The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-07-25
THE POSTLETTER BOX

III OO LII A. ~ DOh
CThls department is Intended to answer
questions that are of general interest. It's
main object Is to supply out-of-the- way
facts and curious information. questions
OF personal interest only VII! not be an
swerel. No business or personal addresses
VIII be given. All correspondence should
be addressed to The Letter Box. care
Der OF questions received answers can no;
always be given pronpuy)
have made in an arguu ent, the asser-
tion that the iel canal. or North Baltic
canal. lately CanTleted. WAS lighted by
electricity. MY friend does not seem to
believe 1t. Am not correct GLIB
You are. The whole canal is lighted by
electricity. said to be the longest distance
in the world Illuminated continually that
way Some 5000 tall poles, taken from Bis
marck's oaks in the Sachenwald. nave
been erected fer the purpose and each
Nght is of twenty-five candle power. The
distance between every two poles is about
2t6 yards. Tho light furnished Is power
ful enough to enable navigators to plainly
discern the route by might. The two
slucNs at the terminal points of the canal
are lighted up 10th by arc and incandes-
cent lamps II divers power. and the en-
trance roints TO the harbor. and sluioes
are markell by lamps OF d ffcrcnt colors,
The power for this whole line is furnished
BY the two main stations Mt Brunshuttel
and llciterau. At all those points whore
the canal runs through small lakes aud
ponds. of which quite n number lie along
the route. the buoys are lighted by gas.
United States, he's tho most powerful
navy? he.
According TO the latest official report,
the Japanese navy consist OF two frs,-
class battlsshps and six projected; one
sccond-class battleship. captured from the
Chinese: five nrmored cruisers. ten sec
ond-class cruisers and six building or pro-
iected, and seventeen vessels which may
be ranked as tEirG-class cruisers. Spain
has one frst-class battleship and one
build ng; one pert defense ship; eight
ilrst-class cruisers and three bMdinE; six
second-class cruisers, one building: ninety
nine thrd-class cruisers three building;
thirty-six first.class torpedo craft, two
buillng. and two secon,l-class torpedo
craft. The United States will soon have
twelve sea going hattlesh.ps, two armored
cruisers IN commission, one ram. six
double turret monitors. fourteen single
turiet monitors besides considerable
number OF other vessels, consisting of
modern protected cruisers. gunboats and
torpedo boats.
Why Is the Prince of Wales so called
and las he any actual authority In the
government OF WalesY WLR.
The title of Prince of Wales IS no more
than title, .ts origin being as follows,
In l?S2-S Edwart I of England completed
the conquest or Wales by putting TO death
LEV ellyn. the king of that country. and
his brother David. The Welsh mobiles,
however. were unwilling to do homage 10
the English king. and only submitted on
condition OF a promise made by Edward
that he would give them prince born in
their own country. Queen Eleanor was at
that time in Wales with tho king, and on
April o. 12S. gave birth to son. whom
Edward presented to the lords as Prince
CT Wales. This child was the second son
o: King Edward. but on the death OF his
elder brother Il few months later became
the heir TO the throne Since that time
the title of Prince of Wales has always
beer borne by the eldest son of the Eng
lish sovereign
Is England strictly free trade country,
and how does she collect her revcnue2
OK.
While Englard is CLAIMED as n free
trade country, It is practically nothing of
the lind for more than once the policy OF
protection has been resortcd to in Great
britain In order to encourage young or
growing Industries. Grea; Britain can
manufacture inaay articles more cheally
than other countfIs frorf the fact that
the rate OF interestNs low ana tho rates
OF Wages paid TO operatives IN every line
y II manufacture are considerably below
those paid 10 men IN similar employnlents
IN The United States. England has sel
dom Aesitated 70 resort to protective or
sEsfi 1I|1DI 1