The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-31
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

and has found that in hight, weight, breast
measure, muscular power. and general
condition, they averaged much better than
the well-behaved soldiers. DR.. Marty does
not imply that criminals are by nature
better physically than non-cTim!nals, but
suggests that the condition of criminal
families is so much more wretched than
respectable ones, that only the uncommon
ly strong survive.
in order to determine the effect of acety-
lene gas on the health, in view of its in
creasiug use for Illumination, some expert
mentS were recently carried on with ami
mails. An atmosphere containing 20 per
cent. of acety .ene was found to have no
deleterious effect on the animals, and from
that it was deduced that living beings
would not be injured by breathing such an
atmosphere. In an atmosphere containing
40 per cent. of acetylene, a dog succumbed
after breathing 10 hters of the mixture.
AS acetylene gas has an intense odor on
escaping into the air. in The light of these
experiments, ii may be said to be consider
ably safer than ordinary Illuminating gas.
There is no danger of explosion until there
is one-twelfth by volume of acety.ene
mixed with the air. In burning acety-
lene removes but little of the oxygen from
the atmosphere, and has small heating
effect in comparison with its illuminating
power the heat of combustion being I'M
flame it may be as high as 1900 degrees Z.
New York is preparing to fight con-
fiagrations with dynamite, should occas-
ion require it. Under section 751 of the
city charter. the corps of sappers and
miners is empowered to blow up build
ingS surrounding a con1agration when CIR
cumstances warrant it. says the cores
pondence of the Pittsburg Dispatch. The
corps was organized in the '70S, but has
never been recognized. Now Fire Commits
sioner Scannell has ordered the reorgani-
cation of the corps and the placing of IT
on an active basis. The new corps Will
consist of eight companies, four in the
boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx
and two each in the boroughS of Brooklyn
and Queens, represented by all the assis-
tant forenen of the department. A special
signal has been arranged, so that when
a section of the city is threatened by fire
the commissioner or the commanding Off
Ger at the fire can call any division or all
of the divisions of the corps to the scene.
When all are wanted at a fire the call
"5-5-5-5" will be sent out. This will be
the signal most dreaded, for it will mean
that dynamite must be used to check the
progress of the flames. Commissioner
Scannell looks upon the corps as one of
the safeguards of the metropolis, and he
intends to have them instructed in the use
of high explosives so as to be ready for
any emergency. The recent big fires in
the city have made it clear that some
thing more must be done in the way Of
protection.
The effect of approaching storms upon
song birds is the subject of an interesting
contribution by Mrs. c. f. Linney to the
United States Monthly Weather Review.
1t appears that during the night of Aug.
1916 very severe electrical, wind and rain
ctr q northern district
of Illinois. An observer in Henry county,
Mr.. W. w. Warner noticed that for forty
eight hours before the storm not a sound
was heard from the numerous song birds
an the district. The observation was so
fun of interest that Mr.. Linney wrote for
additional information, with the result that
he received numerous letters, some con-
firming it, others stating that birds sing
louder and more persistently before a
great storm, and nearly all agreeing that
they are more restless than usual at such
a time. Mr.. Linney has found the follow
ing weather proverbs referring to song
birds and storms: When birds cease to
sing, rain and thunder will probably oc-
cur. If birds in general pick their feathers,
wash themselves and fly to their nests, eX-
pect rain. Parrots and canaries dress their
feathers, and are wakeful the evening be-
fore storm. If the peacock cries when he
goes to roost, and indeed, much at any
time, II Is a SiSSu Vi RAIN 1<OilS anu fOAh
singing of robins in the morning denotes
rain. Robins win perch on the topmost
branches of trees and whistle when storm
is approaching. The restlessness of do
nestle animals and barnyard fowls before
an approaching storm is we'll known, and
many of their peculiarities have been not
ed, but the actions of song birds do not
appear to have been previously received
particular attention.
Guards ,1oada nv fha ara
much sought after by collectors of curios,
but it is not so generally known that these
weapons possess peculiar characteristics
that make them equal to the work of the
most celebrated steel workers. The art
of making the blades was originally
trade secret, being communicated only
from father to son, and master to pupil.
The metal employed is magnetic iron ore
and ferruginous sand, and the strip of steel
10 be worked into a sword blade of
welded TO a rod of iron, which serves as
a handle. Other strips of steel are welded
to the first and the bar is repeatedly dou-
bled over and then hammered out to its
former shape and size. The original strips
are very thin, and this doubling process
takes place so often that it is estimated
that there are over a million layers of
metal in a Japnese sword-blade. Some
times layers of iron are mingled with the
steel, and the result is a wavy appearance
in the markings or grain. After the blade
has been fashioned, it is scraped with a
knife, and the part to be inserted in the
hilt, on which the smith places his name,
is shaped, and then the blade is ground.
The ornamentation is etched by covering
the blade with a mixture of clay, fine
sand, and powdered charcoal, through
which the design is traced. The weapon
is then carefully heated and dipped into
water or oil, the process requiring the
greatest skill and practice To sharpen
one of these fine blades often consumes
fifty days, and the surface is gone over in
certain cases as many as twenty times.
The blades are required to stand a most
severe inspection. and for the best work
very high standard is maintained.
The "smol1e nuisance" seems to be
feature of life in cities in many quarters
of the world, and steps for its suppress
sion or diminution are being considered
by several commissions and learned bodies.
A French commission, including in its
membership prominent city officials, scien-
lists, and engineers, has spent three years
in a study of the question, both from ac-
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