind carried
off the grass This is how the wind blew
the grass out of The ground. 1t is a
california yarn, but simple enough when
explained.
What do you think of one apple tree
from which ninety boxes of fruit were
gathered in one year?' queried p. w. Ton
neson, the county fruit inspector, accord
ing to the Tacoma Ledger. "Well it's
a TACT. Just across the Puyallup river
bridge on Main street of PllyaiIuD on Mr.
Lacy place, stands an apple tree the re-
cord of which might be placed among the
historical archives of the state. The tree
measures five. and half feet in circum-
ference, and is somewhere in the neigh
Dorhood OF thirty-five years old. 1t is of
the WaXen variety. According to Mr.. La
cy's statement. the tree has borne this
ntyr hHzyr - ,,.,,T.
them being salable fruit MIR. Carson, the
former proprietor, stated, while living on
the place several years ago, that the tree
has been a regular bearer and thai il had
averaged between fifty and seventy-fve
boxes of apples during the past twenty
years. The huge tree presents a remark
ape appearance in the spring, when in
fuh blossom. 1t is without doubt the larg-
est and most prolific bearing apple tree in
the state"
of all the metals hitherto discovered
there are none more interesting from GER
tain points of view than nickel and cobalt
says Chambers Journal. There is a scien-
tihc mystery surrounding them that has
never been solved, and is not likely to be
explained Tor many years to come. AL
though they possess very distinct proper
ues, ana form salts of very different col
ors, they have exactly the same combin-
ing number (29.5), and this number ap-
proacneS that of iron (2S,) the commonest
metal, with the exception perhaps of
aluminium, that exists in the crust of the
earth. They are also, like iron, attracted
by the magnet Moreover, they are inva-
rlably present in those masses of metal
called meteroic iron or aerolites, which
occasionally fall from the skies upon the
surface of our earth The fall Of these
aerohtes generally occurs in broad day
hght when the sky is clear and the sun
shining brightly. A stream of cloud or
metallic vapor appears in the air and a
noise like the lOudeSt thunder is heard at
ter the whizzing of the aerolte constitu-
ung one OF the most terrifying phenome-
ma 1t is possible to behold
For long time there have been made
platform scales of stylessand finish rather
more elaborate than ordinary platform
scales, specially intended for use in weigh
ing persons, and commonly called personal
scales. says the New York Sun. This is
the kind that might be seen in a store
bearing card marked TRY your weight -
1hey We're used also by physicians in
Guiding life insurance examiners. There
IS now made a platform sca,e specially
designed for use in houses, particularly in
bath rooms, and called a bath room scale
me demand for this is due in some meas
ure 10 the increase of massage treatment
ana also TO the desire to note accurately
changes of weight under medical treat
ment. A niCkel-plated measuring rod is
attached to this scale, if desired The
PLATFORM of the scale is small. the pillar
Is tan, so that the beam is brought upon
IeVel with the eye The scale is finish
ca IN pale blue or white enamel to match
the fittings of the bath room There is
also made now a platform scale specialiv
designed for physicians use, and called a
PHYSICIANS scale. This is of fine design
ana hnlSh, and in size about midway be-
tween the bath room scale and the or
binary scale.
A. K. Peterson, who has been fishing
in the Fraser river, according 10 the Port
land Oregonian, says that the pack of fish
there and in Alaska is large, and that the
cannery men have really more fish than
they know what to do with On the
Sound fishing is still going on, and the
amount Of second-grade fish packed will
De enormous. Mr.. Peterson SAYS the fish
ermen on the Fraser river and in Alaska
attribute the increased amount of fish
caught yearly to the killing off of the
seal herds by pelagic sealing. AS the fish
seem to be increasing instead of diminish
ing, Notwithstanding the vast quantities
caught, there may be something in the
theory The hair seals, which frequent
Inc mouth of the Columbia, eat salmon
and Kill lots of them, and probably the fur
seal does the same. A good healthy seal
should eat salmon day, or two or three
OF the blueJackS they catch in the Fraser
and in Alaska. The immense herds of
seal which go up to the Bering sea every
year consume vast quantitiesIf the herd of
sea lions which have their headouarters
at Seal rock, just south of False TiIIa7
NOOK, We're eXterminated the number of
tat Chinook salmon coming into the Co
lumbia would be greatly increased.
An extended discussion has been going
on in the German technical press as to
whether or not a lightning rod during d
thunder storm is continuously acting to
equalize the electrifications of the clouds
ana that of the earth, says Electricity.
Some assert that the functions of the
lightning rod is TO offer a good conducting
path to the earth for a lightning flash
Whle others claim that ii offers a con-
slant medium between the air and earth
among the facts adduced by the adherents
OF the latter theory was an instance which
occurred during the construction of a
llghtnlng rod for a chimney 100 feet high.
When the uncompleted work was inter,
rupted by thunder shower A temporary
wire was, therefore, run to a neighborfns
pond, so as to ground the rod. when +
was noticed that considerable gas was
formed on the surface of the SUBMERGED
WIRE; indicating that a current PRODUCED
by the silent discharge of the clouds was
passing and decomposing the water by
electrolysis. Another experiment was
quoted, in which a plate lightning arrest
er, with a galvanometer in circuit was
connected In circuit with a lightning rod
When an almost continuous DETECTION az
lne galVanometer needle was observed
showing that continued equalization Of
electric charges does take place
1t is doubtful, saws the Pail Mail 70