The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-15
p0Sr,S LETTER BOX.

IUu cuj0ue s1ul0rmatlpn NVcSupns y. "
Y prni Interest only vii not BE- answered.
.&u<;ness or personal addresses VIII be give
&3yl cortehpondcnre should BE- addressed !.
Fms Letter BOX, care EouEton i'ost. Vwi'
KS tho ietEe Uumkct Of 1nvstpns receiyeu' a
\ r,Fers caa nok alMays be given ptomp'iyJ y
IL r. settle I dispute between myself al
hon5e n ny friends please tell US about 81
<3axM of6cefs Dewey, Sampson and Schic
n :f- ~ F.G.R.
4 fhe Post has given pictures and biograpl
Hical skctches Of these officers several TIM
F1arius the past three months, and would sut
( rest that fllcs be examined for this informf
Hon. Nearly every day there are dozen
4 moro requests tor facts that this paper hd
gJtcpuatcdiy published and to give all III
again In the Letter Box column would B
lrtotslblc. 1t Is the object Of Tho Post I
anticipate the Information that It's reader
want during the present war, and this ma
oeen done as far as possible. Any facts no
published will he gladly asccrtalncd. Thi
not written for tho benefit Of +. q.
ia particular, but for the many other sub
ycribers who are constantly making inquiries
UPON subjects that have been fully explained
Tho Post time and again.
4 What was tho origin Of naval signals, and
~ what nations have they been adopted
R.P.T.
Prior to tho present century various meth
DDS hud been employed for communicating
AZ sea. Tho British board OF trade having
appointed committee to inquire into and
-eport on the subject OF code OF Signals
TO supply tho means Of communication be-
lweep ships OF all nations aud languages ut
sea. tho report was favorably received by
The British government, and Is now known
rs the international Code Signals" II has
ssen adopted BY tho following nations; En-
Grind. France, Germany. Russia, Brazil,
italy. Austria. Holland, Spain, Sweden, Nor
way Denmark. Belgium and Portugal; aud
consists OF flags representing eighteen con-
sonents. As In telcgrnphic cipher a flag
nay represent an entire sentence or a word
Why Is the foam OF black ink whiteg G O.
The fcnm of any ooiorcd liquid Is white with
his exception, that the bubbles that conlpose
he foam may carry in suspension little mar
.ieles Of the eolori1g matter OF tho LIQUID
soam Is made up of an Infinite num-
'or OF bubbles. or yesicles, anG their many
'urfaccs act like prism In dividing the light
ntc It's constituent parts. hut these parts
mite again before reaching our eyes. and
bus produce the effect OF white or. more
richly, the many 1urfaces reflect all the rays
4 light, and mike the foam. as body. APP
'car white A bubble is a thin film Of liquid
illed with air. and n tho LIQUID be Black Ink.
might be supposed that the bubble would
70 black; but Il is not question of color In
BIO object Itself for no object has a color In
laelf; II all depends upon how 1t is affected
y tho light,
What Is the difference between an armorcd
ruiser and protected cfuiscrg G. X. r.
The requirements Tor the protected cruiser
70 high speed, light armor and mod
rate armament. She relies entirely upon
curved deck to keep out the shells.
D tho armorod cruiser an attempt l.
iade to combine the speed Of tho cruiser
iith something Of tho Offensive and do
'nsivo powers Of the bsttleship A belt
thin side armor Is added the guns nte
cayier, aud are placed behind heavier armor.
hile the feature OF n high speed is main-
lined.
- petroleum tho proper name for what Is
zen called coal oil O.
Petroleum. or rotk-oll, Is tho right name
II the substance bechuso II comes from
'cks down in the earth At first 1t wn,
lcught that 1t came from bitumnous coal
hence tho name ooal.oll--but though some
II may be made from coal, II IL now known
lat most OF 1t comos from rocks older than
'cse In which coal is found Hence. DO.
oleum Is It's proper name. SO far as it's
'iRin is concerned. most writer's believe TINT
has heen made by the decay of sea plants
~ animals. both.
How many pounds OF powder are required
each charge OF the largest guns on INT
eshins such as tho guns on ships Oregon
WI ana indilnog Also, give the weight al
= o"il th'y urlVe QUE,
The lo-inch guns take charge OF eg5 10
pounds of powder, tho projectIle weigh.
( 300 pounds For Pinch run Tho
arso is isj pounds. proIec,lo $50. Tho H.
cii gun REQUIRES $50 pounds, and tho pro-
etiie weighs 100 pounds.
Whai Is the origin of the expression "Roh.
~ iso'er 10 pay Paui3 c,D.W.
The church OF ST, Peter, Westminster. wo.
ada cathedral In 1910, but ten years later
was Joined to the diocese OF London arni,
d many OF Ito cstatcs were Appropriated I,
Q repairs Of st. paulfs. This "a DIR urev.
~ exclamation of the phraac, ,.robhinY
ter to pay Paul"
Nhat constitutes an army corps9 I mea,
y y uoes :, rang from u company TO an army
Il n ,amn,ng onisels from each up to gen.