The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-27
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

House Of Common. by Sir Charles Dixie.
Mr.. John Burns and others. for tho es-
tablishment OF wages board to tx the
rate of wages to be paid to workers in
particular trades
Eighteen months ago the town Of
Ensley. Ala, the population of which is
now 5000 had only 500 inhabitants. The
Increase has been due to the demand for
labor created by the operation of a steel
mill rod mill and other industries.
-Orea. a little city In Sweden, owns and
operates nursery which yields an in
come of $3.50 o00-suficient to pay all the
expenses of the municipality, including
the cost of conducting free schools for
the children and a free telephone system
for the people.
The celebrated Russian ice-breaking
steamer, Yermak, is to be taken to Eng
land for repairs and alterations during the
coming summer. A polar voyage is o O.
posed for the vessel, and it has been con-
sidered advisable to fit a new stem of in
creased strength 10 the bow, so that it will
offer grea ter resistance TO the ice. The
huh is also to be heightened, and the boat
generally strengthened. though it has
worked most satisfactorily during the W n
ter just past.
The rainless region of Peru is in 5 de-
grees south latitude, near the city of
Payta and on the coast. says the Engin-
eering News 1t did rain for twenty-four
hours in February, 1889, but his was the
first rainfall in G ght years, and the aver
age duration between showers is seven
years. Fogs are quite frequent and the
flora is poor, seven out of nine plants
found being ANIMALS. The seeds of the
latter sometimes remain in the ground
In /.
Peruvian cotton grows, as with its long
roots 1t can go without water for seven
years 1t furnishes abundant and profita-
BILE crops and supports the peocle.
The Russian government proposes to
carry on extensive dredging operations on
the AMOR river during the spring and
summer. The estuary of this river will be
thoroughly dredged, and six lighters, a
dredging machine, and The largest steam
er now ploying on the river will be utilized
for this purpose. 1t is the intention to
cut a channel 100 feet in width and feet
in depth, from the sea to the main river
and Transporting them overland 10 Alex
androvsk. The Amoor river is ice bound
for half the winter, and Is subject to
foods during the summer months, so it
will furnish quite field for engineering
operations.
The scheme of keeping Great Britain
free ON mad dogs by subjecting all dogs
imported to a rigid quarantine has the
elements of novelty and boldne S. says the
New York Tribune. The theory is that
rabies is disease that is propagated only
by transference from one animal to an
other. 1t Is now five months since there
was a case of rabies in Great Britain.
Therefore the disease-if the theory be
true-is practically exterminated. Now all
that is necessary is to prevent any dog
from fetching it into the island again,
and Great Britain will remain free from
rabies as its sister isle is from snakes. AT
any rate, the experiment is a most in
teresting one, and is well worth making.
The Germans, says the Paris Nou-
velles seem determined to assert their SUI
premacy in Asia Minor by plans and
works capable of striking the imagination
of the people. They announce that they
intend soon to begin the building of gil
gantic bridge over the Bosphorus. This
bold object will remedy the Inconvenience
of passing from one side of the shore to
the other and TO go directly from Berlin
to Bagdad. A special commission com
posed of civil and military engineers has
been appointed by the German govern
ment. According 10 preliminary plans,
the bridge will be of gigantic proportions
and so high in the center that-th high
est masted vessels can pass underneath.
The enterprise when realized will certain
ly be of very great Importance toward
extending German interests in Asia Minor.
The navy department has recently
adopted plan which contemplates the
making of observations throughout the
Pacific Ocean for the purpose of ascer-
tanning the variations of the compass in
that part of the world. This variation is
not known at the present time within two
or three degrees Without this informa-
ton, through imperfect navigation, the
run of a day may be decreased by as
much as from one to two knots per hour,
thus causing the expenditure of an un-
necessary amount of fuel and loss of time.
1t is necessary that these observations
should be made in a wooden vessel IN or
der to prevent the disturbing influences of
magnetic metal upon the compass used for
the purpose. 1t is the intention, if an APP
preparation is granted, TO hire a small
wooden sailing vessel for this object none
being owned by the navy.
One Of the greatest difficulties in the
building of docks, lighthouses and other
marine engineering works has been the
disturbing and destructive action of the
waves and surf. Consul Thackera, at
Havre, says: IAN Italian, Baron d'Ales-
sandro, living in Paris, has invented
new method of protecting vessels al sea-
entrances to harbors, lighthouses. etc,
from the force of waves and surf which
he claims, is more efficient than the use
OF OIL" His invention consists in retain
ing on the surface of the water an I'M
submersible floating net by means of out
rggers when used to protect vessels in
storms at sea, and by attaching it to
buoys when used to protect lighthouses,
hydraulic works in construction and en-
frances to harbors. The part covered
forms a crust under which the molecules
of the imprisoned mass of water cannot
move in the same manner as the sur
rounding body of uncovered water, the re-
suit being that even the most violent
waves, upon reaching The edge of the
crust. instead of climbing over It, or
breaking or destroying It, will pass under
it, as If there were a fan or difference OF
level become fattened out and lose much
of their force.
Considerable quinine is produced in Be-
livia. where the plantations were original