The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-12
NUBs OF KNOWLEDGE.

Electricity has supplantcd steam in the
oldest railroad In Italy-from Milan to
Monza.
The Oregon boraX wagons may have to
yield to the automobile, with steam as the
motive power.
a railway in the Congo State, touching
Lake Albert NyanZa, will be built at "a
cost Of $30,O000Er.
An electric automobile in France re-
Gently travelled considerable distance
at the rate of siXty-five miles an hour.
Improvement in storage batteries is SO
marked that where a vehicle required
1900 pounds of cells two years ago, but
500 pounds are required now.
1t is proposed to use a system of re-
frigeGation and endeavor to exhibit fresh
food for this country during the entire
term of The Paris exposition.
A new 500-ton drawbridge was substi-
tuted for the old ore over the Pasaic
river. Newark, the time involved in the
actual substitution being eighteen and
onelhalf minutes.
The athletes of Greece in ancient times,
when training for physical contests, were
fed on new cheese figs and boiled gram.
Their drink was warm water, and they
were not allowed to eat meat
The old Thames subway has fallen into
disuse since the new tower bridge. Lon
don, has been built, and it is now sug-
gested that the former place would be IN
ideal spot to raise mushrooms.
United States Commissioner w. A.
Jones says that "full-blooded Indian
lunatlc never lived" ana AYERS that the
new Indian Insane asylum in the Indian
Territory will be occupied by mixed
breeds.
Metals get tired as well as living be-
ings. Telegraph wires are better con-
ductors on Monday than on Saturday, on
80 .,gk
of three weeks adds 10 per cent. to the
conductivity of a wire
A New York lawyer recently travelled
from New York to Boston by trolley.
Two hundred and five miles were covered
by trolley and ffty-two miles by trains,
while the time occupied was twenty-nine
hours, exclusive of stops.
+. A. Sales, of Providence, has just
been sued for the possession of what Is
said to be the oldest bell in the country.
Originally a convent bell in Amsterdam,
1t was captured and used by the British
navy as a ships bell until Aug 10, 1872.
Each day of the week has served as
day of rest somewhere-S Sunday among
Christians, Monday with the Greeks,
Tuesday with the Pcrsians, Wednesday
with the Asyrians, Thursday with the
Egyptians, Friday with the Turks and
Saturday with the Jews
Yankee ingenuity has upset an ancient
custom in India. For centuries every
| rajah and even the minor potentates have
had special men called 'punkas" to fan
them during their waking hours. Now
| their job is gone, for every rajah has
| bought an American electric fan
The Augusta Herald says that of &c
men who have taken human life in
| Richmond county, Ca, In the past fifteen
| years only four have paid the death
penalty: nine were sentenced TO life Inn
| prisOnment; seven were sentenced to
| from one TO twenty years, and thirty-six
went free,
The most valuable natural bridge in
| the world Is TO be found I'm ARIZONA, ly-
| ing across a deep Chasm 40 feet in width
II is "A petrhed tree about 4 feet in dia-
meter, and about 100 feet in length. 1t
| Is pure agate all through, and therefore
| Is much more valuable as regards ma
| tcrial than any bridge Of marble or
! granite would be.