The times., 1899-07-16
Are there American ostrichess

Are there American ostriches? H. L
The South America rhea is commonly
called an ostrich, though he has three
toes TO two for the foot of the African
bird. and differs anatomicaIIy in other re-
speets. The males set, usually at night
the eggs being left to the suns warmth
during the day. The male rhea attends 10
the young chicks. too, for time
Is there any truth in the statement that :her.
electric shOck2 o. v
Yes; there are at least fifty marine ami,
mails that have this power Most OF then,
belong to the eel or ray families. Faraday
declared that one species could give a
shock equal to that Of fifteen highly charg-
ed Leyden jars. 1t has not been discover
ed that this remarkable power is used in
any way but as a defence.
Did builders among the aneieuts emplo,
arches such as are USED nowadays7 HENRY.
The arch principle was known to the an
clients, but the earliest arches we're made
erudely and the Intel system answered
most demands. Rude arches are found
in Egyptian pyramids that date back twen-
ty centuries before Christ The Romans
used the arch extensively, but the Greeks.
though knowing its usefulness, retarded
its development because they did not al
low important curved lines to be visible
in their structures.
told that | have a pterygium in eacs
1 eye. Ny friends claim that there IS no slck
| disease known. Please tell US something about
IT, j. ID. 81
There is such development of the eye
Medical works describe it as "a circum-
scribed varieose excreseence of the con.
/ junctiya or the subconjunctival tissue
] mi IaA
plain English a pterygium is an abnormal
I growth OF the eye 1t develops slowly,
may in time affect the sight and is re-
movable by a painless operation.
What is meant by the factor of safety in
| building? PRENT.
The ratio of strength to actual strain
For structures supporting quiet loads, the
! factor of safety is usually about four for
wrought iron and STEEL six for cast iron,
/ eight for timber, and fifteen for masonry
/ Where shocks are to be withstood, as in
| bridges and machinery, the factor is a
great deal higher. The factor of safety
varies so much, anyhow. owing TO different
grades of materials and varying judgment
of builders. that it is sometimes styled the
factor of ignorance The term is passing
out OF use with engineers.
How many different typeuriters have been put
/ on the market? A. SV
We do not know; but great many. The
\ typewriter developed quite as gradually as
do other elaborate mechanisms. The ear
| lest one recorded was invented by an
| English engineer and patented in 1714. Il
was not perfected and no description of it
! exists. The first for this country was a
/ crude machine devised by William Aus
tin Burt, of Detroit, who also invented the
solar compass. Later machines that were
| far better than these were practically use
! less because it was impossible to get speed
out of them. Typewriter mechanics are
now wrestling with the problem of ma
chine that shall write in books.
How many soldiers did spain have in the field
in the late war with the United States? 2.
| What is the smallest country in Europe, By
whom is it ruled, and how is it bounded2
d. s
Spain's army in Cuba, including 5000
/ troops in Porto Rico. was reported in
| September OF 1897 as POI .212 men, but her
fighting force was not nearly so many
| on November 80, 1898, there remained in
| Cuba $1,000 men. >. The smallest of Eu-
ropes Independent principalities is Mona
CO. 1t has a sovereign prince, standing
army OF 70 men, its own courts, coinage,
1 and postage stamps, and is supported by
/ the revenues Of the gaming tables az
| Monte Carlo. 1t is almost surrounded by
the easternmOst department of France.
When did the United States first have al
| army! 2. What has been the standing army
since then? s. Are there any regulars lett in
| the United States! TEACHER.
| The Continental Congress first author
! lied an army by a resolution of June II,
| 1775. The recruits were baekwoodsmen,
chiefly from Pennsylvania, and later were
inc tod in Uao %
Foot of the Continental Army. 2. 1t has
varied from time TO time. At the outbreak
of the Spanish war il was about 80, 0OO
Now 1t is 6S, 100 8. Some of the regu-
lars remain at home, though but a small
part Of the entire force. Those left ara
one regiment and portions OF two more
regiments of infantry. four regiments Of
cavalry, and one of artillery, with parts OF
four other regiments.
Please give the names of the Islands that IN.
United States now owns. ,. What are trustsf
8. Who is Susan b. Anthony? E r
The Philippines. the Hawaiian group,
Guam, and Porto Rico are the ones ac-
quired recently. 2. They are trade combi-
nations of firms or corporations in similar
lines of business. They had their origin
in England fifty years ago, but have per-
haps, reached their greatest DEVELOPMENT
in this country. g. \ woman born of Quak-
er parents in South Adams Mass, Febru-
airy 15 1920. She was a school teacher. an
eloquent speaker in behalf OF the temper
ance and anti-slavery causes, and later q
foreeful upholder of woman's rights.
What country has the most arbitrary govern
meut among civilized nations2 >. Please give a
short biography OF General Miles, and is) OF
General Shaiter. l.
Russia, which is an absolute monarchy.
though local administration in European
Russia Is fairly democratic ,. Gen. Nell
son Appleton Miles was born at Wachus-
ettville, Mass, August s, 1889. received an
academic education, and was engaged in
mercantile pursuits in Boston when the
civil war broke out. He entered the army as
lieutenant OF the Twenty second Massa-
chusetts Volunteers. He became colonel OF
the Sixty-frst New York Volunteers in 1867.
was appointed brigadier general in 1884
and major general in 1865. In 1866 he wns
made colonel OF regulars. brigadier in 1850
and major general in 1890. He has been
in command Of the army since October.
1895. 3. Gen. William Rufus Shafter was
born at Galesburg, Mich, October 16. 1s35
and was for many years a farmer. In the
civil war he rose 10 the rank OF colonel
and brevet brigadier general. He became
lieutenant colonel in the regular army in
1856, colonel in 1879. brigadier general In
1897, and major general OF volunteers I'm
1898. He commanded the army sent against