The Savannah morning news., 1900-11-27
ITEMS or INTEREST.


There Is q new distlling process which
was shown recently al the Paris exhibit
/ ton This process depends upon the EN-
ployment OF a microhe which Will convert
starch FIRST into sugar and next into al
I cohol. The whole operation Is carried
on In closed watts. every material being
I sterilized. 20 that there can be no mi
/ cTohes present except those especially
I bred IN the laboratory for the purpose.
I These microbes were first found IN Chi
I nese yeast and have been taken to Eu-
rope They are. however quite distinct
\ from the yeast plant
/ in London beautiful collection Is be-
ing exhibited, made M OF vacuum tubes
I charged respectively with samples OF the
various new gases which scientists have
| succeeded in obtaining from out atmos-
sphere. When the electric spark is pass
I ed through the tubes some very beauti-
/ ful color effects. remarkably rich and
l pure, are obtained Especially noticeable
7 IN effect Is chat obtained IN passing the
| spark through the gas neon. when a mag
nincsnt crimson glow Is yielded The sell
entlsts also exhibited the apparatus by
which they succeeded IN separating these
gases from the atmosphere and from one
another The process consists OF frac-
tional distlllation
The British war Office is carrying out
some experiments with tho new patent
boot recently invented by an officer of tho
/ Ausiro- Hungarian army. This device con-
sists Of leather sole. under the heel OF
| which IL a contrivance OF metal with n
! long spiral spring inside The patent Is
30 simple that Il can be readily attached
10 the ordinary boot The object OF the
/ spring Is to obviato any jar when placing
the foot on the ground 80 that Il Is like
| putting the FOOT upon a cushion. Before
introducing u into the army the British
authorities are scsting Il among the post
men, who have TO tramp long distances
In the performances OF their duties over
nara streets which IS particularly firing
work.
Another novel use OF leather Is IN the
manufacture OF hbroleum. a rev PAPER
product which is the intention OF G Brig
| aiant OF Barentin. In France This Is a
sort OF leather paper or board which f.
made from waste cuttings Of skins. II Is
made by cutting up the pieces q skin
into small bits and then immersing them
IN large vat containing an aikaine so
luton which dissolves the glutinons mat
| ter but leaves the dhers unaliered. The
| resultant fiber D. then beaten and after
ward pressed through a renner. The un
| Is run on 10 the wire ana q very thin
paper IL made. which Is cut into sheets
and while wet is placed IN piles ami sub-
jected 10 pressure TO squeeze the water
out
Tho closing years OF the century have
brought a sea OF troubles upon millions
% unfortunate orlcntals. says the New
York Tribune. Famine In tie worst form
has ravaEed vast areas IN India and has
plunged the wretched Inhabitants into the
lowest depths OF misery The bubouie
plague has spread agony and horror far
and vide. Ia China the outbreaks Of the
Eoxers and the uprisngs in various parts
% tho Empire have shocked the world
with the accounts 81 hlieous massscres.
of piliaEe destruction and ruin resembling
the harbarities pracuse1 by Tamerlaue
| and Geughis Khan And now Il Is assert
ID that leprosy Is spreading in China, ia
pan and India. and that IL has Infected
hundreds OF thousands 81 victims Il g.
added. moreover. tuaf che natives Of those
Countries are too often guilty ~ outrag-
eous brutality toward the stricken lcpers.
VINO are looked upon rs accursed ana are
driven out Of the cities. towns and vii
lagos 60 die Of starvation. Few years Of
his century have been so fertile Of af-
flcton and calamity on the other side
Of the world
An interesting instance OF the rapldi,y
and ease with which an animal viii chang
los habits under new coudl ions imposed
by man has recently been discovered IN
The case Of the Buphaga or rhinoceros
bird. OF British Fact Africa The bird
originally FED on ticks and other parasites
which iufest game and domestic animals.
and was considered OF SUFFICIENT value 10
| secure special consideration a. the Inter
national Conference on the Preservation
Of African Wild Animals. Although It's
chief Interest Ia cattle WIS on account OF
the parasite, nevertheless O. occasionally
| happened that n the animal had a sore
ou iis back 3; =S;iia probe tbs diseased
portion, sometimes sufficiently 10 KIN the
animal. Since the large cattle herds in
| Jkambani have been destroyed By the
plague. and nearly an the sheep and
goats slaughtered FOR food during the
late famine the rhinoceros- bird has be-.
come carnlvorous and kills any domestic
animal which is no, constantly watched
Perfectly healthy animals have their ears
eaten down 10 the bone and holes torn
In their backs ana fcmoral regions. 50
srea, has the nuisance become that some
r,oans OF destroying them s earnestly
desired. In some cases the wounds made
By the birds have been filled with iodo.
form powder, which serves to rend sr
! comato-e any birds attacking the sore
and permits them 10 be easily DESTROYED
but this remedy Is both expensive aud not
1 particularly effective. The birds are also
the means Of communicating disease be-
tween infected and clean herds q mile or
TWO apart. and their destruction In this
part o. Africa seems quite necessary.
The various sulphur deposits 10 be
I found IN the Russian Empire are inter-
esting. not only on account OF their ex-
tent. but also on account OF the high
Grade OF the ore which Is encountered IN
many cases The mines ~ present are
| not extensively worked though several
| or them are reported 20 contain some Of
the richest beds OF sulphur TO De found
anywhere IN the world. In tine PAST this
| mineral has been mined IN Daghcstan IN
/ the Northern Caucasus. and are obtained
| which yielded ~ per cent Of sulphur
| The geological formation here Is similar
10 that Of the sulphur region in Sicily.
whore the orc yields from u to II per
cent % sulphur. The inaccessibility Of
these mines. which are located In a noun
famous country 45oo feet above the Cas-
plan Sea. led 20 their abandonment. In
I Transcaspia q vast bed Of sulphur has
recently been discovered which. with
single exception. Is considered the rich.
est bed IA the world. and seems likely 20
prove Of considerable importance. n
Z comprises several distinct mounds in an