The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-22


of that year Under the Constitution he
could not succeed himself, so he had Manuel
Gonzales made President for four years in
1850, went travelling in this country, and.
on his return, was elected a second time,
succeeding Gonzales in December. 1884. Then
he had the Constitution changed to let him
succeed himself, and has elected himself
regularly every four years since, so has
been President uninterruptedly since 1854.
Please state how many British prisoners
We're confined in the BLACK Hole" of Cal
suffocation and how many remained alive?
p. w. c.
One hundred and forty-six of the English
prisoners were forced at the swords point
to enter the military prison. called in the
slang of the soldiers 1.-The black hole This
place was about eighteen feet square. The
date was June 20, 1856, the hottest time of
the year. Only twenty-three were taken
out alive the next morning, and some of the
survivors had gone insane.
What are the salaries received by chap
lains on board United States war ships p
j. w. N.
For the first five years after date of COM
mission at sea, $500; on shore duty, 81, 900;
on leave or waiting orders, $1,000. After
$500; on shore duty, $1,000; on leave or
waiting orders, $500.
What are the names of officers in the
United States army and navy. in their or
der, from President Mckinley down to high
privates in the rear ranks? -B. p. j.
There are several thousand officers in the
army, and several thousand more in the
navy. From the Navy Department you can
get the Navy Register free, and from the
superintendent of documents the Army Reg
lister for 30 cents.
How many colored troops are in the
United States?-X. x. X.
There are two cavalry regiments and two
infantry regiments in the United States
army, the men of which are negroes and
the officers white men. The total strength
of these regiments is 2,416. They are the
Ninth and Tenth Cavalry Regiments and the
Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry
Regiments.
Please give short outline of the process
by which wire nails are made.-C. T. S.
Wire nails are made by machines into
which the wire of the desired size is fed
1t is cut off at the proper length, one end
upset" to form the head, the other end
tapered to form the point The operation
is completed instantaneously.
How far back does the practice of cele-
brating Easter day mot Sunday go by
using eggs an emblem?-Katy.
1t is impossible TO say The use of Easter
eggs is common to all Christendom, and
seems to be a symbolic tradition of the
primitive church. The phenomenon Of
Matching was chosen as a symbol of the
resurrection. In the thirteenth century we
read of people forming professions to march
to the cathedrals, where Easter eggs were
distributed
What was the battle of the kegs, in Amer
lean history?-W. K. G.
In January, 177S, while the Delaware river
was nearly free from ice, some Americans
at Bordentown, N. j., set afloat some kegs
of gunpowder. with machinery so arranged
that it would explode the powder if the
kegs should strike or rub against anything.
They hoped to blow up some of the British
men-ofwar anchored near Philadelphia.
One key exploded against a piece of ice
near the city. The garrison was aroused,
and for twenty-four hours it shot at any
and everything that fioated by. The fusil-
lade was the battle of the kegs. 1t was
written up by Francis Higginson, an Amer
lean poet of the period