The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-20
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Samples of cement used in the antique
water conduits about Ephesus and Smyr-
ma We're recently subjected 10 chemical
analysis, ard the results have proved an,
tefesUng nom the archaeological as Wei
as the engineering point OF view. Wh ie
The different SAM Is were from water
works that dated from several centuries
before Christ 10 three hundred years aAtsd',
Yet il was found that the general coanpo-
siron Of ali was quite similar. Inc cntet
constituent was carbonate OF lime, Dut
mixed with il was from to per cent. of
organic material This was ascertained TO
consist of mixture OF fatty acids, and IL
Is believed that the cement was the on
cement which Pliny and Nitruvius mention
m their works. Experiments were MADE
with a cement consisting of burned lime
ana olive or linseed oil. but il was not
found TO be permanent. On the other hand,
mixture of two-thirds air-slaked Anne,
and oue-third olive oil hardened readily,
and possessed great endurance. leading 10
the belief that this was ire compOs.lion of
the ancient dement's which were analysed
The decrease of plague mortality in
Calcutta moves the Indian Nation to re-
mark: Burning heat, leaden skies, and,
bOVe all, a brown smoke or mist have
been conditions associated with plague
both this year and the last. A negative con-
ditiOn has been the absence of rain. We
nave noticed che brown mist in the midst
OF sunlight PLAYING AL arouOd IL. Whence
comes il? Whence its dusky hue in local
itltS where not a single chimney is work
lnSE The answer must be that the mist"
Is simply due 10 bad drainage. The In
dian Mirror declares that the underground
system lis wholly unsuited 10 tropical
countries" When ii was about to be in
PRODUCED in Calcutta DR.. Nouat, DR. Ma
hendra Lal Sicar and other authorities
foretod the evils which followed. A re-
cent issue of the Calcutta Medical Jour
nal says that the plague was due entire
" 10 'the malarious condition of the citv
which is daily increasing in intensity from
imperfect and faulty drainage, aggraVat-
ed by the ever increasing production of
poisonous gases in the Unfinished and bad
ly flushed drains" Another paper says
the matter is one of imperial concern, and
urges action on the part of Lord Curzon
the viceroy.
According to reports that have reached
the Pacific coast, Lieut.. Hobson's mind
still turns affectionately and hopefully to-
ward certain heaps Of scOrched and broken
iron that iusubriously decorate the coast
or cuba, says the New York Times. Two
travellers just arrived at Tacoma from
Hong kong-they are women. by the way
q tact that may excite malicious smiles
say that the hero of the Merrimac does
not weary of telling about his plans for
REBUILDING the cruisers Maine and Cristo-
bal Colon. He declares he viii some time
nave the Maine atOat and s good a shin
as before she was blown up in Havana
harbor and his idea is to build cofferdam
around the ship as she lies, clear away
me wrecked half, and build on wooden
extension of the hull Then she will be
raised by ordinary means and lowed TO a
dock. There the wooden half is 10 be
removed and the Maine rebuilt as she was
ue1Oie. ne lieutenant is said to talk
with contagious ferVOr on his net subject
Best OF all. il is declared that everybody
10 Hong Kong admires him and respects
him, believing that the stories carried
H.4Vr taa
~ exaggerated" If that is So every
pody IS wise as well as amiabe for
about the greatness of the eXaggeration
there is no doubt whatever.
The reason Japanese paintings pre-
sent such curious appearance to our
eyes, says the Chicago News is that in
them shadow IS omitted. This gives the
peculiarly Nat appearance to figures and
landscapes which everyone has seen who
mas looked on paper fan or wall draw
hese artist aims at. In Japan the artists
do not use easels. The man with the
paints either sits on the floor with his
W0Ik spread before him or at a small
taoie Usually II he is an important artist
ne mas helper who stands by fills his
brushes with color as desired and takes
an the tresome drudgery from the Shout
defS or MS principal Just a. the plum her G
assistant in this country does the heavy
work. Instead of a palette little bowls
contain the colors. The trouble with jap
dteSe dftiStS Is tnat they do not originate
Ihey can make beautiful copies, but do
not care TO let their own fancy depict new
scenes. The most noted japanese artist
~ HokuSal, who was born last century
tie hNed ninety years and was so deVOte ed
TO painting that besides his pictures he
illustrat led 100 different publications. He
was so busy that he never counted the
money he was given for his work and
never cleaned up his house. When one
mouse became fun of rubbish he would
move into another.
When princely families are extlnguish-
ed their palaces usually fall into the
hands of wealthy rivals, says the Chicago
News. Il rarely happens that palace de-
generates so far as to become the home
OF crowd of poor people. This is the
case, however, with the venerable palace
OF the Lascarts in The main street of the
old town at Nice, in the south of France
ln former centuries the little town crouch
ca close under the shadow of its fort with
us OLD short-tange guns. The mobiles had
10 build their palaces shoulder 10 shouI-
der with the high, dirty, tenement houses
OF the poor. in streets that were rarely
more than fifteen feet wide One Of the
flnest of these was the palace of The Las
carlS-a family descended from the en-
perors of ConstantinOple. To-day il pre-
sents a curious spectacle as one stumbles
across II in the narrow, tortuous street
lis splendid facade and broad entrance
sun distinguish il from the lofty sur
rounding houses; but from every window
Is, IN NASl tliG iL6NitdDIe DOle Tor drViQ0
clothes, and perhaps the head of a Door
woman gossiping with her neighbor across
the street-sOme twelve feet wide A
swarm of half-naked children play about
the entrance and up the broad staircase.
making sad havoc among the magnificent
marble statues thar still survive The
spacious rooms are partitioned off and in
some cases several families occupy one
salon of the old palace II is a nit,fIl
sight TO see the lovely frescoes of Carlone
| on the wallis of these poor and dirty how
els. There are few more striking pictures
of the effect of the French revolution. No
rich person would now live in the old
town; hence the present owners have had
to let the palace in tenements to the poor-
| est of the poor
Here says the New York Times. is a
most surprising find from the columns of
the Springfield Republican, soldier letter
breathing the highest of unquestioning pa
triotism and the most clear-sighted an
probation of the nobility as well as Of
the horror of war. Not only does the Pc
publican print the letter, but it calls II
graphic writing, fit TO be called litera-
ture;" The author is an unnamed member
OF Battery A, Utah Light Artillery. ana
he tells friend in the East that III
was not mere soldiery out here; it was in
carnate Americanism." He calls his com
panlonS those who on the Manila roadg